I finally got a chance to try out my Big Agnes Cross Mountain 40° bag. The weather in the Uinta Mountains in Northeastern Utah was perfect for the test, warm in the daytime and in the mid 30’s at night. The 1.5-inch REM 78 inch long self-inflating pad fit easily in the pad holder on my G4 and the bag fit easily in the bag section at the bottom of the pack. The Cross Mountain is a Polarguard 3D synthetic bag with a DWR treatment. I didn’t have the occasion to test the DWR treatment to see how effective it is.  The Cross Mountain is designed to be both a 40° stand-alone bag and an over bag to bring the 15° Lost Ranger down to –10° in the –10/60 system. Although not particularly light at about 2 pounds 5 ounces, it is an extremely comfortable bag to sleep in. It is also very conservatively rated. Mine is the long, 78 inches long to be exact, and comes with a 78-inch long REM self-inflating pad. I used this combination down to 36° and was toasty warm. I was in a Hennessy Hammock at the time. Past experience tells me that the bad will go to at least 32°, if not lower.

The Cross Mountain works particularly well with the Hennessy. As the self-inflating pad becomes part of the sleeping bag it is impossible to slide off it in the hammock. The extra thick draft tubes running all the way down both sides of the bag stop the usual “chill through the sides of the hammock” problem. The system acts together to keep you centered on the pad, in the bag, and off the cold sides of the hammock. The generous pillow pocket at the head of the bag is also perfect for that little bit of pillow I need in the hammock. The only design problem I found, and it’s only when the bag is used with a Hennessy Hammock, is that the side zipper only goes a little over half way down the bag. That makes it a little challenging to get into the bag in the hammock. The zipper is a double zipper so you can vent your legs and feet by unzipping it from the bottom. The bag, like all Big Agnes bags, is very generously cut. I sleep on my side. Both of them. Back and forth. All night long. This is the only bag I’ve ever used that let me do that in comfort. Although I’m looking forward to lighter versions of their bags, for now the Big Agnes is the bag for me. Weight, and the short zipper, are the only objections I can come up with for their bags. If anything, this bag may prove to be a bit warm for it’s rated 60 ° top of the temperature range. But it will be an outstanding fall and spring bag or one for the higher elevations in the summer.

Jerry Goller

geartester@qwest.net