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Down
Sleeping
Bags - Which
One is Right for You?
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Once you've decided that a down bag is your best choice, it's important to choose one that will keep you warm in the lowest temperatures you're likely to face. Nothing ruins a camping or backpacking trip like a flimsy sleeping bag that keeps you awake and shivering all night. Luckily, all high quality down bags are temperature rated. You will see the rating mentioned right in the name of the bag, more often than not. What follows is our review of 5 top-selling down sleeping bags. We don't pull any punches here. If we don't like a bag, you'll see why below. Each bag has been used out in the 'real world' by one or more of our reviewers over the past few weeks/months. We hope our reviews help you pick the best down bag for your particular needs. |
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The Big Agnes Lost Ranger is a very good 3-season bag (Spring-Autumn). We tested it on two consecutive outings with multiple overnight stays. Night temps varied between 22-31 degrees F. This bag kept the reviewer warm, with no noticeable draft problems in the usual locations (head and neck; zipper). The square mummy design of this down bag provided ample room for an average-to-slightly-above average sized adult occupant. The bag comes in a long version, which is recommended for persons over 5'9" in height. It is just a bit on the expensive side ($225 - $250), but performed well overall and is recommended for those looking for a high quality 3-season down bag for backpacking or camping trips.
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Big Agnes Lost Ranger 15
Degree Down Sleeping Bag
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The Kelty Light Year is an excellent 3-season backpacking sleeping bag. It was tested on a week-long hiking/backpacking trip in West Texas in late Autumn. Night temps ranged between 28-35, and this bag performed as advertized. There were no discernible draft problems in very windy conditions. The Kelty's best feature is its very light weight, making it an ideal down sleeping bag for hiking and backpacking outings. It's also roomy and has a foot vent for nights when the temps do not drop as low as this bag is rated to handle. The only knock on this bag is the lack of a draft collar, but it was tested in high winds and this did not seem to affect its perfomance. It is also reasonably priced ($130 - $250). Overall, the Kelty Light Year is highly recommended and a solid value at the asking price.
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Kelty Light Year 20 Degree
Down Sleeping Bag
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This is a serious down sleeping bag for those who like to take on mountains and extreme environments. Our reviewer was an experienced climber in Colorado who has owned this bag for about a year. It is as durable as sleeping bags get, and surprisingly lightweight for all it packs. So performance is not an issue with the GoLite Adventure. However, it is expensive. In fact, its price prevents us from recommending it with 5 stars. In all other respects, this is the ideal cold weather mummy bag, and the price is reasonable at $230-$250 when you factor in everything you get with this bag. Not recommended for any but the most serious climbers and backpackers who enjoy braving extreme conditions - and who also have the means to afford it. If you do have the funds, this is probably the best down bag on the market today in this price range.
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GoLite Adventure 3-Season Down Mummy Bag
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The Marmot Sawtooth is a mummy down bag that has some impressive features for a modestly priced sleeping bag ($210-$235). One of the best features is the Sawtooth's locking two-way zipper design, which prevents accidental unzipping as you move in your sleep. It was tested on an extended West Texas camping trip with overnight temps as low as 22 degrees. The reviewer reported staying "toasty warm" all night, so this bag has a solid 15 degree rating. Marmot makes the Sawtooth in regular, long, and long+wide models, so an adult of virtually any size (unless you're 7 feet tall) can enjoy this down sleeping bag in comfort. The Sawtooth also compacts nicely when stuffed, but is a little on the heavy side in the long and long+wide versions. This is a good general purpose down bag for hiking and camping.
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Marmot Sawtooth 15 Degree Down
Sleeping Bag
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The Lafuma Warm 'N Light is one of those down sleeping bags that promises a lot for a small price ($120 - $140) - but ultimately does not deliver. Our test during a 3-night hiking trip with temps never going below 42 degrees revealed two pretty significant problems with this bag. First, for whatever reason it did not keep the feet warm, although no drafts were detected. We concluded that it was an inherent problem in the construction of this mummy bag. Second, it was not very comfortable, requiring an added sleeping pad underneath. Nothing major, but enough to be noticeable. On the plus side, the Lafuma Warm 'N Light is indeed very light (1 lbs. 4 oz.), and it does compact to a relatively tiny size (about the size of a football). So packing it and hiking with it was a piece of cake. With a good sleeping pad and a late Spring - Summer outing, it's not a bad choice. Otherwise, we cannot recommend this down bag unless you are on a limited budget and don't plan to use it in colder temps.
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Lafuma Warm 'N Light 30 Degree
Down Sleeping Bag