Mountain Hardwear Phantom 32 Sleeping Bag: 32 Degree Down

Out of all the three light-weight bags I own, Marmot Sawtooth (15F), MTH Lamina 45, and MTH Phantom 32, the Phantom is by far my favorite. I have tested this bag in extended days of downpour rain as well as dryer days in sub-freezing weather. Its extremely light weight and very compact (slightly taller and slightly fatter than a Nalgene). Regarding its quality, this bag is top notch. I've owned this bag for over a year, and have stuffed and unstuffed it many times. In that time period, I have only seen maybe two feathers leak through the down proof material. In contrast, my the fabric of my Sawtooth constantly leaks feathers. The fabric has a nice face and a tight weave, and as a result, it is slightly water-resistant. Furthermore, the zipper glides effortlessly without snagging. As far as comfort is concerned, the bag breaths well, the hood is very comfortable, and unlike other superlight bags in this class, the Phantom has a 3/4 lenght zipper. In contrast to some other bags I have such as the Sawtooth, the Phantom stays dry. The outside is never soaked with condensation, and any that builds up, I have been able to wipe off without it being soaked up. Also, the inside stays dryer, even if I overheat and doesn't feel damp in the morning. The coldest I've tested it has been 28F. I was wearing Patagonia Cap 3 top/bottom, smart wool socks, hat, etc, on Thermarests, no tent and breezy. I wasn't cold the entire night (though I wasn't really warm either). Considering that I was below rating and without a tent in the wind, the bag surpassed my expectations. In weather warmer than about 50F, the bag does get steamy, so consider the Phantom 45 for warm summer trips. I'm 5'4", and for me the bag is extremely roomy. If you are larger, and like room, you shouldn't have any problems. As of now, I am so impressed with this bag, that I am planning on buying the Phantom 45 as well. If you are looking for a great, light-weight, high-quality bag that doesn't lack comfort, get the Phantom 32, you won't regret it.

This bag is great. It compresses down to almost the size of a nalgene bottle. Spot on temp rating. Slept toasty on a recent overnight in the Smokies with temps around freezing. Would recommend for anyone looking for a good all around bag.

This is a great bag for July and August in the Rockies. It's extremely light and packs down smaller than a football! The stuff sack is the best design I've ever seen. The Phantom 32 is also fairly roomy and well-made. The only downside is that it's not a 32 degree bag, at least not for me. Even around 40 degrees I'd want to be wearing long underwear to ensure comfort. That's why I only use it in July and August, but rely on a Marmot Pinnacle 15 degree bag for cooler temps.

The Mountain Hardware Phantom Bag has continually kept me warmer than my fellow campers who are sleeping in heavier bags. I've used it from spring to fall for several years and it looks and feels like new. It's super light and packs down incredibly small. I had no problem getting it into the stuff sack, although the stuff sack didn't hold up as long as I would have liked.

I bought it for my long-distance motorcycle travels to replace the top-notch Marmot Pinnacle 15F sleeping bag that I carried around for a couple of years. I wanted something smaller and lighter because I'm not going to face sub-freezing temperatures very often for the rest of the trip. In that respect, the Phantom fully delivers. It packs incredibly small (there are smaller bags but they don't have a zipper, and I would never buy that), the construction is excellent and it keeps quite warm. But... I don't think the Mountain Hardwear ratings are accurate, or maybe I've been spoiled by the conservative ratings from Marmot for too long. Below 35F, you'd better wear a hat, a scarf (to make up for the lack of collar), some long-johns, a long-sleeve shirt and maybe a fleece if you want to keep warm. Another concern I have is that the stuff bag is indeed barely big enough, and I'm wondering if having the bag so tight inside could affect the loft over time, especially for people like me who keep it packed in their gear for several months in a row. Time will tell but for now I love it: tiny, tiny...

