You probably have ever felt too chilly in your sleeping bag whereas tent tenting, then you understand how depressing it’s to spend the evening shivering and counting down the minutes till dawn. I beforehand used a 30-degree automobile tenting sleeping bag for backpacking journeys, nevertheless it was cumbersome, heavy, and offered no heat in anyway.
Since I didn’t have a top quality sleeping bag designed for backpacking, it took up a ton of room in my pack and added pointless weight to my load. I had gotten used to placing on further layers earlier than hitting the hay, however even with these heat garments, I’d typically get up freezing all through the evening.
I not too long ago examined the brand new REI Magma 15-degree Sleeping Bag on a backpacking journey to Havasu Falls in addition to a Spring automobile tenting journey in Colorado. At Havasu Falls in early March, the forecast predicted wind, rain, low temperatures within the 20s, and surprisingly, even an opportunity of snow. So I needed to pack a sleeping bag to maintain me heat in these circumstances. Plus, since I had a 20-mile trek with my backpack, I needed a sleeping bag that was gentle and compact.
This sleeping bag was a game-changer for me. It slot in my pack with room to spare, and I didn’t want the additional layers or hand heaters I introduced for nighttime. I had a number of the greatest nights of sleep I’ve ever skilled whereas tent tenting.
This assessment demonstrates how the brand new and improved REI Magma Sleeping Bag lives as much as its identify, holding you as heat as magma even on chilly nights. On this REI Magma Sleeping Bag assessment, I share the professionals and cons, particulars on the technical options, and my private expertise utilizing the 15-degree model of this sleeping bag.
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REI Magma Sleeping Bag Overview
Though the REI Magma Sleeping Bag is just not model new (Kristen, BFT’s Founder, hiked with an earlier model on the John Muir Path), it has been not too long ago up to date in each 15-degree and 30-degree. It now is available in unisex variations that embrace extra sizes and match extra physique varieties. REI’s objective with the rerelease of the Magma Sleeping Luggage is to assist extra individuals discover sleeping baggage that match them correctly to allow them to comfortably sleep in a tent whereas having fun with the outside.
Why is the right match necessary? If a sleeping bag is simply too huge or free, you’ll really feel chilly. I’m 5’9″, which frequently places me in between sizes for sleeping baggage. Having to dimension up means I’ve too further room at my toes leading to my toes getting chilly. It additionally means carry a much bigger bag than I want, which provides extra weight and wastes valuable room in my backpack.
However, in case your sleeping bag is simply too small, you gained’t match within the bag. Your shoulders won’t be absolutely coated, and also you gained’t have room to maneuver round correctly.
Lastly, not all ladies slot in what can be thought-about a ladies’s bag, and the identical is true for males. This new unisex sizing construction is a large enchancment for getting a customized match regardless of your gender or dimension.
REI Magma 15-degree Sleeping Bag
Key Options
The place to buy
What I like
What I don’t like
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Consolation
I began backpacking a number of years in the past, and though I’ve tried and owned a number of sleeping baggage over time, I’ve by no means owned one particularly designed for backpacking. There was a lot preliminary backpacking gear to buy for my new passion that I missed the significance of investing in a top quality sleeping bag.
I figured I may put on a number of heat layers to mattress and be comfy. This was a mistake since I all the time awakened chilly all through the evening, and my greatest remorse is just not getting a technical sleeping bag for backpacking sooner.
I received the perfect nights of sleep I’ve ever had whereas tent tenting within the REI Magma Sleeping Bag. I transfer round lots in my sleep and alter positions continually, however the sleeping bag stored my physique comfy whether or not I slept on my again, facet, or abdomen.
The trail of the zipper wraps round your chest so you may zip it whereas mendacity contained in the sleeping bag. The zipper additionally encompasses a cowl to maintain it from getting caught on the material. This made for a clean, fast zip, even after I was zipping it up utilizing one hand.
The Magma Sleeping Bag additionally feels tremendous delicate and plush. I discovered myself excited to bundle up within the sleeping bag as quickly because it received darkish exterior, and I didn’t wish to depart my sleeping bag within the mornings due to how cozy it felt.
It’s comfy for lounging whereas studying my ebook, consuming my morning camp espresso, and organizing my gear inside my tent. Plus, I like how I may simply seize my headlamp or telephone from the internal stash pocket as I wanted them whereas hanging out.
Match
Most sleeping baggage are available in one commonplace dimension for males and one other for ladies. With the brand new REI Magma Sleeping Bag, this isn’t the case.
