NEMO - Forte Endless Promise

I’ve got a Nemo Forte mummy bag that’s lasted me several years. It’s been heavily abused and other than a spot where my husky decided to attack my feet on our first camping trip, it’s still in great shape. I probably paid around $80 to $100 at an REI garage sale and still love it because it has vents to help regulate the temp, has a little extra room to adjust my knees and elbows because I’m a side sleeper and the hood/top section holds a pillow or extra clothing to turn into a pillow. Only downside is that it’s geared towards more petite people as I think the max height recommended is around 5’5”, anyone else is going to be sleeping outside of the bag.

If it's going to be super cold the Nemo with a warm liner can work. Add a Nalgene hot water in a sock each night also.

I like my Nemo Forte. Spoon shaped for extra room in the shoulders and knees with a mock quilt around the neckline. Edit: I prioritize comfort over weight, so I sized up in length for my bag and length+width for my sleeping pad. Never been comfier.

Depending on your specific needs for temps, weight, and filling I'd recommend, Nemo's Rift, Forte, or Tempo bags. They have a "spoon" shape (extra space around knees and elbows and tapers around the waist and feet) rather than mummy shape. They're designed to feel less restrictive and I've found them to be so. Of course the bag will take up a bit more space than a mummy bag, but it's better than a regular rectangle bag. I have the Tempo and I think it's good for regular backpackers and I really like it. They're common at REI too so you may be able to try it out.

I have the Nemo forte and it's pretty good, definitely miles better than any other sleeping bag I've tried. It's not perfect though. It's fairly heavy and quite a large pack size as it's synthetic and doesn't compress very well. I have an alpkit quilt for summer and I prefer to use that whenever the weather permits.

For clarity - The Riff (and Disco) are down. While the Forte and Tempo are synthetic. Their spoon/peanut shape is definitely very popular with side sleepers, or people who sleep angular or toss and turn. Much more forgiving than a regular mummy, without the draft issues of a quilt. Recommend people getting into quilts, to buy a wide one. This will help mitigate drafts. You mention REI, all of their sleeping bags now come in "wide" versions. Still a mummy for the most part, but about 5" wider than a regular mummy. Their Magma is an excellent bag, as is their Magma quilt, but it's only rated to 30 degrees.

Kelty cosmic down or a Nemo Forte. I have the cosmic for me, Wife,  my oldest, and youngest. The middle liked the Nemo colors more some got that for him. I like the cosmic for the light weight and good packability. The cosmic has some sweet heat vents, isn't down (doesn't pack as small but better performance if it gets wet/damp). Both have a zipper pocket anf good space. I'm 6', the rest of the family is shorter so they fit fine. Youll need a long version regardless. 

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 like the spoon shape of the Nemo bags. And, I’m currently using a wide deluxe pad from Big Agnes.

I’m a stomach/side sleeper and love my Zenbivy quilt+sheet and their matching pillow system, but it’s quite an investment for a casual camper. I’d recommend looking for a cheaper quilt or even a rectangular sleeping bag on Amazon or Decathlon if you’re not looking to spend a lot. I was really unhappy with my spoon shaped Nemo sleeping bag. Even though it’s wider than a traditional mummy bag, it was still restrictive. There are a lot of other spendy quilt brands out there and most have already been reviewed on r/ultralight.

Which 2 in 1 are you referring to? The ones that come to mind would exceed your budget, but examples help.  What temperature are you expecting at night?  Mainly, I would suggest finding an insulated sleeping pad with a stated R-value. Depending on how cold it will be, the R-value changes (higher R for colder temperatures). For sleeping bag, add at least 10°C, so for example, if you expect overnight temperatures around 5°C, find a bag rated for -5°C.  I have a Nemo Quasar insulated pad in the double width (I move a lot), and a Nemo sleeping bag (in their "spoon" style because I can't sleep in a mummy style bag). 

I have a cot also but would never sleep on it without a pad when it's cold. I need the insulation. I really like the Nemo spoon shaped bags to be able to move around but why not pile up thick blankets for your first time out before dropping the money on a good bag.

I vote for Nemo bags. I have 2 and love them. Perfect for side sleeping.

This. I hate mummy bags. I move too much in my sleep. My Nemo takes up a bit more space in my pack but it is so comfortable and a good night’s sleep, where I can fully roll around in my bag, is worth it. I will never go back to a mummy bag.

