Eureka! Cimarron 15

First - I don't expect too much from a $35 dollar sleeping bag. It's rated at 15 degrees. I'd say 30 is a better guestimate. Purchased it new early spring 2008 and it's now Sept. Have used it about 10 times so far.

Most recently on a 6 night camping trip to the Redwoods in No. Cal. Nights dipped into the lower 40s and I was warm in shorts/t-shirt. I am a warm sleeper though (170 lbs). I probably wouldn't recommend it for backpacking, it's 4 pounds and not that small and I wouldn't trust the zipper in the backcountry in cold weather. For car camping though, it does pack reasonably small (much smaller than a cotton rectangle bag) and I don't worry about leaving it in the tent (or wherever) for the day - something I can't (won't) do with nice backpacking gear when car camping/day hiking.

Have had to trim a few threads and the zipper length doesn't go all the way down to your feet - which makes doing the half in, half out thing a pain, which being a warm sleeper I often do. That's my only complaint really.

2.5 stars mainly due to price. Although some would see that as a plus :) I'm not expecting it to last more than 2-3 years of car camping, and at $35 dollars (online) I wouldn't expect it to.

I backpack and car camp mostly in Alabama and the south in all 4 seasons (3 seasons for you Northern & Western folks), but have spent 7 nights on the AT in various places and the C&O canal Towpath in Maryland.

It is difficult to fault this bag for the price. I have slept in it in weather from 20 degrees to 50 and have never slept cold. The quality of manufacture is superb, it compresses to 8 X 12, the material feels good and did I say it was WARM! I have had no problems with the zipper or drawstrings, and the fleece pillow holder in the hood is very convenient. I just place 2 pieces of 2" egg crate foam inside it and instant fleece pillow inside the hood.

The only problem I have with the bag is the weight. At 4.1 lbs, it is too heavy for my lightweight backpacking ensemble. I carried it once, on a 4-day, 3-night trip and while sleeping was great, my load was way too heavy. I now use it only when I car camp with family, Scouts, and RA's.

Pros - Warm, comfortable, and compresses well

Con - Too heavy to backpack more than overnight

Bought this bag for canoeing and trekking the Adirondacks. I ran into a few nights of frost on last outing which was my Cimarron's first. Hard frost with ice on the tent fly had forced me during the night to put on my hiking socks, my longjohns, and my skull cap to stop shivering. Prepared the same for the next two nights of lesser frost. Stayed out a couple weeks more and the night temps rose so without all the sleeping add-ons the bag is OK to about 35 degrees at best. It would be an excellent 40 degree bag.

My husband and I both have one and have used them only once so far. We camped in the Catskills NY during fall. Even though it got quite chilly both nights we were quite warm in these bags. I did notice if you try to unzip or zip back up to fast it does catch, but that's it. If tightly rolled back up, they do go into the stuffsack. I like that they are colored an earth tone. I can't stand how brightly colored a lot of camping stuff is now.