REI has redesigned the Magma Sleeping Bag to be nongendered or unisex. The sleeping bag now contains 9 completely different dimension choices so you may decide the perfect dimension based mostly in your sleeping preferences and physique form when it comes to top, shoulder girth, and hip girth.
There are combos of three completely different lengths and widths to select from. This in the end permits the sleeping bag to suit extra our bodies comfortably and supply an evening of higher sleep for everybody.
To search out the proper dimension, I like to recommend measuring your self with a tape measure and utilizing the offered dimension chart to make sure you get the perfect match. I’m 5’9” and have a typical construct, and after I in contrast my measurements to the chart, I discovered {that a} medium would match greatest.
The medium matches me true to dimension and contours to the form of my physique, and I’ve the right quantity of additional width within the backside of the bag to unfold my toes aside within the foot field. I slept on this bag for 3 nights in numerous positions and by no means felt prefer it was too tight or restrictive, or that I didn’t have sufficient room to maneuver my legs and arms.
I’ve a typical one-person insulated backpacking sleeping pad and located that the sleeping bag matches completely on prime of it when it comes to size and width. I additionally used an inflatable pillow and hooked up it to my sleeping pad with a Pillow Strap beneath the hood and located the set-up fairly comfy.
The hood of the REI Magma Sleeping Bag is contoured and has two completely different drawcords, permitting for simple changes all through the evening. Even contained in the sleeping bag, I like how I can cinch the drawcords of the hood if I’m feeling chilly. The hood additionally matches properly round my head and doesn’t really feel too free or tight, and if I ever wanted so as to add a beanie for further heat on a very chilly evening, I’d have the room.
The foot field of this sleeping bag permits house in your toes to maneuver. The trapezoidal form reduces extra house to maintain you hotter and reduces the general weight of the sleeping bag.
The sleeping bag ranges in size from 65 inches to 77 inches, so in case you are over 6’5”, it would possible be too wanting a sleeping bag for you. It might additionally really feel too lengthy in case you are considerably shorter than 5’4”. For that reason, I docked half a star for match.
If you’re between measurements or sizes, you may select to dimension up or down relying on how you like the sleeping bag to suit. Take into account that a sleeping bag that matches tighter to your physique offers higher insulation, whereas a looser match gives more room inside.
If you’re a co-op member (I extremely suggest turning into an REI member in case you’re not already), it’s also possible to return or change the bag for an additional dimension inside twelve months of buy if the dimensions you purchase isn’t working.
Heat
I introduced the 15-degree Magma sleeping bag on my journey. After I camped, the temperature fell beneath freezing into the higher 20’s, but I stayed heat in my sleeping bag and by no means awakened feeling chilly.
The sleeping bag has 850-fill-power goose down, so it retains me feeling heat at evening however by no means too sizzling. The bag additionally encompasses a draft collar, which comfortably fills the house between the neck and shoulder hole to maintain warmth from escaping. It’s adjustable, so I can preserve it the place I want it.
After I went to mattress at evening, I wore a base layer, leggings, and wool socks. I didn’t must put on my beanie, gloves, or further pants like I wanted to on earlier backpacking journeys.
As a result of I used to be nervous concerning the nighttime temperatures, I additionally introduced hand heaters and crammed my Nalgene bottle with boiling water to place within the foot field of the sleeping bag to maintain my toes heat at evening. Nevertheless, I didn’t want to make use of both of those as a result of the sleeping bag stored me a lot heat and toasty all by itself.
On one of many nights when the low temperature was round 40 levels Fahrenheit, I unzipped the bag as a result of I received a little bit too heat. As somebody who tends to run chilly when sleeping exterior, this hardly ever occurs to me, however I used to be in a position to simply unzip the bag whereas half asleep to control my temperature.
The shell is bluesign-approved recycled ripstop nylon, which means it has been manufactured to fulfill excessive security and environmental necessities. It has a sturdy water-repellent (DWR) end to forestall moisture from getting contained in the bag. If any moisture or condensation had been to get inside my tent, I like having the peace of thoughts that the shell would stop the insulated a part of the sleeping bag from getting moist.
REI used an impartial testing protocol (ISO) to determine the Magma Sleeping Bag’s Temperature Ranking of 15 levels Fahrenheit.
The Consolation ranking for which this bag will preserve the common “chilly sleeper” comfy is 21 levels Fahrenheit. I can attest that it did its job there! The Decrease Restrict ranking is 9 levels Fahrenheit – which is the bottom temperature at which the bag will preserve the common “heat sleeper” comfy.
