My twenty-year-old military sleeping bag has been my go-to for most of my 3-season adventures. I have a good cold-weather sleeping bag, but I’ve been reluctant to invest in a new bag to keep me comfortable down to 32 degrees.

The old bag works but is bulky, and after years of use, the insulation has degraded. I was overdue for an upgrade, so I jumped at the opportunity to review the Quart Sleep System from Snugpak.

Snugpak is a British company that has been producing sleeping bags, shelters, and cold-weather clothing for nearly 50 years. While the company is not very well known in the US among the hiking crowd, its products are used extensively by military units.

The 3 components of the Snugpack Quart Sleep System.

 

The Quart system is composed of three parts:

The Softie 3 Merlin sleeping bag

The bag is a mummy-style bag with a full-length, anti-snag zipper and zipper baffle, keeping the cold air from sneaking around the zipper. I am one of those people who have to sleep with my face exposed, regardless of how cold it is. Fortunately, the Merlin has a hood with a drawstring that keeps the cold air off the rest of my head but lets me breathe. And while the bag is water repellent, if it starts to rain, you’ll be glad that you have the Bivvi sack.

 TS-1 Sleeping bag liner.

The TS stands for Thermal Suede, a polyester fabric with one side textured to feel like suede. Using the liner provides an immediately noticeable increase in warmth. The liner is easy to wash, which will help extend the sleeping bag’s life. The liner is also small and comfortable enough to bring if you are traveling and staying in a hotel room of questionable cleanliness and want to keep the bedbugs off you.

The Bivvi sack

The bivvi (I know we usually spell it bivvy, but the Brits spell it bivvi)  is made of wind and waterproof but breathable Paratex. It is small enough that it would be great to carry on its own as an emergency shelter. Adding the bivvi to the bag definitely rachets the heat up. The bivvi carries a warning not fully to enclose yourself for fear of suffocation.

This three-part system can be used as a 2-3 season bag depending on where you are, with a rating of 42 degrees F for comfort and 32 degrees F as the low. I found that I was very comfortable at 32 degrees with a good sleeping pad.

Sleeping bag inside the bivvy sack

The system comes in one big stuff sack, but each component has its own stuff sack. That way, you can only bring part of the system.

A cool feature of the large stuff sack is an external waterproof compartment. This allows you to store the bivvy if wet, so your bag and liner stay dry.

As you can see from the photos, the entire system isn’t much larger than a Nalgene bottle and weighs just over 3.5 lbs.

The system retails for $469.00 on the Snugpak website. This is nearly 40.00 cheaper than buying the three components individually.

Bottom line: This solid sleep system will serve you well down to freezing without taking up a lot of space, and the modularity gives you options regardless of what type of adventure you find yourself on down to the freezing point.

I plan to use it for the next twenty years.

Features:
• Temp Range (Comfort / Low )  41°F / 32°F (5°C / 0°C)
• Weight —  58oz (1650g)
• Dimensions —  87 x 30in (220 x 75cm)
• Pack Size —  11 x 7in (28 x 18cm)

Material Disclosure:

I received this product as a courtesy from the manufacturer via Spotter Up so I could test it and give my honest feedback. I am not bound by any written, verbal, or implied contract to give this product a good review. All opinions are my own and are based on my personal experience with the product.

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*The views and opinions expressed on this website are solely those of the original authors and contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Spotter Up Magazine, the administrative staff, and/or any/all contributors to this site.

 

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