I have had a Blue Kazoo 15-degree bag by The North Face for a long time and I was very excited to try a new bag. I tested the Kelty Foraker 0-degree sleeping bag on Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania where 0 degree nights are often the case after the first night. I figured this would be a good test for the bag as I had plenty of cold weather gear with me, should it prove to be a little chilly.
Before getting the bag, I had read the recommended sizing charts and found myself in a little uncertainty about which size to opt for… regular or long? Being 6 feet tall, okay 5’11” and 3/4’s and Kelty says the max height for the regular is 6 feet. I hate being squished in a sleeping bag so I opted for the long.
It turned out to be the right decision. Once I was in the bag it fit comfortably with not a whole lot of space between my feet and the bottom of the bag. I would say it is a great fitting bag for anyone 6’0” to 6’5”.
Kelty Foraker 0-degree Sleeping Bag Review
At first observation I loved the color! It is just a cool looking bag and a couple of people commented on how cool it looked while on the trip. I was also a little skeptical regarding the size of the compression sack. The bag seemed to have so much loft that I wasn’t sure I was going to get it in the compression sack. I will tell you that it does fit but you need to work at it as it is tight.
I slept in this bag for 5 nights at altitudes of 10,000 feet ranging up to 15,200 on the summit night. We had all kinds of weather thrown at us that kept the temperatures reasonably chilly (exact temperatures were not know as we did not have a thermometer.) Despite altitude, snow, rain and sleet I never felt even the slightest chill. In fact I took advantage of the zipper system (the zippers never snagged either) and opened the bag up from the bottom and zipped down from the top so that it would keep me pinned in the bag while allowing maximum ventilation. I have never been more comfortable in a sleeping bag than I was on Kili.
There were a few other features that I really liked about the bag. My favorite feature was the waterproof head and toe box. I can’t begin to tell you how thankful I was for this. I stopped caring about whether I was touching the tent or not and instead I slept. I was worried that I was going to feel a little claustrophobic with the neck baffles but this made for a very comfortable addition to my down jacket pillow.
Good Foraker 0-degree
- Very warm, the rating seems accurate
- Waterproof head and toe box
- Compresses well yet has plenty of loft
- Very lightweight
Bad Foraker 0-degree
- It is not cheap. Same price as many of the more exclusive name brands.
- You might just be too warm 🙂
Bottom Line: Kelty Foraker 0-degree Sleeping Bag
The Kelty Foraker 0-degree is a great sleeping bag! It has it all, comfort, warmth, style, good weight to warmth ratio. If you are considering a new Winter bag, you must include this one in your decision making, you wont be sorry.
Buy Now: Find Winter Sleeping Bags at Kelty.com
Editor: Andrew Butterworth just returned from the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro. His adventure was the perfect testing ground for several great pieces of expedition-worthy equipment. This review is based on his actual use of this product while on his Mt. Kilimanjaro expedition.
