How to Choose Sleeping Bags for Backpacking

A perfect choice for backcountry trips that start with a shaky forecast, the Therm-a-Rest Saros 20°F/-6°C is a 3-season sleeping bag that's quick-drying and weather-resistant.
$21
10% Reward
on this and every eligible full-price item*
+
$30
Bonus Card
valid for 60 days after joining*
=
$51
Value
Keep shopping
Imported.
Best Use | Backpacking |
---|---|
Tested Lower Limit | 20 degrees (F) - ISO |
Tested Comfort | 32 degrees (F) - ISO |
Temperature Rating (F) | 20 degrees (F) |
Temperature Rating (C) | -6 degrees (C) |
Weight | Long: 3 lbs. 9 oz. |
Ultralight | Yes |
Shell | 20-denier polyester with durable water repellent (DWR) |
Zipper Location | Left |
Insulation Type | Synthetic |
Fill | eraLoft polyester hollow fiber |
Fill Weight | Long: 2 lbs. 9 oz. |
Sleeping Capacity | 1-person |
Lining | 20-denier polyester taffeta |
Sleeping Bag Shape | Mummy |
Fits Up To (in.) | Long: 78 inches |
Shoulder Girth (in.) | Long: 66 inches |
Hip Girth (in.) | Long: 64 inches |
Stuff Sack Size | 9.5 x 24 inches |
Stuff Sack Volume | 27.9 liters |
Compressed Volume | 12.2 liters |
Gender | Unisex |
Adding a review will require a valid email for verification
this is a fairly light, warm wet weather bag, there is lots of ground fog and rain coming off the lakes where I roam. theres not much to complain about with the bag, but I have 2 comments that are probably specific to me. the bag is a little tight across the shoulders. i'm only 5'10"" so the standard bag is perfect in length but I have to roll on my side to get the zipper up and even that is a chore because I'm larger across the shoulders, the other problems is the mattress straps. i bought the camper SV XL for the extra width at the shoulders. there is no way your stretching the straps around that. longer straps would be helpful.
First-things-first, I'm allergic to down, so Thermarest's down bags simply aren't an option for me. They look rad, but I can't use them. I grabbed the Saros for my 20-degree do-it-all bag, and so far I've been really satisfied. It's been through a year of use, and so far the fill hasn't packed down, the zippers are still functioning great, and I can pair it with my Proton blanket for those very cold nights. Also, didn't realize it came with the foot pocket, but that thing is rad! If I had to pick one thing I don't care for, it'd be the connectors that wrap around my sleeping pad. They just don't quite fit my pad. I'm 6' tall, and the Regular size just fits me.
I adore this bag! I am a girl guide leader so I go camping quite a lot in the beginning and end of season. For years I was looking for a bag that was synthetic (due to my allergy to down), and compact. They have engineered this bag to perfection! Easy to get in and out of, packs small (compared to similar styles) and comes with connectors so i don't roll off my pad! Also this bag does a great job o keeping my body at a comfortable temperature as Im actually a warm person and tended to get hot easily at night.
I currently use this bag for winter camping in the desert. The comfort for me is the top sell. The price was also very workable for me. I think the trade off for the prices is the large pack size that comes with the synthetic fill. Despite the size I'm happy to have made this purchase as i know I can rely on it for the comfort and warmth. Eventually I'll replace this bag for myself with something that does compress more and pass this off to my clients which I'll be able to do with full confidence.
Paired it with the Trail pro sleeping Pad Regular Wide. Sleeping bag has SynergyLink connectors but had a very hard time connecting it. Wish there was a wider SynergyLink connectors. It almost felt like it would rip from the sleeping bag so I ended up removing it. Other than that it’s amazing, kept warm in below 20 weather. Very happy with my purchase. Highly recommend it
Use this mostly for camping in a damp climate. Packs down very good for a synthetic. Very comfortable and handles cold temperatures great. Draft collar and straps on back side of sleeping bag are awesome features. One thing is you will want to use this sleeping bag with a pad as there is no insulation on the bottom of the bag.
Thanks for the great review, Joshua! It sounds like you probably have the older Saros design. In our newer models, we did add insulation to the back of the bag to increase the versatility of it.
This is by far the best sleeping bag I've ever slept in. So warm and comfortable. I would recommend buying a sleeping pad to use under the sleeping bag. It's nice that the pad is kept in place with straps so you don't roll off when turning in your sleeping bag.
I think it is so pretty. I love the the colour scheme. I finally got a chance to use it this past weekend in the mountains. It was a bit confusing experience. The temp at night was probably 45°. I wore a sweater and down vest to bed ( I always do while camping). I wore long johns and 100% wool socks and at first I was toasty but then about 15 mins later my legs got really cold and my feet were freezing. I was really worried because I had no other option but to suck it up. I was freezing. I could feel air from all sides from my legs down. After about 2 or 3 hours I finally decided to put my pants on too ( just standard polyester hiking pants) and I put my jacket at the bottom of my feet and once again felt toasty and could rest for the night. I have no intentions of replacing this bag. It was expensive for me and I love the colour scheme. I plan on buying a liner and a light down mummy bag that i can use as a blanket and hopefully that will solve my problem. But I was not expecting that situation as it is supposed to be a 0° bag.
I am a side sleeper and am able to do this in this bag which I am extremely happy about. The foot pocket is a very useful feature and the no catch zipper with baffle is impressive. I am very excited about my new sleeping bag.
Perhaps it will be useful. After every day using this bag during 1 year it is not comfortable even at 10 C degrees. During first 7 months it was ok, but later it’s pressed and started absolutely not warm.