Patagonia is world-renowned for what it makes but is also known for what it doesn’t make. Shying away from tents, fanny packs, and shoes, Patagonia is known to keep a narrow focus. With that, it came as a surprise when they announced they are getting into the sleeping bag game.
For Patagonia, getting into sleeping bags wasn’t a plunge into new territory. In fact, decades of consideration went into creating an innovative design that would make their wading into new territory an event that is well thought out and impactful. And with that, Patagonia created a sleeping bag that is now widely considered a “game changer.”
Patagonia entered the sleeping bag market with three different options: The Hybrid and the 850 Down Sleeping Bag in 19- and 30-degrees. For me, the 850 Down Sleeping Bag was the void in my gear shed and the one I decided to try out.
Man, is this sleeping bag great! First, let’s look at comfort. Two design features that immediately stand out are at the foot box and the hood. When camping in cold-weather conditions (which is frequent at altitude), my feet and head are the body parts that I am most concerned about keeping warm so that I can keep my body warm overall. The anatomically-shaped foot box reduces bulk and keeps the feet warm with a shape that allows the feet to remain warmed by the down. At the head, the bag can be cinched to give a snug fit to allow you to sleep soundly without constantly trying to keep covered. (When you put effort into keeping your head covered, you’re losing sleep, and you’re likely already cold.) And despite an emphasis on a snug fit, there is plenty of room for movement through the body of the bag.
What’s also noteworthy are the materials. While new to the sleeping bag scene, Patagonia is not new to the down world, and their down jackets have been crushing it for years. Additionally, Patagonia uses ethically-sourced down that does not come from force-fed geese that are live-plucked. The 850-fill-power down in this sleeping bag is incredibly warm, and the overall construction of the bag further ensures warmth and comfort. (See the video above.)
When laid out, the Patagonia 850 Down Sleeping Bag is quite puffy and and with this comes additional comfort. Despite its puffy nature, the bag can compress into a small stuffsack and is impressively lightweight.
Overall, this is the best sleeping bag I’ve ever owned. And admittedly, with so much technology, design, down, and ethical manufacturing, the sleeping bag isn’t cheap, as this one clocked in at $499. However, I don’t know of anyone that stands behind their products for the long-term like Patagonia. Also, I can now camp later into the season thereby cutting out enough money in motel expenses to pay for the bag pretty quickly. It really pays for itself.
To check out more on the Patagonia 850 Down Sleeping Bag, please click here.
– Tim Harden
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