Marmot - Trestles Elite Eco 20

If you're going to buy a Marmot, buy the eco version as they'll pack down much smaller....but that Cosmic's a solid pick

My son and I hiked GA last year in March. First night was 20 degrees. I have a 20degree UDQ Bandit XL. It’s overstuffed with 3 extra ounces of down. It was prefect wearing baselayer and a fleece beanie. My son has a marmot trestles ecolite 20. He didn’t complain about the cold either. Nemo Tensor pads.

I'd been using a Marmot for 30 yrs, what they called a 10-20 30. Don't remember the price but it was the most expensive thing I bought for a very long time and glad I did. There were not as many choices back then and I don't think they are the same now. Point is it was annoying when it was warm. Couple of years ago I got a Feathered Friends Flicker 40. It's a hoodless sleeping bag that can also open all the way to a quilt. (no it doesn't attach to a pad) Had that down to mid 30's cowboy camping in the desert and was fine with a puffy on. I had wanted a 30 but out of stock. This year sold the 40 and got a 30 for a trip to Iceland in July. I'm very happy with it; works well across temps. Combined with the Marmot gets me down to 0. Since it is a bag when I want it's less fuss than a lot of the quilts out there. (love the draft collar and the foot closing completely). You can rent one and they will credit up to 2 nights rental cost toward a similar purchase. May help but likely incur some extra shipping costs unless you're in their area.

For casual three-season camping around 0°C, synthetic’s way easier on the wallet. Marmot Trestles or Kelty Cosmic Down alternative bags hold up fine, and you don’t freak out about melting water or sweat ruining insulation.

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!