Marmot - Trestles Elite Eco 0° (2024)

Warmth starts from the ground up. Starting with a good thermal pad. Not all pads are designed for cold temperatures and using the wrong pad is why many people get cold. -15 degree bag should work just fine. That means if you had nothing else but a sleeping bag it would keep you warm at -15 degrees. Adding a good thermal pad will keep you warm. When buying a sleeping bag you will need to consider your height. If you are using a long sleeping bag and you are 5’10” tall, all your heat is going to the empty space below your feet. Getting a bag that fits you perfectly will help keep you warm. I hunt all over the PNW for the past 35+ years. My fall sleeping bag is 15 degrees my winter or late hunt is -15 degrees. Combined with my thermal pad I have never woken up cold. I use a SlumberJack for my 15 degree bag and I use a Marmot. REI Marmot Trestles Elite Eco 0 Sleeping Bag $209 Kelty Cosmic Down 0 Sleeping Bag. Reg $294 on sale $219. I would suggest investing in a better quality thermal pad. Therm-a-Rest NeoLoft Sleeping Pad Or NEMO Tensor All-Season Ultralight Insulated Sleeping Pad **** Best ****

Ok, that's something. Make sure your stove uses white gas, not an isobutane canister. Isobutane works poorly, or not at all, in winter temperatures. Melting snow for water uses much more fuel than you'd think, and you also need to start with some liquid water in the pot, or else it'll scorch. A -18 rated bag should be enough for at least -10 with a similarly warm pad underneath. One of the best priced winter bags is the Marmot Trestles Eco Elite 0 - however it's very bulky. That's the trade-off for the low price. I'm sure that tent is an okay one for occasional fair weather use. Winter is an absolutely different beast. Everything from pole design and material to venting to fly design to stake design can be different for a winter tent, and for good reasons. That $50 one would be a coffin under any snow load. If you can still find a Eureka Mountain Pass on closeout somewhere, that would be probably the most accessible winter-ready tent in terms of price. I see by your post history that you're looking to go to Kananaskis. Have you had avalanche training? I don't mean to be overly negative but winter camping is an order of magnitude more dangerous than camping in any of the other three seasons. Add mountain terrain and weather to that and you're looking at a very steep learning curve with a very high cost of failure. I would implore you to get some experience in the warmer months before trying winter camping, especially solo.

If you only plan to car camp, don't bother with the down sleeping bags because the main benefits of down (compressible, lightweight) aren't really important features for car camping. On the other hand, the main benefit of synthetic insulation is that it still works if you get it wet, and it is cheaper. I prefer synthetic insulation for car camping.  I had a Marmot Trestles 0 degree for years and used it when I was a trail worker camping 7 nights in a row and it never let me down. Big and heavy for carrying in a backpack, but supremely warm. Sleeping 2 people in a car, the 15 degree would probably be great. You can always bring some extra blankets to supplement the sleeping bags.  I do a lot of trips where I sleep in the back of my vehicle. I've also done a lot of backpacking trips where I carry all of my stuff and sleep on a combo lightweight air mattress and foam pad. Take this advice that I learned the hard way - skip the air mattress for car camping. Air does not provide insulation, and usually will wind up having weird gaps between the mattress and the vehicle. Sounds like you already have a mattress topper, but maybe there is one that's a better fit in your vehicle? Foam is way warmer than air.  Also, maybe consider a layer or two of a more dense eva foam to go under your mattress topper. Sold as anti-fatigue mats, and come as single pieces or 2 foot by 2 foot puzzle pieces. Put that down under your mattress topper and your bed will be comfy, warm, and un-poppable. We roll up our mattress topper & bedding during the day and leave the anti fatigue mat rolled out with our stuff on it. We have [two of these](https://www.homedepot.com/p/TrafficMaster-Diamond-Soft-Foot-Black-4-ft-x-6-ft-Indoor-Outdoor-Commercial-Door-Mat-6016909004x6/306932662). Trim to size as needed.  Another hot take - don't build a platform other than a basic low profile sheet if you need it. In my opinion they wind up adding weight and taking up all of the space inside and leave you sleeping in a coffin. For a smaller vehicle like a highlander you're better off having your stuff well packed and just moving some stuff to the front seats or outside while you sleep. Being able to sit up in the middle of the night is priceless to me so I'll take the 5 minutes of shuffling stuff to the front if it means I don't get claustrophobic at night.  I've had a lot of great nights out camping in my vehicle and I love it. I really hope this helps, and hope you can create a setup that works well and comes in under budget! 

Not sure if weight matters, I have an older version of the marmot trestles 0°f/ -18°c synthetic fill. I find it to be a very warm bag. I have been comfortable in that bag sleeping in my jeep on a cold Vermont night. It’s $200 usd not exactly the most packable or lightest bag I own but it’s def warm.

Op I would caution against marmot I have a marmot long mummy style bag I’m also 6’6” and it’s way to tight in the hips and shoulders (I can’t even zip it up I gave it to one of the kids and am happy I bought it cheap used lol) like you I’m currently looking at a Teton

DO NOT BUY A KIDS’ BAG. They are not rated accurately in comparison to adult bags. I’m 110lbs/5’3” and I brought a kid 0F bag on the John Muir Trail. Learned the hard way.  I have a 0F Marmot that I love.

Used Marmot Treasles Elite Eco. You can find these used on eBay and REI ReSupply for around $50 or less often.

Love my Marmot Trestles!

Marmot Trestles line are good deals on good bags. If you’re younger, just get a blue foam pad.

Western Mountaineering, Feathered Friends or Marmot for bags. Enlightened Equipment, Hammock Gear or Katabatic for backpacking quilts. Not cheap but quality and comfortable.