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850 Fill Power down / -9 Comfort rating / Regular Length / 1007grams

Inner bag weight 482grams / Outer Bag weight 530grams

Inner bag Fill Weight 227g / Outer bag Fill Weight 198grams

I have a natural aversion to this type of product because multi-functional products often tend to be less effective than individual products designed to fill a specific niche, however I was very pleasantly surprised with the  Big Agnes Lost Ranger UL, in a nutshell both bags are really roomy and used as a pair. The combined Fill Weight of the down is comparable to other bags with a Similar Comfort rating and used individually they would be ideal for people who don’t want to be restricted by a tight mummy shape.

You have three choices with this system:

1. An inner Summer weight sleeping bag with a hood and full length zip

2. A Summer weight quilt that fastens to your sleeping pad with a similar amount of down but none on the base.

3. Combining both bags into a 4 season system with an EN Comfort Limit of -9C

Although the combined bags have a weight of 1007g, heavier than an equivalent 4 season ultralight sleeping bag you do get the flexibility of having a choice of summer bag/quilt at a minimal weight and all three of the bag configurations are roomier than typical mummy bags. These benefits would suit someone who does most of their backpacking in the Summer but then has the occasional foray into colder months.

The Inner Bag

The inner bag is a full sleeping bag with a ¾ length two-way zip down the centre, or along one edge if you are a side sleeper, it also has a full hood although there isn’t any adjustment on it. There’s a large boxed foot.

The down in this and the outer bag has a high 850 Fill Power and there’s 227 grams of it, which is the same as other bags rated at around the 2C Comfort Limit, although the bag is certainly roomier than a typical mummy shaped bag and with a stitched through construction a 2C rating may be optimistic.

The Outer Quilt

I really liked the way the quilt attaches to your sleeping mat, it’s really effective and there’s also a sheet of nylon between you and the mat which stops you sticking to the mat if you sleep in the buff. The system also keeps the quilt in place so there’ll be no draughts to contend with if you move around at night.

It has only slightly less down in it than the inner bag but of course it is all on the top and sides. The quilt is a great option for summer camping where you aren’t bothered about having a hood, and just want a roomy sleep system that approaches what you have at home.

There’s a full length two way side zip to get you in and out easily and facilitate venting.

Combined

As I was using this bag in February I needed both bags together although it wasn’t very cold during the night, temperatures stayed above freezing certainly and I was warm enough even with just a base-layer on top. Being a cold sleeper I usually like a sleeping bag rated to a good 5 degrees below the temperature I’m expecting to sleep in.

I was also worried about the palaver of undoing two zips to get in and out of the bag but it didn’t seem inconvenient and I didn’t really think about it. The outer quilt has an anti-snag slider although the inner slider is a standard one.

Although both bags are sewn through when combined they are effectively an offset quilt design which will eliminate cold spots. I couldn’t test if the comfort rating of -9C is accurate but with the combined Fill Power and Fill Weight of 850+ and 425 grams it doesn’t sound unreasonable.

Mark Richardson
Mark was the founder of Ultralight Outdoor Gear back in 2006 and has completed long distance backpacking routes in some of the remotest parts of the world. His favourite hikes have been Torres del Paine (full circuit), the John Muir trail and the Markha Valley trail (Ladakh, India). Although semi-retired Mark has not lost any enthusiasm for minimalist backpacking and is tackling Scotland’s Munros choosing multi-day backpacking routes over the more usual guide book excursions. Read more from Mark Richardson