I had been looking for a lightweight mummy or semi-rectangular sleeping bag for a long time. I had a couple of tough requirements, however, so the search was a long one. First, it needed to be big. And by big, I mean size XXL and Long. A few of the sleeping bag manufacturers out there make models with a 70" chest girth, and this was about what I needed. Secondly, it needed to be less than 3 pounds. I know that may sound like an easy order - especially when there are 16 oz. sleeping bags out there, but check the size of those things. I'd be lucky to get my legs alone in them. Sub-3 pound sleeping bags with this girth are virtually non-existent.

I finally found it, however, and what an excellent find it has proven to be. I had never heard of ALPS Mountaineering, but they instantly became one of my favorite gear manufacturers. They are the makers of the ALPS Mountaineering Spruce Mountain down mummy sleeping bag.

The Spruce Mountain mummy long model as listed by ALPS Mountaineering:

20 F rating
86 inches long
68 inch chest girth
2 pounds 11 ounces

My postal scale tips the bag at 2 pounds 12 ounces. Not bad for accuracy- especially in the sleeping bag industry. The length is right on, and the girth - if at all in error - seems even slightly larger than my old synthetic 70 incher.

I found the sleeping bag purely by accident on Overstock.com for the incredible price of $122. I figured as a down bag, it must retail for at least $250 to $300. Not so. This long model retails for only $179 new - much less than comparable down bags.

The sleeping bag features 23 ounces of 550+ down, slant baffle construction, a ripstop nylon shell and lining, an excellent shaped hood with double drawstring cords, an insulated chest/neck tube for sealing in the warmth, #7 YKK zippers that run almost the full length of the long model, a small zippered chest pocket for a watch, alarm clock, etc. and comes with a large cotton storage sack and a compression stuff sack.

The seams are impeccably sewn and the bag appears very well put together in general. I've owned sleeping bags made by Slumberjack, REI, Sierra Designs, Kelty, and Marmot and this bag appears as well put together as any of them.

The only thing I wasn't impressed with - and I'm generally slow to impress with gear - was the compression stuff sack. It's way overbuilt and at almost 6 ounces is ridiculously heavy. I've scavenged an old stuff sack weighing about an ounce and a half and it works just fine.

2. Sleeping Bag Performance

Living in the Pacific Northwest, I've been a fan of synthetics and their "warm when wet" capabilities. Synthetic bags of this size are obscenely heavy, however, almost never dipping below 3.5 pounds and usually 4 or more. This did not fit with my new pack weight budget and down became the only option. So far, the down has surpassed all expectations.

In my old synthetic bags - Microloft, LiteLoft, Polarguard, Polarguard 3D, and Thermolite Extreme - the lifespan of the bags was terrible. I would routinely measure new bag loft at 4 inches only to watch it drop to 2.5 inches after one season. I found myself bitter at spending $250 for a "top of the line" sleeping bag that weighed too much to begin with, but after a few months wouldn't even keep me warm! I would be cold at 2 or 3 in the morning until the sun came up in any season. I was convinced I was one of the cold sleepers you hear about. Turns out I just had the wrong insulation.

I have yet to have a cold night in the Spruce Mountain. In fact, I have the opposite problem. Even in temperatures cold enough to freeze my water bottle (26 F during one late night check) I was battling overheating. I thought I was going crazy when I found myself sticking arms out in the 30s to cool off. Temperature ratings are an awfully subjective thing, but for this formerly cold sleeper, the 20 degree Spruce Mountain rating seems right on, if not conservative.

I have found a few feathers from time to time - perhaps half a dozen total over 6 months of use - but it sounds as if this is actually pretty good compared to most ripstop nylon shelled sleeping bags.

The sleeping bag lofts up very well. It almost looks like it has had air pumped into it if it is allowed to fully loft for a day or so. It does, however, still seem to have plenty of room in the baffles left, so I imagine overfilling down to increase warmth would be no problem.

The ripstop nylon shell definitely has some kind of DWR because small amounts of water bead up on its surface. It's not waterproof, however, so the normal down precautions apply. I'm careful not to press the bag up against the tent walls all night, and I watch the ventilation of the tent pretty closely. The slight dampness it does occasionally encounter appears to dry relatively quickly.

The lining of the bag is black, which will aid in any drying necessary, and is silky smooth. Much appreciated by this twister and turner. I have yet to have the bag get all twisted up on me.

3. Summary

The bottom line is that the ALPS Mountaineering Spruce Mountain long down sleeping bag is a great deal. More so, it is a great value. Sure, you can get higher rated down. Sure, you can get lighter shell material. But you'll pay. Probably at least double what the Spruce Mountain costs. And if you're one of the "big guys" out there, this is as good as it gets for now. Feathered Friends makes beautiful bags, but nothing of this size. Western Mountaineering makes a couple of bags this size, but the lightest one at this rating weighs the exact same, but is a hair smaller and $160 MORE than the Spruce Mountain. If you find a bag of this size and quality that weighs less, let me know. I'd love to try it out.

Review by Curt Peterson, e-curt@attbi.com

Product Information, www.alpsmountaineering.com

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ALPS Mountaineering Spruce Mountain Sleeping Bag

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