Stoic Somnus 30 Sleeping Bag: 30 Degree Down

I’ll preface this review with my cut and paste statement that I work as a backcountry backpacking guide in Yosemite National Park. Nearly all of the products I take the time to review have seen at least a half a season, if not more, of use... and I’m committed to not bothering to write a review until I feel like I’ve really gotten to know a product. I never thought I’d bother to write reviews, but I’ve recently decided that since I’ve spent so much time over these last many years reading reviews, and finding a tremendous amount of value in articulate and well-informed opinions, that I wanted to give back to the community. So, with that being said, here we go...

I scooped this up on sale and eagerly awaited its arrival. The 1 pound 6 ounce weight almost had me aroused.

When it showed up I was really happy. The Pertex shell felt great, and it was very feather proof. I rarely saw leaked down, and only once or twice did I find the shaft of a feather poking me. My initial impression was great. I had every plan of keeping it. Then...

Before my season in Yosemite started I took a pleasure trip with some friends to a nice little spot outside the park. I took this bag since we were going to be at low altitude (appx 4000 ft) and we weren't going to see any temperatures lower than the high 30s.

Well, two things immediately occurred to me that I hadn't initially expected - it wasn't quite as warm as I had hoped, and I absolutely hated the center zip. It not being quite warm enough was forgivable. I've learned to be forgivingly skeptical of bag ratings, usually just tacking on an extra 10 to 15 degrees because we all just kind of assume that everyone in the bag industry lies a little bit. Come on, you know you do it. I do, too. Well, this bag was no real exception, particularly given that a long weighs a scant 1 pound 6 ounces. Ok, so I'll just wear an extra layer to sleep. I'm a warm sleeper, so its rare that I have to do so, but I figured I'd live with it.

But... God... the center zipper. Oh, its my nemesis. I hated it. I'm a side sleeper and I roll about every hour to stay comfortable. I frequently found my shoulder pushing against the top of the bag just enough that it would start dragging the zipper down. Well, I was chilly as it was, so losing heat to that was getting aggravating. So, I found myself arguing with the bag in the middle of the night, grabbing frustratingly at the zipper. I probably looked like a mad 5 year old who was being made to take a nap. So, I figured I'd beat it at its own game. I'd sleep on my back! Ha, that'll teach it to f...

Well, then the bag unveiled its secret weapon - it would put the zipper pull right in my face or mouth. 'Enough! I can't take it', I thought. After this trip... its going back... and it did.

I wanted to love it. There's a lot to love (or not a lot, actually, since it packs down so small.) For someone who doesn't reveal its nasty intricacies it'll be a dream bag. Given its low price, its insanely low weight, and the fact that it packs down to a size well smaller than a two liter bottle... its a great bag. If you sleep in some manner that's not going get it angry then you'll love it for life. If you're like me, a rolling side sleeper, you'll want to use it as a river raft your first morning in the backcountry.

I gave it four stars because I'm not going to bomb it because of how I sleep. That's my problem, not the bag's fault.

This bag is great! It packs small (smaller than the compression sack it comes with, even), is very warm, and is ridiculously light.

I have not used this bag in the field to date. Trying to be objective and descriptive...my stats are 5'10.5" and 185lbs.
Bag is roomy in the upper (logitudinal oriented baffles)
Lower is a standard fit through the thighs and legs.
The length is about right for me (5'10.5")
The pertex fabric is a bit "crinkly" sounding. Not an issue for me but maybe for some.
The center zip seems to work snag free.
The weight came in at 665 grams, or 23.5 ounces. Not what I was expecting with claims of 20; though not a dealbreaker, still a killer deal.

Bought this bag for one of my kids and he found it super comfortable. No sign of down leakage after 5 days of use, unlike other down bags I've used. Comes with a good stuff sack, which was a surprise given the bargain price.

I love the weight and construction of this bag. Weight and warmth is excellent. It's light, toasty and functional. However, I am not sold on the 1/2 zip. Above 40F I like to cover my chest and expose my legs to modulate temperature.

I was a bit hesitant buying this bag sight unseen, but I'm very happy, with a few drawbacks.

Positives:
Construction quality is excellent. No leaking down, the zippers work well, seams are tight.
High-quality material. The pertex material feels great and seems to repel water acceptably in my mini-test.
Very light and lofty, packs down small.
From what I can tell, the temp ratings seem spot on. Warm!
Affordable, especially on sale.
Very roomy--though this may be a disadvantage for you, depending on how you sleep. More on that later. But I can tell you one thing, this is not a claustrophobic bag. The roominess makes me think you can stretch the rating of this bag very safely by layering. I put my down vest on and got in and there was no compression of the bag or vest. That's awesome.
Comes with compression sack and storage bag.
Backcountry's guarantee.

Disadvantages: Most of these to me are pretty subjective, and will depend a lot on your sleep style.
Possibly the roominess--I listed this as a pro above, and for bigger/wider people, claustrophobic types, etc.. this is a huge pro. I'm a skinny side sleeper and I'm afraid in very cold weather that could lead to drafts due to how roomy it is. Haven't experienced it yet, however.
Top zip. Still not used to it yet, but I can see the advantage of it. I may come to love it, but it seriously inhibits snuggling.
Length--I'm 6'4" and I fit the long pretty well, but if you're much taller I'd be careful. I'm not pushing the toe box, but someone taller might want to keep that in mind.
The Pertex material is a bit crinkly--probably won't matter to 99% of people out there, but if you're a very light sleeper you might find that off-putting.

Basically I'm totally satisfied. I ordered this bag on sale because it seemed like the best specs I could get for the money, and I'm totally thrilled by the construction quality, warmth and features. It's not Western Mountaineering, but I think it beats everything else I've tried in the price range, and perhaps above it.

I bought this bag on sale thinking that it was great deal, especially for the low weight. I finally got to take it out this weekend and test it out. It was definitely worth buying. The bag held up great. I slept out under the stars and it kept me plenty warm even though the low that night was about 35. I was very surprised by this. Usually you can add about 10 degrees to the rating to figure out what temp you'll be comfortable at. But not this bag, I slept great the whole night (I might add that I am a warm sleeper though.)Reading the reviews before I bought this bag, I was a little skeptical if the center zipper would bother me or not. I don't know if they changed the design recently, but I didn't even seem to notice it at all. Well anyways, solid bag, low weight and a great price, thanks Stoic!

I just received this bag. Appears to be great quality design and materials. Zippers, though, is a lot beefier and heavier than necessary. And when weighed, the regular size is 3 oz heavier than advertised (total 1 lb 7 oz instead of 1 lb 4 oz). I'm disappointed there, but it is such a good deal. Gear makers should be more honest or at least err on the side of overestimating.

This is the same material, weight, and down fill used in the top-notch custom down brands- but for half the price. Get this on sale (this is discounted on most backcountry.com sales, and check Steepandcheap at the end of the season), and you'll never regret this.

I slept out under the stars in 20F temperature using this bag, and though I'm a warm sleeper, I was comfortable through the night. I plan on taking this along on my upcoming PCT thru-hike- the materials and workmanship seem entirely trustworthy.

Future designs might be able to lose some additional weight by using a lighter zipper and a lighter drawstring for the hood- but this is a great bag, and I look forwards to taking this on lots of adventures!