Is it possible to sleep in comfort that’s comparable to your home bed, on a campervan biking holiday?

We’re taking the dog and heading off to Lake Garda (Italy) for a long weekend with friends. Mountains, lakes, biking, and la Dolce Vita – it’s why Lake Garda remains such a popular destination for us Europeans. So, we pack up our converted T5 for the 4-day trip, but as always, there’s the question of what bedding to take to create the kind of cozy sleep you only get at home. Should it be our full duvet bedding, a sleeping bag, or a blanket/quilt?

Duvet, blanket or sleeping bag? What are the pros and cons?

It’s a hotly debated topic and splits the van community into three camps: Those who prefer the practicality of a sleeping bag, those who aren’t willing to forgo the comfort of their duvet, and those who like the versatility of a blanket. There’s no right or wrong answer of course, because if you take a closer look at them all, each one has its advantages and disadvantages.

Duvets – cozy but very bulky

One thing’s for sure, using your own bed linen or duvet will make you feel like you’re back at home in your own bed. And if it’s freshly washed, it’ll smell like home too. A thinner duvet or a thicker down one will keep you warm from spring through fall. And a duvet lets you move about or have your feet out, if that’s how you like to sleep. But all that luxury comes at a price. Down duvets are susceptible to humidity, which can increase at night because of the drop in temperature or can seep in during inclement weather. The tiny down feathers with their countless fibers that branch out, can absorb three times their own weight in water, and then lose their capacity to insulate. But other kinds of duvets with natural or synthetic fill can also feel damp and take a long time to dry. Another disadvantage with your own bedding, is that it takes up a lot of space in your van or camper. It’s hard to compress it down effectively. And it gets dirty easily and can only be used indoors.



Blankets – multi-functional but with limited applications

From a light daybed blanket in cotton, to a fleece bedroll in synthetic fibers or best-quality wool, or natural fiber blanket – there are endless styles, materials and thicknesses to suit all tastes and climates. It’s this multi-functionality and flexibility that blanket fans like the most. It means they can choose what thickness blanket to take, and it can even be inserted into a cover and used as a duvet. Blankets are also great for an ‘emergency’ quick fix on cold nights – whether it’s to throw over the top of your bedding or sleeping bag, or to wrap up in as you sit gazing up at the stars in the evening. But blankets do have their limitations. Even the thickest wool blanket won’t keep you cozy and warm on a really cold night. And like duvets, they also take up lots of space. And because of their textured or fluffy surface, they attract dust and dirt.

Sleeping bags – practical but often uncomfortable

And then there’s your trusty sleeping bag. Pretty much the best allrounder. It packs down small, stows easily, keeps you warm even in mid-winter and eliminates cold toes or knees that have escaped in the night. And made from hard-wearing materials, sleeping bags can be used both inside your camper or outside under the stars. You can also zip a sleeping bag right the way up, or open it out and use it as a blanket. But it does have limitations, which are rooted in the functional purpose of a sleeping bag: Mummy-shaped sleeping bags are designed to trap as much heat inside and are therefore narrower. And because of this functionality, your legs cannot enjoy the freedom they have under a blanket or quilt. The hard-wearing nature of the materials used to make a sleeping bag can also leave you missing out on some of the soft comfort of your bed linen. Then there is the potential issue with down fill and humidity. And sleeping bags should not be washed too frequently as their insulation performance will diminish. When zipped fully open to use as a blanket on warmer days, the contoured head section and tapered foot section of a sleeping bag can make it awkward.

Why a rectangular sleeping bag is the perfect solution

Until this trip, we were undecided too – split between our preferred choices. I didn’t want to forgo the luxury of my down duvet. Jan preferred the practicality of a sleeping bag. But this time, we had the deuter Orbit SQ with us to test it out: It’s a sleeping bag specially designed for campervan and van-life fans, that combines the advantages of all three options.

The first thing that strikes you about the deuter Orbit SQ is the look. Its soft, matt-finish yet robust shell fabric is made from 100 % recycled materials. And unlike other ‘regular’ sleeping bags, the Orbit SQ has a really cool lifestyle look about it. When it comes to technical specs, it’s obviously streets ahead. The clever all-around, two-way zipper means you can open out the Orbit SQ like a blanket or quilt, zip it shut as a sleeping bag on cold nights, or zip it together with another bag and to create a double sleeping bag or double quilt – and you can use it inside your van, or outdoors. It really covers all bases when it comes to car camping.

That’s a good start. But what about sleeping comfort?  Will it match up to my down duvet? I’m dubious. But after the first night in it, I have to admit that the high-loft hollowfiber fill really insulates well, and I’m nice and cozy inside. And the silky-soft cotton blend lining is really pleasant against the skin. Almost as good as sheets. In the pillow section in particular, where my face is against it, I really notice how different it feels to other sleeping bags. Added bonus: The pillow section can be zipped off and washed separately, so it’ll smell like home every trip. The rectangular shape allows plenty of space for my legs to move about, which is particularly important for me, as I can never keep them still at night. And if there’s a drop in temperature, all I need to do is tug on the hood drawcords and seal in all that warmth.

So when it comes to comfort and functionality, the deuter Orbit SQ is a really effective alternative, or even an upgrade, compared to our usual options. And it beats my down duvet when it comes to space too. The rectangular sleeping bag packs down small into its stuff sack and I can just throw it into the van cupboard.

After 4 days of rigorous testing, the conclusion is: We now have a new team member in the van. We were really impressed with every aspect of the Orbit SQ. And the color even matches Jan’s outfit, and the dog! What more could you ask for?

Discover the Orbit SQ