I have had a few sleeping bags in my lifetime. I haven't been a big backpacker so I haven't ever had the need for a lightweight sleeping bag. That being said, all my bags have been heavy, synthetic bags. Recently I have taken up backpacking and gotten into cutting weight down tremendously. The last time I lugged my synthetic bag out into the woods for an overnight trip, I vowed that I would never again carry a sleeping bag over 3 pounds with a temperature rating above 35º. I knew I could cut a lot of weight, considering my bag weighed 44 oz., and the time had come to make a change.
I picked up The North Face Furnace 35º down bag on backcountry.com. They were having a sale and I couldn't resist the bargain at $130. Finally, I have a 35º bag that weighs in at just 27oz. I know that's not "ULTRALIGHT" but it's definitely an upgrade for me. Just having a down bag is an upgrade. To Hell with synthetic bags. Never again. It's like I have been living in some cruel world where I can only freeze to death in my tent on nights where I should be super warm. Even with a thermal liner in my old sleeping bag, I would still freeze in the high 30s wearing layers of clothing and thick socks.
This past week I took my new bag out for a test drive and, let me tell you... it was AWESOME.
The Furnace is a great sleeping bag. The fact that it's down allows you to shove it in your bag and make room for important stuff and, because it's a relatively light 3-season bag, the down springs back really quickly and gives you plenty of loft. The comfort limit is 43º but the temps dropped into the high 30s overnight and I still woke up feeling a little warm. I found myself able to wear only a pair of nylon shorts and a nylon shirt to bed. No socks! How awesome is that? Temps in the 30s and here I am wearing shorts and a t-shirt to sleep. It didn't hurt that I drug my Alps Mountaineering self-inflating foam pad out for this trip but I doubt there would be a difference between that and my Klymit X-frame considering how warm this thing is.
The only thing bad I can say about this bag is that the stuff sack is kind of a waste of space. It adds weight and because it isn't a compression sack or waterproof, I just stuck it in the top of my closet. I'm going to get a compression dry sack for it in the future. It will add some weight but I think it would be worth it if I encountered some wet weather. For now, I just shove it in my pack.
I would definitely recommend this bag because the build quality is high and it seems like you get exactly what you pay for. Are there nicer bags out there with similar features and ratings? Certainly, but if you're like me and you want to watch your wallet, this is the bag for you. In fact, I would almost recommend their 20º or even 5º Furnace if you live in a cooler climate. They're not much heavier at around 35 and 48 oz respectively. If you're willing to throw the extra cash at either of them, I don't think you'd be disappointed.
Really impressed so far.
I picked up The North Face Furnace 35º down bag on backcountry.com. They were having a sale and I couldn't resist the bargain at $130. Finally, I have a 35º bag that weighs in at just 27oz. I know that's not "ULTRALIGHT" but it's definitely an upgrade for me. Just having a down bag is an upgrade. To Hell with synthetic bags. Never again. It's like I have been living in some cruel world where I can only freeze to death in my tent on nights where I should be super warm. Even with a thermal liner in my old sleeping bag, I would still freeze in the high 30s wearing layers of clothing and thick socks.
This past week I took my new bag out for a test drive and, let me tell you... it was AWESOME.
The Furnace is a great sleeping bag. The fact that it's down allows you to shove it in your bag and make room for important stuff and, because it's a relatively light 3-season bag, the down springs back really quickly and gives you plenty of loft. The comfort limit is 43º but the temps dropped into the high 30s overnight and I still woke up feeling a little warm. I found myself able to wear only a pair of nylon shorts and a nylon shirt to bed. No socks! How awesome is that? Temps in the 30s and here I am wearing shorts and a t-shirt to sleep. It didn't hurt that I drug my Alps Mountaineering self-inflating foam pad out for this trip but I doubt there would be a difference between that and my Klymit X-frame considering how warm this thing is.
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| My Klymit X-frame fits perfectly into this baby. |
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| The limits of this bag are pretty accurate. |
I would definitely recommend this bag because the build quality is high and it seems like you get exactly what you pay for. Are there nicer bags out there with similar features and ratings? Certainly, but if you're like me and you want to watch your wallet, this is the bag for you. In fact, I would almost recommend their 20º or even 5º Furnace if you live in a cooler climate. They're not much heavier at around 35 and 48 oz respectively. If you're willing to throw the extra cash at either of them, I don't think you'd be disappointed.
Really impressed so far.
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