Moonstone 3D/Zone 2 Sleeping Bag
By Matt Smith

Moonstone's 3D/Zone 2 sleeping bag is rated for 15-30 degrees F, and has a suggested retail price of $190. The shell of the bag is 30 Denier HT, a nylon material that provides strength at low weight. The inside of the bag is 40 Denier Taffeta. A wind- and water-resistant Momentum (TM) Dryloft shell is available for about $100 more. The inside girth at the shoulder is 62 inches and 40 inches at the foot. I tested the Long version with a total length of 6' 6". The total weight of the sleeping bag is 2 lbs 11 ozs. The weight of the standard nylon stuff sack is negligible, adding only a few ounces to the total weight. The 3D insulation is quite compressible, allowing the stuffed bag to fit easily into the sleeping bag compartment of my full-sized internal frame pack.

This bag also accepts Moonstone +2 800 down liners, which can upgrade the temperature ratings by 25 degrees. I spent several nights in the Moonstone 3D/Zone 2, the coldest being approximately 20 degrees F. I was comfortably warm even on that chilly night. I was pleasantly surprised that my feet stayed warm even without putting on the socks I had stashed inside the bag just in case. I attribute this miracle to the overstuffed foot box and the 3/4-length zipper.

A nylon stiffener lines the inside of both sides of the zipper, significantly reducing snags. Both left and right zip bags are available. I found that if you try to zip two 3D/Zone2s together, using left-zip and right -zip bags, the material on the outside of the bag snags easily. The fabric bunches and snags at the rounded taper between the shoulder and the hip. With patience you can zip them together, but you loose any type of hood. A generous insulated draft tube runs the full length of the zipper preventing rude awakenings in the middle of the night from bumping into an ice-cold zipper. The bag lacks any sort of stopper or retainer to prevent the zipper from opening due to movements during the night. I didn't have any problems with the zipper opening, but it is a potential problem.

A nice treat--not found in most bags in this class--is an insulated shoulder yoke. Although the shoulder yoke hangs freely from the top of the bag and lacks a drawstring, I noticed the barrier created by the shoulder yoke prevented airflow and reduced heat loss dramatically. The hood of the bag fit my face perfectly, closing just above my eyes and just below my lower lip when cinched up tight. As an extra convenience the upper and lower portions of the hood have independent drawstrings. One is round and one is flat which makes operating them in the dark easy. I found the flexibility of having the hood tight around my neck, but not around my forehead helped me regulate my temperature much better.

One windy night, while sleeping under the stars. I noticed that the standard shell was not very wind resistant. Every time the wind blew I could feel cold spots develop. This may be a consideration if you do not usually sleep in a tent. Another option is to upgrade to the dryloft shell which is reportedly much more wind resistant, but I did not test the dryloft.

As with most newer mummy bags, there is much more insulation in the top of the bag than in the bottom. In order to retain heat in such a bag you must ensure that the bottom of the bag stays to the ground. If you roll over and twist the bag so that the top and bottom of the bag become the sides, you will feel the heat quickly seeping though the less insulated bottom of the bag. Silk liners, such as those from Dreamsacks or Design Salt, make it much easier to turn inside your bag while keeping the bag stationary.

Another extra that puts Moonstone on top is the stuff sack. This "Kush" stuff sack is lined with a layer of soft fleecy polyester. It makes an excellent pillow when turned inside-out and stuffed with clothes. For me, the Kush sack/pillow is well worth the extra couple of ounces.

Summary: I was thoroughly pleased with the Moonstone 3d/Zone 2 sleeping bag--it will remain in my collection from now on. The price is reasonable considering its exceptional quality. For those who camp in wet or windy weather, I would recommend stepping up to the Dryloft shell. It doesn't take many cold nights to make the extra $100 worthwhile.

Matt Smith is a new contributor to GearReview.com. Matt specializes in canyoneering.

For more information, contact:
Moonstone Mountain Equipment
1700 Westlake Ave N.
Seattle, WA 98109
800-390-3312