NiteStar +20-Degree Sleeping Bag

camping

We recently received the Black Pine NiteStar Sleeping Bag from Amazon. The first one we purchased was for my husband who is 6'5". It was hard to find a bag that would really give him the room that he wanted in a sleeping bag. This one has more room than any bag that we could find. We liked it enough that I ordered a second black pine bag for myself. There are a few cons to the bag, but they are far outweighed by the pros.First, the cons. The quality of the zipper seems fine, but it is a bit hard to open and close compared to some other bags that we have looked at. The bag is quite fluffy and this might be part of the problem. I don't really think it will be a big issue. I also wish that they had made the baffle around the shoulder area out of flannel instead of the nylon. It would have been much more cozy. However, if you plan to use a pillow, this really is not a big deal. My biggest complaint about the bag, even though it may sound trivial, is the location and material of the pocket. It is right in the middle next to the opening and of the same nylon, so it is not as cozy as it could have been. In fact, it is a bit rough. I would not recommend putting a flashlight or something hard in this pocket, because of the location. They could have easily put this pocket over to the side and also made it out of the flannel, which is such a shame. In my opinion, this a design flaw that could have been easily remedied. It would have been much more practical and more comfortable. This is one of the things I'm sure I will get over. The last complaint is that I am not sure how to get it back in the stuff sack. It is a very tight fit. I am sure I will eventually get it in, because it was in when I got it, but this is a bit of a challenge. It was a bear to get it out of the bag as well. Any tips, would be greatly appreciated. One benefit to this I guess is that if you get it in, it will pack down to a decent size.So, now for the pros. It is a very high quality bag. It is amazing how much it fluffs up after you have had it out for a little bit. The flannel is of great quality, super soft. The bag overall feels very very cozy and very spacious. It is actually going to be too big for me, since I am only 5'6", but I like the bag enough, prefer extra space and wanted to match my husbands bag. I am a bit of a chlostrophobic and sleeping bags have always been a challenge for me. I rather have a huge bag than one that is confining (another reason I went with a lower temperature rating). There are not may bags out there that are rated at 20 degrees, are rectangular, have a hood and are lined with flannel. Also, it was important to me that you could wash it in a machine, which you can do with this bag. It is also a very attractive looking bag, maybe a minor feature to some, but and added bonus for me. The hood is great and the cinch features around the shoulder and head are also great. The zipper only goes down the side, not around the bottom, but it is a two-way zipper so as long as you can open it from the bottom that works fine for me. My guess is that we will mostly be camping on 30 degree plus temperatures, but with the altitude in California it's nice to know that you don't have to worry if the temperatures suddenly drop down to lower temperatures.So, overall, there were some things that I feel they could have done better with this bag, but I feel like it is the best choice for what we were looking for. If you are a really tall guy and don't want a mummy, this is a GREAT option. If you are looking for a large rectangular, hooded, bag that is flannel lined, this is a also GREAT option. We are quite happy with what we got. The bag is very very cozy and I have confidence that my husband and I will get a good night sleep. We will report more as we get out there and test in the lower temperatures. If the baffle fabric and pocket had been done differently, I would have given it a 5 star rating for sure.

I never slept well in mummy bags and since I don't backpack anymore (I didn't get older; the ground got harder), I decided to buy a roomy rectangular bag. Knowing that manufacturers overstate the temperature ratings on their bags, women generally sleep a bit colder than men, and that I was going to have to heat up more interior space than in a mummy, I opted for the 20 degree bag. I tried it out this month on a trip to the plains of SE Colorado where the overnight temperature got down to 32-34. I was in a pop up trailer and stayed nice and warm inside the bag. The cotton flannel interior feels really good on your skin. The big baffle works well to keep the cold zipper away from your skin, but does tend to snag on the zipper. Otherwise, I had no trouble with the zipper being sticky or balky.I agree with other reviewers who think the storage pocket location in the middle of your chest is a poor location, but I didn't need to use it.I'm fairly short and the bag is longer than I need, but I knew that when I bought it. I do wish that Black Pine made a shorter bag. And a slightly bigger compression sack! I've tried rolling it up, which is the way it came out of the sack and stuffing it in the way you usually repack a sleeping bag and I cannot get it all the way into the compression sack. There's not much left sticking out but I can't close up the sack. It's not an immediate problem since I'm storing it in a large, cotton laundry bag. Overall, I think this bag is a pretty good value.