The Mountain Hardwear Lamina range of sleeping bags use their own Thermal Q synthetic filling which is almost 15% warmer for its weight than the nearest competitor. Thermal Q mimics natural down by using stiffer fibres to form a honeycomb and softer fibres to fill in the gaps. This means that the insulation in this Lamina sleeping bag lofts better, traps more air, compresses better and is lighter than just about any other synthetic filling. Lamina sleeping bags have the best pack size of just about any synthetic sleeping bag, offering the sort of weights and pack sizes normally associated with more expensive down filled bags. Thermal Q insulation is completely hydrophobic and cannot absorb water so it dries exceptionally quickly and still provides warmth if the bag gets soaked.
To ensure all their wonderful filling stays in place Mountain Hardwear have developed a welded construction that laminates (Lamina, get it?) the outer fabric to the filling therefore eliminating the cold spots normally associated with traditional stitched through construction. This clever technique creates warmer bags with less weight that last longer and pack up smaller.
This regular version of the Lamina 0, the zero refers to the bags comfort rating in °F, is designed to accommodate people up to 6'0" (182cm) tall. Designed with a comfort mummy shape to make it comfortable yet efficient and a full length zip with double sliders to allow for ventilation and zipping together with another Lamina bag. Once you are safe inside the tailored hood and face gasket effectively block cold drafts to keep all the heat inside and the foot box has been shaped to allow a natural and roomy sleeping position.
The insulation is protected by a tough and lightweight nylon face fabric and the lining is a soft wicking polyester for increased comfort and performance. A small zipped internal pocket secures your essentials and is placed at shoulder level for easy access.
The comfort rating of this bag is -18ºC, this is based on the assumption that you will be wearing light clothing, and sleeping on a good quality insulating mat inside a tent. This is the only measure of warmth that we recommend you use. Please also bear in mind that temperature ratings are subjective and can be hugely affected by many factors such as your health and metabolism, how much you have had to eat or drink, how active you have been, humidity and altitude, the type of shelter used and whether you are using a suitable insulating mat. Your sleeping bag is only as good as the mat that's beneath it, we recommend EXPED or Thermarest mats for comfort and insulation.
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Comfort mummy cut efficiently maximises weight without constriction
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Proprietary, welded Lamina construction enhances loft and eliminates cold spots
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Thermal.Q fill is soft, lofts well, compressible, and durable
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Durable, lightweight nylon shell with DWR treatment repels water
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Soft polyester lining wicks away moisture
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Full length zip with double sliders for versatile ventilation
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Comfort Footbox follows natural foot position for maximum warmth and comfort
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Face gasket and tailored hood comfortably block drafts at the hood opening and seal in warmth
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Internal zippered pocket at shoulder for storage
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Stuff sack and mesh storage bag included
How warm a sleeping bag do you really need? We’ve tried to help you by grouping our sleeping bags by their recognised comfort ratings. These are the ratings supplied by the brands that indicate the temperature at which you will remain comfortable whilst sleeping on an insulated sleep mat. After all, comfort is what you want when it’s cold and wet outside, and you’re all tucked up in your nice warm sleeping bag.
We always recommend that you choose your bag according to the coldest conditions you will experience; you can always unzip a bag if it is too warm, but trying to sleep when you’re too cold is just miserable. Bear in mind that we are all individuals, so we all feel the cold differently and that our own resistance will fluctuate depending on a whole load of factors, including how much we have eaten, whether we have consumed alcohol, whether we need a wee or what kind of mood we are in!
Sleeping bags do not generate heat; they only trap the heat we produce, so it is vital that you get into your bag when you are giving off warmth, don’t go to bed when you are cold, have a hot meal or a hot drink or do some brisk exercise to get you nicely warmed up.
Traditionally sleeping bag manufacturers provided their own temperature ratings based on their experience, the product's intended end-use and the perceived environment. However, each brand tested their bags in different ways, and it was hard to find a fair comparison between models. So, in 2005 a European standard for sleeping bag temperature ratings, EN 13537, was introduced to give consumers a comparable guide to sleeping bag performance across a range of brands and models. The ratings have four different temperature ratings to give you an indication of the bag's performance.
Comfort Rating: This is the temperature at which an average female should experience a comfortable night’s sleep. On average, women sleep colder than men, so this rating is some degrees above the "comfort lower limit" for a man.
Comfort Limit Rating: This is the lowest temperature at which an average male should experience a comfortable night’s sleep whilst laid down in a curled up position.
Extreme: This is a survival rating where the user is likely to suffer health damage such as Hypothermia. It should be treated with the utmost caution and not be relied on for general use.
However, the EN 13537 European Standard does not apply to down-filled sleeping bags with a fill weight of more than 800g; for those bags, you will have to rely on the manufacturer's experience and technical expertise, which is often more accurate!
Most reputable brands still use their own rating system alongside EN 13537, for instance, Mountain Equipment's “Good Night’s Sleep” and Rab’s “Sleep Limit”. These ratings are often the most accurate guide to the overall performance of a sleeping bag being used by an average outdoor enthusiast because they are based on years of expedition heritage, field trials, technological experience, and constant feedback.
But please bear in mind that all ratings are only a guide and, as mentioned earlier, there are a huge range of factors that can affect your comfort; if you are just not sure, it is always wise to go for a warmer model.
The biggest difference you can make to your overall comfort is to use an efficiently insulated sleeping mat. Once you get inside your sleeping bag, you instantly compress all the filling beneath you, greatly reducing its efficiency. Therefore using a quality sleep mat will ensure you are properly insulated from the cold ground, and you will be a lot more comfortable... Basically, there is no point in buying a top-quality sleeping bag if you are just going to lie down on the floor.