Alps Outdoorz Redwood -10F Sleeping Bag Evaluate

Backside Line

The ALPS OutdoorZ Redwood -10 is without doubt one of the heaviest and warmest baggage on our greatest tenting sleeping baggage information. When you’re a year-round automobile camper, winter day hiker, or only a cold-weather fanatic, the Redwood is a good choose for staying comfortable and heat between 5°F and 35°F. Gear Analyst Ian Krammer used this huge, burly mannequin on dozens of frigid automobile tenting journeys in Colorado, Utah and Arizona between November and March.

This factor is a cross between a weighted comforter and a bedroll. With thick Techloft insulation, tender flannel lining, and a roomy match, it’s hand-built for the coldest nights. A sturdy canvas exterior handles years of damage and tear. The Redwood has a wrap-around zipper to open up like a large blanket, providing versatility for sprawling out or sharing heat. It represents an distinctive worth for bone-chilling and dry nights.

Nevertheless, the Redwood has trade-offs. Its heavy weight and large packed dimension make transport and storage a problem. We additionally don’t advocate utilizing it in moist, damp, or humid circumstances, because the canvas absorbs water and dries slowly. And, this can be a cold-weather solely bag. The insulation is overkill for something however the lowest temp, so it’s impractical for summer season circumstances. The Redwood lacks a hood and draft collar. And, it may be tough to buy because it’s solely accessible about half the yr. However, if you may get your arms on it, the Redwood -10 affords unbelievable heat and top-of-the-line consolation for chilly sleepers and year-round adventurers.

Consolation

In terms of consolation, the ALPS OutdoorZ Redwood -10 is a winner. Senior Gear Analyst Ian Krammer’s favourite factor concerning the Redwood is its extremely thick and heavy artificial Techloft insulation. This polyester fill creates a lofty, plush and supportive really feel. And, you received’t discover a comfier internal lining on any bag – the nostalgic and toasty-warm flannel is tender and alluring, including an additional layer of coziness for a restful sleep night time after night time. 

The Redwood is tremendous heavy and mimics the calming really feel of a weighted blanket. We love the large width, spacious for all sleeping positions – stretch out like a starfish or toss and switch with out feeling restricted. Plus, it absolutely unzips right into a blanket for a variety of sleeping setups, together with a giant, heat blanket for 2. And for many who wish to cuddle, two Redwoods might be zipped collectively for max shared heat.

That mentioned, the Redwood -10 isn’t excellent. It doesn’t have a hood, which detracts from the general coziness. Additionally, this can be a big bag that doesn’t work in smaller tents – it’s over 6 and a half ft lengthy – so that you’ll wish to measure each your shelter and mattress earlier than buying. That mentioned, these are small gripes. Anybody searching for most consolation will discover what they need within the Redwood -10.

Heat

If you’d like a heat bag for dry, chilly circumstances, you’ve discovered it. Few sleeping baggage match the ALPS OutdoorZ Redwood -10 heat in dry environments, and it’s wonderful for staying heat on bitterly chilly nights. The Techloft artificial insulation traps warmth effectively, even when temps dip into the one digits. A easy cinch twine on the high of the bag helps scale back warmth loss, and a thick Velcro patch on the high of the bag locks the zipper securely in place. The bag’s intense weight and burly canvas shell act as a strong barrier in opposition to the nippiness, and the thick draft tubes alongside the zipper reduce warmth loss. For winter campers, chilly sleepers, and other people nervous about warmth retention on the bitterly chilly nights, this sleeping bag is an distinctive selection.

There are downsides to the Redwood’s heat, although. For us, the bottom consolation restrict is round 5°F. Beneath that, it feels chilly. The dearth of a hood additional compromises warmth retention across the head and shoulders, and the oblong design can result in chilly spots within the corners. Go for a mummy-style possibility on tremendous chilly nights as an alternative.

On the flipside, it’s just too heat above 35°F. We don’t advocate it for summer season circumstances, as we’ve practically melted on this bag on balmy and heat evenings.

Lastly, the outside cotton-blend shell absorbs moisture like a sponge, so it’s not the perfect for moist circumstances. Throughout a January journey to the Arizona desert in 8°F to twenty-eight°F circumstances, Ian discovered condensation precipitated the Redwood to turn into so damp that it did not dry out. Over three days, this created a probably harmful situation in excessive winter climate. We now not convey the Redwood alongside on journeys with increased humidity or moisture within the forecast.

