Kelty Cosmic Down 20 Sleeping Bag Overview

Backside Line

The Kelty Cosmic Down 20 (males’s / girls’s) is a comfortable, 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 greatest sleeping baggage for tenting information. Senior Gear Analyst Ian Krammer used this bag to remain heat for 14+ chilly nights when automobile 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 slender 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 situations. We additionally love its massive stash pocket – which many mummy baggage don’t supply – for simple entry to necessities.

Nevertheless, this bag’s slender match won’t be one of the best for those who want extra room to unfold out. It’s additionally a bit on the heavy facet for a down bag. We don’t thoughts for automobile tenting, however it’s a bit a lot for long-distance backpacking versus different down baggage. Moreover, there’s a big worth hole between the boys’s and girls’s variations, with the latter costing considerably extra. For campers in search of moderately priced heat in an ultra-portable package deal, the Cosmic Down 20 is a stellar bang on your buck.

Consolation

The Kelty Cosmic Down is a snug mummy bag with soft material, thick draft tubes, and a extremely adjustable hood. We’re keen on the plush 20D nylon taffeta liner material for an excellent easy and tender really feel. Mixed with the thick, tender draft tubes alongside the facet zipper and neck, this bag is straightforward 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 have been in a position to transfer our toes simply with out concern. We additionally like that the hood is very adjustable due to a single, easy cinch twine. 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.

Nevertheless, for those who’re a automobile camper or are staying largely within the frontcountry, the most important draw back of the Cosmic Down 20 is its mummy form. This design is superior for conserving most warmth within the backcountry, however it’s not as cozy in comparison with an enormous, rectangular bag. In the event you have a tendency to maneuver round loads while you sleep, otherwise you’re a stomach sleeper, the mother design can really feel constricting. That mentioned, for those who’ll be backpacking too, or just want 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, however it weighs solely two and a half kilos for the boys’s and three and a half kilos for the ladies’s. We want the 20° for its versatility, however it is available in a 0° model and 40° model for any season. This bag saved us cozy and comfortable throughout a four-day automobile tenting journey to 12,500’ Stony Move in Colorado’s San Juan Vary, the place we handled rain, robust wind, and obvious solar. It’s additionally completed 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 gives 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 mentioned, if it’s too heat, merely unzip the two-way zipper for extra breathability.

It’s value noting the ladies’s bag is notably costlier as a result of it has a better fill weight in comparison with the boys’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 via the chest and hips than the boys’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 maintain it dry to keep up its properties. These are simple steps, however this can be a draw back for those who gained’t be backpacking, or for those who’re solely automobile tenting a number of occasions a yr and like simplicity.

Packed Measurement

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

However for those who’re in search of the lightest gear, these specs may miss the mark. Of us who need small, ultralight gear for each backpacking and automobile tenting could need to maintain trying. If that’s you, try 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 maintain 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 embrace this, so we extremely advocate selecting up a massive, breathable mesh sack for long run storage.

Options

The Kelty Cosmic Down 20’s function set is easy and acquainted. The ergonomic mummy design is slim with a soft hood just-roomy-enough footbox. Its water resistant shell gives added safety towards condensation and moist situations. 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, however it works effectively for preserving a chapstick or headlamp shut at hand with out objects falling out and disappearing into the folds of your bag. 

Nevertheless, that’s all there’s to this bag. It doesn’t have a pad attachment sleeve, outsized hood, extra pockets, a mesh storage bag, or fancy bells and whistles. That mentioned, the essential design works for us – it’s unsurprising, but in addition heat, snug, and packs small.

Ought to You Purchase the Kelty Cosmic Down 20?

The Kelty Cosmic Down 20 is a good 3-season bag for automobile campers, occasional backpackers, and people on a funds who nonetheless need a high quality down bag. Its combo of inexpensive worth and a excessive warmth-to-weight ratio makes it a fantastic selection in order for you a great 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 automobile tenting in a wide range of situations. We additionally respect 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.

Nevertheless, it isn’t one of the best for people who prefer to unfold out, because the slender mummy match could miss the mark, particularly for those who’re solely automobile tenting. The burden is fairly low for automobile 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 boys’s bag. That mentioned, the ladies’s has extra down. Regardless of these drawbacks, the Kelty Cosmic Down 20 stays a superb selection for automobile tenting or a number 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 Take into account?

See our information to one of the best tenting sleeping baggage and learn how the Kelty Cosmic Down 20 compares to the others. And whilst you’re right here, think about these different high picks:

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

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

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