Marmot Helium

[STICK]

I still want to get a true winter bag (to me that's a 0 or 5 degree bag) but for now I have decided to go with a Marmot Helium 15* bag. According to the EN rating they are pretty much spot on. A regular weighs in at 1 lb 15 oz which is pretty nice. (I am not talking about the EQ bag here.) They also seem to pack down pretty small. Other than this, it seems that the overall opinion on this bag is a good one. I think that this would be a great 3-season bag (and I can still go with the WM for my winter bag!) However I can use this one for the cold months for my thru in a few years. The bag is on sale for $319 right now so I am going to try to get one this coming weekend.

So, for those of you that have them, or had them.

How well does the regular bag resist water? I mean would it be suitable to use under a tarp? I would throw my rain jacket over the foot to help keep the foot from getting any rain on it if the chance came up.

The hood. There seems to be a lot of attention to the "Nautilus Hood." How well does the hood fit around your head? Is there plenty of down in the hood to adequately keep your head warm (and I understand I would use a beenie to help with this). Does the draw cord actually go around the hood?

It seems that this bag does not necessarily have a draft collar, but I have read on some sites that it has a passive collar. The lack of a draft collar on my current bag is really a bummer for me and has led me to really desire one in a bag for use below freezing, so what's the story with this one?

How much extra room does the trapezoidal foot box really provide? Is this what I am imagining, and the foot box actually begins to widen back out near the end?

How well does the zipper zip without snagging on the material? And if it snag easily, how durable is the fabric? Does it survive the occasional zipper snags well?

I am 5'10", so how well will the regular actually work for me? (I have a feeling it will not be a problem, but hey, I'm already asking questions......)

To the owners, is there anything that you have noticed about this bag (different from others) that you enjoy or maybe annoys you?

Thanks for any comments.

[garlic08]

I have an older Helium from 2006 with a half-zip. I understand they're making longer zips now. So the bag is probably overall different than mine. I once tested the Helium literally alongside a Sierra Designs 0F bag and the Helium was just as warm for a pound lighter, I thought. I did not like the draft collar on the SD bag and don't miss it at all on the Helium. I have absolutely no issues with the size and shape of the bag, including the hood. I like the fact that the down tubes are continuous with no side baffles.

I have over 5000 three-season trail miles in mine and though it doesn't look new anymore, it's still the best bag I've ever tried and I'm not even thinking about getting a different bag. If I had to replace it, I'd get another Helium, no doubt at all.

I have often had it down to low teens in trail conditions (single digits in test conditions in the back yard) and the 15F rating is a real rating for me.

I'm 5'9" and the regular is large for me. My 6' friend also uses the regular and says it's fine for him.

I've never had problems with moisture in or on the bag in a single-wall tarptent, despite a wet season on the AT. Also a wet traverse across Washington State on the Pacific Northwest Trail. I never put raingear over the bag, having had experience with that causing more condensation than it solved.

I have not owned any other high quality bags. This is my first one, and I'm kicking myself for waiting so long.

[Roland]

After Garlic's post, there's not much left to say. His review of the Helium matches mine, so I won't repeat everything he said.

I'll address your questions, directly:

The Helium resists water very well. The shell has a high thread count and the DWR treatment does the job. Given the practice you've had with different tarp pitches, you'll be fine in the rain. (Yeah, I saw your pics on another thread.)

Like most sleeping bags, the hood can be drawn tight, so that only your nose is exposed. Fully open, the hood lies flat.

The "trapezoidal footbox" provides more height to accommodate long feet. So it's not that the bag widens a whole lot at the bottom, but the height of the bag increases.

Zipper snags are never a problem once you learn to use your finger to "feed" the zipper. Tugging on a zipper with total disregard to the alignment of the mating halves can lead to a snag with any bag, although a lot of folks seem to blame the bag when this happens. I believe the bag will "survive" zipper snags as well as any other, although I don't have any experience with serious snags.

The only thing that "annoys" me with this bag is the 1/2 zip. But Marmot fixed that a few years ago. I believe the quality of the Helium is equivalent to my WM bag.

The Helium is a lot more sleeping bag than I would want for summer use in your home state. I use a 35*F bag, in northern NH. For an early spring start on the AT, it's an ideal bag and a great value. Even better value with a $50 discount. I would not hesitate to buy.