Our recent effort at helping a reader cut down on the number of backpacks she owns to save storage space led to another discussion: How many sleeping bags do you need? Realistically, there’s nothing that takes up more storage space, particularly if they’re stored correctly in big, loose bags. We’ve been known to dedicate entire shelves in our garages to them; admittedly, we often have a dozen around for testing, but that just makes it obvious that they take up more space than the dozen tents on the shelf below.
We’ve all (well, most of us, anyway) tried to make a sleeping bag do double duty; sleeping mostly on top of a 32 degree bag in the summer, getting into the same bag looking like the Michelin man at 20 degrees. And, it works, sort of…but it’s not ideal, and it’s often FAR from fun. Could there be a solution that works better, ideally without breaking the bank?
After some thought, we decided not to even try finding a solution for winter backpacking, for two reasons. First, not all that many people do it, and those that do are usually fanatical enough to want exactly what they want. Second, winter backpacking is NOT the time to cut corners; you can be talking about life-or-death, not just whether you have a comfortable night or not.
But…there are a few companies making bags that fit a similar profile. These are generically called “flip sleeping bags” and they all are hoodless and have more insulation on one side than the other. They are supposed to do dual duty as 20-25 degree and 40-45 degree bags, plus or minus. But do they really work well enough to be worth serious consideration. Or are they just a gimmick? It happened that we’d been testing them even before we started thinking of them as a solution for storage problems; we’d been looking at them as a solution for financial constraints. Hmm…two bags in one; can they solve two problems in one?
We’d assembled a trio to test with a broad range of characteristics. The GoLite RS Vario is a synthetic flip sleeping bag using GoLite’s own brand of recycled insulation, a 3 pound rated weight (our sample came in at 2 lbs, 11 ounces; guess they REALLY want us to go light!), temperature ratings of 25/45F, and a price tag of $180. GoLite has since discontinued making flip sleeping bags; however, since this test was geared toward determining if the bags actually work, we decided to leave it in the review. The EMS Solstice Switchback uses Omniloft synthetic insulation, weighs in at 3 pounds, is rated for the same 25/45F, and retails for $119. Both of those bags are semi mummy style; but the LL Bean Adventure 20/40 is a full rectangular bag with Climashield insulation, a price tag of $129, and coming in at a somewhat more portly 3 lbs, 7 oz. Heavy for a summer bag, yes, but still…for a 20 degree bag, that’s not out of the weight stratosphere. And, decent rectangular bags are few and far between. Worth a try, at least!
Several testers had immediate concerns; the idea of a bag for subfreezing temperatures without a hood was anathema to them. So, we had one spend the night on his back deck in mid-20s weather; that way, if he really couldn’t stay warm, he’d have a fallback to go inside and get all comfy. And…he spent the night, and was surprised to find that he really WAS comfortable in the bag. In fact, in some ways he liked it better; he could move around in the bag without the hood getting in his way. Another, however, spent a 25 degree night in a tent, had an absolutely miserable experience, and vowed he would never again use a bag without a hood (more on solutions that allowed him to at least reconsider his position in a moment).
With that concern out in the open, out went the bags for more in-the field. And in came the feedback; some of it related to the bags, some related to the sleeping process. After plenty of nights in them, here are the compiled recommendations about sleeping in a flip bag in cold weather (obviously, in warm weather, put it thin side up, crawl in, and go to sleep!).
1. A hat is absolutely mandatory; make it tight enough that it won’t fall off in the middle of the night.
2. A lightweight balaclava is a great way to extend the comfort range; it covers the back of your neck so you don’t feel cold drafts. Pull it down inside the bag, tighten the collar, and go to sleep.
3. Take the hood off a warm jacket; if you’ve got one of those nice big winter down jackets, that hood is perfect. Put it on, cinch it down, crawl in, enjoy.
4. A great way to extend the range of these bags is to use a hooded”puffy” jacket inside; with the top of the bag cinched down around your shoulders, the puffy fills in the gaps and keeps warm air from escaping and being replaced by warm air. The Sierra Designs Gnar Hoody was a particularly good choice; it was great around the campfire, and it basically replaced having a standard hooded sleeping bag.
5. The fastest way to freeze in one of these bags is to roll over in the middle of the night and expose the thin side. The easiest and best solution is to attach the sleeping bag to your pad so that it stays put. The EMS is the only bag in the test with loops sewn in to allow you to run a strap around your pad and connect the two; a couple of 3′ lengths of parachute cord did the trick (look at the photo above, and notice what happened when the tester DIDN’T use that feature; part of the thin side is exposed). If you choose a bag that doesn’t have anything like this, you’ll want to sew your own in…it really can make a big difference! Just make sure you sew them BELOW the zipper with the cold weather side up, or they’ll interfere when you try to unzip.
