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I'm in my first hotel in Mongolia, at the border town with China called "Zamyn-Uud".

The hotel actually has a cheap dormitory room with four beds and only me staying.

Each bed has a kind of "insulation pad" on top of the mattress and a simple blanket/bedspread. But I was also given two sheets when I checked in. In a cupboard there were a couple of thicker blankets but not enough for all the beds in the room.

Both sheets are identical, two layers with an opening down one long edge and the other three edges joined or sewn. So they are like envelopes or bags.

I'm wondering if these special sheets are supposed to be used in some special way. Like are they actually "covers" into which you're supposed to insert or envelop one of the blankets? Maybe with the idea that sheets are easier to launder than blankets.

But if so why two sheets and why not enough blankets in the cupboard? The bedspread blanket on the bed has "edges" that wouldn't really fit in the bag sheets so it couldn't be for them.

I have seen similar but different blanket covers in one country, possibly in Georgia but I can't recall for sure.

Might this be something that both countries inherited from their ties with the Soviet Union and/or Russia? Is there a correct way to use them?

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    If you had photos of all that is there it would be great.
    – uncovery
    Nov 27, 2013 at 2:46
  • Specially how the blankets look like would be good to know.
    – uncovery
    Nov 27, 2013 at 3:01
  • Yes I've been thinking how to take a meaningful photo of a large plain white sheet. At least now I've scaled the Great Firewall I can add photos again.
    – hippietrail
    Nov 27, 2013 at 3:55
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    I think I know how the sheets look like. It's the other stuff I am interested in.
    – uncovery
    Nov 27, 2013 at 3:58
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    This thing is called пододеяльник (pododeyalnik) in Russian, and I never thought that there might be a country where it's not used. Its practical value is to keep blankets clean. Blankets are often made with wadding or fluff, and is not really suitable for washing or dry cleaning.
    – polkovnikov.ph
    Sep 7, 2017 at 13:25

2 Answers 2

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What you probably have is a duvet cover used as described in your fifth paragraph.

Essentially you put blanket(s) in it with the idea that the cover is easier to wash than the blankets.

Based on my basic knowledge of Mongolian history I would think that this was imported from Europe (Russia).

This makes me wonder how often the blankets are washed...especially in freezing, winter Mongolia.

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  • Blankets are getting dry in cold weather as fast as if it's warm, so don't be surprised.
    – polkovnikov.ph
    Sep 7, 2017 at 13:18
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I think you have a "sheet sleeping bag". This used to be standard in european Youth Hostels, though I'm not sure they still use them. Basically it separates your body from the rest of the bedding, so that only the sleeping bag needs to be washed regularly. It's you that goes in the bag, not any other piece of bedding :-).

The lack of blankets in the cupboard is probably by accident rather than design.

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  • I think it's basically the same thing but comes from a Soviet tradition rather than a backpacking tradition (-:
    – hippietrail
    Mar 31, 2014 at 17:52
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    But it sounds like the opening is on the long edge? That seems like it would be uncomfortable to sleep inside because your head couldn't stick out to breathe.
    – Nate Eldredge
    Apr 1, 2014 at 3:49

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