Used this bag on a late August camping trip in Alaska. Nighttime temperatures were low 50's F. The bag was too hot. I probably sleep hot, though. Opening the zipper and using it blanket style seemed to keep the sleep temperatures comfortable. With this in mind, I'm sure it is capable of keeping warm to the 32F mark. Guess I'll find out soon. After researching bags for several weeks I decided on the Phantom due to its portability. It is super-light at 1.5lb and thanks to the convenient stuff sack packs down to the size of a 44oz Big Gulp. The only other bag that came close to these attributes was the Sierra Designs Wicked Light 35-Dree sleeping bag. The Sierra Designs is actually supposed to be a tad lighter and a bit more compact. My deciding factor between the two was the fact the Phantom has a 3/4 length zipper and the Sierra Designs a 1/2 length zipper. Making the Sierra Designs tighter to get in and out of and I would have had a hard time using it blanket-style as I did with the Phantom. The Phantom also proved a bit of its water resistance as some spilled water beaded right off the sleeping bag. It also came with a big storage bag to maintain its loft and the stuff sack is tight fitting to allow it to pack down super small. Only two hands required not three to be able to pack it in to the stuff sack. Don't be discouraged. One other note: If you are rich and have the cash, owning the Phantom 45 would be great, too. I am sure the Phantom 45 would have been more comfortable with the higher temperatures of summer. But I figured I could use the Phantom 32 blanket-style on the warmer nights and have it for late fall and early winter when the temps drop in to the 30's. So perhaps the Phantom 32 is more versatile than the Phantom 45 in that respect.

This sleeping bag is extremely light and warm. I am guessing that this is one of the best all around sleeping bags that works in most temperatures but is not ideal in the extremes. On our last camping adventure I was way too hot on a few nights when the low temperature was 70F.

Great sleeping bag- so light- condenses down to small sack (sack is a little tight to fit into)... Great to use camping or through on an aero bed. Using the sleeping pad with it, may need a little more padding (double-up). Great deal on Backcountry.com - much less expensive than the retail outdoor gear shops.

As an old mountaineer, explorer and gear head, I do extensive research and purchase the best product for the $$$. I expect the best out of my toys and this pad has performed superbly. Last fall 04, Scott and I embarked on the greatest "Motorcycle Mountaineering" exploration ever done to date (that we know of anyway). We call it the "7 Days & 7 Nights Super Loop". Over 1,000 dirt miles of single/double track mixed with some gnarly jeep trails. This secret rough is part of an on site dirt-bike adventure we have been exploring for 10 years from Mexico thur the Rockies to Canada. Now keep in mind, that being compact and light is paramount when riding this kind of sick endurance adventure. Anyway, while riding at 9,000-11,550 feet for 12+ hours, we would find ourselves exhausted, and ready for bivi. We encountered freezing night time temperatures in nothing more than Black Diamond's Lightsabre bivi, Thermarest's Prolite 3 pad and an awesome ultra compact and light Phantom 3 sleeping bag. This pad compacts down to slightly larger than a Nalgene Water bottle, is light, comfortable, warm and holds air all night. What more can I say. Try it you'll like it!!! J Hof.

Just picked this bag up and couldn't be happier. I used the bag for a 7 day trip in the Wind River Mountains (early Sept) and was very impressed with the quality of the bag. I combined this with a Prolite 4 pad and slept very comfortably in sub freezing temps sleeping in long underwear and a fleece hat. I tend to sleep a little colder every year and was concerned this bag would be pushing the limits but it proved to be fine. Bag details I really like are the tucked stitching on the baffles (have had problems in the past with Marmot and Western Mountaineering with snags), face gasket, and cut - just about perfect for my build (5'9" 160). Things that could be improved on: A down filled removable collar would be nice - I know that the bag is only rated to 32 but I don't like to have to sleep on my back with the hood cinched up to be warm enough to sleep. Removing the side block baffle so that the user can "shift" the down from top to bottom or bottom to top. (Elimination of this could save enough $ and weight to pay for a collar and make the bag even more comfortable).

Purchased this bag for extended backpacking trips as a means for reducing overall weight. The bag was very comfortable and worked as well as I had expected.

Well made, light and small. Warmer than I expected on AT in CT in March. Used a 1" thermarest under it in double wall tent. Temperature stayed in mid 30's and I slept in socks, long johns and a zip tee. Had to unzip the bag about 6" to cool off. Only ding is the stuff bag is just barely big enough. I am happy I finally broke down and bought a new bag and specifically this one.