Nearly all of the gear we rent and sell - including sleeping bags - at our retail store in Tempe and to our customers around the country has been tested on actual hiking or backpacking trips by the LowerGear owner and/or staff. For anything we haven't taken out ourselves, we consider user reviews and evaluations in outdoors magazines and relevant credible web sites before adding it to our offerings.

To help you make the best camping and backpacking gear choices for your next trip, feel free to give us a call for our recommendations. If you prefer to do your own research, read the product descriptions on each item, check out our selection of videos and informational pages, and read other user's reviews and descriptions of the backpacking and camping gear we carry.

Below are user reviews on some of the sleeping bags we offer for sale or rent. If we didn't find a review on the exact item we carry, we include one on a similar product that will give you a close feel on what to expect. We scavenged these reviews from other sites out on the big world web, so we don't really know the folks that did the write-ups. But, it never hurts to hear a second or third point of view. If it just gets confusing, you can always give us a call for clarification.

Nice and comfortable (without tightening hood/shoulder cords) sleeping bag - not too long as many others, "regularly" sized, that's why it's my choice -I am 5'8", 145 Lb. I compared side-by-side 3 bags of the similar price range: Big Sky Aspen Minimalist 40, North Face Wasatch 40, and this one, which is a winner.
1) Big Sky Aspen Regular - the best quality hood design for synthetic inexpensive bags, very good materials, a good compression sack, but way too long (extra 1 foot), too narrow and ONLY LEFT zipper - sorry - out.
2) NF Wassatch Reg. - still longer than needed, too wide for me, though a good quality bag and its stuff sack smaller/better size than Kelty's.

This bag, Kelty Cosmic 35, Pros:

Water repelled (as well as others above), tested with dripping water - holds well.
Comfortable width (for me) not be snagged and move/turn around during the night.
Top insulation layer is thicker than bottom one.
Breathable enough not to be hot for up to 68 degrees low overnight (used with internal silk liner and no layers)
Internal liner loops
Sleeping pad security loops (Big Sky and NF don't have them)
Zipper doesn't snag.
Light, just a little over 2 lbs.

Cons:
FatMan and Ribbon drawcords without drafts on the hood, only thin fabric, not good on my face. Big Sky Aspen hood, which I love, is much better and more comfortable. Kelty down bags have similar soft drafted hood too, why not this one?

Staff sack is too big (8"x14"): NF Wassatch staff sack (almost 2 inches shorter and narrower) fits this Kelty bag just right, Big Sky Aspen 40 compression sack makes Kelty bag twice smaller to pack than original staff sack. I'll find something to reduce its packed size.

Have not checked it in 40 degrees yet, but feels and looks warmer than Big Sky and NF 40 degree bags with noticeably thinner top insulation layer.

Very fast Amazon shipping, very well packed the Kelty retail box inside the shipping box. Perfect Amazon service!

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I dont think I have ever paid more than $30 for a sleeping bag and just went to my local Walmart to pick one up. Well after years of busted sleeping bags and multiple trips to Walmart, those $30 started adding up! I finally decided to purchase this high quality spleeping bag and let me tell you, I wish I would have bought it years ago. It is absolute comfortable, light, easy to clean, durable and will definitely keep you warm while camping! High recommend it!

Alps Mountaineering Clearwater Sleeping Bag

I really had a hard time deciding on a sleeping bag, but I ended up getting this one. I got the wide version because I'm a pretty big guy 6'1", 270lbs. It was definitely wide enough; maybe even just a little wider than I needed. But that was actually okay. Also, it's comfortable laying in it.

On the temperature: it was nice and warm with low 30's outside the tent. So far, I have used it in the Smokey Mountains in Tennessee, the Black Hills in South Dakota, and in Kansas. I don't how it would feel at 20 degrees, but I think I'd actually try it.

Pair this sleeping bag with this sleeping pad: "ALPS Mountaineering Ultra-Light Air Pad", and you've got a winning combination at not too much money.

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I ordered the long version. I'm 6', 190lbs., and it is unnecessarily long and wide. That being said, I guess they use the same size compression sack for all three sizes. It is nearly impossible to get in the compression bag. You have to really, really roll it tight to get it down to the size that you can put it in. Sounds trivial but it is pretty frustrating when you have to try 2 or 3 times. Even in the compression bag it is too big for lightweight or even average backpacking. The sleeping bag itself, is however, very warm and comfortable. As with the other ALPS products I have, it is well made and the materials are high quality. Had to take off a couple stars because of the misleading sizing and the problem with the size of the compression sack. Again, the sleeping bag itself is great quality and very warm. I kept it because where I live, in south central Texas, it only gets cold enough to use this one or two months out of the year, the rest of the time I use a much smaller one.