Big Agnes Husted 20 Review
Cons: Almost too heavy for backpacking, bulky, awkward stuff sack shape
Manufacturer: Big Agnes
Our Verdict
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Big Agnes Husted 20 | |||||
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Awards | ![]() | ![]() | |||
Price | $119.95 at Backcountry | $199.95 at Backcountry Compare at 3 sellers | $170 List | $127.73 at REI Compare at 2 sellers | $145.00 at Amazon Compare at 2 sellers |
Overall Score ![]() |
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Star Rating | |||||
Pros | Super warm, cozy liner fabric, clever hood design, great value | Awesome warmth-to-weight ratio for the price, very compressible, tons of venting options, nice compression sack included | Thick synthetic insulation, well-balanced performance, easy to use zipper, included stuff sack | Cheap, anti-snag zipper, sturdy materials, versatile synthetic insulation | Inexpensive, burly, decent warmth, roomy fit |
Cons | Almost too heavy for backpacking, bulky, awkward stuff sack shape | Not as warm as its temp rating, no draft collar, uncertain durability | Bulkier than expected, mediocre warmth-to-weight ratio | Moderate warmth-to-weight ratio, doesn't compress well, limited extra features | Heavier than average, bulky, no storage sack, no compression sack |
Bottom Line | An affordable and warm bag, but on the heavy side | Great warmth-to-weight ratio for an affordable price | This synthetic mummy bag is simple and effective | Among tough competition, this workhorse holds its own admirably | An affordable option that's still suitable for overnight backpacking |
Rating Categories | Big Agnes Husted 20 | NEMO Kyan 35 | The North Face Cat's Meow 20 | Mountain Hardwear Lamina 30 | Kelty Cosmic 20 |
Warmth (20%) | |||||
Weight (20%) | |||||
Comfort (20%) | |||||
Packed Size (15%) | |||||
Versatility (15%) | |||||
Features & Design (10%) | |||||
Specs | Big Agnes Husted 20 | NEMO Kyan 35 | The North Face... | Mountain Hardwear... | Kelty Cosmic 20 |
Measured weight (size Long, in lbs) | 2.75 lbs | 1.89 lbs | 2.39 lbs | 2.28 lbs | 2.63 lbs |
Manufacturer claimed weight (size Regular, in lbs) | 2.75 lbs | 1.69 lbs | 2.25 lbs | 2.17 lbs | 2.41 lbs |
Temperature rating (F) | 20 F | 35 F | 20 F | 30 F | 20 F |
EN lower limit (rating for men)/ EN Comfort Rating (rating for women) | 19 (lower) F | 35 / 46 F | 22 / 33 F | 27 (lower) F | 19 (lower) F |
Compression/Stuff sack weight (oz) | 1.6 oz | 2.4 oz | 4.0 oz | 3.7 oz | 0.8 oz |
Compressed volume (L) | 13.4 L | 6.6 L | 11.4 L | 8.6 L | 8.7 L |
Fill | Synthetic - Fireline Pro | Synthetic - Primaloft Silver | Synthetic - Heatseeker Guide | Synthetic - Thermal.Q | 600FP Down (83%) / Polyester (17%) |
Hydrophobic down? | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Yes |
Fill weight (size Reg, in ounces) | 30.5 oz | 12 oz | 26 oz | Unknown | 18.2 oz |
Shell material | Nylon ripstop | Ripstop nylon (20D) | 20D Nylon Ripstop | Ripstop nylon (30D) | 20D Nylon taffeta |
Neck baffle | Yes | No | No | No | Yes |
Small organization pocket | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
Zipper | Full-Length Side | Full-length / Side | Full-Length Side | Full-lengh / Side | 3/4-Length Side |
Shoulder girth (size Regular) | 60 in | 62 in | Unknown | 60 in | 64 in |
Hip girth (size Regular) | 54 in | 57 in | Unknown | 58 in | 60 in |
Foot girth (size Regular) | 36 in | 46 in | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
Stuff or compression sack included? | Stuff | Compression | Compression | Compression | Stuff |
Storage sack included? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Water resistant shell? | DWR | DWR | No | DWR | No |
Total weight (size Long, in ounces) | 50.2 oz | 30.2 oz | 38.2 oz | 36.4 oz | 42.0 oz |
Manufacturer claimed weight (size Long, in ounces) | 49 oz | 30 oz | 39 oz | Not listed | 43 oz |
Our Analysis and Test Results
Although the Husted is heavy and doesn't pack as small as we would like, there are still a lot of things about it to love. Read on to learn why our testers still think it's one of the best budget backpacking sleeping bags.
Performance Comparison
Warmth
This bag contains 30.5 ounces of Fireline Pro synthetic insulation. It's also one of few budget sleeping bags that include a draft collar to better trap heat inside. Our testers believe its 19°F EN lower limit rating is accurate compared to other bags. This rating makes it fairly warm for a 3-season bag and warmer than all the award-winning budget bags.
Weight
The insulation that the Husted 20 uses to achieve its considerable warmth also increases its overall weight. On our scale, a size long weighed a whopping 3.14 pounds. This model is among the heaviest sleeping bags in the budget category and more than double the weight of the best premium bags filled with high-quality down. These premium bags, however, can cost almost four times as much. The comparison nonetheless highlights the Husted's subpar warmth-to-weight ratio.
Comfort
This sleeping bag features slightly narrower dimensions than many budget sleeping bags. The narrowness, however, doesn't greatly detract from its comfort. Our testers like the softness of its interior polyester taffeta fabric. We are also big fans of the cozy hood. The drawstring used to close this hood is threaded beneath a clever strip of fabric that redirects the drawstring away from your face.
Packed Size
The Husted 20 comes with a simple nylon stuff sack that is strangely narrow cylindrical shape. At 20 inches in length, it won't fit easily across the bottom of many backpacks, which is certain to frustrate some people. Using an after-market compression sack, we were able to pack it down into a more convenient shape that measured 13.4 liters in volume. This figure makes it one of the bulkiest 3-season sleeping bags we've tried.
Versatility
This bag's synthetic insulation performs much better than down when wet. Its full-length zipper is effective at letting excess heat escape on warmer nights. Our testers also appreciated the passive draft collar in colder tempts because it effectively trapped their body heat inside.
Features and Design
Although the Husted 20 is just a simple mummy bag, there are a couple of subtle design features that we like. The zipper has a great anti-snag slide with convenient pull tabs on both the outside and inside of the bag. As we mentioned above, the hood drawstring is threaded beneath a piece of fabric to keep it out of your face and adjusts with a low-profile spring clamp. The draft collar also has clever stitches on either side to keep it securely in place.
Value
Considering the Husted's extremely affordable price, it provides outstanding comfort and warmth. The quality of its materials and construction are also noticeably higher than other similarly priced bags. For these reasons and more we think it's an awesome value.
Conclusion
There is a lot to like about the Husted 20. It's exceptionally warm and built incredibly well. We also think it's more comfortable than similarly priced bags. Unfortunately, though, these strengths are counteracted by its substantial weight and large packed size. We still love the Husted 20, but we don't recommend it for actual backpacking far from the road.
— Jack Cramer