North Face Cat's Meow 20 - Women's Review

Likes
The North Face Cat’s Meow is a lightweight, compressible, and fully featured sleeping bag. Weighing 40 ounces, it’s the lightest three-season synthetic sleeping bag we reviewed. It’s also the most compressible. For these reasons, it’s our favorite summer weight synthetic bag.

Not only is the Cat’s Meow light and comfortable, it is also very well featured and attractive looking. Our favorite feature is the hood closure system. Unlike most other bags, the Cat’s Meow uses one cord to close both the top and bottom of the hood. This allows for a simple and easy one-handed operation. Here’s how: pull the loop to close both the top and bottom or pull one side to close just the top or just the bottom. Best of all, North Face encased the closure system in a soft fabric that will never scratch your face.

Regarding looks, the shell is constructed of four ripstop nylons, each a different material and color. The bag is also emblazoned with numerous fancy markings and an oversized glow-in-the-dark pullcord. While these glamorous details provide little functional value, they are attractive. Beneath its glorified exterior lies the best feature of the Cat’s Meow: Climashield Prism insulation. Unlike most synthetic bags, which feel like heavy Army blankets, the Cat’s Meow is light, pliable, and very comfortable for a synthetic bag. The price has also stayed the same since 1993. Bonus: it comes with a compression stuff sack.

Dislikes
Ironically, the Cat’s Meow is not as wonderful as its name suggests. A boisterous name such as the Cat’s Meow should only be reserved for the best sleeping bags, which we believe are all filled with down.

Name aside, the main drawback to the Cat’s Meow is its miniscule and perky draft tube. We believe that the draft tube is one of most important components of a sleeping bag. It plays the critical role of insulating the space behind a sleeping bag’s zipper, which most likely runs the entire six feet of the bag. Out of the 30-plus sleeping bags we’ve tested, the Cat’s Meow is the only bag with an ineffective draft tube. There are two problems with it: first, the diameter is too small to effectively insulate the zipper area; second, it is exceptionally erect and doesn’t hang down over the zipper. When sleeping in the 20s, and even the 30s, we noticed a persistent stream of cold air seeping in along the zipper. For this reason, and this reason alone, the Cat’s Meow is not suited to coulder season conditions. Bring a warm set of long underwear and a hat if you plan on venturing into the 20s.

Beyond the draft tube, the Cat’s Meow is by and large one of the better three-season synthetic bags on the market. We recommend this bag for multi-day summer trips in wet weather. The bag is also a strong option for those who want a cheap bag for summer backpacking. A similarly warm, but much lighter, down bag will cost you between $100 and $200 more than this one.

Best Application
Summer backpacking in wet weather.

Value
The Cat’s Meow is the second most expensive synthetic sleeping bag we reviewed. It’s an excellent value for those who desire a bag that can function in a variety of climates and on multi-day trips. Those who primarily car camp should opt for the cheaper Mountain Hardwear Pinole.

Other Versions
The Cat’s Meow also comes in a women’s version that’s slightly smaller in the shoulders and wider in the hips.

Chris McNamara's Review
I didn't get to use this head-to-head with other bags like Max (the main reviewer) did. However, I have used this bag a ton and here is my review: I have had one for 15 years and still use it. After hundreds of times through the washing machine, it is surprisingly lofty and warm. It is a great value and is ideal for spring, summer and fall camping. However, any time I know the temps will be below freezing I bring a warmer bag. The one downside to this bag is that it does not pack that small and is not that light or warm compared to a down bag. For Sierra backpacking trips where I don't expect much weather, I would bring a down bag. For really cold winter camping, I would bring a heftier down or synthetic bag. But 90 percent of the time, whether it is sleeping on the side of El Capitan or car camping, I reach for this bag. I know I can sleep in the dirt and abuse it, then toss it in the washer and it will be almost as good as new. In comparison, I have to baby my down bags to keep them lofty. For $160 it is hard to beat this bag for an all-around camping and outdoor sleeping bag.