Sleeping bags have been around since man started exploring and traveling the world, but whereas our ancestors were forced to carry bulky and heavy blankets and pads, we are blessed with convenient, compressible sleeping bags. Modern sleeping bags are made from lightweight, compressible and abrasion-resistant nylon and are designed specifically to be packed into compact tubes. Similar to vacuum packing, compressing a sleeping bag removes the air, which eliminates unnecessary bulk. When you are backpacking or traveling, it is important to minimize the space your belongings take up; this can be done by compressing a sleeping bag.