Comfort rating vs limit rating: the number that keeps you warm
Bags are sold on the wrong figure. Here is which one to trust and how we test ours.
Tested in the conditions it is rated for
Rated to -8°C, and we say how we measured it
Every rating on this site has a comfort figure and a limit figure, because the limit on its own is the number that gets people cold.
Conditions
What it is built to take
Comfort is the figure to buy on. The limit is survival, not sleep — we publish both.
| Band | Comfort | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Summer | 7°C | 3°C |
| 3-season | -2°C | -8°C |
| Winter | -9°C | -17°C |
| Expedition | -18°C | -29°C |
Comfort is the figure to buy on. Limit is survival, not sleep.
Check your conditions
Laboratory figures. A cold sleeper, a thin mat or a wet night all move the real number.
- Packed weight
- 780 g
- Packed size
- 19 x 32 cm
- Carry capacity
- 18 kg comfortable, 24 kg maximum
- Weather rating
- 20,000 mm, taped seams
Weight and capacity
What it is made of
The fabric, the fill and where they fail
Every material, its real figure, and the condition that beats it. Nothing here is a trade name we cannot explain.
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20D ripstop nylon
20,000 mmHolds a night of driving rain. It also packs to the size of a fist, which is the trade you are making.
ISO 811, our own sample
850-fill duck down
850 fill powerTraced to the farm and lofts back after a week compressed in a stuff sack.
RDS certificate, batch number on the tag
Recycled 100D taffeta
68 g/m²The floor of the pack, where abrasion actually happens. Heavier than the panels on purpose.
Our own abrasion test, 12,000 cycles
In stock
Kit on the shelf
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Built for the conditions you name
Gear that states its limits
Why the figures are on the page
Rated to the conditions you name, not the ones we hope for
Every bag, jacket and shell on this site lists the figure it was tested to and the standard that measured it. Comfort and limit, fill power and fill weight, hydrostatic head — the numbers a shop cannot fake if it publishes the method.
- Comfort and limit ratings to ISO 23537
- Packed weight on our own scale, stuff sack included
- Every fabric named, with the condition that beats it
- Repaired here, with parts we stock
Field notes
Where we took it
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Packing a 45 L for three nights
The load list, the weights, and what stayed home.
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Waterproof ratings explained in one table
10k, 20k, breathability — what the numbers mean on a wet ridge.
Questions
Asked before a first trip
How cold is it rated to?
Every bag lists two figures: comfort and limit, both to ISO 23537. Comfort is the one to buy on — limit is survival, not sleep. Our 3-season bag is comfort −2 °C, limit −8 °C, and the page says which standard measured it.
How heavy is it packed?
The weight on the product page is the weight as it ships, stuff sack included, on our own scale. Where the manufacturer's figure differs, we print both and say why.
Can it be repaired?
Yes. We stock zips, buckles, cord locks and seam tape and fit them here. A zip replacement is Rs 1,500 and takes a week. Fabric tears are patched, not replaced, and the patch is honest about being a patch.
What beats this fabric?
Sustained abrasion and UV. Ripstop survives rain and wind for years; it does not survive being dragged across granite or left in full sun for a season. The materials section above says which fabric fails at what.