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 ****

Hell no. A liner won't help but a couple of degrees. That bag is probably comfort rated at 8c regardless of the label. You need a -10C comfort rated bag. https://www.rei.com/product/250705/marmot-trestles-elite-eco-0-sleeping-bag-mens and wearing all your layers would get you there. https://www.rei.com/product/231211/sea-to-summit-trek-0f-sleeping-bag

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.

I will be going to valley of fire in late December as well!! Marmot 0 degree trestles eco bag!! Affordable and warm af. I have used it for many winters in 10 degree weather and been super cozy. Get yourself a high r value sleeping pad as well. That’s almost more important than your bag. I can’t recommend a gazelle tent enough times. It’s not a 4 season but it’s so easy to set up and huge. Not for backpacking. I feel like you need to be constantly in freezing temps for a four season tent. 30 degrees is nothing.

The comfortable temps are definitely not always accurate. You COULD use a liner and a bivvy sack to make this a bit better but I don't recommend you buy all that and take it out for a trip without testing it. I bought a semi-expensive (it was on sale at a REI event) Marmot Trestles Elite mummy bag that's comfortable to 0*. Then bought a 14 dollar crap Amazon bag for 50*+. The cheap bag is plenty and can bolster it's warmth with a USGI Poncho Liner, camp quilt, etc...

For a tent in winter conditions you want a double walled tent with an all fabric or mostly fabric inner. These tents are also called 3+ season or 4 season tents. Note that you DO NOT want this type of tent for summer because you want allot of mesh for cross-breeze in the summer (especially in Nevada - though with extreme temps in most of Nevada I would skip camping in the dead of summer in most of Nevada except maybe at Lake Tahoe). All fabric inner tents block snow drift, sand drift (might be a problem in Nevada depending on where you are camping) and cold wind. They make you feel warmer but they really don't insulate. 3+ season and 4 season tents are typically "crawl in" style tents - standing height tents like the Marmot Help or Big Agnes Bunk House are typically 3 season tents with allot of mesh. You can get away with a summer tent with allot of mesh in the winter but you will feel all that cold wind coming into the tent. As long as there isn't allot of snow expected then it will work in a pinch, but you won't be all that comfortable. For sleeping you need a high R value sleeping pad that is ASTM rated. Don't buy that Intex or Coleman air mattress garbage - these have ZERO insulation and you will be freezing cold. Get a quality pad from a major manufacturer like Exped, FlexTailGearz Thermarest, Naturehike, Big Agnes, Nemo, ALPS Mountaineering, RAB, Sea to Summit etc. You want to shoot for an R value around 5. A 5 R value pad can also be used in the summer and will weigh less than pads with R values of 6-8. For the bag a 30F bag will be really uncomfortable. That is the lower limit or survival rating of the bag. You really need a 0F, 10F or 15F rated bag. These bags have a comfort rating of 10-15F higher than their advertised lower limits. Comfort rating is the important spec to follow. Make sure the bag is EN tested and is from a major manufacturer (Marmot, Sea to Summit, Nemo, Thermarest, RAB, Paria Outdoor Products etc. I recommend down bags because they pack down way smaller, have a more luxurious loft and usually weigh quite a bit less. Synthetic bags can also be good if you buy something with hiloft or elixir style insulation - these insulation types behave more like down and trap heat between the fibers of the insulation. A good example of this type of bag is the Marmot Tressles Elite Eco. I can make some good recommendations if you can provide a budget. Also need to know if you are car camping or backpacking or both.

Check out the Marmot Trestle Eco. Down packs smaller but it's more $. Expect around a 8x16" pack size... Maybe slightly smaller but not much at that price point. North face trail lite might another option. I have the trail lite and it packs down pretty small (maybe 7x14?) on sale should be under $200...just keep it dry.

Love my Marmot Trestles!

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

For a lot of backpacking brands, if you buy 2 bags; one with a left zipper and one with a right zipper ; you can simply zip them together (along with using them independently. I have Marmot bags that do this so my wife and I can carry our own gear but sleep together.

I used to use a Sea to Summit Womens Etherlight Xtreme pad. It turns out it's just too cold for me. Even though it has been tested, I believe it's so thick that the air moves around when I toss and turn, churning up cold air. I tried a Neo Air Xlite. It's not comfortable for me, but incredibly warm. I settled on the Nemo Tensor All Season. I also have an Exped pad. While it's warm enough, it's not as comfortable as the Nemo. Make sure your pad is warm enough. If the cold is coming from the ground, it's the pad, not the bag that needs to be changed out. I found that I sleep about 20 degrees colder than most ratings. So, I use an Enlightened Equipment Conundrum 10 Degree for the colder weather. Then go to a 20-degree Enlightened Equipment Revelation. The Conundrum has a 3/4 zip, which allows for the warm air to stay inside the bag. It does not unzip the way, so it won't lay flat. I sleep with a buff on my neck and a fleece hat. I'm warm at 34 degrees, but I also need to use my fleece or puffy. At 25 degrees, I start getting cold. I have also tried a Marmot bag and an REI bag. They weren't warm enough for me. I believe Katabatic and Featheted Friends may use more down, thus making their bags or quilts warmer. They are more expensive than EE. In April and May, I can switch to my Revelation, which does open all the way. I would not use the Conundrum in zero degree weather because I sleep cold. Nor would I ever choose to be out in zero degree weather. I have a 40-degree quilt that I made for summer use. I sleep cold enough that I am uncomfortably chilled in it when it's about 60 degrees at night. Some people will tell you the EE quilts are not warm enough. They used to use less down but have changed it to match the standards that most others use to achieve the loft needed for a designated temperature. You should be able to see the fill weight on each manufacturers website. Pay attention to the width and length of the quilts or bags. It will help you compare apples to apples. Only you will be able to tell what will be warm enough for you. I don't like using a mummy bag, so the quilts work well for me. You could consider using a liner. It may help boost your bag or quilts rating. I think you will get more warmth for the ounce by getting a warmer sleeping pad. You will probably need to practice in your backyard or some safe place to help you determine what works for you. It frequently test my gear in my backyard, so if it fails, I'm steps away from the house. You may also want to consider purchasing from an entity that allows returns, like REI or MEC. I also sleep with warm socks. I tried Alpaca wool, which worked well. However, I found that using two pairs of Alpha Direct fleece socks works just as well. I bought one a size bigger for layering. This allows me to bring two pairs when needed or leave one pair home in warmer months. You have to look at your sleep system as a system, not as individual components. Combing my puffy, fleece, hat, socks, and yes, even gloves, help me adjust to different temperatures.

I second the 2 sleeping bags instead of one, that way you can really bundle yourself up in there. I have a Marmot one and it’s excellent!