Big Agnes - Sidewinder SL 20°

I am a very dynamic sleeper, best bag I’ve used is the big Agnes sidewinder.

I have the SL35 and have used it for fall and spring in PA, no complaints. For winter or colder climates the SL20 would probably be more appropriate. I’m a cold sleeper though; I find sleep systems to be very subjective.

Yes I came to say I love my Big Agnes sidewinder! so much roomier for my legs and I love the zipper set up. I'm 5' 10" and the regular is plenty of room for me. I have the SL20 and have been comfy even when temps are hovering around freezing.

Yes I came to say I love my Big Agnes sidewinder! so much roomier for my legs and I love the zipper set up. I'm 5' 10" and the regular is plenty of room for me. I have the SL20 and have been comfy even when temps are hovering around freezing.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Durston Gear tents. I've got the Xmid 2 and now the Xdome 2 as well. Superior to pretty much any comparable tent that bats way above it's price tag. $269 and under 2lbs all in. As far as sleeping bag, my first one was the Big Agnes sidewinder 20⁰ bag and I liked it. But after having gone out more and more I wanted something that packed smaller so now I've got an enlightened equipment convertible bag/quilt that's 950 down. Packs smaller, a lot smaller, and is substantially warmer overall. But we are comparing a $175 bag to a $400 one.

I do trips late September and I use big Agnes sidewinder sl-20 on a helinox lite cot. Last year it was unseasonably warm at the beginning of the trip but got cooler on the last 2 nights. The first couple nights I just slept with the zipper up half way. IMHO being a bit warmer at night is preferable to being cold. I think in most (not all) September trip situations a 20 degree bag is a good choice. I would consider using my 0 degree quilt (without the bag) if it were expected to be unseasonably cold.

If you are a side sleeper check out big Agnes’s sidewinder or the torchlight- I am also a side sleeper and I like these two

Big Agnes Sidewinder is a good mummy for made specifically for side sleeping. I have the 20 deg F and it works great. Plenty of room even bundled up fully clothed with outer layers on. The zipper is on the front/top of the bag instead of on the side, which is great for moving with the bag and getting in and out of it. Everyone talks about quilts being the new craze but its definately a matter of preference, some love them, some hate them.

Quilts, semi rectangular bags (Sea to Summit Trek and Ascent Down) or the Big Agnes Sidewinder series are what you want. The Nemo Spoon series of down bags are also quite roomy. I sleep on my side. I use Hammock Gear Econ Borrows most of the time and I have a Marmot Col -20F bag for anything 20F and below.

I'm from Canada, so not sure the difference in availability. I've been mostly happy with the Big Agnes Sidewinder that I replaced my North Face Cats Meow with. My main complaint is that it doesn't compress as small as I'd like. It's been very cozy, and I sleep curled in a ball on my side. I do use a CoolMax liner inside. It is too warm above about 20deg celcius, but sleeping with it open was ok. Has been great down to -16celcius (caveat of I also had hand warmers in there with me, and was on a mattress in an RTT not backpacking in winter). I was trying to find a Gear Lab review, came across this one. It has some annoying ads: https://www.campman.com/blog/gear-review-big-agnes-sidewinder-sl-20-sleeping-bag/ And this comparison review of a few: https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/topics/camping-and-hiking/best-ultralight-sleeping-bag

Big Agnes Europe is having a sale atm. I just used their 20F down sleeping bag last week in -2C and I was steamy, had to keep the zipper open. I did pair it with a R4.8 pad.

I live in Harriman and frequent the park in all 4 seasons. I use a 20F big Agnes bag, with a 4.0 air mattress and a CCF pad under it from September-ish until April-ish, then drop the CCF pad and eventually switch out the bag for a cheap warm quilt as it warms up. I sleep fairly warm and almost always pack in my husky for extra warmth (and awooos)... Anyways, I branched out into the Catskills and Daks for the first time last winter. So yeah, do that it's freaking amazing. Buy snowshoes first, you'll need then. But anyways, it's got the potential to get MUCH colder. Saw 0F and below in the Catskills, and my setup was cold. The Adirondacks were more brutal, I experienced the coldest climate of my life there last February. Air temp around -25F on the summit of Algonquin, with a steady 25mph that would gust considerably higher. You'll get frostbite on exposed skin in under ten minutes in these conditions. If you plan on standing on any exposed summits in winter, you need layers and hats and goggles and gloves and buffs and all sorts of stuff. Goggles, gloves (multiple), gaiters, and a buff become essential when there's snow and wind. You'll need to learn to move slower, as sweating from over-exertion can rapidly lead to hypothermia when the weather won't be above freezing. If the trail to where you want to go isn't broken out and there's deep snow, you're about to learn about whole new parts of your legs you didn't even know could hurt. It took me 6 hours to get from Elk Pen to the fingerboard shelter last winter after we got 8" of snow in Harriman. It's usually about 90 minutes. But it's SO beautiful in the winter. Especially night hiking with a headlamp when you're up above the frost line, so the light sparkles off of all the frozen trees and whatnot. Hiking into the snow line. Snow shoeing right over what you know is normally a crazy rock scramble (ahem, lookin right at you Cornell crack). The best part - in the Catskills in the winter, there's no rule limiting what elevation you can camp at. I fully intend on getting a 0F bag and waking up above 4000ft this winter.

We have the Klymit KSB Double and I really like it. It’s pretty warm and there’s plenty of room in it for both me and my husband. He’s a large person too so he takes up a lot of space. If you can afford it, I highly recommend the big Agnes rapide sl double wide sleeping pad so you don’t end up falling into a sleeping pad gap. Edit: looking at what’s for sale, if you don’t usually go out when it gets super cold, I’d probably go with the Big Agnes King Solomon 35. It’s only 3lbs. Mine is 5. The Nemo is way too heavy for 30deg. The Big Agnes 20 option weighs less. So yeah I’d pick one of the Big Agnes options depending on how cold it is where you go. Honestly I’d get the 35 degree and if you ever plan to go out when it’s colder bring a liner.

Have a Big Agnes 20 and a Magma 20. Both down both compress well. A few years ago, I switched to those liners in the summer and love them. Warm enough in July. Pack extremely small.