Packed Measurement

This one has the most important packed dimension of any on our information. At roughly 3 ft by 1 foot, and weighing over 11 kilos, the Redwood -10 prioritizes heat over portability. Its thick artificial insulation and sturdy canvas exterior means it takes up a variety of trunk area and kit rooms, leaving little room for different gear. 

It’s additionally not the best to hold. ALPS OutdoorZ doesn’t embody a stuff sack or duffle, though three thick, robust nylon compression straps make it simpler to haul. The draw back of those straps is they’re lengthy, and dangle off the top in a pile when the bag is unrolled. They’re additionally a bit cumbersome to make use of when rolling the bag up – though they’re robust and maintain stress properly.

The Redwood -10’s dimension, weight, and sluggish pack-up course of is what pushed it to the underside of our tenting sleeping bag information. You received’t discover a cushier or cozier bag wherever, so this isn’t a dealbreaker – however you’ll have to account for the area it takes up.

Options

The ALPS OutdoorZ Redwood -10 has a no-frills options set that works for chilly climate. The flannel-lined inside is a nostalgic throwback to basic tenting gear, and its rectangular form gives loads of room to unfold out for facet and abdomen sleepers. It utterly unzips to remodel into a big blanket. The hook-and-loop patch retains the zipper in place when contained in the bag, a easy cinch twine tightens the bag round your neck, and a double zipper permits straightforward entry and air flow changes to keep away from overheating on milder nights.

Nevertheless, the shortage of options additionally lowers the Redwood -10’s total rating. This mannequin doesn’t have a hood or a draft collar, leaving your head uncovered to chilly air, and the coating isn’t water resistant, making it weak to moisture buildup. We additionally discover the three lengthy compression straps are likely to get in the best way when the bag is deployed. It’s additionally lacking a storage pocket for small necessities like a cellphone or flashlight.

Nonetheless, we don’t thoughts the simplicity of this bag an excessive amount of – it’s simply so comfortable and heat. After we’re headed into severely chilly circumstances on dry nights within the backcountry, the Redwood -10 is considered one of our high picks for a comfortable, cozy, and toasty sleep expertise.

Ought to You Purchase the ALPS OutdoorZ Redwood -10?

The ALPS OutdoorZ Redwood -10°F sleeping bag is for automobile campers, chilly sleepers, and year-round adventurers who need heat and luxury over portability and options. With its tender flannel lining, roomy rectangular form, and hefty weight, this bag blends the majority of a bedroll with the consolation of a weighted blanket for frigid nights. Its sturdy canvas exterior resists abrasions and punctures, making it choose for automobile campers, winter hikers, hunters, and bushcrafters who don’t thoughts bulkier gear. It unzips utterly right into a blanket for final versatility, and thick artificial insulation affords heat properly beneath freezing. When you’re tenting in dry, chilly circumstances and wish top-tier sturdiness and plush consolation, the Redwood is an actual standout.

Nevertheless, this sleeping bag isn’t the only option for folk with restricted storage or to be used in moist and humid locations. Its lack of water resistance makes it weak to moisture, and the absence of a hood and draft collar limits its efficiency. At 11.5 kilos and with a really giant packed dimension, the Redwood’s weight and bulk could make it impractical for stashing in a trunk or gear closet. When you want a compact, light-weight sleeping bag with fashionable conveniences like a pillow pocket or inside storage, this isn’t the one for you.

It’s additionally value noting that the Redwood -10 might be tough to seek out in inventory, because it’s solely accessible 6 to eight months of the yr. Nevertheless, if you happen to’re affected person, this bag is considered one of our high picks on the subject of consolation and heat tenting between October and April – and comes at an affordable worth, too.

What Different Tenting Sleeping Baggage Ought to You Think about?

Head over to our information to the perfect tenting sleeping baggage to learn the way the ALPS Outside Redwood compares to the others. Additionally, contemplate these different choices: 

Teton Sports activities The Celsius Grand XXL Evaluate – The Celsius Grand XXL additionally has artificial insulation, spectacular heat, and a cumbersome rectangular form. This one is lighter, extra reasonably priced, extra waterproof, and accessible yr spherical.

The North Face Wawona 20 Evaluate – The North Face Wawona 20 affords a equally cozy lining and rectangular form because the Redwood -10°F. It’s not as heat or heavy, however it’s a comfortable bag for summer season months and gentle climate.

REI Siesta Hooded 20 Evaluate – The Siesta Hooded 20 has the identical form and comfy really feel, particularly if you happen to wish to unfold out. Nevertheless, it’s lighter, simply as reasonably priced, and handles moist circumstances higher – plus it has a giant hood.