M Sierra Designs Nitro 30 Sleeping Bag Review

by Will Rietveld

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Article Summary:

My preference for an ultralight sleeping system that will handle occasional unexpectedly cold nights is a 30 F rated mummy-style down sleeping bag with enough girth so I can wear extra clothing inside to extend its warmth when needed. Backpacking Light will publish a series of three articles in spring 2010 covering the insulated components of an ultralight three-season sleeping system for colder temperatures. This review is a separate evaluation of the Sierra Designs Nitro 30 sleeping bag.

When selecting sleeping bags to include in my upcoming state of the market article on ultralight three-season down mummy-style sleeping bags, I at first rejected the Sierra Designs Nitro 30 because it weighs 26 ounces. The lightest bags in this category weigh in at 19 to 23 ounces. Then I noticed that the Nitro 30 (size Regular) contains 12 ounces of down, while the lighter bags contain 10 ounces of similar quality down. That's 20% more, which should translate to more loft and more warmth. The Nitro 30 has some other features that also should contribute to warmth, so how does the slightly heavier Nitro 30 stack up compared to the lightest 30 F (-1 C) rated sleeping bags?

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