Gear Review: NEMO Strato Loft 25 Sleeping Bag
Perfect for car camping and shorter hikes, the NEMO Strato Loft 25 provides the best in roomy backcountry comfort.
[roomiest]
Car campers who occasionally log backcountry nights found their ideal nest with the Strato Loft. Its rectangular cut and generous dimensions (girth is a full 76 inches at the shoulders) let campers thrash, lounge, and even sit up inside the bag, thanks to zippers on both sides. The extra-long top doubles over in a neck-cuddling “blanket fold,” and a stretchy sleeve on the underside secures a 25-inch-wide pad. “Like sleeping at home,” says one tester, who snoozed in blissful comfort in Wyoming’s Curt Gowdy State Park.
Waterproof/breathable fabric on the footbox protected the 700-fill, DownTek-treated duck down from puddles that had collected on the floor of one tester’s camper van. The DWR-treated, 40-denier shell is more durable than most: Stored alongside mountain bikes and dragged across parking-lot asphalt, it emerged unscathed. Two interior ditty pockets hold a lip balm and a pack of tissues. While not ultralight, the Strato isn’t too heavy for backpacking. “It packs to toaster-oven size, and seems a reasonable burden given the comfort,” one hiker says. But the extra room makes it chilly on nights approaching 30°F, when our tester struggled to heat it and concluded, “It’s best for warm sleepers or mild, 40°F conditions.” $370; 3 lbs. 1 oz.; 25°F; nemoequipment.com