Best 0 Degree Sleeping Bag For Winter Backpacking
October 15, 2023 – When temperatures drop well below freezing, you will need a 0 degree sleeping bag to achieve a good night’s rest. Three-season models rated 20-30F are not sufficient. In our experience, a 0 degree rating is the most well-rounded and usable from late fall through early spring, and comfortable for camping in temps ranging from 10-25F, depending on your personal warmth levels. To get the most use out a winter sleeping bag purchase, we recommend against choosing models in the sub-zero category unless you already have a 0 degree.
This is a data-based gear guide. We ditch subjective analyses like perceived warmth and scattershot backcountry testing. Instead we evaluate each 0 degree sleeping bag as neutrally as possible, primarily based on its uncompressed down volume per ounce of total weight stat. This measurement has a strong correlation to warmth-to-weight ratio, and allows us to assess which winter sleeping bag uses its mass to insulate most effectively. As such, we are very confident in our objectively selected assortment. Many popular models were excluded for inferior stats.
Complete your system with a winter sleeping pad and a lightweight 4 season tent. Crank up the warmth-to-weight ratio with a 0 degree quilt. Add in a pair of backpacking booties, down pants, or a down parka.
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Lightweight 0 Degree Sleeping Bag Quick Picks
- Best Overall: Western Mountaineering Kodiak MF 0
- Highest Warmth-to-Weight: Mountain Hardwear Phantom 0
- Best Ultralight & Best Value: Outdoor Vitals Summit Down 0
- Best Budget: Mountain Hardwear Bishop Pass 0
- Most Girth: The North Face Inferno 0
- Top Pick Lightweight: Therm-a-Rest Parsec
- Best Waterproof: Feathered Friends Snowbunting, Murre, Ibis
Lightweight 0 Degree Sleeping Bag Comparison Table
Mobile users rotate phone sideways for complete table view
| Model | Price ($) | Weight (oz) | Fill Weight (oz) | Fill Power | Down Vol (in³) | Down Vol/Total Weight (in³/oz) |
| Mountain Hardwear Phantom 0 | 680 | 42.6 | 30 | 850 | 25500 | 599 |
| Outdoor Vitals Summit Down 0 | 430 | 35 | 25.8 | 800 | 20640 | 590 |
| Wstrn Mtnring Kodiak MF 0 | 835 | 44 | 30 | 850 | 25500 | 580 |
| The North Face Inferno 0 | 590 | 42 | 29 | 800 | 23200 | 552 |
| Therm-a-Rest Parsec 0 | 570 | 38 | 26 | 800 | 20800 | 547 |
| Feathered Friends Murre 0 | 709 | 45 | 25.5 | 900 | 22950 | 510 |
| Feathered Friends Snowbunting 0 | 719 | 45 | 25.3 | 900 | 22770 | 506 |
| Mountain Hardwear Bishop Pass 0 | 325 | 50 | 33 | 650 | 21450 | 429 |
How To Read This Table
- Fill Weight: Measures in ounces the total weight of all down insulation used in the sleeping bag
- Fill Power: Measures in cubic inches the volume per ounce of uncompressed down
- Down Vol (in³): Measures the volume of all down in the sleeping bag if were to be extracted and put into an uncompressed pile. It is derived by multiplying fill weight times fill power. It strongly correlates with the insulative ability of a sleeping bag. If Sleeping Bag A has more Down Vol (in³) than Sleeping Bag B, it is extremely likely that Sleeping Bag A will feel warmer.
- Down Vol/Total Weight (in³/oz): Measures the uncompressed down volume in cubic inches per ounce of total sleeping bag weight (counting the shell fabric, zipper, trim, etc). This measurement strongly correlates with relative warmth-to-weight ratio, and allows for comparison of different sleeping bag chassis with different fill weights of different fill powers. From an ultralight backpacking perspective, this is the most important statistic, and the one we value highest.
Best Overall Lightweight 0 Degree Sleeping Bag
Western Mountaineering Kodiak MF 0
We’ve been down on Western Mountaineering’s summer bags for being over-costed relative to their good-not-great warmth-to-weight ratios. But winter is a different story! With 30 oz of 850 fill power down, and enough extra room to comfortably wear a puffy jacket to bed, Kodiak MF is statistically superior in nearly all regards to nearly every bag on this list, which is already filtering out average and below-average quality models. The wide fit, especially at the shoulders, is notable and will likely help users sleep more comfortably, even if it dilutes the concentration of down somewhat. For $835, this 0 degree sleeping bag is an absolute wallet bruiser. But the quality is there if you want it!
