Get The Gear! 3-Season Mummy Sleeping Bag
A good 3-season sleeping bag is truly a core piece of gear. Like a stormproof 3-season tent or a warm, breathable base layer, it's versatile enough to suit the whimsical pursuits (ice climbing! bike touring! car camping!) of the weekend warrior, and technical enough to satisfy the requirements of hardcore athletes.
The GoLite Adrenaline 20 is a shining example (not literally—imagine how little sleep you'd get) of a great 3-season bag. For the past four years, GoLite has garnered a mantle's worth of awards for the Adrenaline, its flagship sleeping bag—including Backpacker Editor's Choice in 2008 and, just two years later, Backpacker Editor's Choice Green and Outside's Gear of the Year—and it keeps improving. There are a few, key reasons for this: at less than 2 pounds, it's ridiculously light; its 20ºF temperature rating is very conservative; and it's made of proprietary mad scientist-style, test-tube-generated recycled fabrics called Tier 1, which perform like brand-new.
Right now, GoLite is casting off 2011 women's models at about 60% off the retail price. I happen to own the men's version of the very same bag, and can tell you a thing or two about it. It's toasty warm and surprisingly breathable for an ultralight model. The relatively uncommon half-length center zipper offers users more manual freedom to read/drink coffee/fiddle with gear, plus a more comfortable night for side sleepers like me, though it tends to feel a bit claustrophobic (guess that's why it's a mummy bag) when you're trying to unzip. Waterproof-breathable Pertex keeps your head and toes dry when they rub against condensation-heavy tents. I've never compared its compressed size to a loaf of bread—I tend to shove it loosely into the bottom of my backpack—but many people say it gets that small, and I wouldn't be surprised. Suffice it to say, I love this sleeping bag. Get it dirt cheap now. I wish I had.
MSRP: $370
Sale Price: $149.99 (59% off)
Get it on sale at Golite.com. For taller ladies (5'6" and above), be sure to get the Long version, also available for $149.99 (62% off!).