Mountain Hardwear Bishop Cross 15 Sleeping Bag Evaluate

Backside Line

For those who’re new to down sleeping luggage or on the lookout for an inexpensive and high quality improve, the Mountain Hardwear Bishop Cross 15 is a incredible worth. Of all the highest picks  on our finest tenting sleeping luggage information, that is one in every of our favourite down crossovers for backpackers and automobile campers.

Senior Gear Analyst Ian Krammer makes use of his Bishop Cross 15 typically, with over 30 nights automobile tenting and backpacking within the Colorado excessive nation. It gives wonderful consolation for 3-season circumstances. With a number one warmth-to-weight ratio, easy zipper, and overstuffed footbox, this mannequin is cozy and light-weight for longer treks. We’ve used it in temps to 25°F and discover its comfortable match, soft hood, and environment friendly design retain warmth properly. It packs down small, too, excellent for a backpack, trunk or storage closet. 

Nevertheless, it has a number of drawbacks. The fabric might be slippery and a bit loud, which can be distracting to some sleepers. The down requires particular care in comparison with artificial choices. Moreover, the interior stash pocket is a bit shallow – and doesn’t have a closure – so objects have a tendency to slide out within the night time. However when the in a single day temperatures hover round freezing and also you want a no-frills down mummy bag for nearly any journey, the Bishop Cross 15 is as much as the duty.

Consolation

The Mountain Hardwear Bishop Cross 15 has all of the comfy components we search for in a down mummy bag: a comfortable match, distinctive heat, and room in all the proper locations. Its mummy form will not be as slim as some luggage, with a barely forgiving width that reduces warmth loss and prevents lifeless areas. Senior Gear Analyst Ian Krammer is 5’6 and finds the Common measurement suits him properly, with room to roll from aspect to again as wanted.

The nylon materials is buttery smooth to the contact and we love the additional massive draft tube on the collar to maintain chilly out. The ergonomic footbox gives simply sufficient room to accommodate completely different positions. Plus, the hood suits a backpacking pillow properly, and cinches down properly, reworking into a comfortable cocoon on chilly nights.

Our greatest criticism in terms of consolation is that the 30D nylon is a bit slippery – and noisy. Ian is a reasonably gentle sleeper, and it took a few nights to get used to the slight rustle of this materials. For those who’re a delicate sleeper, it could possibly be a problem.

Additionally, have in mind mummy luggage have a tendency to suit the physique tighter to scale back chilly spots. That’s nice when backpacking and tenting in chilly, distant locations. Nevertheless, when you plan on largely automobile tenting, take into account a extra conventional and roomier bag with an oblong form for more room to unfold out at night time.

Heat

The Mountain Hardwear Bishop Cross 15 retains issues gentle in your again and heavy on heat. Testing finds the 650 fill energy down gives a stellar steadiness of heat and weight proper all the way down to freezing. Ian’s automobile camped many occasions in Utah’s San Rafael Swell in spring and fall circumstances, the place temperatures repeatedly drop between 25°F and 35°F. The mum form retains him heat by successfully trapping heat air, and the overstuffed footbox provides an additional layer of heat for chilly toes.

We love the additional massive, contoured draft tube on the collar. It’s large on the edges however slim within the middle, completely wrapping across the neck to dam icy drafts and retain warmth with out feeling stifling. Huge draft tubes alongside the zipper block chilly air nearly utterly, and the hood cinches properly across the face with a single cinch wire.

Nonetheless, this model of the Bishop Cross 15 falls quick in excessive chilly. For us, the consolation vary was between 25°F and 50°F. Needless to say it’s vital to pair a heat bag like this with a excessive R-Worth sleeping pad to take full benefit of the down – however with a correct setup, the Bishop Cross performs. For those who’re on the lookout for an excellent hotter choice for shoulder seasons and winter, take into account going with the Bishop Cross 0 (males’s / ladies’s) as a substitute.

Additionally, this bag makes use of top quality down that requires a bit of additional upkeep in comparison with artificial luggage. For laundry, down luggage require a devoted down-friendly cleaning soap.

