For the Outdoors person that loves to get outside in pretty much any temperature, but isn’t quite ready and can’t afford a more expensive down sleeping bag, we want to offer you some options. Now we often review higher end down sleeping bags on Active Gear Review, but to be fair to all people, we thought it would be appropriate to cover all our bases with regards to sleeping bags.
The Eureka Casper 15 is a synthetic sleeping bag that might be a few ounces heavier than the $400 down sleeping bag next to it at REI or EMS, but it has many of the other quality features that you want in a sleeping bag for backpacking or car camping. The Casper 15 has a mummy style shape to it which helps shave a lot of weight compared to a rectangular sleeping bag. Some people like this shape of bag because it allows them to shave weight while others feel they are a little closed in with not enough room to move around. My personal preference is to have something somewhere in between because I like to keep weight down, but I flip and flop a lot while I sleep. Along with the shape of the sleeping bag, I find it important to have a foot box that isn’t too cramped. For whatever reason, I like the ability to move my feet around when in a sleeping bag. The Eureka Casper 15 foot box allows for plenty of foot movement.
I tested this sleeping bag out on a recent trip coastal trip in California and the temperature of the Eureka Casper 15 hit the spot. The most the temperatures dipped down to during my trip was 50 degrees. A 30-40 degree sleeping bag would have done just fine, but I think a 15 or 20 degree bag is an ideal option for many as it lets you camp in warmth in most climates. And while the low was 50 degrees and I was using a 15 degree bag, I didn’t feel the Casper 15 to be too warm for me. Once again, this can change from person to person. When camping in colder temperatures and every bit of warmth is important, a draft tube that runs along the zipper is a nice feature to have. Since the zipper has many small holes where warm air can escape, a draft tube can block that warm air from escaping.
The weight of the Eureka 15 with its compression sack is 3lbs. and depending on who you talk to, this could be considered light or heavy. I found this weight to be somewhere in the middle for a synthetic sleeping bag. For someone backpacking over a weekend, the added weight usually isn’t too bad, but if you are backpacking an extended period of time, a lighter bag would be more preferable. If there are any negatives or tips for the next upgrade, I would like to see some straps on the bottom of the sleeping bag that attach to a sleeping pad, this way the sleeping bag stays right side up. A few times while camping, I woke up to find the bottom of the sleeping bag facing the tent ceiling.
After testing the Eureka Casper 15 on a number of camping and backpacking trips, I find this sleeping bag is best suited for those that are looking for a quality sleeping bag, but doesn’t necessarily need or want to spend a lot of money. The Casper 15 is a good value for a quality synthetic sleeping bag. For more information on the Casper 15 and other Eureka gear, please visit www.amazon.com/eurekacamping.
