Sleeping bags for tent or car camping are essential requisites when one is planning to explore the great outdoors. A distinct advantage that is connected to the use of these bags is their ability to ensure you always have a peaceful night’s sleep so you can wake up feeling energized and ready come the following day. No one would like to remain awake the entire night, tossing and turning due to the cold that penetrates their sleeping gear, as such experiences would render them ineffective the next day.
The right sleeping bag should be one that packs with ease, is durable, comfortable, and versatile enough to use in multi-days trips. When it comes to backpacking, durability is of great importance if you intend to use your gear for camping in different seasons. Before you can start looking for a sleeping bag, it is prudent to remember that cheap products are not necessarily the best.
If any dealer is offering their products at a great discount, be careful to ascertain there aren’t any defects and that their quality is not compromised. Since this type of equipment is a huge investment, and probably a one-time purchase, it’s always advisable to look for something of high quality irrespective of the price tag.
Also, you need to remember that sleeping bags come in different sizes and shapes, with different temperature ratings that are ideal for specific situations. If you are of an average size, you need to look for something average that would fit your size. Moreover, you need to look for a sleeping bag that is within your budget.
REVIEW
Packaging
This bag comes with a number of unique features and extra accessories to make your outdoor experience quite memorable. The bag is cover using a Durable Water Repellent fabric that acts as the barrier to condensation and moisture and keeps the user dry through the night. Its spoon shape makes it possible for you to twist and turn with ease. The Nemo Rhapsody comes with an included stuff sack which you can use to store the bag when you are trekking or hiking.
Design and Durability
Offering space, where it most needed, the Nemo Rhapsody Sleeping Bag by Nemo Equipment is broad at the elbows, tapers down on the hips, and widens again for maximum knee space. In comparison to the mummy-style bags that taper around the hip section and get narrower downwards, you will find that the Rhapsody offers more comfort due to the flexibility of movement.
If you are a person who loves sleeping on your back, the mummy models will not bother you; however, if you like sleeping on your side, you will require a bag that allows you to move comfortably without any restrictions. The Rhapsody makes it possible for you to shift and move your knees as you sleep rather than finding yourself awake because you are twisted in a disastrous position.
While the bag works perfectly if you are of average height, it can be a little tight if you have broad shoulders. In addition to that, the construction of Nemo Rhapsody keeps the down in position, preventing it from shifting about when you are snoozing.
Comfort
The Nemo Rhapsody sleeping bag is extremely comfortable, mainly due to their Spoon Shape style. Instead of narrowing as it approaches the bottom, like in the case of the mummy design, the knee box section opens up to make room for more space. This implies that during cold weather conditions, there are plenty of pockets inside the sleeping bag to warm up using your body heat.
Moreover, with the vertical baffle model, the opportunities of the down in the bag being displaced with time is much less. With time, this bag looks like it would hold up better compared to other products. The extra space inside the bag is sufficient to allow you to roll around when sleeping.
Weight
The extra space at the bottom of Nemo Rhapsody results in extra weight. While a regular bag is two pounds, six ounces, and the long is two Pounds, eleven ounces, this gear probably isn’t the right bag if you are an ultralight, backpacking extremist.
As an enthusiastic backpacker, this is something you can frequently take on your backpacking expeditions. One of the benefits of the mummy bags is their lightweight feature, which makes them possible to strap on the back along with other backpacking equipment.
Unique Features
The Nemo Rhapsody 15 features a tuckable Blanket Fold hood. This flap of fabric is insulated and can be wrapped around the neck to block drafts and ensure you remain extra toasty. The Blanket Fold is celebrated as one of the best features that come with the Rhapsody. When cinched via drawcord, the hood is not as comfortable, but this aspect improves when left open. Therefore, the fabric flap is very useful when you want to open the hood and do not want to wake up with a neck stiffened by the cold.
Other features of the Rhapsody include a pocket for storing your clothes or a pillow. The pillow pocket will, in fact, amaze you with what it can do as most sleeping bags do not this feature. Additionally, there is a zippered pocket where you can store your phone, so it’s possible to hear the alarm in the morning. There are also a roll-top compression sack and a storage bag. Other aspects of this sleeping bag include:
- Stretch stitching
- FlowGates
- Women’s specific design
- Breathable/waterproof foot box
Durable Water Repellant
The Rhapsody feature a DWR coating that is used on the fabrics to make them hydrophobic and water-resistant. A Durable Water Repellent finish does not compromise the product’s breathability, which makes the Rhapsody ideal for the adverse conditions in the outdoors.
Value for Money and Guarantee
The Nemo Rhapsody Sleeping Bag is a spoon-shaped sleeping bag that gives you value for your money. The product is made of different components that utilize various kinds of technology such as DownTek, DWR, and OSMO. This product is available for about $379 to $399 for the small and regular sized models respectively.
Although this may be on the higher side, you can be surprised that the Rhapsody is able to offer maximum utility compared to sleeping bags within the same price bracket.
Nemo’s Rhapsody Sleeping bag, along with other models from the company are packed with high-quality features in their fifteen- and thirty-degree rated versions. The New Rhapsody bag features 750-Fill-Power down that is treated using DownTekTM that help in keeping the down dry.
The water resistant and lightweight fabric with Durable Water Repellent surface constitute the outer shell of this sleeping bag, while its 750FP down utilizes nanotechnology aspects that help in keeping the moisture and cold at bay. This nanotechnology is also instrumental in protecting against bacteria, odor, and mildew.
The Rhapsody also features a quality blanket fold around its collar and a pillow pocket in which you can stuff your garment. There’s also a watch pocket where you can store your valuable. There’s an OSMOTM breathable/waterproof foot box that helps in protecting the down from condensation or moisture which you may get as a result of rubbing up against the tent’s wall. If at one point you have experienced the misery of a damp bag around the feet, then you can agree that this is quite an important feature.
The amazing and award-winning Nemo Rhapsody sleeping bag is a suitable bag for the side sleepers and people who are in need of comfort and ergonomic room. This bag uses Nemo’s extraordinary Spoon Shape design that offers comfort and weight savings to the backpacker. The innovative contour on the bag’s surface gives you that extra space you.
The bag’s cut begins wide at the shoulders and tapers down to the hips for warmth and comfort, then flares back out at the knee section making it possible for you to shift and bend freely throughout the night. This women’s gear offers true comfort when sleeping while maintaining its efficiency in a compressible, low weight option which is suitable for three-season temperatures.
As mentioned, the Nemo’s soft Blanket Fold design is an essential part of the product’s comfort. It’s an insulated panel at the bag’s collar that mimics a home bedding. You can tuck it around the face during cold nights or lay it flat when you are not utilizing it. A down-insulated draft tube along with its contoured zipper keep the cold out of the bag. The drawcords can be tightened or loosened around the face as required.
The Nemo Rhapsody Sleeping bag includes a storage and stuff sack for placing items so you don’t have to misplace them when you go to sleep.
Pros:
- Great insulation warmth
- Fairly priced
- Breathable/water resistant
- Versatile
- Highly durable
Cons:
- Relatively heavy
The information given above can assist you to decide whether or not the Rhapsody is ideal for you. However, it’s important to note that the interpretation of the information given depends on what you find to be suitable for your case.
Overall, those who have had the opportunity to use the Nemo Rhapsody have declared their satisfaction. However, it is imperative you that you compare this product to what is available in the market so you can be certain that whatever you pick is the right choice for you.
If you are in need of a comfortable night’s sleep while on the outdoors, you should consider this item. Make sure you also find out more about its contenders so you can know how these products compare. Check their prices and the features they offer so you can know whether they are better than Rhapsody.
