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Picking a sleeping bag for a 2-week trip is a difficult one; the time of year, where you are hiking, how changeable the weather is, and what altitude you are camping at, should all be taken into account when choosing what bag to take on a trip. May in Scotland is arguably the most unpredictable month, in the most unpredictable of places, it could snow, and it could also be a heat wave, it could be both…So I knew I needed A warm, lightweight bag that could cope with the potential dampness, that had the ability to ventilate heat quickly, or the option to have the bag fully opened. After a little research, I made my mind up and decided the  Marmot Hydrogen Down Sleeping Bag ticked all my boxes.

Firstly, the temperature rating, The Hydrogens comfort rating is 2 degrees and the limit is -3, I wasn’t expecting the temperature to drop that low, but even my high summer bag has a limit of 0 degrees, as I’m usually over-cautious. I can attest that during the whole of the 2 weeks, in a range of weather, I was never cold. In fact, more often than not I was a tad warm, but this wasn’t an issue. The Hydrogen has an additional small second zip, only about 30cm in length, which is located opposite the main full-length zip. This allows the top of the bag to be folded down, which is perfect for ventilating heat, but also allows you to have your hands free when you are in the bag. In the event it got really warm, the full-length zip can be completely unzipped, which gives you a quilt-like system with a large foot box.

The outer fabric of the bag is made from a 100% recycled, 20 denier, Pertex Quantum, nylon, which is very soft to the touch and feels great next to the skin. As it’s Pertex Quantum, the bag has water and wind resistance properties, which gives you a little extra confidence in wet weather. The insulation of this bag comes from its 800-fill Goose down, treated with Marmots in-house “Down Defender”, which offers an extra level of moisture protection for sleeping bags exposed to wet environments, which also helps it dry quicker if it gets wet.

The Curved Baffle Construction prevents the down moving around and the boxed baffled construction ensures no cold spots so you'll say snug all night. The hood is of a nice size and can be cinched in with one drawcord, but in all honesty, it was never cold enough for me to really need it, and used the hood, primarily to prevent my pillow from sliding about.

The 2-way zip, which can be opened all the way to the foot box, is protected by a zip guard slider, which prevents the zip from snagging and is backed by a draught tube, that runs the length of the zip and prevents cold air from entering the bag. The bag features a small internal pocket, but its incredibly small, and I found no use for it.

I really like this bag, the wind resistance was a big win for me, something I’m likely to look out for next time I’m in the market for a bag. Top tip if you get this bag, or already own it. When it’s time to stuff the bag back into its compression sack, because of its wind resistance, it’s a right pain to stuff as the air won’t leave the bag, however, if you turn the bag inside out, you will have no problem compressing it and stuffing it in the bag.

Andy Neil
Andy has been a keen long-distance hiker and wild camping enthusiast since he completed the Cleveland Way in 2015. Since then, he has walked thousands of trail miles all over the UK and is an active member of the Wild Camping UK community, being an admin of the largest wild camping community on Facebook. He strongly advocates for responsible wild camping and believes it is important to leave no trace when camping in the wilderness. He joined the UOG team in 2021 and works as a website developer and content creator. Read more from Andy Neil