Now, how did the bags themselves fare? Here goes…
GoLite RS Vario- This is the “high end” of the bags tested, and it showed. The dimensions were the tightest of all; 73″ inside length, 29″ at the shoulder, and 21″ at the foot. It’s no great surprise, then, that smaller testers liked it best. Interestingly, even though the bag only comes up to the base of the neck, the combination of a lack of a boxed foot plus a shortening of the top of the bag caused when the strings were drawn tight, anyone over 5’10” found it short and a little tight in the foot. The insulation had a nice “drape”, allowing the bag to feel comfortable when tightened around the neck. Testers wished that GoLite had used shock cord, though; with no hood and no draft collar, they’d like to have been able to tighten down a bit more without feeling constricted. However, the bag performed to spec; in fact, one tester took it down to closer to 20 degrees with the help of a balaclava, and was perfectly comfortable. The tight dimensions allowed it to warm up quickly, and there was less “bellows effect” (air blowing in and out of the bag every time you move) than expected, given the lack of a draft collar and shock cord to close down the top.
EMS Solstice Switchback- This was the “big and tall” of the bags tested, with dimensions of 75″ length, 32″ at the shoulder and 23″ at the foot. Interestingly, that’s longer and wider at the shoulder than the less “backpacking style” Bean. And, it showed; larger and heavier testers loved it. Smaller testers…well, actually, they were surprised. Even though there was more space to heat up, the bag tightened down surprisingly well at the neck, and since EMS used shock cord they were able to limit air movement better than with the GoLite. The Omniloft insulation proved to be efficient and comfortable; all testers felt an immediate sense of returned warmth when they crawled in. The only significant complaint was that the added area in the footbox meant chilly tootsies; a disposable handwarmer thrown in solved that problem, though.
With a person that fits the bag, though, the warmth was surprising. One tester is a 78 year old man who is on Coumadin; that medication causes cold intolerance, and he’s had problems with the rating of sleeping bags. He was out on a night when the temperature dropped into the mid-20s; he wore his jacket to bed, and had a warm night’s sleep! Even our resident curmudgeon, who refuses to admit that a sub-freezing bag without a hood is worth a wooden nickel, reluctantly admitted that he’d slept warm, no matter how much he hated having his head outside of the bag; his tentmate confirmed that he’d also slept well, based on the snoring.
LL Bean Adventure 20/40- This one was something of a chimera. On the face of it, a fat rectangular bag means “backyard camping”; but, at the same time, who camps in their backyard at 20 degrees??? And it’s the only bag in the test that comes with a draft collar; that says “hey, I’m serious!” to us. But, it packs down to…well, large, so you’d better have a big backpack if you’re going to take it more than a few yards from your car.
The reality is that while it IS noticeably heavier and bulkier than the other two bags, it also actually works in the woods. There’s a slight narrowing of the bag near the foot, and smaller testers found their feet were actually warmer than in the EMS. The loft of the insulation is noticeably greater than in either of the other bags, more so than would be expected for the weight difference; Climashield, as a “name brand” insulation, has a reputation for quality products, and it appears that this may simply be a better insulation per unit weight than the others. In a bit of a surprise, testers weren’t all that fond of the draft collar; without a hood, they found having two sets of tapes “fussy”. And, with the width of the opening and thickness of the insulation, they had trouble tightening it down enough to make it particularly useful. After a roundtable discussion, there was strong consensus that ALL of the bags would benefit from, instead of a draft collar, a draft tube inside the tapes at the opening of the bag; that would mean that they didn’t have to be snugged down as much, and the puffiness would fill in the gaps more as the sleeper moved. One female tester said that she’d simply remove the cord from the draft collar so that there’s only one to mess with; after a bit of thought, we all agree with her. If you buy one, consider it.
Overall, testers felt that the Adventure was better for backyard/camp use, but unlike a lot of that type of bag, this one could safely do duty in the woods, as well. For lovers of rectangular bags, it’s a great option; the Adventure series “normal” 20 degree bag weighs 7 ounces more and simply isn’t as useful.
The Takeaway
Are flip bags functional? The answer was a surprisingly resounding “yes.” Are they for everyone? Nope. Some people love hoods in cold weather, and didn’t enjoy the experience of sleeping in the flips, even while acknowledging that they met their temperature rating. “Squirmers” need not apply, unless they attach the bag to their pad; roll the wrong side up, and you’ll suddenly be very, very cold. But with a little care, a good flip bag can provide a good night’s sleep across a wider temperature range than ANY normal bag; and, of course, take up less storage space than two bags. We found that they were more useful and appealing than we’d believed possible, and we’d love to see some high-end versions made; think about how small and light a 750 fill power 20º/40º down bag without a hood would be. If the idea appeals to you, we’d encourage you to check out the options and give one a try, as long as you make sure to follow our recommendations for use, and allow yourself a small smile as your friends talk about needing to buy another new 20 degree bag!