Kelty Cosmic Down 20 Sleeping Bag Assessment

Backside Line

The Kelty Cosmic Down 20 (males’s / girls’s) is a snug, inexpensive, no-frills mummy sleeping bag. Due to fluffy down insulation, this one has a stellar warmth-to-weight ratio, making it a standout on our finest sleeping baggage for tenting information. Senior Gear Analyst Ian Krammer used this bag to remain heat for 14+ chilly nights when automotive tenting excessive within the Colorado Rockies, however he’s additionally backpacked over 150 miles with it, together with a 30-mile loop in Utah’s Canyonlands Nationwide Park.

We love the graceful, cozy inside, and the down heats up impressively quick. The mum design, with a slim footbox and hood, traps warmth effectively. Kelty makes use of extremely water resistant and quick-drying nylon for the outside, good for damp and humid circumstances. We additionally love its massive stash pocket – which many mummy baggage don’t provide – for straightforward entry to necessities.

Nonetheless, this bag’s slim match won’t be the very best for those who favor extra room to unfold out. It’s additionally a bit on the heavy facet for a down bag. We don’t thoughts for automotive tenting, but it surely’s a bit a lot for long-distance backpacking versus different down baggage. Moreover, there’s a big worth hole between the lads’s and ladies’s variations, with the latter costing considerably extra. For campers in search of moderately priced heat in an ultra-portable bundle, the Cosmic Down 20 is a stellar bang in your buck.

Consolation

The Kelty Cosmic Down is a snug mummy bag with soft cloth, thick draft tubes, and a extremely adjustable hood. We’re keen on the plush 20D nylon taffeta liner cloth for a brilliant clean and tender really feel. Mixed with the thick, tender draft tubes alongside the facet zipper and neck, this bag is simple to sink into after a protracted day of taking part in exterior.

The slim-fitting mummy form is simply roomy sufficient to modify from again to facet pretty, and the ergonomic, rounded footbox means we had been capable of transfer our ft simply with out problem. We additionally like that the hood is very adjustable due to a single, easy cinch wire. It’s spacious for many backpacking pillows, with loads of room to bury our heads in addition to sit up with the hood nonetheless on.

Nonetheless, for those who’re a automotive camper or are staying principally within the frontcountry, the largest draw back of the Cosmic Down 20 is its mummy form. This design is superior for conserving most warmth within the backcountry, but it surely’s not as cozy in comparison with an enormous, rectangular bag. For those who have a tendency to maneuver round lots whenever you sleep, otherwise you’re a stomach sleeper, the mum design can really feel constricting. That stated, for those who’ll be backpacking too, or just favor a snugger match, the Cosmic Down 20 could also be precisely what you’re in search of.

Heat

The Kelty Cosmic Down 20 expertly balances weight and heat. Our testing finds the 550-fill down insulation saved us toasty heat to 30°F, but it surely weighs solely two and a half kilos for the lads’s and three and a half kilos for the ladies’s. We favor the 20° for its versatility, but it surely is available in a 0° model and 40° model for any season. This bag saved us cozy and cozy throughout a four-day automotive tenting journey to 12,500’ Stony Move in Colorado’s San Juan Vary, the place we handled rain, sturdy wind, and obtrusive solar. It’s additionally accomplished the job on a bone-dry backpacking journey right into a distant a part of Canyonlands Nationwide Park in early December.

Kelty retains weight to a minimal utilizing down feathers and a light-weight however hardy 20D nylon materials for the within and out of doors. This building affords tons of heat, however nonetheless rolls up very small in comparison with baggage made with artificial fill and heavier supplies. The pretty comfortable mummy design additionally reduces extra materials. It actually shines between 30°F and 60°F. That stated, if it’s too heat, merely unzip the two-way zipper for extra breathability.

It’s price noting the ladies’s bag is notably dearer as a result of it has the next fill weight in comparison with the lads’s. The boys’s Common has a fill weight of 16.4 ounces, whereas the ladies’s has 29.06 ounces – so the ladies’s weighs and prices extra, however will really feel hotter by way of the chest and hips than the lads’s.

