Review: Nemo Riff 30 Sleeping Bag

Sleeping bags. Have they changed much over time? They're basically a tortilla for humans. They wrap around us and provide warmth and comfort while we are sleeping under the stars. But, they are the crucial piece of camping equipment that can make or break a stellar experience.

The Nemo Equipment Riff 30 is an exceptional sleeping bag that is loaded with modern features. Let me tell you about a couple of things that I like about the Riff 30. First, I love the blanket fold. The blanket fold is a smart design that helps seal out cold outside air around your neck. And, if it's warm, you can flip the blanket fold to the outside of the sleeping bag to let warm air easily escape. The second clever design is their Thermo Gills. The Thermo Gills are two zippered vents that run vertically on in the torso region of the sleeping bag. If it's a mild night, you can unzip the Thermo Gills to let warm air escape. By doing this, it keeps you from overheating, yet still keeps cold drafts out! 

I've always had a hard time with pillows while camping. Do I use an inflatable pillow? A sweatshirt? What happens when I roll over? Nemo designed a handy pillow pocket in the sleeping bag that you can stuff a sweater, fleece, inflatable pillow, or whatever to create a pillow that moves with you! I love this design element.

Have you ever woken up in the morning and found the foot box of your sleeping bag wet from touching the condensation on the walls of your tent? The crew at Nemo had this problem as well, so they designed the Riff with a waterproof/breathable fabric around the foot box to help keep the 800 fill-power hydrophobic Down, dry, and warm. They also incorporated two webbing loops at the foot box so you can easily hang your sleeping bag to air out. 

The Nemo Riff 30 is a spoon-shaped sleeping bag. According to Nemo, they say that 70% of people are side sleepers and that traditional mummy-style sleeping bags are incompatible with side sleepers. Nemo's spoon shape provides more room at the knees and elbows, which allows people to shift positions smoother throughout the night. If you ever slept in a minimalist mummy sleeping bag, you'll appreciate roomy knee and elbow areas.

Lastly, Nemo uses a 100% Responsibly Sourced Down so you can trace its entire supply chain and feel confident that the down comes from animals that have not been subject to unnecessary harm.

After seeing all the photos in this post, you may ask, why a 30º F bag when sleeping on snow? Well, a 30º bag weighs less, costs less, and takes up less space than a warmer sleeping bag with more down fill. To boost the temp inside my sleeping bag, I'll wear my base, mid, and a puffy layer along with a balaclava and beanie. I don't wear my outerwear because that is most likely wet, and I don't want to get my down wet. By doing this, I can easily use a 30º F bag while camping on the snow. That in mind, I'll camp on nights when it's in the upper 20s to 30s, so it's not bitterly cold. For something like that, I'd go with a 0º bag, or double up on 30º bags and be ultra-comfy!

If you are in the market for a new sleeping bag, check out the Nemo Riff 30º. I'm impressed!