Backpacker Magazine – Gear Guide 2012

Gear Guide 2012: More Tester Picks - Summer Sleeping Bags

These bags are ideal for summer backpacking trips, each offering lightweight comfort for warmer temps.

by: Will Rochfort

Tags:
• Gear
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• Sleeping bags
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• Summer
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Deuter Dreamlite 500

This bargain synthetic bag is compressible down to the size of a liter bottle, thanks to Polydown, a short-staple polyester insulation. A long zipper makes venting easy, and the cinchable hood and puffy draft tube make it cozy to its moderate rating. $95; 1 lb. 5 oz.; 50°F; deuterusa.com

GoLite Adrenaline 1+ Season 

Like to spend some extra time in your bag in the morning? Try out the center-zip design of this 800-fill down sack. “I liked being able to sit up and still do my morning routine without getting out of my toasty bag,” says a tester. “Plus, I’m a side sleeper, and I appreciated not having any zippers digging into my shoulders and hips.” Heads up: Cut is on the trim side. $280; 1 lb. 8 oz.; 40°F; golite.com

Jacks ‘R’ Better Sierra Stealth

Wear it or sleep in it. This ultralight, 800-fill down quilt has a hole in the middle so you can wear it like a poncho around camp (leave the puffy behind), or cinch up the foot area and use it as a more traditional mummy-style sack. “This is the Swiss Army knife of sleeping bags,” says our tester. $210; 1 lb.; 40°F; jacksrbetter.com

Stoic Somnus 30

If you’re a broad-shouldered cold sleeper, check out this 850-fill down bag: It’s a wide 66 inches at the shoulders, but the bottom tapers down like a traditional mummy for maximum thermal efficiency. “Even on damp, near-freezing nights, I found myself stripping down to boxers after just a few minutes,” says one Alaska tester. Bonus: The zippered footbox pocket holds a hot water bottle to keep toes toasty. $299; 1 lb. 4 oz.; 30°F; stoicgear.com

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