Western Mountaineering Sequoia GWS Sleeping Bag Review

A few months ago set out looking for a new cold weather sleeping bag. My only criteria was that it had to be made in the USA. The search was much harder that I thought it would be. I was only able to find one company, Western Mountaineering, that still produced expedition quality sleeping bags here in the United States.

All Western Mountaineering sleeping bags are made in San Jose, California. These bags are made to last, with double lock stitching and overlock stitching throughout each sleeping bag. Only high quality 850+ fill power down is used, and only the best materials are selected for the shell. Yes these bags are at the high-end of the price range, but they are also at the highest end of quality.

I ended up getting the Sequoia GWS sleeping bag. The bag is a semi-rectangle providing 66" of Shoulder Girth and 48" of Foot Girth. It's rated to 5 degrees Fahrenheit and weights 3 pounds, 10 ounces. We test the sleeping bag while winter camping with temperatures between 15 and 25 degrees.

Western Mountaineering Sequoia Hood

The top of the Sequoia has two down collars. One creates the top of the hood, the second creates a seal for the body of the sleeping bag. This setup allows for two adjustments to block out the cold air. One around the head and one around the body. This is feature helps trap warm air inside the bag.

Western Mountaineering Sequoia Interior

The down collars continue on the inside of the zipper. I didn't notice any cold spots in the sleeping bag. The stiff seam (pictured on the left side) keeps the zipper from getting caught up in shell material. The interior is smooth, and cold to the touch when first entering the sleeping bag.

Western Mountaineering Sequoia Bottom

The Sequoia has two zippers. This allows you to zip the bag to other bags, or open the bag so it's completely flat. If you're using the bag in temperatures that get too hot, you can unzip the bottom zipper for ventilation. Western Mountaineering allows you to customize the fill on bag, (for an added cost) so you can add more down to the foot area if you're feet get cold easy.

Gore Tex Windstopper

The Sequoia GWS uses the Gore WindStopper 830 shell (hence the GWS). The collar and draft tubes are also constructed from this material for an air tight fit. This shell has the ripstop grids to help minimize abrasion. The shell is the most water resistant-breathable fabric for sleeping bags.

Sequoia in the Field

Once you fluff up the bag and crawl in, it's hard to get out. It's like returning to the womb. Warm and comfortable. The semi-rectangular shape provide ample shoulder and foot room, and space to move around inside the bag. The bag nestles very comfortably around the body. It's not too heavy or too light. I was impressed with the breathablity. Once the sun poked out it became noticeably warmer in the tent but I didn't get cooked in the bag.

Sequoia in the Field -- Side View

As you can see, the Sequoia is well lofted. It doesn't feel bulky while in the bag, although it may look that way.

Storage Sack

The bag comes with a storage sack. It's best to leave the bag uncompressed when ever possible.

Stuff Sack

The Sequoia GWS packs down into the 9" X 18" stuff stack included. Despite the enormous girth and fluff the bag only weights 3 pound 10 ounces.

BOTTOMLINE: PREMO SLEEPING BAG