Big Agnes Horse Thief Sleeping Bag: 35 Degree Down

I have used this bag in 30 degree nights and with a fleece jacket and knit hat I was toasty. I have slept in ~40 degrees w/ shorts and and a shirt and was comfortable - for me the degree rating was right on. I use a Therm-A-Rest Pro-lite pad and it fit the pocket fine.

I ordered this bag from Backcountry because they had it listed in green and everybody else only had gray. It showed up at my house gray. Customer service was very apologetic and sent me out another one right away. It was gray, too. After another phone call it was determined that they don't have green. No problem, I said. I'll keep the gray. Well, a couple weeks later they still have a green Horse Thief bag listed. Don't be too surprised if after ordering it, it shows up gray. Bag seems good. I'm a back sleeper and I read that this bag is best for back sleepers since it uses an integrated pad. I'm looking forward to the small pack size since I don't have a bunch of room in my motorcycle cases.

A winter bag this is not, but it has served me well as a spring and summer bag so far this year. I like that it is not a full mummy, just so I don't roast on warmer nights. Its roomy, and I love the big agnes system. I used to always slide off my sleeping pad, not a problem anymore. I have used the bag, with the insulated air core mummy pad down to about 30 degrees, and stayed pretty warm. The best part is that I can leave the pad in the bag, and still pack them all down into the stuff sack for the bag, great for backpacking!

I'm always skeptical of bag ratings, but this one is very accurate. My first trip with this bag was a car camping trip when the weather was supposed to be in the 20's, so I took an extra bag just in case. I went to bed wearing my long underwear and knit cap, knowing that I would probably need the other bag before morning. I awoke to a temperature reading of 17 degrees the next morning. I had stayed warm all night! The next couple of nights were in the low 30's and all I needed was dry socks and knit cap. I was also using the BA air core pad and on the coldest night I added a closed cell pad as well. As you can see, I am very pleased with this combination.

I am always sliding off my sleep pad, as my tent sites are rarely level! The pad inside the bag not only prevents this sliding, but also provides just enough insulation underneath to keep me warm even on cool fall nights. I am also glad to shed some pack pounds and gain some pack space. It’s a great item!

The bag is really light weight and kept me warm on a 35 or 40 degree night. It realy holds the sleeping pad in place well. Also the pillow is well positioned. The one slight draw back is that there isn't much insulation under my arms which are slightly wider than the pad. The reqular size worked ok for me and I am 5-10.5 tall. Over all this is an excellent product.

I recently replaced my 30F Polarguard Delta bag with the BA Horse Thief ("HT"). After about three years of intermittent use the synthetic bag lost much of its loft, notwithstanding being a quality bag. I decided to opt for a high loft down summer bag, thinking it would last much longer and compress smaller. I've now used the HT enough to get a feel for it. I couldn't be happier. It packs down to half the size or less of my synthetic (much easier too) and lofts right back up. (At 1 lb. 10 oz. it's also 8 oz. lighter than my synthetic.) The workmanship and materials seem to be first rate (shell, stiffening tape, fluffy collar, etc.). It's a different type bag though. It has no insulation on the bottom, so it needs to be used properly to be effective. Others have questioned the bag's temp rating; however, IMO the 35F rating is actually conservative - provided the bag is used properly. I also went for a BA Air Core 3/4 pad. At 16 oz. this pad has (IMO) the highest comfort/weight ratio available. However, I feel the pad is too thick to be used in the HT sleeve unless the temps are mild. When the pad is placed in the sleeve and inflated anywhere near its advertised 2.5" thickness it seems to compromise the temp rating by pulling some of the bag away from the body, esp. if you change positions as much as I do. The Air Core pad also doesn't insulate you much from cold ground. However, I still really like the pad and it may do double duty as a raft - LOL). I just use it under the bag, and if I think the temps may approach 40F or below I put a very thin mummy shaped "Pack-Lite" foam pad in the sleeve. This significantly improves the ground insulation but does not seem to interfere much with the "drape" of the bag. (Note that the HT sleeve is designed/shaped for a mummy pad.) BA does make an Air Core insulated with Primaloft. However, I opted for the non-insulated as it's made of 70D nylon - as opposed to the insulated version's 40D and I didn't want to worry about punctures. BTW, I purchased this bag for about half what other manufacturers charge for a comparable high loft (750 or greater) summer bag.

I like the way the Big Agnes Air Core Mummy mattress slips into the bottom. I also like the sleeve to hold soft clothes for a pillow. I also like the extra girth - it makes it easier to wear extra clothing to bed to use the bag in colder temperatures. It isn't a very warm bag relative to the weight. I bought two bags and both weighed more than the manufacturer's stated weight. Overall, I think they are a good value.

This is a good sleeping bag but the temperature needs to be lower.

This is the the best sleeping bag I have had; it is good for when you go cross country skiing.