Mountain {Hardware} Bishop Cross 15 Assessment

Backside Line

The Mountain {Hardware} Bishop Cross 15 delivers ample consolation and heat in an impressively reasonably priced bundle. When you’re in search of a bag for cold climate backpacking with out hefty spending, look no additional. We examined the Bishop Cross in sub-freezing temperatures within the Rocky Mountains on a number of wintery, snowy nights.

The Bishop Cross is created from lofty, medium-grade down stuffed in a gentle and comfy shell materials with a sensible and user-friendly function set. The tapered mummy lower, cinchable hood, and draft collar assist to retain physique warmth so you’ll be able to keep cozy even in temperatures under freezing. We particularly respect the lengthy, anti-snag zipper with a glow-in-the-dark pull for straightforward entry.

The slim mummy lower of the Bishop Cross, designed for heat, may not be the very best for folk who toss and switch or have a broader construct. It has an excellent quantity of taper, which might really feel a bit constricting, particularly on the hips. At slightly below 2.5 kilos, this bag achieves a good warmth-to-weight ratio, however devoted ultralight thru-hikers might shed one other pound with one of many extra premium luggage on our finest backpacking sleeping luggage information.

How We Examined

We put this sleeping bag to the take a look at for weeks on finish – utilizing it as our sole bedding at house in addition to on the path. Utilizing it along side a 4+ r-value sleeping pad, we relied on this bag to maintain us heat right down to 15ºF winter nights within the Rocky Mountains.

Heat

It may be robust to attain an excellent warmth-to-weight ratio in a sleeping bag and not using a excessive price. Artificial insulation is cheaper, however the weight provides up rapidly, and high-quality down is simply downright costly. The Bishop Cross 15 achieves spectacular heat for the fee by using medium-grade down and a comfortable mummy form.

Tremendous high-end sleeping luggage make the most of premium 800-900+ fill energy down that, though tremendous lofty, can also be costly. The Bishop Cross opts to make use of 650 fill energy down however in larger amount. The bag is generously crammed with 21.2 ounces of the stuff, offering numerous fluff. The primary distinction is that the 650FP lacks a little bit of loft (air pockets between the feathers that assist insulate). We began to get chilly in temps under 30ºF, so whereas the 26ºF consolation ranking might be appropriate for many sleepers (particularly with a thick sleeping pad and heat sleeping layers) chilly sleepers would possibly need to restrict this bag’s utilization to simply under freezing. 

The cosy, mummy form and draft collar additionally assist enhance the bag’s warmth retention over roomier choices.

Consolation

Consolation, like heat, is an important function that impacts how properly you sleep within the backcountry. Every thing from the roominess of the bag to the plushness of the fabric comes into play on the subject of the standard of your sleep.

The Bishop Cross 15 falls nearly in the midst of the highway on the subject of general sleeping area. The shoulder girth supplies a good quantity of form with a circumference of 62 inches, however the mummy form has a major quantity of taper, with about 53 inches on the waist. Whereas the slim lower form helps maintain in heat, folks with broader frames or those that toss and switch within the night time would possibly need to think about a wider bag.

Down sleeping luggage are naturally fluffier and extra pliable than artificial luggage, which we predict enhances their general consolation. The interior shell is gentle and nice in opposition to the pores and skin.

Weight & Packability

Important weight financial savings normally price a fairly penny attributable to premium, excessive fill energy and lofty insulation. The Bishop Cross 15 isn’t the lightest bag on our record, however it supplies loads of heat at simply over two kilos.

The 650 fill energy down requires extra insulation general (21.2 ounces to be actual) to match the heat of its dearer counterparts, however it’s nonetheless a lot lighter than artificial insulation. The Bishop Cross additionally incorporates useful options equivalent to a webbing-lined zipper monitor and a glow-in-the-dark zipper pull that barely enhance its general weight. That mentioned, 2.5 kilos continues to be impressively light-weight for a bag with this stage of heat, consolation, and usefulness.

Down is of course extra compressible than artificial insulation. Whereas the ample quantity of down within the Bishop Cross takes up a good quantity of area, the brand new mannequin comes with a compression sack that considerably reduces its packed dimension right down to about 10 inches tall and 26.5 inches round.

The Bishop Cross’s extremely tapered mummy design additional cuts down on weight.

Options

The Bishop Cross 15 is designed with a minimal, easy set of useful options. Each function is properly thought out and intelligently designed. 

Our favourite a part of the Bishop Cross 15 is the zipper. It runs nearly your entire size of the bag, so you’ll be able to let air into the footbox and even unzip it solely on heat nights to make use of it like a quilt. 

The zipper itself glides easily alongside a webbing-lined monitor to keep away from annoying snags and probably ripping the delicate interior shell. The zipper pull can also be glow-in-the-dark to maintain you from fumbling round when nature calls within the wee hours. The highest of the bag encompasses a draft collar and cinchable hood to maintain you heat and comfy. The drawstring is straightforward to succeed in, however consequently can are likely to tickle your face in the midst of the night time.

On the within of the bag is an easy pocket with a fold-top enclosure. It’s somewhat small for a smartphone, however it would maintain most ultralight water filters to maintain them from freezing.

Ought to You Purchase the Mountain {Hardware} Bishop Cross 15?

The Mountain {Hardware} Bishop Cross 15 is a superb three-season sleeping bag for anybody purchasing on a funds. It’s mild sufficient for summer season journeys in chillier areas of the world, with a full-length zipper for dumping extra warmth, however heat sufficient to maintain you comfy in temperatures right down to about 25-30ºF.

The Bishop Cross achieves its affordability via 650 fill energy down, which, though much less premium and somewhat heavier than the best grade down, continues to be far superior to artificial insulation. The slimmed-down mummy lower additionally helps retain physique warmth throughout the bag.

The design is complemented with an easy function set that works. The webbing-lined anti-snag zipper glides with ease, and the glow-in-the-dark zipper pull is a pleasant contact. The bag even has somewhat inside pocket on your cellphone or water filter.

Total, the Bishop Cross delivers ample worth for backpackers of all ranges. It sacrifices a bit by way of weight, however not in consolation or heat.

What Different Backpacking Sleeping Luggage Ought to You Think about?

Try our full information to backpacking sleeping luggage, for all the things from funds buys to top-of-the-line down choices.

NEMO Disco 15 Limitless Promise Assessment: This bag is equally constructed with 650 fill energy to chop down on price and is simply as heat because the Bishop Cross. The within is roomier, and it additionally has exterior insulated pockets for maintaining your palms heat along with your arms outdoors of the bag.

Marmot Trestles Elite Eco 20 Assessment: If the price of the Bishop Cross nonetheless appears somewhat steep, the Marmot Trestles Elite would possibly treatment that drawback because it’s essentially the most reasonably priced sleeping bag on our record. The artificial insulation is considerably heavier and extra inflexible than down, however at the least it’s simpler on the pockets.

Sea to Summit Spark 15 Assessment: If weight is extra of a priority than price, take a look at the Sea to Summit Spark 15. Constituted of 850 fill energy down, the Spark is extra packable, has extra loft, and is nearly a full pound lighter than the Bishop Cross 15. Alternatively, it’s almost twice the value.