- Price: $835
- Total Weight: 44 oz
- Fill Weight: 30 oz
- Fill Power: 850 in³/oz
- Down Volume: 25,500 in³
- Down Volume/Total Weight: 580 in³/oz
- Shell Fabric: 20d
- Shoulder/Hip Circumference: 66″/57″
- Pros: Statistically better than average by every measurement. Comfortable wide fit.
- Cons: Very expensive within an already expensive category. Wide fit dilutes concentration of down insulation.
Compared to the average 0 degree sleeping bag in this guide, Western Mountaineering Kodiak MF 0 is more expensive, warmer, lighter weight, wider, and has a higher warmth-to-weight ratio.
Highest Warmth-to-Weight 0 Degree Sleeping Bag
Mountain Hardwear Phantom 0
We’ll admit we were as shocked as you are to learn that Mountain Hardwear, a brand that has been trending less technical over the years, manufactures the 0 degree sleeping bag with the highest warmth-to-weight ratio on the market. But all it takes to win that contest is combining copious amounts of high fill power down into an ultralight shell, and the Phantom 0 certainly hits the mark. The biggest downside, apart from the more-expensive-than-average price tag, is how narrow this 0 degree sleeping bag is. It’s not good for wide shoulders, wide hips, or large bodies in general, and this is what’s holding it back from the top spot. Phantom puts the mummy in mummy bag! But the upside to narrowness is that it reduces weight and concentrates the heat around you, making it even more effective for those who can fit it.
- Price: $680
- Total Weight: 42.6 oz
- Fill Weight: 30 oz
- Fill Power: 850 in³/oz
- Down Volume: 25,500 in³
- Down Volume/Total Weight: 599 in³/oz
- Shell Fabric: 10d
- Shoulder/Hip Circumference: 58″/52″
- Pros: Highest warmth-to-weight ratio. Ultralight shell fabric.
- Cons: Quite narrow.
Compared to the average 0 degree sleeping bag in this guide, Mountain Hardwear Phantom 0 is more expensive, warmer, lighter weight, narrower, and has a higher warmth-to-weight ratio.
Best Value & Best Ultralight 0 Degree Sleeping Bag
Outdoor Vitals Summit Down 0
The value proposition for Outdoor Vitals Summit Down 0 Degree Sleeping Bag is preposterously favorable. It has the second highest warmth-to-weight ratio in our guide for the second lowest price. And it’s hand down the lightest weight, and an easy pick for best ultralight 0 degree sleeping bag. The only downside is that it’s slightly underfilled in terms of down quantity, thus a bit less warm than average. If we’re being honest, we think calling it the Summit Down 5 would have been more earnest. But that doesn’t make it any less exceptional as a piece of ultralight gear. What a buy!
- Price: $430
- Total Weight: 35 oz
- Fill Weight: 25.8 oz
- Fill Power: 800 in³/oz
- Down Volume: 20,640 in³
- Down Volume/Total Weight: 590 in³/oz
- Shell Fabric: 10d
- Shoulder/Hip Circumference: 60″/54″
- Pros: Lightest in category. Very affordable. Ultralight shell fabric.
- Cons: Slightly underfilled, less warm than average.
Compared to the average 0 degree sleeping bag in this guide, Outdoor Vitals Summit Down 0 is much less expensive, less warm, much lighter weight, as wide, and has a higher warmth-to-weight ratio.
Best Budget Winter Sleeping Bag
Mountain Hardwear Bishop Pass 0
Look, winter gear is expensive enough already, which is what makes the Mountain Hardwear Bishop Pass such a tempting choice for your 0 degree sleeping bag. At $325, it’s nearly half as expensive as the average model on this list! And while yes, it’s heavier, bulkier, and slightly less warm than average, for the most part, it keeps pace with the rest of the group. Arguably a bigger issue than its middling stats though, is its narrowness at the hips. While it’s shoulder girth is average, this tapers down to become the narrowest bag on our list, making it incompatible for some body types. Double check your measurements before purchasing, but if it fits you, what a killer value!
- Price: $325
- Total Weight: 50 oz
- Fill Weight: 33 oz
- Fill Power: 650 in³/oz
- Down Volume: 21,450 in³
- Down Volume/Total Weight: 429 in³/oz
- Shell Fabric: 20d
- Shoulder/Hip Circumference: M’s: 62/53″ W’s: 60″/50″
- Pros: Very affordable.
