Sleeping Bags

Backpacker Magazine reviews more sleeping bags than any other publication, testing bags several times a year. Based on tests of nearly 50 sleeping bags in rugged conditions, this review picks the top 12… (despite the review's title) for various seasons and budgets, including a warmer zero-degree version of the 2008 Editor's Choice award-winner, the GoLite Adrenaline 20. The March Gear Guide issue reviews 32 sleeping bags, well organized by temperature rating. Every year new sleeping bags get reviewed, so the 2007 and even earlier March Gear Guide issues are also still useful.

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This review compares eight ultralight sleeping bags, each weighing less than two pounds. Editors actually weigh bags themselves to verify weight. On the website, this review's formatting makes it difficult… to read, but the information is excellent. All the bags prove worthy of their stated degree ratings, but the Editor's Choice award goes to the 20-degree Western Mountaineering UltraLite, an open-baffle sleeping bag with 850-fill down. The review praises it for a zipper that never snags, "meticulous attention to detail" and a conservative comfort rating.

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This 18-pound list of clothing, gear and food for a weekend trip will interest anyone who wants to lighten the pack load. The recommended sleeping bag is the 1.25-lb. Western Mountaineering Caribou (rated… to 35 degrees). Another list at this site covers 27 pounds of packing for a seven-day trip, including the Western Mountaineering UltraLite sleeping bag rated for 20 degrees but weighing six ounces more.

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The sleeping bag reviews here are much more complete and detailed than at most review sites. In order to enroll as reviewers, people have to be active hikers or campers, meet certain qualifications and… state their experience as part of their reviews. The reviews evolve into three sections: Initial (covering first impressions, measurements and setup), Field (first actual uses) and Long-term. Some sleeping bags have been reviewed by two or more different people, and some by four or five. You could spend hours here reading all the reviews, but it's an excellent place to check out the usability of the sleeping bags on your shortlist, and most of the sleeping bags recommended in comparison reviews have been tested here.

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This site includes some useful older articles on sleeping bags, making a strong argument for synthetic fill. The author's own favorite sleeping bag is The North Face Cat's Meow, and he recommends this… brand, including newer sleeping bags such as The North Face Fission (with Polarguard fill) and The North Face Orion (with Primaloft). Aside from his personal recommendations, however, there are no reviews, and no testing is documented. The sleeping bag links all lead to BackCountryGear.com, which has user ratings and reviews posted.

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