Backpacker Magazine – October 2010

Gear Review: Big Agnes Dual Core Sleeping Pad & Klean Kanteen Classic Water Bottle

A winter warm sleeping pad that's also easily packable.

by: Kelly Bastone

Tags:
• Gear
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• Sleeping bags
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• Sleeping pads
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• Winter camping
|

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Unlike most winter-rated pads, this insulated air mattress is warm and supremely packable (just half-gallon size when rolled in its sack). It pairs air chambers with a sandwich of high-density foam and PrimaLoft Eco synthetic insulation, making it true to its 0°F rating. During a spring trip in Colorado’s Williams Fork Mountains, testers never felt the icy rocks under them, even when they slept on their sides (which often means that hips bottom out against the cold ground). Plus, the pad’s 2.5 inches of cushion smoothed out lumpy snow and felt decadently plush. Nitpick: It takes big lungs (and about five minutes) to inflate this raft. Below 0°F, supplement the Dual Core with a closed-cell foam pad for extra insulation. $100; 2 lbs. 6 oz.; 20”x72”x2.5”; bigagnes.com

Portable Heat
Take the Klean Kanteen Classic to bed. Filled with hot water and stuffed into a sock or the company’s Built Insulated Tote ($12, pictured)—either will keep the metal from burning your skin—this 27-ouncer delivers heater-warmth all night. And the stainless steel releases no chemicals when exposed to heat (unlike some plastics). $20; 7 oz.; kleankanteen.com


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