- Cons: Narrow at the hips. Heavy. Low quality down fill. Bulky.
Compared to the average 0 degree sleeping bag in this guide, Mountain Hardwear Bishop Pass 0 is more much less expensive, slightly less warm, heavier, narrower at the hips, and has a lower warmth-to-weight ratio.
Best Wide 0 Degree Sleeping Bag
The North Face Inferno 0
The best thing going for the North Face Inferno 0 is that it is wide and non-constrictive. But aside from its best-in-class girth, this sleeping bag is completely average among the other top tier bags across nearly every statistic. While its shoulder/hip width increases comfort, the downside is that it dilutes the concentration of down plumes by spreading them out thinner across more baffles. But if you must have a wide bag, this is a great one to go for!
- Price: $590
- Total Weight: 42 oz
- Fill Weight: 29 oz
- Fill Power: 800 in³/oz
- Down Volume: 23,200 in³
- Down Volume/Total Weight: 552 in³/oz
- Shell Fabric: 15d
- Shoulder/Hip Measurement: 64″/60″
- Pros: Wide and comfy.
- Cons: Average stats across the board.
Compared to the average 0 degree sleeping bag in this guide, The North Face Inferno 0 is as expensive, as warm, as heavy, wider, and has an average warmth-to-weight ratio.
Top Pick Lightweight 0 Degree Sleeping Bag
Therm-a-Rest Parsec 0
We measured and compared stats for two dozen 0 degree sleeping bags, and Therm-a-Rest Parsec was a solid contender with above average stats. However it’s just on the outside of the top tier looking in. It stands out for a nice blend of low weight and high performance. That said, it’s not the lightest, nor is it the warmest, nor is it the best value. It’s just not the best at anything, and what’s more, it’s a bit underfilled. That means less warmth than the top-tier-bag average, and it would probably be more accurate to replace the zero in its name with a five. Bottom line, the Parsec is great-not-excellent, and a great value opportunity if you can find it on sale.
- Price: $570
- Total Weight: 38 oz
- Fill Weight: 26 oz
- Fill Power: 800 in³/oz
- Down Volume: 20,800 in³
- Down Volume/Total Weight: 547 in³/oz
- Shell Fabric: 20d
- Shoulder/Hip Circumference: 63″/58″
- Pros: Lightweight. A bit wider than average.
- Cons: Slightly underfilled, less warm than average
Compared to the average 0 degree sleeping bag in this guide, Therm-a-Rest Parsec 0 is slightly less expensive, less warm, lighter weight, wider, and has a higher warmth-to-weight ratio.
Best Waterproof 0 Degree Sleeping Bag
Feathered Friends Snowbunting EX 0 | W’s Murre EX 0
Feathered Friends is a top purveyor of expedition grade sleeping bags, and their Snowbunting (M’s), Murre (W’s), and Ibis (Wide) EX series, all different shapes of the same overall model, are notable for being sleeping bags with waterproof/breathable Pertex Shield shells. This can be important if your sleeping bag will be exposed to open cold air, wind, snow, etc, or in damp frozen climates where heavy coatings of wet frosts are likely to form on your sleeping bag overnight. The downside being, they’re a bit clammier on the inside and don’t breath as well, so you don’t want waterproof unless you need it. Beyond that, each model is an exemplary 0 degree sleeping bag with high quality down and exceptional craftsmanship.
- Price: $719 | $709
- Total Weight: 45 oz | 45 oz
- Fill Weight: 25.3 oz | 25.5 oz
- Fill Power: 900 in³/oz
- Down Volume: 22,770 in³ | 22950 in³
- Down Volume/Total Weight: 506 in³/oz | 510 in³/oz
- Shell Fabric: 15d
- Shoulder/Hip Circumference: M’s 60″/56″ | W’s 54″/56″
- Pros: Waterproof shell fabric. M’s & W’s specific cuts. High quality fill power.
- Cons: Expensive. Waterproof shell is not always desirable. Fairly average stats.
Compared to the average 0 degree sleeping bag in this guide, Feathered Friends Snowbunting and Murre are more expensive, as warm, as heavy, as wide and have an average warmth-to-weight ratio.
In Conclusion
Thanks for reading about what we believe are the best 0 degree sleeping bags for winter backpacking. Every model has a good warmth-to-weight ratio, and should be comfortable in the 10-25F range, adjusting for your personal heat output. We hope you found the winter sleeping bag of your dreams! Drop us a line in the comments if you have any questions.
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