$101.50 - Moonstone Minima 20-degree Sleeping Bag
Moonstone 3D Minima Sleeping Bag Review (and Sale)
One of my most-often-carried sleeping bags is a Moonstone 20° F bag with Polarguard synthetic-fill. It’s not the lightest, warmest, roomiest, or anything-EST bag that I own, but it’s close enough to keep me comfortable in a lot of unexected weather. Until I started camping in the desert regions of SoCal, and made a 1-pound, 45°F Western Mountaineering Highlite bag my regular load, I used my Moonstone more than any other bag I owned. Even with my personal preference for down bags the combination of reasonable weight and the Pertex shell on the Moonstone make it an easy decision.
Two (or three) models newer than my bag is this Moonstone 3D Minima from Alpenglow Gear. It’s just $101.50 at Alpenglow, 30% off regular pricing, and that’s one of my favorite things about Moonstone bags - they’re priced low because they’re simple. Simple means less weight and low prices mean I don’t have to work overtime to afford a long trip. Even with a 20° rating and synthetic-fill the Minima weighs just 2 pounds, 7 ounces. It’s not a record for a synthetic bag, but it is still in the same range as a lot of down bags this warm.
Of course, that 2.4 pounds also gets you a Pertex shell - this is a very breathable, water-resistant fabric similar to Gore’s DryLoft. Pertex plus the Polarguard fill means the bag is almost free of worries. It’s hard to get wet, doesn’t stay wet like down, and the shell is pretty tough - so you can still sleep on the ground under the stars (unlike your friends who are worried an errant pine needle could tear a gaping hole in the shell of their ultra-mega-light bag). Even better - Moonstone doesn’t skimp on the insulation or the cut of the hood, so it’s comfortable but still plenty warm when you’re under the stars and not in a tent.
Finally, it’s a minor point, but the zipper on my Moonstone bag rarely gets jammed. Some combination of the Pertext shell, zipper guard, and the draft tube design keeps anything from getting stuck in the zipper very often. Maybe I should change my comment above to say that my Moonstone bag is the “easiest” to get in and out of & to pick for a trip.