Gear Review
The North Face Snowshoe Sleeping Bag: 0 Degree Climashield Prism
Ahh, no more shivers.
By Ty Nelson
Ranked #185 - Sleeping Bags
June 4, 2009
After obsessively researching 0 degree bags for the upcoming winter backpacking season this past fall, I finally settled on the TNF Snowshoe for 3 reasons: warmth, weight, price. There are plenty of light and warm bags out there, but I couldn't bring myself to spend $400 on a sleeping bag. This is a great winter backpacking bag, 3.5 lbs, packs small, and is toasty into the teens. It is the best value out there. I came across a lot of minor complaints in my scouring of user reviews and I will address them here. "Zipper dangles in face". Saw this one a bunch, but I did not find it to be an issue. While it was in the area of my face, i did not notice it during the night. "Hood is shaped weird, hangs over eyes". In my experience, covering some of your face when it is friggin cold out is a good thing. "Hood draw cords difficult to adjust". My Kelty 25 is like a nailed coffin in this area so the Snowshoe cords seem like a breeze to open. "Not warm enough". Have only tested it down into the teens, but was plenty warm. "Synthetic not as good as down". I disagree, while down is very light and packs small, it loses some of its warmth when wet, where synthetic doesn't. A couple nice additional features are the glow in the dark zipper and the draft shield. Overall, a very nice buy. I recommend completely.
View Details: The North Face Snowshoe Sleeping Bag: 0 Degree Climashield Prism
Helpful Votes: 5 Yes
Tech Specs:
- Material:
- [Top shell] 57%Polyester, 43%nylon; [bottom shell] 100% Nylon, BottomLine taffeta
- Insulation:
- Climashield™ Prism synthetic insulation
- Shape:
- Mummy
- Draft Collar:
- Yes
- Max User Height:
- [Reg] 6ft (183cm); [Lng] 6ft 6in (198cm)
- Shoulder/ Hip/Foot Circumference:
- [Reg] 62 / 58 / 40in (157 m/ 147 / 102cm); [Lng] 64 / 60 / 40in (163 / 152 / 102cm)
- Stuff Size:
- 9.5 x 18in (24 x 46cm)
- Stuff or Storage Sack:
- Yes, both
- Degree:
- 0F, -18C
- Weight:
- [Average] 3lb 8oz (1590g)
- Recommended Use:
- All-season backpacking, mountaineering, camping
- Manufacturer Warranty:
- Lifetime
- Country of Origin:
- China
Change me.
2 Comments Last Reply: November 8, 2010 By: Ty Nelson
I do take it into the backcountry. It packs to about the size of a volleyball (maybe a bit smaller) with compression straps. It fits perfectly with plenty of other gear (tent, cookware, clothing, etc.) in my 54L Gregory pack. However, I do not take it in my 24L ultralight Osprey, as it does not leave much room for anything else. It would probably fit in your 30L, but might not leave room for your photography equipment and other gear.
Helpful Votes: 0 Yes
A great review! You have done a great job addressing issues that I have noticed in some other reviews too, instead of simply saying too cold, too warm, etc! One question that I have is how do you use your bag? To you take it in a pack with you for wild camping? Does it pack down small enough to do this? Whilst I'm not an ultralight/ultrasmall pack freak who manages to fit tent, sleeping system, clothing & supplies for a week into a 30L pack, I do like to pack reasonably small! I'm in Ireland, so summers are fairly mild (but often wet, so I think I'll be avoiding down!) but the winter, spring, & autumn nights can get kinda cold (especially if hammocking!!). I was wondering if the Snowshoe would be a good bag for taking in a backpack on 2-3 day wild hiking trips? I would be using it year-round, but I do appreciate that I'd probably have to use something lighter & cooler for the summer months... My gear usually includes photographic equipment, so I need to save on space & weight, but not to the extent that I'll need to re-mortgage!!! Thanks again for a great review!
Helpful Votes: 0 Yes