Lifeventure: Should you Pack a SleepingBag, PackTowel or Hammock?

I was recently asked by Lifeventure, the creators of popular outdoor products the common backpacking question, Should you Pack a Sleeping Bag, Pack Towel or Hammock?
They sent a few products to try out and as I was in Finland at the time, I thought what a wonderful excuse to hike out into the Finnish woods and try the products out.
(Enjoying the Finnish woods in the summer time with Lifeventure)
When you’re planning your next travelling adventure, it’s difficult to decide on what to pack, it totally depends on the type of trip.
I’m going to run through the pro’s and con’s for each item and if you should consider packing the item or not.
Lifeventure, Travel Hammock
(Easy to store in its own stuff sack connected to the hammock)
(Easy to wrap around a tree and set up with the included guide rope)
(Nice and cosy, perfect for sleeping under the stars in Finland)
Normally, It’s a tent that comes into question, should you pack it or not? Normally I would say no as they take up a lot of space and very difficult to take on as hand luggage on a flight.
When it comes to hammocks, however, this was something I hadn’t considered.
Hammocks have become something of a new lifestyle trend at the moment. a laptop hammock lifestyle and I had debated about getting a hammock for myself.
After testing the Lifeventure travel hammock out in the wild Finnish woods, the hammock was rather straightforward to set up and also pack away, it was very easy.
Also the hammock is very compact and fitted easily into my day bag, compared to the space my bulky tent would take up.
With free camping in Finland this is a must pack item if you want to avoid expensive hotel rooms.
The material was also strong and held me very well, was comfortable to sleep in overnight.
It’s a thumbs up for the hammock.
Lifeventure, Sleeplight 750 Synthetic Sleeping Bag
(Nice and cosy in Finnish summer conditions)
(Comes with a handy compact compression bag)
Normally hostels in the Nordics charge extra for the use of sheets, travelling with a sleeping bag can be a money saver when it comes to sleeping in the Nordics.
It’s also extra handy to have when trying to request a couch to surf on as hosts like it when you come along with your own sleeping bag and towel arrangements, makes hosting easy.
Outside of the Nordics its rather common for places to have sheets and less so needed.
Another option where a sleeping bag comes in handy is sleeping at airports as this will make the experience far more comfortable.
Sleeping bags can be bulky items in your bag and can take up a lot of space so its normally the first item to go when packing for a big trip.
Especially to Asia, where a silk sheet would be enough due to the humidity and heat.
The Lifeventure sleep light 750, is extremely compact and light and hardly takes up any room in your bag at all.
It’s perfect for summer conditions too. If you was to go for a sleeping bag due to its compact size this would be a perfect option.
I’d say combined with a hammock you have a nice free sleeping arrangement for the Nordics where you’re free to roam and sleep in the woods at no cost.
I’m 50/50 with sleeping bags, for the Nordics its needed due to the high cost for hostel/hotels this would pay for its self in a few days.
For other destinations I would say a no as it does take up much needed space in your bag.
It’s the one item that comes down to personal choice and I hope the above tips will help you come to a conclusion of your own.
I’m still 50/50 myself on packing a sleeping bag, it comes down to the type of trip.
Lifeventure, Compact Microfibre Travel Towel
(Handy built in storage strap.)
(Thin but light and dry 7 times quicker than a standard towel)
Many hostels will charge a rental fee for use of a towel. Over time this will soon start to add up and you might as well have packed a towel in the first place.
Packing a standard towel, Simply won’t cut it as they are rather bulky and take a long time to dry which is difficult when your moving from place to place on the road each day.
For travel I would recommend buying a compact microfibre travel towel.
Microfibre dries 7 times faster compared to a standard towel which ensures that you can keep your towel nice and dry to be re-used every day.
Having a towel on you whilst you travel will also come in handy when you want to use a public swimming pool or chill on the beach.
A towel will come in handy on your travels, that’s for sure, you might as well pick up a towel that’s purposely been designed for travel to make your life easier on the road.
Standard towels are also rather bulky, whilst compact microfibre travel towels are rather thin, but yet still do a good enough job of drying yourself.
Also Lifeventure Compact Microfibre Travel towels come with an elastic strap to store and compact your towel more easier on the road.
I would say it’s simply a must whilst you travel and a worthy investment.
Conclusion, What to buy?
Very happy with all the products. The hammock was a complete wild card, I have to admit I didn’t have a use for it at first, but after using it, it’s far more compact to carry compared to a standard tent.
The pack towel dried supremely fast. In fact 7 times faster than a standard towel which makes it perfect and useful for travelling conditions.
Sleeping bag was also extremely small and light compared to the standard sleeping bags I’ve seen on the market. I’m still 50/50 on the sleeping bag as it does depend on the type of trip. however this type of sleeping bag is Perfect for summer use, but not sure about other climates.
Overall every item has its use for different types of trips.
Extremely won over by the hammock and can’t wait to use it more this summer in Finland.
Thank you for reading my blog post.
Thank you for reading my blog post, I hope you found it useful.
If you do have any further questions, I’m very happy to help. You can leave a comment below in the comment section of this blog post.