Sierra Designs NItro 0

[most versatile]

You could splurge on a summer-weight bag and another that can handle three-season temps. Or you could buy this two-fer. The Pyro Maniac is a 30°F down bag that comes with an extra set of baffles (a 38-by-45-inch quilt, pictured below outside the sleeve) that slides into a top-side compartment where it serves as another layer of core insulation. It adds about 15 degrees of warmth for just 10 ounces.

Alone, the bag was “warm down to 33°F when I was sleeping under a tarp,” said one tester after a trip in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. Another used it with the topper for a week of hiking around Tanis Mesa in Alaska, and he reports, “The extra baffles kept my core plenty warm when temps dipped to the low 20s, but I did wish for more insulation in the footbox.”

All testers praised the roomy cut, which worked well even for 6-foot, 200-plus-pound big guys. The 30-denier polyester ripstop shell is water-resistant: “I spilled water on the bag and it rolled right off,” says one tester. “And when morning condensation on my tarp soaked the footbox, I didn’t feel cold, and it dried quickly in the sunshine.” Nitpicks: The full-length zipper snagged. $319; 2 lbs. 13 oz. (with extra baffles); 15°F to 30°F; sierradesigns.com– Draw cord at collar
– Partial Flex
– Ultralight offset zipper
– Snag-free zipper tracks
– Ergonomically shaped footbox, with 12″ vent
– Ultralight Jacket Hood
– Includes stuff and storage sacks
– Offset ultralight jacket zipper (30″)
– Men’s Ultralight