Mountain Hardwear Phantom 30F Sleeping Bag – Super Light Down Bag

Kyle Juszczyk

The Mountain Hardwear Phantom 30F Sleeping Bag $409 is a super-light down bag that is designed for gram-shaving and space-limited adventures in the mountains. Mountain Hardwear has done an excellent job of making a minimalist, but a fully functioning bag that doesn’t dissolve after a single-use. 

Mountain Hardwear Phantom 30F Sleeping Bag Review

The thought of a warm sleeping bag does wonders for my morale when I’m cold and scared in the mountains, so I’m not one to ever skimp on my sleep system. For years I’ve had no problem lugging around my zero-degree bag for spring/fall overnight trips. However, when I noticed my partners were eating up the climbs of a Mount Rainier circumnavigation last spring, I hefted their packs to find that mine was woefully heavier.


Phantom Sleeping Bag: 30F Down $449.95

 

My zero-degree was admittedly overkill, and by finding a lighter bag I could shed almost two pounds out of my pack. I did a bunch of research exploring different brands and comparing bags vs. quilts. I decided I wanted a full sleeping bag rated to at least 30F. The Phantom stood out because of the competitive packability and weight, anatomic design, and robust, anti-snag zipper. My full testing of the Phantom will begin in the spring, but I’ve already tried it out on some winter car camping trips and a hut-based ski traverse and am very happy with how warm, comfortable, and functional it is. 

Weight and Packability

For this style of bag, all other features are irrelevant if it’s not light and doesn’t pack well. The Phantom 30 weighs in at 1lb 6.3oz (632g). At that weight, it’s comparable to super paired down 30F bags from other brands but it has a real zipper and isn’t made of garbage bags. Definitely a big weight saver from my almost 3lb zero-degree bag.

The biggest benefit though was the space the Phantom saves in my pack. With the compression sack it comes with, I can get it down to the size of about two 1L Nalgene bottles. When I supplement the compression sack with a few ski straps I can squeeze out another few cubic inches of volume. I’m on the hunt for a smaller compression sack that I think will be able to get this thing extra tiny.

Fill and Warmth

The Phantom 30 uses 10oz of RDS (Responsible Down Standard) certified 850 fill down for insulation. This provides the bag with four inches of loft and keeps it toasty for its low weight. I’ve spent one cold night in the Phantom in my car this winter.

Definitely not the intended use for this model, but I couldn’t wait until spring to try it out. The nighttime low outside was around 10F, and I bet it got down to 20F inside my car. To my surprise, I made it through most of the night without needing to add another blanket to stay warm.

My initial impression is that this bag actually exceeds its 30F rating. On my hut trip the indoor temps never got cold enough for me to fully climb into the bag, supporting my finding of this bag to be nice and toasty.

Materials and Zipper

There are a few different fabric types used in the construction of this bag. They use that super light, slightly transparent nylon on the outside. I’m not the biggest fan of the way this type of fabric feels on my skin. Luckily, they used a much comfier, standard sleeping bag material on the interior of the bag.

The fabrics aren’t bulletproof, but I think they’re going to last a while as long as I don’t abuse them. The zipper system is one of the primary reasons I opted for this bag opposed to comparable models. It may have single handedly ruined all other zippers for me. The primary zipper has a plastic sheath around it to keep fabric from getting caught up in it.

Additionally, the fabric nearest the zipper is a sturdier ripstop type nylon that would be difficult to get sucked up into the zipper, and if it somehow did, it wouldn’t blow apart. Lastly, there is another zipper that allows you to open the bottom of the bag to let off some heat without exposing an entire half of your body. All in all, the awesome zipper system couldn’t have cost more than a few extra grams of weight and it was toooootaly worth it. 

Awesome so Far, More Testing to Come

It was really hard to pick out a sleeping bag in this weight class because most models are so similar. Furthermore, each brand uses a lightly different temperature rating scale so it was difficult to tell if a model was lighter for its rating or just lighter. I’m super glad that I decided on the Phantom 30. It weighed in similarly to other quilts and half bags, but is a full sized, well designed sleeping bag. The standout feature is, the super smooth, anti-snag zipper. I think a distinct lack of bells, whistles, and frills is what makes this model so functional. It’s a super clean, sleek design that works superbly.  

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Kyle Juszczyk

Kyle grew up in Iowa and after high school ditched the midwest to begin college at Western State Colorado University and start guiding in the summers. 

Kyle says he spent his time at Western climbing, snowboarding, volunteering on the rescue team, and instructing for the outdoor program. He claims if he had spent any less time actually in class he certainly would not have graduated. Kyle’s time with the Western Mountain Rescue Team was extremely formative and revealed his passion for wilderness search and rescue (SAR). He made it his goal to make a career out of SAR. Kyle is well on his way to achieving his goal and currently works as a Ski Patroller in Colorado and a Climbing Ranger in the Pacific NorthWest.

Kyle’s certifications include WEMT-IV, Avalanche Pro 1, and AMGA Single Pitch Instructor. Kyle is a certified AIARE instructor and teaches Recreational Level 1, Level 2, and Partner Rescue courses. He is also an Apprentice Rock and Ski Guide through the AMGA

 

When Kyle has free time he climbs and skis. He’s taken the hard way to the top of El Capitan and the steep way down peaks in Colorado and Washington.

Kyle’s jobs allow or force him (depending on the weather) to work 200 days a year outside. He’s constantly testing gear in all conditions and refining his setups to make work and play easier, faster, and more fun.