NEMO Strato Loft 25 Sleeping Bag Review
The rectangular shape, combined with a little stretch, makes this the most comfortable bag in the test.
Brand: NEMO
Model: Strato Loft 25
Durability
5 The 40-denier ripstop nylon shell includes a zippered pad sleeve (there’s no insulation on the bottom of the bag) that protects your pad on rough surfaces. “After nearly 100 nights in Utah’s desert, I couldn’t find any damage,” one tester says. Our abrasion test reinforced this: No sign of breakdown after 400 swipes.
Warmth
4 Stuffed with 700-fill water-resistant (DownTek) duck down, the Strato has a 9-inch blanket flap under the chin that amps up the cozy factor. “I tuck it in on cold nights and snuggle it like my comforter at home,” one tester says. “The waterproof/breathable footbox kept my feet dry and warm, even when sideways rain blew under my tarp during 40-mph winds,” says another.
Fit
5 “Going back to a traditional mummy bag will be brutal,” says our tester of the luxurious rectangular fit (it tapers slightly from 38 to 36 inches). Yet thermal efficiency didn’t suffer because elastic stitching pulls the bag close to your body to reduce dead air space.
Features
4 Dual side zips let you hinge open the bag’s top; you can sit up and stay covered without bringing the pad with you (unlike other bags with sleeves). Ding: It’s pricey and heavy for a down bag, but it still packs smaller than all the synthetics we tested.
Total: 4.0
$370; 3 lbs. 4 oz.; 25°F; nemoequipment.com
Scale:
1=save your money / 5=perfect gear
Overall score is not an average of others scores; it’s a gut-level assessment of performance and value.