REI Trailmade 20 Sleeping Bag Evaluation

Backside Line

The REI Trailmade 20 is a comfortable, no-frills mummy bag on the high of our finest tenting sleeping luggage information. Its time-tested design, inclusive sizing and low value makes it a bullseye for summer season campers. Senior Gear Analyst Ian Krammer has totally examined the Trailmade 20 on dozens of journeys, the place its easy zipper, ergonomic footbox, and comfortable materials provide a straightforward evening’s sleep in several climates.

With a compact dimension and pretty low weight, this mannequin’s an inexpensive selection for shorter backpacking journeys the place a bit of additional weight isn’t a dealbreaker. It dovetails properly with different REI Trailmade gadgets too, together with the sleeping pad and tent, making the Trailmade line an excellent place to begin for entry-level tenting and budget-conscious consumers.

However the Trailmade 20 has some drawbacks. Its slender design isn’t the perfect in the event you’re solely automobile tenting and like extra space to unfold out, although it’s does are available in huge in each dimension. We discover the lengthy hood cinch toggles dangle in our faces at evening. Lastly, the 20°F temperature score can really feel extreme in hotter climates.

Nonetheless, this factor is an superior worth at $100, and it’s one in every of our high picks this yr for many campers.

Consolation

The Trailmade 20 has all of the consolation options we wish in a top quality mummy bag. Our favourite factor? There’s a dimension for everybody because of REI’s inclusive choices, together with brief, common, and lengthy, plus huge for every size. We additionally discover the ergonomic footbox offers a bit extra room for stressed ft to maneuver. Consider this mannequin is a basic mummy form, which suggests it might really feel a bit tight at common width. We extremely suggest the huge model. 

This cloth makes for a critically cozy – and quiet – sleeping expertise, with no obnoxious crinkling or rustling whenever you roll over within the evening. Senior Gear Analyst Ian Krammer is a giant fan of the comfortable polyester lining, because it has the texture of a blanket slightly than a sleeping bag. We additionally just like the Trailmade’s contoured hood with two completely different cinch toggles. One tightens the neck, and the opposite handles the hood to dial in the perfect match for you. 

Nonetheless, the mum design can really feel restrictive in the event you’re tenting largely in heat climate and eliminating chilly spots isn’t a giant deal. It does are available in a wide range of sizes, together with huge, though in the event you actually need extra room to roll over, contemplate a rectangular-shaped bag as an alternative.

Moreover, our testing finds the cinch toggles are likely to flop on our face at evening. They’re situated to the aspect of the hood for simple entry when contained in the bag, which is sweet – however this prompted them to land on our heads and necks. That is minor stuff, although – general, the Trailmade is a comfortable bag we attain for all summer season lengthy.

Heat

In terms of heat, the REI Trailmade 20 delivers. Ian’s rigorous testing finds REI’s consolation score of 31°F is spot on. From a fall automobile tenting journey in Utah’s Goblin Valley State Park to early spring tent tenting at 12,300’, the Trailmade is a wonderful possibility right down to the low 30’s. It’s a strong performer from spring till fall in most circumstances.

The comfortable mummy form and ergonomic footbox trapped our physique warmth successfully and stored us heat. The thick draft collar minimized warmth loss round our necks, and the huge draft tube blocked the chilly alongside the zipper. We additionally appreciated the 2 cinch cords for a good match within the chilly, and the two-way zipper to vent warmth from the underside of the bag when it’s heat.

It’s artificial insulation is nice at retaining heat when moist. In Colorado’s Sand Dunes Nationwide Park, Ian camped below a tarp throughout a rainstorm, and a nook of the Trailmade 20 obtained soaking moist. He finds the DWR coating was pretty water-proof, and the artificial insulation stored him heat all through the evening when water penetrated. The subsequent day, it dried absolutely inside 3 hours.

Nonetheless, you’ll wish to keep within the 30-60°F window. It’s just too heat above 60°F. On the flipside, 31°F was our restrict for chilly. Baselayers and a high-R-value pad helped when it was freezing, however when temps dropped into the 20’s, we had been shivering

Packed Dimension

This one earns increased scores for packability from our testers – it’s very simple to hold between automobile and campsite, and it’s not a foul selection for backpacking, both. The Trailmade 20 packs right down to solely 10 inches by 13 inches. That’s one of many smallest on our record. It suits neatly right into a gear closet, trunk, or the underside of a backpack.

