Mountain Hardwear Lamina 15 - Women's Review

This updated Mountain Hardwear bag is about the same as the previous versions we've tested, with an elevated price tag.

Performance Comparison

The Mountain Hardwear Lamina has two thirds of its loft on top for extra warmth.

Warmth

Warmth is an area where the Lamina exceeds. It is a warm and cozy sleeping bag. The Lamina is rated to 15 degrees Fahrenheit, although we're not sure if Mountain Hardwear EN tests their products, however, we think temperature rating seems accurate. The Lamina is about as warm as our favorite synthetic bag--the Cat's Meow. Both products have a more synthetic fill on the top of the bag than the bottom, which is a more efficient use of the materials since we lay on the bottom materials and compress them, making them much less efficient. The Lamina also has large draft tubes and a hood to keep any cold air trying to get in, out.

The Mountain Hardwear Lamina is a bulky synthetic bag that will keep you warm even if it gets wet.

Weight

The Lamina is the heaviest bag in this review weighing in at 3.45 pounds or 55 ounces. All the synthetic bags in this review are on the heavier side, but this is over the top. The Cat's Meow is 2.5 pounds, and the third synthetic bag in this review, the Marmot Trestles weighs 2.75. The Nemo Rave is the only other product we tested to break the 3-pound mark.

Comfort

This fluffy, warm synthetic behemoth is a comfortable and cozy item. It is a medium fit mummy-shape bag compared to the rest of the field, but not as roomy as the Trestles.

The Lamina has a large and fluffy hood with a huge draft collar to keep cold air out.

Packed Size

Although this product comes with a compression sack, it is the largest, least-compressible bag of the bunch. Squish all you want; it will still take up a lot of space in your pack. Down products compress much smaller and the smallest of the bunch is the featherweight Sierra Designs Cloud.

The two synthetic bags in their compression sacks, the Lamina and Trestles. Neither of which pack down as small as the other down products we tested.

Features

The Lamina is a pretty simple product without many bells and whistles. A new standard feature that many products have added this year is an anti-snag zipper. We were skeptical at first since these zippers are so huge and bulky, but they definitely prevent the zipper from getting caught on delicate liner materials, and so we are fans. Our Editors' Choice winner the Feathered friends Egret UL 20 was the first bag we tested last year to come with this feature.

There is no way your zipper will get caught with the Lamina's anti-snag zipper.

Best Application

Because of its bulk and weight, it's difficult for us to recommend carrying the Lamina any distance. This model could be a good choice for base camping or paddling trips where you're not carrying this heifer around on your back. Synthetic bags are generally better in wet climates because they don't lose their loft and so will keep you warm even when wet. A down bag will lose a considerable amount of loft when wet, even if treated with a hydrophobic coating. So, the Lamina could be a good choice if you anticipate spending a lot of time in a soggy climate.

Value

The Lamina has gone up in price from $179 to $200 with its "updates." Unfortunately, we can not call this a screaming deal anymore as the Cat's Meow retails for the same price, and the Marmot Trestles Eco is $150. It is still cheaper than most down bags in this review, but the Kelty Cosmic 20 is the least expensive down bag that retails for $170.

Conclusion

The Lamina is a decent, warm, and comfortable bag, but it is hard for us to recommend as there are products that do everything it does but better. The Cat's Meow is just as warm, but is much lighter and packs down much smaller.