Sea to Summit is bringing its light and innovative focus on outdoor gear—driven by their award-winning dry bags—to well-rounded slate of top-quality products like the versatile and comfortable Ascent down sleeping bag line.
Sleeping bags were a once-stagnate outdoor gear category as recently as 10 years ago, with little to choose from besides light, and tight, mummy bags or bulky car camping rectangular sleeping sacks. The options for insulation ran from the compressible and warm goose down (but horrible when soaked) to hard-wearing and warm-when-wet synthetic fill that took up a lot of room.The last few years, though, have been a kind of renaissance of sleeping systems, with radical new designs and better and better insulation solutions giving outdoor junkies lots of choices to match body types, sleeping styles, and environments.
Sea to Summit, who got its name when Australian adventurer with an old sewing machine and a need for ultralight gear outfitted a mountaineers’ attempt a summiting Everest from sea level, has pushed the sleeping bag game even farther. With the new Ascent line, they’ve taken some of the best of the new ideas—quilts, targeted insulation, foot venting, lay-flat design, multiple zippers, etc.—and wrapped it all up into a superlative sleeping bag.
These bags, which come in 25-degree, 15-degree, and 0-degree flavors, range from 29.6 ounces for the 0 degree long, to 11.6 ounces for the 25 degree in regular length. The lightest bag packs up small, about the size of a Nalgene bottle, while the warmest (and longest) will squeeze down to soccer ball-sized. Insulation comes from an Ultra Dry 750+ fill down that resists moisture and the bag is covered in a durable and soft 20D nylon shell that comes in shades of neon green, with the darker colors representing the high warmth rating. I tested the 25-degree version, named the Ascent 1.
Sea to Summit Ascent 1 Review
I grew up not really digging having to sleep in mummy bags. Mostly because I’m a big guy and for a while, if you wanted something light and that packed up small, they were a pretty tight fit around the hips and shoulders. Plus, I really hate having my feet covered at night unless I’m sleeping in below-freezing conditions. So I wasn’t able to sleep very well in most mummy bags unless I was able to hit the sack after a long and exhausting day on the trail.
The Ascent, though, hits all of the right boxes for me. It’s light and packable enough to serve as a solid backpacking sack, but is wide and roomy enough to not make me feel like a hot dog smothered in plastic wrap all night long. And, for my claustrophobic tootsies, brands have started adding a short zipper or slit at the bottom to let feet breathe, and the Ascent uses a bottom zipper that curls around the lower part of the left side, which made it easier to let my constricted feet free during the night and quickly close up when the cold started creeping in.
The top half has two zippers, one the right side that goes about halfway down, and another on the left that reaches down to where the foot vent starts. This was great for allowing lots of mid-sleep adjustments so I never felt too hot or claustrophobic through the night, even during warm-ish spring nights camping in the South. This semi-continuous zipper allows for you to fully open the bag and use it like a quilt for extra warm nights. For chilly nights, the torso is constructed with vertical baffles, which I found helps keep the down from moving around and clumping in the corners, leading to less cold spots.
Other neat features that make this sleeping bag a great all-around option includes a hidden, zippered pocket up by the top that will fit a smartphone and other small essentials you want to keep close during the night; thick draft tube along the zippers that keep things toasty when temps dip beyond the rating; and large and roomy hood with a soft fabric snap that won’t chafe or annoying during nighttime shifting and wiggling.
The Bottom Line
The Ascent sleeping bag line from Sea to Summit, which starts at $329 and goes to $449 for the warmest and longest bag, isn’t the perfect bag for those looking for the ultimate in ultralight gear—it’s extra wide for a mummy, which means extra material to add more weight, plus the extensive zipper system bumps up the final packed mass.
But it’s a great choice for most backpackers and weight- and space-conscious overlanders who want an excellent all-rounder that will perform well in 99% of the conditions that most folks find themselves. The great versatility, quality construction, superior venting control, and comfortable roominess means the Ascent is the best option for your next outing sleeping under the stars.
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