Sierra Designs - Women's Cloud 20

One major thing no one has really pointed out is ratings. Reason why I believe this to be important is I don’t agree with winter bags, 4 season bags, 3 season bags being named, it’s good to filter by when shopping but in itself not something to think “oh 4 season must mean anywhere, any time of the year” Some may say things like comfort temp, extreme temp, comfort limit etc With that being said there are things to add, those ratings require you to have the right other equipment for that environment such as pad, base layers, being dry or being full of food etc Realistically in my experience with a good pad, base layers and doing everything right I’ve only had 1 bag that I’ve found true to its comfort limit. A sierra designs cloud 20. (Not saying others aren’t this is just my experience with bags) now the above mentioned bag isn’t “4 season” although I have used it in winter because the temp didn’t get that low to warrant the extra weight of my winter summit bag, which in itself doesn’t make it a winter bag just a bag suitable for the environment at that moment in time Comfort temp is the ideal temp an average person with a pad (rated for that environment, base layers, being dry, sheltered etc) should be comfortable at. The comfort limit is where with the above situation such as being dry, having the right pad you’ll have a decent enough kip but be on the verge of being cold! Extreme limit is something you should really ignore. I do because if you’re relying on that you have the wrong gear for that environment but I believe the meaning is along the lines of if in the fetal position within the bag you should be non hypothermic for around 6-8 hours. So for you to move further on this, what is your plan for this bag you’re after? What temperatures will you face, what other environmental conditions will you face? Is your tent not solid (as in has a mesh inner) or maybe the fly has a big gap between it and the earth allowing wind, snow etc to get in, thus making your environment inside your tent, colder. Other thing to note is sleeping pad. I’ve used a 4.5 r value pad all year round in the uk and down to -15 and have been fine but it’s a well known pad and trustworthy ratings. Get a cheap pad, that claims to be x y and z and you could find out to your detriment that it’s not. You in yourself could be a very cold sleeper Anyway all things to consider when looking for a bag, sorry I couldn’t help on what to get

I had a SD Cloud 20 and that was hard enough to wriggle in and out of, I can imagine these being much worse and would probably feel claustrophobic. This is why I think the Zenbivy system excels- no draughts, freedom of a quilt etc. problem is the ultralight bed is very expensive and the light bed fairly heavy for this sub.

I found the Sierra Designs Cloud 20 and Backcountry Bed to be a unique fit for my needs. Wasn’t ready to jump into the quilts yet, but these have a hybrid with being a zipperless mummy bag. Also has a pad sleeve and slot to slip your feet out. These solved my problem of getting twisted up, on top of the zipper trying to zip up, or too hot or with hot feet. Cloud 20 is a little lighter/compact but is not as great if you face left in your right side. Both compact to about the size of a volleyball.

It's a great sleeping system if you're a fidgety side sleeper and I love the fact the foot box can be completely opened up into a loose quilt that won't take a midnight walk to the end of my tent thanks to the sheet toggles. However it does have some major drawbacks. It's very expensive for what it is, the sheet prevents the use of thicker high R rated sleeping pads, and most importantly of all it's very bulky due to poor compressibility. The -12°c quilt, full length sheet and pillow stuffed into a S2S 13L compression dry bag doesn't cinch down by much, maybe to about 8.5L. Whereas my Cloud 20 sleeping bag will cinch down to about 3.5L in a 5L dry bag for half the weight and same temperate rating as the Zenbivy Light.

Sierra Designs has or had one recently. I tried it out but didn't like it much and ended up going with a Zenbivy which is exactly what I hoped it would be.

I also got an EE quilt and have thoughts on rating - I opted for a 0° bag but this was motivated by spending some uncomfortable nights right around 35° in my Sierra Designs down bag that was rated at that. With a quilt the zero seems overkill but the design has meant I've been comfortable in much warmer temps despite being a warm sleeper generally. I can open it up, hang a leg or arm out, or be just partially covered. They key with the quilt style is having a pad that is matched for the temps you're in. On my last trip i still took my Sierra Designs bag as it packs slightly smaller than my ee quilt but this setup works for me to cover a wide range of temps. Admittedly I missed the mobility of the quilt compared to the mummy but I've spent most of the last 30 years in mummy bags so it's not unfamiliar.

I have a Sierra Designs sleeping bag that has an actual foot flap that allows you to have your feet out of the bag while your body is still in the bag. It’s great. Highly recommend.