Nemo for sure

Spoon shape is great, arm zippers in the boost just seem drafty.

Nemo sleeping bag with REI 2.5 self inflating sleeping pad works for me.

Never tried a quilt, but as a fellow side sleeper I LOVE my Nemo sleeping bag. Can't believe I ever tried to use a mummy bag.

Love my Nemo down bag. Love.

Tent: MSR or Nemo, sleeping bag: Nemo (the lightest warmest I’ve found) knife folding knife I’d use a Swiss army “Ranger” model, if its a folding knife sans that I’d use a fixed blade like a Pathfinder knife shop “scorpion or Kephart” the kephart is my favorite personally. It’s always good to have multiple tools for sure sometimes they fail. Additionally if you’re going to be in any remote areas take 2 ways to make fire whether that’s 2 lighters or a lighter and a ferocerium rod doesn’t matter. Ans water water water, and some way to filter said water. I’ve had situations even near or in towns where I needed water and had some but couldn’t purify it and a metal container of you can canteen or stainless non vacuum single wall water bottle if you have that and fire you’ll have purified water. Enjoy your walk sounds like fun to me

Budget is a factor, as well as intended use (backpacking vs ultralight speed hiking) Down will be lighter (and more expensive) than synthetic fill I have a Nemo bag and a few different thermarest pads depending on the season I also have a couple Big Agnes (they are great for bigger people) bags, but they do not have any fill on the bottom, instead they rely on the sleeping pad. There's a whole interesting theory about this design if you care to research it! You can talk to the folks at Hiker Direct and they are big supporters of scouting. We've got folks that have really good luck with Nemo, Kelty, Hyke and Byke (online sales only), and some others, too. GearLabs reviews is pretty thorough if you want to really dive into the numbers and test process before you buy.

I’m a side sleeper as well and found the Nemo down bags to be perfect.

Nemo bags are extra roomy yet pack down tiny. Love mine wouldn’t use anything else

Nemo down sleeping bag. My most expensive and by far my favorite sleeping bag.

I had the same problem. Bought a Nemo something which had a wide center. It helped but I still couldn’t sleep. I switched to a quilt that strapped around a pad (enlightened equipment I think) and it is an absolute game changer. Super roomy and very warm. I mean I still don’t sleep but it is no longer because of the sleeping bag.

My buddy has a nemo with the gils that he really likes. Packs almost as small as mine and He got it right when a got a 20 degree alpinlite western montaineering bag before we went on the Grand Canyon. I love my Western Mountaineering, as when I use the baffel I have camped sub 25 degrees in a tshirt. I was also heavily considering a Featherd Friends quilt. I didnt know if it was going to snow/rain/be cold on the river as it was early march. These are definitely the more expensive options. But all and all I really did like the Nemo and was considering getting one for summer car camping. But I spent $600 on a bag so now i just use it as a blanket in the summer. The nemo is the only one I have tried out of your options. I think its a graat option. Cant say anout the others

I have a Nemo bag and pad and have been quite happy with them both. Particularly if you're a side sleeper or otherwise restless, the Nemo spoon-shaped bags are great. They're not the lightest but they're light enough if you need that comfort. I suggest adding the Big Agnes Rapide to your list of potential pads.

I agree that quilts are probably one of the strongest directions here. If you can stand sleeping bags then lots of Nemo bags have a spoon shape that really lets your shift your legs around which as a side sleeper I really liked.

I have multiple (temp reasons) Nemo sleeping bags and I absolutely adore them. The fabric is buttery, the gills are great for regulating temp, and they pack down well and loft quickly. I’m a side sleeper also, and I toss and turn a bit at night. My ONLY complaint is the pillow case insert doesn’t work for anything (much) but their own. Also using it means you’ll lose heat so I only use it in warm weather.

Go to REI, invest your money on a good Nemo brand sleeping bag. You’ll be thankful for many many years and if anything happens to it you can return exchange at REI for years. If you haven’t already sign up for a REI co op membership and get your % back on your purchase.

I got the nemo sleeping bag and the zipper broke on the first time using it ....

My order of preference, without prying more info out of you would be: 1. Magma 2. Radiant 3. Nemo … anyone giving you numbers after the name of the bag is guessing because you never mentioned what temperature rating you need and what geography we are talking about. In terms of r-rating we would need to know what mattress pad you are shlepping too…