Mountain Hardwear Hotbed Torch 0 Degree Sleeping Bag Review
Active Gear Review is supported by its audience. If you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Mountain Hardwear has long been known to make high quality sleeping bags for serious mountaineers, backpackers, and many other athletes. While this is a great for those that take their sport very serious or who have a big enough pocket book for the best of the best, it sometimes prevents the majority of people outside this bubble from getting to play. For many people, it’s hard to justify getting into a sport and spending thousands of dollars, not knowing whether you are going to like it. As of recent times, Mountain Hardwear has been making some great price point products such as tents and sleeping bags including the Mountain Hardwear Hotbed Torch 0 degree sleeping bag. This sleeping bag comes in at the friendly price of $189 for a size regular.
Sleeping Bag Warmth
The Mountain Hardwear Hotbed Torch 0 degree sleeping bag is a synthetic filled sleeping bag that weighs 5 pounds, 1 ounce. It uses Mountain Hardwear’s Thermal Q Thermic MX insulation that focuses on providing a consistent temperature while trying to keep weight and bulk down. This is not the lightest sleeping bag or the smallest sleeping bag on the market, but keep in mind you are getting a quality sleeping bag at a nice price point. When you want to drop some serious weight, expect to pay $500+ for a zero degree down sleeping bag.
As for my testing, I tested this sleeping bag on nights where it got down to 15-20 degrees at night and it kept me plenty warm. I always try to keep my sleeping bag temperature about 10 or so degrees rating below the actual temperature to ensure I stay warm. Through the chilly nights, I found the sleeping bag to keep my body warm, including my feet. Feet often get colder when sleeping in a sleeping bag in my experience.
For the times when you start to heat up, the Mountain Hardwear Hotbed Torch 0 degree sleeping bag has a zipper that goes down to the calf area on your leg. This works great to open the sleeping bag up and cool down on those warmer summer nights. Keep in mind, if you’re camping above 50 degrees F, this sleeping bag will be a little overkill and you might not get great sleep. Don’t worry as Mountain Hardwear makes the Hotbed series in a 20 and 42 F temperature rating as well. As you might imagine, they also have dozens of sleeping bags that will fit your temperature needs.
The fit of the Mountain Hardwear Hotbed Torch 0 degree sleeping bag accommodates many different body types. I am 6’0 tall and 173lbs and found the sleeping bag to be comfortable and roomy. It’s somewhat wide for a performance sleeping bag around the mid-section, so if you’re a little on the heavy side, you’ll be good to go. If you’re super skinny, you may want to check out a narrower sleeping bag as your body has to also heat up that extra space in your sleeping bag.
Mountain Hardwear Hotbed Torch 0 Degree Sleeping Bag Features
There are some nice features on the Mountain Hardwear Hotbed Torch 0 degree sleeping bag that you would often find on a higher priced sleeping bag. To start, this sleeping bag uses vertical welds to keep the insulation on the top of the sleeping bag which helps prevent cold spots. Note, these welds do not connect to the inside material of the sleeping bag liner and there are no separate compartments for the insulation. These welds primarily hold the insulation in place.
The Hotbed Torch 0 F uses YKK zippers with a snag resistant draft tube, meaning you don’t have to worry too much about the zippers getting stuck on the fabric. The zippers still get stuck from time to time, but not that much in my testing. There is a nice drawstring closure system that allows you to cinch up the face of the sleeping bag once the zipper is zipped up all the way. This is nice on those really cold nights.
One of the nicest features in my opinion is the fleece lined stuff sack. Flip the stuff sack inside out, fill it with some jackets or clothing (preferably not stinky underwear) and you have yourself a pillow to sleep on. This is great for backpacking or if you’re try to save room on a car camping adventure. This will for sure make your tent mates jealous.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I found the Mountain Hardwear Hotbed Torch 0 to be a great performer for those looking to either get into camping for the first time or those looking to get a cold weather sleeping bag at a great price. For more information, visit www.backcountry.com/mountainhardwear.