Packed Measurement

The Bishop Cross is among the smallest and lightest luggage on our checklist: solely 2 kilos, 5.4 ounces for the Common measurement. It packs small, too, at solely 8 by 15.5 inches. Whereas our cutoff for ultralight standing is mostly 2 kilos or beneath, this one remains to be very gentle and straightforward to hold whether or not you’re 10 miles into the backcountry or 10 yards out of your automobile.

Down insulation compresses properly, making it a chief choice if you’d like top-tier portability with out sacrificing heat. Mountain Hardwear additionally consists of an easy-to-use compression sack, so it’s a breeze to hold in a backpack. We additionally love that Mountain Hardwear features a mesh storage bag to maintain the down fluffy in long run storage.

Options

Like most mummy luggage, the Mountain Hardwear Bishop Cross 15 has a easy however practical function set. Ian is a giant fan of the graceful zipper observe with a big zipper plow that forestalls snags. The Zipper toggles have massive plastic loops that make it straightforward to find and pull the zipper, even with gloves on. We respect that the hood is large enough to accommodate any sized backpacking pillow for added consolation, and the one cinch wire flops exterior the bag and off our faces at night time. 

That mentioned, our solely criticism is the design of the interior pocket. We’re glad there’s a pocket in any respect, as the vast majority of mummy fashions we’ve examined don’t have one. That mentioned, the Bishop Cross 15’s pocket will not be very useful. It’s shallow and slim, and doesn’t have a closure. Ian often shops his earrings on this pocket, however they repeatedly fall out and disappear into the bag after rolling over throughout the night time. It is a small annoyance, although – total, the Bishop Cross 15 offers us precisely what we would like in a mummy bag: consolation, heat, and a compact measurement for years of cozy adventures.

Ought to You Purchase The Mountain hardwear Bishop Cross 15?

The Bishop Cross 15 is a brilliant selection for 3-season automobile campers, backpackers, and anybody who desires to improve to a down sleeping bag. Its comfy supplies and easy function set work properly once you’re within the frontcountry, however it interprets to backpacking effortlessly due to the small packed measurement, cozy hood, and wonderful warmth-to-weight ratio. The Bishop Cross’ overstuffed, ergonomic footbox and thick draft tubes alongside the zipper and neck – mixed with a comfortable mummy form – eradicate lifeless areas for optimum warmth retention. This bag was constructed for freezing temps and chilly sleepers, and we adore it for spring and fall nights. With exceptional high quality for a good worth, this Mountain Hardwear bag is constructed to final for years of adventures.

Nevertheless, the Bishop Cross 15 will not be one of the best for devoted automobile campers – the comfortable match feels restrictive in comparison with large artificial luggage, and packed measurement doesn’t matter once you’ve received a automobile. The slippery, barely noisy materials could also be a dealbreaker for delicate sleepers. The inner stash pocket is a bit shallow, and in an ungainly place, that may result in these small objects ending up throughout your bag at night time. Lastly, down insulation requires a bit of additional care, which could not work if you’d like a low or no-maintenance choice. That mentioned, these aren’t dealbreakers – the Bishop Cross 15 is a sturdy, cozy mummy bag for cool nights beneath the celebs whether or not you’re within the foothills for an evening or trekking all week within the mountains.

What Different Tenting Sleeping Luggage Ought to You Think about?

Questioning how the Bishop Cross 15 compares to our different prime picks? Take a look at our information to the finest tenting sleeping luggage. And if this one caught your eye, take a look at the closest opponents:

NEMO Disco Infinite Promise 30 Evaluate: The Disco shares the same worth level and weight, with fine quality and excellent sturdiness. Nevertheless, it’s lighter and far more spacious, and prices only a bit much less.

Kelty Cosmic Down 20 Evaluate: The Kelty Cosmic Down 20 gives wonderful heat, a slim mummy match, and related options to the Bishop Cross 15. The largest distinction is that it’s far more inexpensive – although it weighs extra.

The North Face One Bag Evaluate: The One Bag is one other nice selection for chilly climate and packs small. It has three completely different temperature scores – 5°F, 20°F, and 40°F – however it comes with a steep price ticket and is heavier.