ProView – Therm-a-Rest Questar Sleeping Bag

Most people shudder when they hear the words “winter camping”, but as I like to say, “There’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad gear.” Winter camping no longer has to involve sleepless nights of shaking, shivering, and wishing you were at home in your warm, comfy bed. Enter the Therm-a-Rest’s Questar 20F/-6C Sleeping Bag!

I used the Questar 20F sleeping bag on an impromptu winter camping trip in Rocky Mountain National Park. I was finishing up some field work in Rocky Mountain National Park on a Friday afternoon and, on my way out, noticed a campground with some vacant spots for the weekend. Never having camped in the National Park before, and with an overnight low temperature of 19 degrees Fahrenheit, I knew it’d be the perfect place to test out the Questar 20F at the low end of its temperature range.

Performance

The Questar 20F is hands down the most comfortable sleeping bag I’ve ever owned. I sometimes sleep inside of it when I’m at home or staying in hotel rooms. Not even kidding. The heat-trapping neck collar and mummy style cinchable hood not only trap heat inside the bag but is comfortable to lay your head in at the end of the day. I am relatively tall for a female and was happy to find that the regular size was long enough for me to stretch out.

Look/Style

Although a sleeping bag doesn’t necessarily need to be stylish to be functional, I love the bright green color of the bag with the dark green accents. It definitely sets the bag apart from others when camping in a large group and also photographs well.

Features

This bag is packed with down and features. My favorite feature of this bag was kind of an unexpected hidden gem. I noticed a small zipper on the side of the bag and inside I found two straps with hooks on either end. These are called SynergyLink Connectors. The straps are designed to go underneath your sleeping pad and hook back around to the other side of the bag to prevent you from sliding off your pad in the middle of the night. I didn’t know I needed this in my life until now, and I’m never going back!

The Questar 20F comes with a mesh storage sack and a smaller stuff sack. The down fill allows the bag to be packed down smaller for backpacking trips, but I would recommend storing it in the provided mesh sack to prevent the down from compressing when it’s not in use. Weighing one pound three ounces for the regular size, this bag is really light for this temperature range.

Function/Performance

The 650 Nikwax Hydrophobic Down used inside of this bag ensures that you’ll not only stay warm, but you’ll also stay dry – something that is often a concern with a down versus synthetic fill. In fact, it dries three times faster than standard down. The bag has three different temperature ratings. Anywhere from 31F degrees and up is considered the “comfort” range, 20F degrees to 3F0 degrees is the “transition” range, and below 20F is the “risk” range. The temperature dropped down to a cool 19 degrees Fahrenheit during my trip. Despite being in the risk range, I felt adequately warm and comfortable in my bag.

Durability/Construction

I spent the afternoon jumping and rolling around in the bag to test its durability, and it doesn’t show any sign of use. I never found small feathers floating around in my tent as I have with other bags, which really speaks to the quality of the fabric.  The zipper slides smoothly and never got stuck which is huge for camping in the cold.

The Final Word

The Questar 20F lived up to my expectations and then some. It’s light, warm, colorful, and durable. I give it 5/5 stars and can’t think of any downsides to speak of!

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Lindsay Hastings has worked as a hydrologic technician for the United States Geological Survey for four years. As a field scientist, she has logged countless hours working in a wide range of conditions from sub-zero temperatures in the high-altitude regions of Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, to record-breaking heat in the deserts of New Mexico. When she’s not working in the field, you can find her chasing her next thrill through ice climbing, rock climbing, mountaineering, camping, trail running, or practicing photography in the mountains. Lindsay recently accepted a position on the USA Ice Climbing Team and will be competing in the World Cup tour both nationally and internationally this winter.