‘Modular’ Sleeping: Kammok Thylacine Sleeping Bag

[leadin]Three sleeping bags in a single product… that’s the basic concept behind the Thylacine system from Kammok, which will keep you comfortable from 50 degrees F down to zero.[/leadin]

For dedicated outdoor enthusiasts, a standard practice is to buy different sleeping bags for different temperature ranges.

You can easily spend more than $1,000 on bags for summer, spring/fall, and winter conditions. Kammok, most known for its hammocks, decided to enter the sleeping bag market this year in an attempt to solve that problem.

We first saw the Thylacine at the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market trade show, where we gave it a Best In Show award. This review is based on months of testing. We have found it to be one of the most comfortable and versatile sleeping systems we’ve employed.

Modular Insulation

The Thyalcine is built around a three-part insulation system that allows additional layers to be added as the mercury drops.

The base sleeping bag — rated at 30 degrees — is a mummy bag with snag-free zippers, and a roomy hood with a pillow insert.

The liner bag zips into the interior of the base bag and brings the temp rating down to 15º F. The final layer is liner insert that can be added to bring the rating to a frosty 0º F.

The three layers are sold separately starting with the base bag at $329, the liner at $199, and the liner insert at $99.00.

All told, the system will set you back over $600, not cheap but probably less than what you would spend on three different sleeping bags of the same quality to cover the same temperature ranges (see specs at end of article).

Layered Sleeping System

We tested the Thylacine down bag (there is also a slightly cheaper synthetic bag) through the summer and fall months. I was skeptical at first, but the layering has proven to be an effective method of regulating temps while sleeping.

Most of our trips this summer included the base bag along with the top quilt that made a comfy pillow or helped to relieve cold spots in the bag during the middle of the night.

Although the base bag is rated to 30 degrees we found the 750-fill Downtek pretty uncomfortable in those conditions. It was far more suitable for temps in the 40s at lowest.

As the temps have dropped into the 20s and 30s this fall, we’ve been using the liner zipped into the bag, and it has done well at keeping warm into the mid 20s.

Our mild Minnesota fall has yet to bring us into the teens or single digits, but once the snow starts flying, we’ll be testing the liner insert. Judging from the first two layers, though, I reckon the zero degree rating is a “survival” rating rather than a comfort level.

Detailed Design

Overall, the bag is designed well with a number of small but useful features.

The base bag has a series of straps that run the length of it that can be tightened to remove dead air space from the bag. This is especially helpful when accommodating for different body sizes.

The two additional insulating layers are tapered to integrate with the base bag, leaving little room for dead space. Extra insulation can mean nothing if not distributed at the right place in the bag, and the Thylacine delivers that insulation in a way that maximizes loft.

The closures on the liner are velcro, which make them easy to undo and move around while still remaining zipped into the main bag. They do have a tendency of catching on fuzzy socks. It’s a minor annoyance.

The bag is extremely roomy which our larger testers though was great, but left too much dead space in the bag for some of our smaller testers.

Packable

One of the most notable points of the bag was its super packable size. All three of the layers together weighed in at  3lb 9oz, and were easily packed into a small stuff sack.

The extra layers weigh in at a featherweight 6 oz for the liner insert and 16 oz for the liner.

At 1lb 11oz, the main bag is suitable for summer backpacking, although not ultralight.

We found the liner insert packed down small enough to be used as a pillow in the hood, a thoughtful and luxurious feature that we came to enjoy for the sacrifice of a little extra weight.

Final Thoughts

I was skeptical on the layering system when I first saw the Thylacine in concept. The idea of “choose your own insulation” seemed gimmicky and left a lot of room for poor execution. After using the Thylacine, though, I’m impressed with how well Kammok pulled it off.

The layers integrate well with one another and found me me sleeping soundly.

Subtle features such as the pillow pocket and compression straps are a testament to good design, impressive for a first sleeping bag from a company that’s made its name in hammocks.

The Thylacine is approachable to all skill levels and although it probably wont replace all of my seeping bags, it comes close to giving me everything I need in one package.

–The bags are now available for pre-order with delivery time expected in early 2016.