Claims

1. A sleeping bag comprising an elongate shell defining an interior space sized and shaped to receive a user therein wherein said shell further defines at least one body segment access opening through said shell sized and shaped to permit a user's selected body segment to be extended through said shell into said interior space.

2. The sleeping bag of claim 1, wherein said at least one body segment access opening is defined at a location corresponding to a body area of the user selected from the group of areas comprising: near the neck, near the chest, near the waist, near the knees, and near the ankles.

3. The sleeping bag of claim 1, wherein said at least one body segment access opening extends substantially across the width of the shell where it is defined.

4. The sleeping bag of claim 1, wherein said shell defines a plurality of body segment access openings sized and configured to permit various body segments to be extended through said shell into said interior space.

5. The sleeping bag of claim 4 wherein said body segment access openings are defined longitudinally spaced apart and extending laterally across said shell.

6. The sleeping bag of claim 1, wherein said shell has two opposed ends and said opposed ends are both closed.

7. The sleeping bag of claim 1, wherein said shell comprises a first member and a second member.

8. The sleeping bag of claim 1, further comprising means for selectively sealing and unsealing said at least one body segment access opening.

9. The sleeping bag of claim 8, wherein said means for selectively sealing and unsealing said body segment access opening includes selectively engageable and disengeable hook and loop fastener strips.

10. The sleeping bag of claim 8, wherein said means for selectively sealing and unsealing said body segment access opening includes selectively engageable opposite polarity flexible magnetic strips.

11. The sleeping bag of claim 8, wherein said means for selectively sealing and unsealing said body segment access opening includes selectively engageable zipper strips.

12. A sleep system comprising a member configurable into at least part of a sleeping bag shell, wherein said shell when configured defines an interior space sized and shaped to receive a user therein, and wherein said member defines at least one body segment access opening through said member sized and shaped to permit a user's selected body segment to be extended through said member into said interior space when said shell is so configured.

13. The sleep system of claim 12, wherein said at least one body segment access opening is defined at a location of said member corresponding to a body area of the user selected from the group of areas comprising: near the neck, near the chest, near the waist, near the knees, and near the ankles.

14. The sleep system of claim 12, wherein said member defines a plurality of body segment access openings through said member sized and shaped to permit a user's selected body segments to be extended through said member into said interior space when said shell is configured.

15. The sleep system of claim 12 wherein said body segment access openings are defined longitudinally spaced apart and extending laterally across said member.

16. The sleep system of claim 12, further comprising means for selectively sealing and unsealing said at least one body segment access opening.

17. The sleep system of claim 16, wherein said means for selectively sealing and unsealing said body segment access opening includes selectively engageable and disengeable hook and loop fastener strips.

18. The sleep system of claim 16, wherein said means for selectively sealing and unsealing said body segment access opening includes selectively engageable opposite polarity flexible magnetic strips.

19. The sleep system of claim 16, wherein said means for selectively sealing and unsealing said body segment access opening includes selectively engageable zipper strips.

20. A sleep cover sized and shaped to cover a user's body defining at least one body segment access opening through said cover sized and shaped to permit a user's selected body segment to be extended through said cover at a location corresponding to a body area of the user selected from the group of areas comprising: near the neck, near the chest, near the waist, near the knees, and near the ankles.

21. A method of using a sleep cover comprising: providing a sleep cover sized and shaped to cover a user's body defining at least one body segment access opening through said cover at a location corresponding to a body area of the user selected from the group of areas comprising: near the neck, near the chest, near the waist, near the knees, and near the ankles, said body segment access opening extending laterally across said cover and sized and shaped to permit a user's selected body segment to be extended through said cover; and extending a selected body segment through the body segment access opening so that at least a first body segment overlies the sleep cover and a second body segment underlies the sleep cover.

22. A method of making a sleep cover comprising: providing a sleep cover sized and shaped to cover a user's body; and defining at least one body segment access opening through said cover sized and shaped to permit a user's selected body segment to be extended through said cover at a location corresponding to a body area of the user selected from the group of areas comprising: near the neck, near the chest, near the waist, near the knees, and near the ankles.

23. A sleeping bag comprising: an upper portion and a lower portion; and a plurality of longitudinally spaced laterally extending openings in said upper portion such that at least one body segment of a user may extend through at least one of the plurality of longitudinally spaced laterally extending openings.

24. The sleeping bag of claim 23, wherein at least one of said plurality of longitudinally spaced laterally extending openings is at a location chosen from the group consisting of: proximate the ankles of the user, proximate the knees of the user, proximate the waist of the user, and proximate the chest of the user.