Kelty Cosmic Down 20 Sleeping Bag Assessment

Backside Line

The Kelty Cosmic Down 20 (males’s / ladies’s) is a comfortable, reasonably priced, no-frills mummy sleeping bag. Due to fluffy down insulation, this one has a stellar warmth-to-weight ratio, making it a standout on our finest sleeping luggage for tenting information. Senior Gear Analyst Ian Krammer used this bag to remain heat for 14+ chilly nights when automotive tenting excessive within the Colorado Rockies, however he’s additionally backpacked over 150 miles with it, together with a 30-mile loop in Utah’s Canyonlands Nationwide Park.

We love the graceful, cozy inside, and the down heats up impressively quick. The mother design, with a slim footbox and hood, traps warmth effectively. Kelty makes use of extremely water resistant and quick-drying nylon for the outside, excellent for damp and humid situations. We additionally love its massive stash pocket – which many mummy luggage don’t supply – for straightforward entry to necessities.

Nevertheless, this bag’s slim match won’t be the most effective should you favor extra room to unfold out. It’s additionally a bit on the heavy aspect for a down bag. We don’t thoughts for automotive tenting, nevertheless it’s a bit a lot for long-distance backpacking versus different down luggage. Moreover, there’s a big value hole between the lads’s and girls’s variations, with the latter costing considerably extra. That mentioned, there’s way more down within the ladies’s model. Nonetheless, for campers searching for moderately priced heat in an ultra-portable bundle, the Cosmic Down 20 is a stellar bang to your buck.

Consolation

The Kelty Cosmic Down is a cushty mummy bag with comfortable material, thick draft tubes, and a extremely adjustable hood. We’re keen on the plush 20D nylon taffeta liner material for a brilliant easy and smooth really feel. Mixed with the thick, smooth draft tubes alongside the aspect zipper and neck, this bag is simple to sink into after an extended day of taking part in outdoors.

The slim-fitting mummy form is simply roomy sufficient to change from again to aspect pretty, and the ergonomic, rounded footbox means we had been capable of transfer our toes simply with out situation. We additionally like that the hood is extremely adjustable due to a single, easy cinch twine. It’s spacious for many backpacking pillows, with loads of room to bury our heads in addition to sit up with the hood nonetheless on.

Nevertheless, should you’re a automotive camper or are staying largely within the frontcountry, the largest draw back of the Cosmic Down 20 is its mummy form. This design is superior for conserving most warmth within the backcountry, nevertheless it’s not as cozy in comparison with a giant, rectangular bag. For those who have a tendency to maneuver round rather a lot while you sleep, otherwise you’re a stomach sleeper, the mum design can really feel constricting. That mentioned, should you’ll be backpacking too, or just favor a snugger match, the Cosmic Down 20 could also be precisely what you’re searching for.

Heat

The Kelty Cosmic Down 20 expertly balances weight and heat. Our testing finds the 550-fill down insulation stored us toasty heat to 30°F, nevertheless it weighs solely two and a half kilos for the lads’s and three and a half kilos for the ladies’s. We favor the 20° for its versatility, nevertheless it is available in a 0° model and 40° model for any season. This bag stored us cozy and cozy throughout a four-day automotive tenting journey to 12,500’ Stony Cross in Colorado’s San Juan Vary, the place we handled rain, sturdy wind, and obtrusive solar. It’s additionally performed the job on a bone-dry backpacking journey right into a distant a part of Canyonlands Nationwide Park in early December.

Kelty retains weight to a minimal utilizing down feathers and a light-weight however hardy 20D nylon materials for the within and out of doors. This development gives tons of heat, however nonetheless rolls up very small in comparison with luggage made with artificial fill and heavier supplies. The pretty cosy mummy design additionally reduces extra materials. It actually shines between 30°F and 60°F. That mentioned, if it’s too heat, merely unzip the two-way zipper for extra breathability.

It’s value noting the ladies’s bag is notably costlier as a result of it has the next fill weight in comparison with the lads’s. The boys’s Common has a fill weight of 16.4 ounces, whereas the ladies’s has 29.06 ounces – so the ladies’s weighs and prices extra, however will really feel hotter by means of the chest and hips than the lads’s.

