Backpacker Magazine – April 2009

Gear Guide 2009: Marmot EcoPro 30 Sleeping Bag Review

Warm below its rating, and made of eco-products, this bag should have even the biggest green-thumbs sticking straight up.

by: Steve Howe

Tags:
• Camping
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• Gear
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• Sleeping Bags
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Green and Warm
Forget for a moment that this bag's shell is 100-percent-recycled PET and the insulation is 80-percent post-consumer recycled material. Consider this instead: The EcoPro kept testers warm down to the mid-20s–below its temp rating–and it costs less than many synthetic bags that can't make the same claim.

Credit overlapping shingles and a top sheet of additional fill, which boost insulation power. And the eco-polyester shell is equally impressive: During a rainy trek in North Carolina's Linville Gorge, one tester reported, "I slept in a floorless tent and the shell easily repelled rain-splash."

The zipper and hood stay closed without scratchy Velcro patches, and the zipper simply won't snag, thanks to a stiffened draft tube. Downsides: The bag is bulky when packed, and the shell doesn't breathe well in steamy weather. Choose the EcoPro for summer climates that tend toward the wet and cool. $159; 2 lbs. 15 oz.; 30°F Marmot.com


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