Gear Review: Mountain Hardwear Ghost SL-40 Sleeping Bag
The 800-fill down of this versatile bag keeps you warm in the coldest of conditions.
Warmest
“I slept in this bag for 20 straight days while climbing Denali, and I never got cold–which is saying something,” says our tester, who credits this bag with his ability to get a good night’s sleep and have the energy to summit. The 800-fill down puffs up almost a foot off of the tent floor, and the welded (read: no needle holes) Conduit SL shell sheds frost and moisture with zero leaks. The roomy mummy cut offers enough space for storing cameras and water bottles, and he could still maneuver inside to change clothes.
He also reports that “the six-chamber hood perfectly molded around my head, and the gasket and two-piece draft collar sealed in heat–leaving only my nose and mouth exposed.” Two interior pockets kept his iPod and headlamp within easy reach. And for this category of bags, the Ghost is light (five pounds) and packable (basketball-size in its waterproof compression sack). Our only gripe is minor: The shell fabric is slippery; shovel yourself a flat tent platform to keep from sliding. $680;
5 lbs. (unisex long); 2 sizes; mountainhardwear.com