Down requires a bit extra upkeep to retain its heat than artificial luggage. To take care of its heat and fluffy properties, you’ll want to often wash your bag with down-specific detergent, retailer it long-term in a free mesh bag, and maintain it dry to keep up its properties. These are straightforward steps, however this can be a draw back should you gained’t be backpacking, or should you’re solely automotive tenting a number of occasions a yr and like simplicity.

Packed Dimension

The Kelty Cosmic Down 20 shrinks down the smallest of any mannequin on our information. It weighs solely 2 kilos, 7 ounces for the lads’s and three kilos, 4.8 ounces for the ladies’s – so it’s an ideal alternative for each backpacking and restricted trunk house. The down insulation and thinner, lighter nylon materials straight contributes to the extremely small packed sizes – a mere 8 by 13 inches for males’s and girls’s.

However should you’re searching for the lightest gear, these specs may miss the mark. Of us who need small, ultralight gear for each backpacking and automotive tenting might wish to maintain trying. If that’s you, take a look at our backpacking sleeping luggage listing to scale back your pack dimension and weight even additional.

For the reason that feathers can get mashed and damaged over time, you’ll wish to maintain the Cosmic Down in a mesh storage sack when not in use. This retains the insulation mild and fluffy and prolongs the standard, efficiency, and sturdiness of your bag over time. Sadly, Kelty doesn’t embrace this, so we extremely suggest selecting up a massive, breathable mesh sack for long run storage.

Options

The Kelty Cosmic Down 20’s function set is straightforward and acquainted. The ergonomic mummy design is slim with a comfortable hood just-roomy-enough footbox. Its water resistant shell gives added safety in opposition to condensation and moist situations. The 2-way zipper is useful for air flow. Not all mummy luggage have an inside stash pocket, however we love that the Cosmic Down 20 does – and it’s zippered. This pocket is a bit shallow for bigger telephones, nevertheless it works effectively for maintaining a chapstick or headlamp shut at hand with out objects falling out and disappearing into the folds of your bag. 

Nevertheless, that’s all there’s to this bag. It doesn’t have a pad attachment sleeve, outsized hood, extra pockets, a mesh storage bag, or fancy bells and whistles. That mentioned, the essential design works for us – it’s unsurprising, but in addition heat, snug, and packs small.

Ought to You Purchase the Kelty Cosmic Down 20?

The Kelty Cosmic Down 20 is a superb 3-season bag for automotive campers, occasional backpackers, and people on a funds who nonetheless desire a high quality down bag. Its combo of reasonably priced value and a excessive warmth-to-weight ratio makes it an ideal alternative if you’d like a great worth with out compromising heat. The mother-style design helps retain physique warmth, and a sturdy, water resistant shell ensures safety in opposition to humidity, making it excellent for automotive tenting in a wide range of situations. We additionally respect the small packed dimension, massive, comfortable hood, snag-free zipper – and the zippered stash pocket to corral little objects. The Cosmic Down proves {that a} high quality down bag doesn’t have to interrupt the financial institution.

Nevertheless, it isn’t the most effective for people who wish to unfold out, because the slim mummy match might miss the mark, particularly should you’re completely automotive tenting. The load in all fairness low for automotive tenting and shorter backpacking journeys, although it’s not appropriate for longer-distance backpackers counting each ounce. Moreover, this bag has a really massive hole in value – in addition to weight – between the ladies’s bag and the lads’s bag. That mentioned, the ladies’s has extra down. Regardless of these drawbacks, the Kelty Cosmic Down 20 stays a wonderful alternative for automotive tenting or a number of days out on the path, providing nice heat and comfortable consolation in a sturdy design that packs small.

What Different Tenting Sleeping Luggage Ought to You Think about?

See our information to the most effective tenting sleeping luggage and learn the way the Kelty Cosmic Down 20 compares to the others. And when you’re right here, contemplate these different high picks:

Mountain Hardwear Bishop Cross 15 Assessment: The Bishop Cross 15 is one other mummy bag made with high-quality down and options glorious packability. It weighs half as a lot and is hotter than the Cosmic Down however prices extra.

NEMO Disco Infinite Promise Assessment: The Disco shares the identical high quality down insulation and comfy, heat really feel because the Kelty Cosmic Down 20. Nevertheless, it’s considerably pricier, colder, and weighs lower than half as a lot.

The North Face One Bag Assessment: The North Face One Bag is pricier, lighter, and gives three temperature rankings. This bag is ideal for campers keen to pay a premium for superior versatility.