Just having returned from the OR Show in January, I took the opportunity to check out sleeping bags. As many of you know, I'm a Cascade Designs rep (makers of Thermarest) and, since the introduction of our new bags, I see one bag we make as being a game changer...

The bag I'm referring to is the Thermarest Saros 20F sleeping bag. There are a few things I love about it. One, the new synthetic insulation, a proprietary blend we call EraLoft, is impressively soft. I had many comments from dealers, after they felt the softness of the bag, wondering if it was down. It does feel very down-like. It's also compressible, getting to near the size (without using a compression sack) as a 650-fill down bag.

One of the signature features of the new Thermarest bags are the Synergy Link bands on the back. This allows the user to attach a mattress, but still be able to sleep on your side without your body having to heat up the extra space (we call it the 'tent effect'). The idea is when you lay on your side, the sides of the sleeping bag are forced against the body taking up any dead-air space. It's an ingenious design and, in my experience, does increase the comfort, especially since I'm a side-sleeper.

Other features I like with the Saros bag are the quality of materials. We use the same mini-ripstop, 20D material on the outer and 20D taffeta on the inside as we do on our $500 Antares 750 fill down bag, giving it a luxurious feel (in fact the only difference between the two bags is that the Antares has treated 750 fill down and the Saros is synthetic). The bag is fairly generously cut but still maintains warmth. And because the pad is attached to the bag, Thermarest can be strategic with where it puts the insulation. This also means that there doesn't need to be as much insulation as a standard mummy bag. What this means is the total weight of a regular size sleeping bag (6'0) is less then 3lbs (2lb15oz). That is a similar weight to many 650 down bags. The other good part is that it retails for $190.

You should check it out (thermarest.com). For your info, NOLS are using the Thermarest synthetic 0F bag for their programs. They are really nice bags.