Therm-A-Rest Haven Top Bag

That sure is innovative! I’m a fan of zippers too, but the concept is great for ultralighters. I guess if you roll around a bit when sleeping your back could get cold if the sleeping pad isn’t secured well.

cool looking bag – but far from innovative – Go-lite had similar models out years ago (long since discontinued) and a number of other high end, UL bag makers such as Nunatak from alaska have even lighter bags on offer – typically called sleeping quilts. Even NF has zipperless designs that strap onto a pad. That being said, if it performs as promised it’ll be a nice addition to what’s already available.

You and your buddies must not get out much. Big Agnes has been making this sort of sleeping system for years. This isn’t an innovation, at least not Therm-a-Rest’s innovation.

Via email, Therm-A-Rest’s design team provided this feedback (posted here with permission): “Conventional sleeping bag users may not see the difference in design, but someone who regularly uses a quilt or other type unconventional system may better understand the innovation in the Haven. In the design process, we looked at all the other unconventional sleeping systems on the market and found a need for a sleep system that integrates with a mattress yet is significantly lighter weight and offers a full hood for total coverage in cold weather. The Haven bag is unique in that it offers all of those features in a zipperless design with full hood, foot box and wrap-around coverage to provide reliable warmth, while super light at 1 lb. 6 oz (regular size).”

I think the “hole” in the bottom also makes it unique. I haven’t tried the GoLite or TNF bags mentioned. But as compared to Big Agnes, which has a similar design with no insulation underneath, the Thermarest is different. At least with the Big Agnes bags I have used, they are slightly heavier, have zippers, and have a pad sleeve — not a hole — on the bottom.

Yeh, my buddies have likely all had their bags for years and have not researched the latest sleeping bag technologies—that’s hardly a fault.

Get one of the #5 Montbell stretch bags; lighter, stretches in all directions for freedom of movement, and unzips as well. And you won’t need to carry the back-breakingly heavy tapered ProLite pads as part of your system.

Rick,
Perhaps you’re thinking of another pad – the Prolite weighs one pound. Or was this a “tongue-in-cheek” comment?

http://www.cascadedesigns.com/therm-a-rest/mattresses/fast-and-light/prolite/product

And the MontBell is not lighter (at 1 lb, 15 oz) and is only rated to 40F. Not really apples to apples. Seems like a decent bag all the same.

http://www.montbell.us/products/disp.php?p_id=2321220

It is interesting but really limited to back and maybe side sleepers. I could just see myself managing to roll over inside and not being able to breath. I like it but when they design something for a stomach sleeper then I will be happier.

I agree that this isn’t like BA at all. BA bags are heavy and at least the two I have tried did not come close to their temperature rating.

I agree, interesting but hardly innovative.

Ray has been doing it for years! Check out: http://www.rayjardine.com/

I used this for my recent hiking trip in the trans himalayas. While the bag is warm and good, one major flaw is that the feathers keep coming out. By the end of my 10 day trip enough feathers were out to make it even lighter. I am quite disappointed with the product quality.

Could somebody tell me how small this top-bag rolls up (compressed size)?