"I just have to say that I have never, in my life as a backpacker, had a better night's sleep that I did in my new Big Agnes Encampment.
The Big Agnes line of bags is unique in that you actually get about 60% of a sleeping bag. The "bottom" is essentially missing. In it's place you get a sleeve that you will slide your pad or the Big Agnes "Air Core" mattress in. The result... A larger, roomier bag that you can actually roll around in and not feel constricted, you never slide off your pad in the middle of the night, and it is comparable in weight to most other equivalent fill and temp rated mummies.
The encampnet is a polarguard 3D filled 15 degree rated bag. I have the long (up to 6'6") and it weighs in at 3lbs, 7 oz. Stuffed size is 7'x 20". I do wish it would stuff a bit smaller, I'm going to try it in a compression bag next time I go out.
I use my Threm-a-rest standard long as a pad. The sleeve on the bottom is sized to take any 20" wide pad up to 74" long.
I paid $179.00 at REI."
"Yes, you get a very nicely made HALF bag. I have used this bag twice, and froze both times with the temp in the low 30's. I used the inflatable pad you have to manually fill. There's no insulation at all on the lower part of the bag except your pad. Only good thing is you can't roll off of the pad. You might have better luck with a thinner pad so the edges of the bag are sealed to the floor."
"A bag that allows gives you space to move while replacing the bottom half of your mummy bag with an inflatable mattress in a sleeve. This idea works well for me at temps 35-40. The most comfortable sleeping bag I have ever used.
I suspect that winter or high camps will use an insert or poncho liner for additional warmth."
"It is nice to finally have a sleeping bag that is big (wide) enough for me (5'9" and over 200 lbs) to comfortably roll around in. Plus, with the pad slipped in the sleeve of the underside of the bag, it doesn't get twisted up when I'm turning in my sleep. I haven't used it in temperatures below 38 degrees, so I'm not sure how well it would hold up in really cold weather. Even though it's a bigger bag it doesn't have a lot of extra weight since there's no insulation on the underside. Overall, It's the best sleep I've had when backpacking."
"What a great idea!!! This bag weighs less than a smaller 30 degree bag I own. This is a very comfortable bag. I am a big guy, and I have room in this bag. I haven't used it down to 15 degrees yet, but almost fully unzipped, it kept me more than warm enough in the 40's. Even if it doesn't meet its temperature rating, the size, weight and comfort are definitely worth it!"
"I've used my Encampment for two seasons now and I totally love it! I was surprised to see someone got cold in it. I've had nights down below 40 and still didn't need to zip all the way up. I so use the Air Core pad from Big Agnes and though it takes a few minutes to inflate...the combination is easily the best sleep I've had in the backcountry. The stuffed size was a bit of a hassle but I got the girdle and can now compress it to about 2/3 the size and it fits great in the sleeping bag compartment of my pack. It's a spendy system with the bag and air core pad but waking well rested every night is sure worth it!"
"Tis is a great pack and it is hard to find anything bad about it. It is well worth the amount of money that I paid for it and it gives you, I believe, one of the best sleep you can possibly get in the outdoors. I tested it out the first night I got it just to see how cummfy it was and I ended up using it for a week because it felt so good."
"Have used the BA Encampment for a year now. Both in HOT, STEAMY, VERY WET weather and in temps that dipped below 30 degrees. Excellent in the below 30 degree range but in the HOT STICKY weather basically laid on top of it. I have the insulated core pad and it sleeps nearly as comfortable as my bed at home. Definately roomy for my wide shoulders. There was one time the bag and I both got very wet and the bag was not all that uncomfortable to sleep in. That is a first in sleeping bag HISTORY for me. I am LOVING this bag."
"I see the requirements of any sleeping bag in 3 categories:
First and most important is keeping me warm down to the temperature rating, because you buy a bag according to the use. A 15 degree bag is designed to spring, summer and fall use and should have a comfort range from 10 to 20 degrees depending on how you sleep. I am a warm sleeper, so I tend to be comfortable in temperatures below the temperature ratings of the bags that I use. I also always use a thermal liner to keep my bag from getting funky. These two factors usually mean I am good in 5 to 10 degrees below the rating. In this category, the encampment 15 failed miserably. Cold gets to me in this bag at about 35 to 45 degrees F. That is completely unacceptable for a 15 degree bag. I was ok once at 30 degrees when I had a full fleece blanket wrapped around me inside the bag.
Second category is fit. This is the reason the bag didn't work for me. A bag that has 70 inches of shoulder girth provides a ton of space for a person of average size to move around in but makes it impossible for that person to effectively heat. I would often wake up when I moved because space on either side of me was cold. I also noticed that the uninsulated sleeve for your pad can leak in cold air when you move.
Third is the quality of construction and the ease of use. I liked the full length zipper, the fabric was durable, the face opening was very wide (perhaps too wide) and the cords were easy to use. One disadvantage was for side sleepers in that the integrated pad means the face opening always points up instead of turning with you as you go to your side.
To summarize:
For potential buyers of normal sizes, I give this bag a 1. If you buy it, expect either to use this as a summer bag, or plan on bringing a bulky blanket to keep you warm.
For large people who don't fit well in normal bags I give it a 4, because it should perform much closer to the temperature rating.
Overall I give it a rating of 2."
