Gear Review
Marmot Helium 15° Down Sleeping Bag
- remarkably light — 2 lbs
- legitimate temp rating
- highly recommended
Marmot changed the game when they introduced the 'Helium', a major advance in ultra-light, ultra-compressible down bags.
The Helium puffs up like your favorite pillow, thanks to its 900-fill goose down, yet the whole bag weighs a meager two pounds.
The aptly-named Helium can thus easily shave a pound off your current sleeping bag, and its 15 degree temperature rating is legitimate—possibly even conservative.

Post-Williamson Crash
This is an very warm bag.
Though the Helium comes with a half rather than full-length zipper, the bag features a relatively roomy cut for a mummy bag, making it a solid choice for sleepers (like me) who do a lot of tossing and turning.
Summer campers who like to sleep warm on chilly mountain nights will positively love the Helium's extra insulation.
Winter mountaineers will be pushing the envelop a bit with a 15° down bag, but for experienced users, the Helium is an excellent option for the lightest possible winter bag—especially for short tours, or in climates where dampness is not a factor.
I use the Helium as my primary winter bag, again, for short, fair-weather tours only.
For expeditions or hard core rain, I would of course switch to a synthetic bag, and so should you. For summer use in the mountains, I've migrated to the also outstanding Marmot Atom, though I do bring the Helium when I'm feeling the need for a little extra warmth and comfort.
The Helium's exterior is Quantum Pertex, now an endangered fabric, but still the best there is. Such high-end features make the Helium more expensive than you may like, but if weight and warmth are a concern, this bag is worth every penny.
Marmot Helium Sleeping Bag: 15 Degree$368.95
at Backcountry.com
Marmot Helium 15 Degree Sleeping Bag$358.95
at Altrec Outdoors
Marmot Helium 15 Sleeping Bag 850+ Goose$358.95
at CampSaver.com
Marmot Helium EQ 15 Sleeping Bag$428.95
at RockCreek.com
Marmot Helium Sleeping Bag$358.95
at e-OMCMarmot Helium Sleeping Bag$369.00
at MasseysOutfitters

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