Mountain Hardwear ExtraLamina 20 Degree Sleeping Bag

Good bag for people who don't sleep on their back
January 21, 2011

Bought this bag last year and used it about 25 days straight in Iceland during late summer, where the temperatures at night could approach freezing, and was often windy in the tent. A review hound, I took a chance buying this bag despite reviews for it being scarce. The reason I chose the Extralamina (size reg) was my preference to sleep on my side/front. And while I'm a small guy, 5'9" and thin, I also am not fond of being closeted like a mummy. Therefore I wanted a wider, roomier bag closer to a barrel bag. This is one of the few options on the market that fit the bill. It's very roomy and comfortable. However, due to the added space within the bag, it's not going to be as warm, at least not for a skinny guy. Having used it in Iceland, where the weather can be a little chilly at night, and very windy in some spots, I wasn't always as comfortable as I might have liked, even with layers on. This isn't really a problem with the bag itself, just my use of it. I should have gone with something slightly warmer for the temps I was experiencing, and my minimalist tent had little wind protection. An annoyance was the zipper - and I admit this may be a personal issue, because I've never had luck with zippers, but I often got the zipper caught when trying to exit too fast. Those with more patience may fare better. A feature I would like to see from the MH bags is something on the bottom for attaching the bag to a pad to prevent the smooth bag from rolling around in the night. This could be sewed on manually, but would still be a nice feature to see them add in future. I think the weight and compressibility of the bag is as good as you can ask considering its synthetic fill and extra wide width. I was concerned it would be too bulky, but it wasn't bad, a good tradeoff for the extra space and being less concerned about getting it wet. The Extralamina fills a niche - people who like elbow room will be happy to find a product designed with their interests in mind. It will be great for fall camping, just don't expect it to be as warm as a snugger fitting bag. Zipper issues aside, Mountain Hardware makes good quality gear.

Elbow Room
April 03, 2013

Very comfortable with just a bit more elbow room to move around without moving up to a long bag. No problem with the zipper. Product description didn't mention it, but it did come with a compression stuff sack that packs very small. Fast shipping - went out the same day I ordered.