Gear Guide 2009: Big Agnes Pitchpine SL 40 Sleeping Bag Review
This lightweight summer bag is great for big guys or active sleepers.
Top Ultralight
To understand why this bag is so good, you need to start with what it doesn’t have: no hood and no bottom-side insulation. These key omissions drop the weight significantly. Add premium 800-fill down, and the resulting bag is so light that Big Agnes designers were able to give the Pitchpine a roomier-than-average cut (67.5-inch chest girth) and still keep it within a zipper tab of a pound. After using it on an Escalante trip, with lows in the 40s, our tester pronounced it a great choice for big guys and anyone who wants an ultralight summer sack that allows unimpeded warm-weather tossing and turning.
A pad sleeve accommodates a 72-by-20-inch mattress (we found the bag/pad junction sealed best with 2.5-inch thick air mats, although thinner pads sufficed in the mildest conditions). Caveat: Its temp rating is accurate, but with the hoodless design it’s not the best choice for alpine nights that can turn colder and windier than expected. $280; 1 lb. 1 oz.; 40°F Bigagnes.com