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Gear Reviews

Gear Review: Nunatak Arc Specialist Sleeping Bag

Stuffed with 800-plus-fill down, the Arc Specialist is a hoodless, mummy-shaped bag that's warm right down to its 32 F degree rating.

Most Innovative |Top Warmth to Weight| Most Verstile | Warmest

Top Warmth to Weight

“The best of both worlds.” That’s what Heselton called this bag/quilt hybrid after an October trip through the Smokies. Warm right down to its 32°F rating and stuffed with 800-plus-fill down, the Arc Specialist is a hoodless, mummy-shaped bag that’s open in the back from neck to midcalf, with three adjustable pad straps that let you cinch it around your body.

The design is best for back sleepers, says Flowers, since the opening lets in cold air if you lie on your side. Like the other bags in this test, this one packs down absurdly small. “About the size of a one-pound coffee bag,” says Grey, who regularly stuffed it in his daypack as an emergency blanket. It comes in several shell fabrics. We tested the lightest option, Pertex Quantum ($25 extra); it proved silky and packable, but not as water-resistant as other shell fabrics in this test. $387 (with Quantum); 1 lb. 1 oz.; 3 sizes; nunatakusa.com.

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