Review of Moonstone 800 Lucid II
By Matt Smith

Anyone who spends much time backpacking knows the importance of a sleeping bag that packs up small, is light, and is comfortable through a wide range of temperatures. However, many of us live with an outdoor budget that is less than our grocery budget, so it is also important to have an affordable, all around sleeping bag. The 800 Lucid is one of the better bags I have used that meets all of these requirements.

The Lucid weighs in at just 1 lb 12 oz., exceptional for a full featured 20 degree bag. The bag packs easily into the provided stuff sack (7.5" x 10"). One of the major reasons the weight is so low is the Pertex X-Ray (TM) shell. The shell is so thin you can easily see the down, but I haven’t had a problem with down poking through the fabric, primarily because the down is high quality.

In the comfort department, the Lucid is exceptional. The girth at the shoulders of the long size bag is sufficient that I could move around without the bag binding or twisting (I measure about 58 inches). The taper is cut to trim weight, so in the hip and thigh area the fit was close, but still comfortable. As always, the overstuffed foot box kept my feet quite warm, even in cold 15 degree weather.

On warm nights, the full-length zipper allows ventilation on the legs, a feature much appreciated when many ultralight bags use a ½ or ¾ zipper to cut weight. The hood fit my face well, and the distinct draw cords makes it easy to know what you are cinching down or loosening. The webbing stiffener adjacent to the zipper helps reduce snagging.

After spending about 20 nights in the bag, the Lucid has made it into my preferred gear list. As with many ultralight bags, the Lucid is not particularly windproof. A light weight bivy sack or tarp tent would make an excellent companion of light weight excursions.

Summary: The Lucid can be found for around $250, an exceptional value for a 20 degree down bag of this quality. I would recommend this bag to anyone who backpacks more than 1-2 times a year.

For more information contact:
Moonstone Mountain Equipment
www.moonstone.com
1700 Westlake Avenue North
Suite 200
Seattle, Washington 98109
800-877-8878

Matt Smith is the canyoneering specialist at GearReview.com.