The aware development is why it’s so small: recycled polyester cloth and artificial insulation are nonetheless bulkier than down, nevertheless it’s nonetheless very compressible. The Trailmade can be on the lighter aspect in comparison with many luggage we’ve examined, tipping the scales at 3 kilos, 4.6 ounces for the Common.

Options

The REI Trailmade 20 has a easy however efficient characteristic set that’s practical within the subject. Ian’s favourite factor is the one exterior zippered stash pocket. We hardly ever see exterior pockets on luggage, not to mention with zippers and zipper toggles. This design retains necessities shut at hand with out falling out, and we like that it suits most telephones.

The sleek two-way zipper has a material storage on the high to dam the zipper tabs from touching our faces when the bag is closed up all the way in which. REI additionally features a single gear loop on the hood to hold the bag when not in use or for drying and the double cinches and enormous, camp pillow-compatible hood are the cherries on high. 

This bag is a component of a bigger line of tenting and mountaineering merchandise within the REI Trailmade assortment. It’s an excellent place to begin for finances consumers, first timers, and occasional campers. Think about the Trailmade Backpacking Bundle, which features a tent, pad, and the Trailmade bag for lower than $400.

That stated, we’ve just a few complaints. The one aspect zipper works properly, however doesn’t prolong previous the footbox. There’s no hook-and-loop closure tab on the high to maintain the zipper from unzipping once we transfer at evening. The exterior pocket isn’t for everybody – this design is a little bit of a problem, because it requires unzipping and reaching out of the bag to entry small gadgets, which was a bit annoying. Nonetheless, this one has all of the options we wish in a easy bag.

Ought to You Purchase The REI Trailmade 20?

The REI Trailmade 20 is a simple mummy bag for the plenty. Its reasonably priced price ticket – plus the size and width combos – make it one of the vital accessible and inclusive fashions on our record. Options like a two-way zipper, double drawstring hood, and a zippered exterior stash make this one aggressive with pricier, premium sleeping luggage. The temperature score is correct, too, making it an awesome selection for nights between 30°F and 60°F. It’s mild sufficient to hold for brief backpacking journeys, however simply as cozy whenever you’re inside strolling distance of your automobile. 

There are just a few downsides, notably with regards to match and design. Like most mummy luggage, this one is a bit slender by means of the legs, which is likely to be uncomfortable for campers who prefer to unfold out at evening. The cinch toggles are near the face, making them awkward to regulate and a bit obnoxious when sleeping. The exterior zippered stash pocket design won’t be everybody’s favourite, because you’ll have to achieve out of the bag to entry it.

We discover few faults with the Trailmade. It’s an superior worth for shorter backpacking journeys and automobile campers. At this value, you might simply outfit a gaggle of three for the worth of 1 premium bag. Should you’re on the lookout for strong consolation, dependable heat, and an excellent packed dimension, the Trailmade 20 is made for years of use on the path and automobile tenting.

What Different Tenting Sleeping Baggage Ought to You Think about?

Try our information to the perfect tenting sleeping luggage to see how this one measures up in opposition to the competitors. And if the Trailmade 20 caught your eye, contemplate these different high picks:

Mountain Hardwear Bishop Cross 15 Evaluation: Just like the Trailmade 20, the Bishop Cross 15 affords a cosy mummy design and cozy cloth for cooler climate tenting. Nonetheless, it’s made with 650 fp down as an alternative of artificial insulation, so it’s lighter, quieter, and hotter – although it prices extra.

REI Siesta Hooded 20 Evaluation: This REI mannequin is our primary decide – it has the identical temperature score because the Trailmade, nevertheless it’s cozier and roomier because of the oblong form. It’s heavier and prices extra, however in the event you gained’t be backpacking, this one is hard to beat for consolation and worth whenever you’re close to your automobile.

The North Face Wawona 20 Evaluation: The Wawona 20 shares the easy options, heat score, and low price ticket with the Trailmade 20. It swaps the hood and tight footbox for a soft rectangular form, so it’s heavier and bigger, however we extremely suggest this one as an awesome different for frontcountry tenting.