Down requires a bit extra upkeep to retain its heat than artificial baggage. To keep up its heat and fluffy properties, you’ll want to often wash your bag with down-specific detergent, retailer it long-term in a free mesh bag, and hold it dry to keep up its properties. These are simple steps, however this can be a draw back for those who received’t be backpacking, or for those who’re solely automotive tenting a couple of occasions a yr and like simplicity.

Packed Dimension

The Kelty Cosmic Down 20 shrinks down the smallest of any mannequin on our information. It weighs solely 2 kilos, 7 ounces for the lads’s and three kilos, 4.8 ounces for the ladies’s – so it’s an excellent selection for each backpacking and restricted trunk area. The down insulation and thinner, lighter nylon materials immediately contributes to the extremely small packed sizes – a mere 8 by 13 inches for males’s and ladies’s.

However for those who’re in search of the lightest gear, these specs would possibly miss the mark. People who need small, ultralight gear for each backpacking and automotive tenting might need to hold trying. If that’s you, take a look at our backpacking sleeping baggage listing to scale back your pack dimension and weight even additional.

Because the feathers can get mashed and damaged over time, you’ll need to hold the Cosmic Down in a mesh storage sack when not in use. This retains the insulation mild and fluffy and prolongs the standard, efficiency, and sturdiness of your bag over time. Sadly, Kelty doesn’t embody this, so we extremely advocate selecting up a massive, breathable mesh sack for long run storage.

Options

The Kelty Cosmic Down 20’s characteristic set is easy and acquainted. The ergonomic mummy design is slim with a soft hood just-roomy-enough footbox. Its water resistant shell affords added safety towards condensation and moist circumstances. The 2-way zipper is helpful for air flow. Not all mummy baggage have an inside stash pocket, however we love that the Cosmic Down 20 does – and it’s zippered. This pocket is a bit shallow for bigger telephones, but it surely works effectively for preserving a chapstick or headlamp shut at hand with out objects falling out and disappearing into the folds of your bag. 

Nonetheless, that’s all there may be to this bag. It doesn’t have a pad attachment sleeve, outsized hood, further pockets, a mesh storage bag, or fancy bells and whistles. That stated, the fundamental design works for us – it’s unsurprising, but additionally heat, comfy, and packs small.

Ought to You Purchase the Kelty Cosmic Down 20?

The Kelty Cosmic Down 20 is a superb 3-season bag for automotive campers, occasional backpackers, and people on a price range who nonetheless need a high quality down bag. Its combo of inexpensive worth and a excessive warmth-to-weight ratio makes it an excellent selection if you need a superb worth with out compromising heat. The mum-style design helps retain physique warmth, and a sturdy, water resistant shell ensures safety towards humidity, making it good for automotive tenting in quite a lot of circumstances. We additionally admire the small packed dimension, massive, soft hood, snag-free zipper – and the zippered stash pocket to corral little objects. The Cosmic Down proves {that a} high quality down bag doesn’t have to interrupt the financial institution.

Nonetheless, it isn’t the very best for people who wish to unfold out, because the slim mummy match might miss the mark, particularly for those who’re completely automotive tenting. The burden is fairly low for automotive tenting and shorter backpacking journeys, although it’s not appropriate for longer-distance backpackers counting each ounce. Moreover, this bag has a really massive hole in worth – in addition to weight – between the ladies’s bag and the lads’s bag. That stated, the ladies’s has extra down. Regardless of these drawbacks, the Kelty Cosmic Down 20 stays a superb selection for automotive tenting or a couple of days out on the path, providing nice heat and soft consolation in a sturdy design that packs small.

What Different Tenting Sleeping Luggage Ought to You Contemplate?

See our information to the very best tenting sleeping baggage and learn the way the Kelty Cosmic Down 20 compares to the others. And when you’re right here, contemplate these different high picks:

Mountain Hardwear Bishop Move 15 Assessment: The Bishop Move 15 is one other mummy bag made with high-quality down and options glorious packability. It weighs half as a lot and is hotter than the Cosmic Down however prices extra.

NEMO Disco Countless Promise Assessment: The Disco shares the identical high quality down insulation and comfortable, heat really feel because the Kelty Cosmic Down 20. Nonetheless, it’s considerably pricier, colder, and weighs lower than half as a lot.

The North Face One Bag Assessment: The North Face One Bag is pricier, lighter, and affords three temperature rankings. This bag is ideal for campers keen to pay a premium for superior versatility.