It’s necessary to notice that sleeping baggage made for ladies usually have extra insulation (making them 10-15 levels Fahrenheit hotter) than males’s sleeping baggage since ladies are likely to sleep colder than males. Which means on common, ladies might discover the 15-degree sleeping bag appropriate for temperatures barely above 15 levels, whereas males might be able to comfortably use it for temps that fall barely beneath 15 levels.
After all, your physique temperature can run sizzling or chilly no matter gender. Take into account all of this data when deciding between the 15-degree and 30-degree variations.
Weight and Packability
The sleeping bag features a stuff sack for packing on journeys and a giant mesh sack for breathable storage whenever you’re not utilizing it at residence.
I discovered that the stuff sack compresses the sleeping bag extraordinarily effectively for packing. Imagine it or not, this 15-degree sleeping bag compresses down smaller than many well-liked 30-degree sleeping baggage designed for backpacking.
The compressed quantity ranges from 6 liters to 9.4 liters, with my medium-sized bag at 8 liters. I packed the sleeping bag into the underside compartment of my 45-liter backpack and observed I had room to spare, making it straightforward to rapidly stuff the bag in and take it out of my pack. If you happen to pair it with a compression sack, you may get the packed dimension down even smaller.
Relying on the dimensions you order, the load of the 15-degree sleeping bag ranges from 2 lbs to 2 lbs 11.3 oz. My medium-sized sleeping bag weighs 2 lbs 3.6 ounceswhich is pretty gentle for a 15-degree sleeping bag.
To match, the regular-sized ladies’s NEMO Riff 15 Infinite Down Sleeping Bag weighs 3 lbs 4 oz, a little bit over a pound greater than my medium REI Magma bag. However, the regular-sized unisex Sea to Summit Spark 15 Sleeping Bag solely weighs 1 lb 9.7 oz, although it prices over 100 {dollars} extra at $549.
The lengthy model of the REI Magma sleeping bag weighs in at 2 lbs 8.5 oz. Though that is akin to the load of different lengthy sleeping baggage for some manufacturers, it’s heavier than others. For instance, the lengthy model of the unisex Sea to Summit Spark 15 bag is 1 lb 11.7 oz.
Sturdiness
The REI Magma Sleeping Bag is made durably to final for years of backcountry adventures. Though the sleeping bag materials is tremendous delicate, it’s tear and snag-resistant.
I recognize how alongside all the size of the zipper, the bag has a strip of material designed to forestall the zipper from snagging on the sleeping bag materials.
I’ve all the time struggled with sleeping bag zippers getting caught on the material when adjusting the zipper at evening and fearful about it tearing or forming holes. It’s a reduction to now not must cope with this annoyance.
To maintain the sleeping bag at its greatest for years of use, I like to recommend hand washing it as wanted. If you happen to should use a washer, wash it solely on a heat, light cycle in a front-load washer. Use a mild, detergent-free cleaner like Nikwax Down Wash Direct designed for laundry down merchandise.
To dry, don’t wring the sleeping bag. Both air dry or tumble dry in a machine on low. To stop damaging the fragile materials, don’t use bleach or an iron.
As soon as your sleeping bag is clear and dry, retailer the bag loosely within the offered mesh sack as an alternative of the compression sack. These cleansing practices will assist to increase the lifetime of your sleep bag.
The place to Purchase
The REI Magma Sleeping Bag is accessible at REI shops and on-line, and you should buy both the 15-degree or 30-degree model. Each of those are available in 9 completely different sizes so you may order the perfect match in your physique. If you happen to favor a quilt as an alternative of a sleeping bag, try the Magma 30 Down Path Quilt.
Continuously Requested Questions
Whereas the 30-degree bag is barely lighter and extra compact, it’s not as versatile because the 15-degree model. You need to take into consideration the place and what seasons you intend to make use of the sleeping bag. If you’ll be excessive up within the mountains, I’d suggest the 15-degree bag. It’s well worth the few further ounces to make sure your heat. Nevertheless, in case you plan to make use of it solely in summer season in hotter climates, than the 30-degree bag ought to suffice.
The 15-degree model is $429. The three-degree model is barely cheaper at $379.
No, it’s not absolutely waterproof. The liner has a water resistant coating, however the bag is not going to keep dry if it’s submerged in water (ie if water is pooling up inside your tent or in case you fall whereas crossing a river together with your backpack on)
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Do you may have questions on this REI Magma Sleeping Bag assessment? If you happen to personal this bag, what’s your favourite half about it? Let me know within the feedback beneath!
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