Last year I bought a new sleeping bag, and gear-wise it was the best decision I made all year. Before then I had an extra large sleeping bag that I found for $19 in the REI closeout basement about ten years ago. When I bought it, I was mostly a car camper, and carrying around a 7′ sleeping bag wasn’t an issue.

But then I started touring. I quickly realized that carrying around so much sleeping bag was taking up a lot of really valuable space. Due to finances, I started borrowing my wife’s sleeping bag on my outings. She was cool with this for a spell, but it got old really quick (and stinky).

When it finally came time to buy a new bag, I didn’t do a whole lot of research. Like most people who recreate constantly, there are brands that resonate with me, and Big Agnes is one of them. They have been around for quite some time, and their reputation for great gear was well supported. I expected to be pretty happy with my new bag, but the last year of touring and camping has easily confirmed the decision I made.

Because the majority of my adventures are in the Northwest, I picked up the 30˚ Fish Hawk, which is one of their Classic Series bags. Some day I’ll pick up a 0˚ or 15˚ bag for winter trips, but for now this bag does the trick.

This bag is part of their “system” which means that your sleeping pad slips inside the back of the pad – keeping you comfortable and on top of the pad all night. The back side of the sleeping bag has no padding which makes it a bit lighter, and allows the sleeping pad to do it’s job of insulating you from the ground up.

At first I paired the bag with an old Thermarest pad that I had, but eventually picked up the Big Agnes Q-Core SL to round everything out. With three inches of padding, camping is a comfortable endeavor, even on rocky or uneven surfaces.

Because I was moving away from an extra large bag, I was concerned with pack size. The sleeping bag compresses down to the size of a cantaloupe and the pad is quite manageable. I can easily split these pieces of gear between my handlebar and seatbags.

As far as upgrades or changes in the future, the only thing to do now is to pick up a better tent. I’ve been using a one-man REI tent for the last six years but I’m getting a bit tired of the small vestibule. If I can swing the cost before Gabe and I leave for Idaho in July I have my eyes on that new Big Agnes Fish Hook. That right there looks like one serious piece of awesome gear…