EP 213: The Expanse Sleeping Bag: Deep Dive
The Outdoor Vitals Expanse Sleeping Bag is a roomy, hoodless ultralight down sleeping bag built for side sleepers and anyone who moves at night. In this Live Ultralight Podcast episode, Tayson Whittaker and OV lead designer Brigham Crane cover the full design story, a couple years of prototypes and field testing, and every feature of the Expanse. Expanse Sleeping Bag: https://bit.ly/4iJwgG4 Have questions for us? Send us a voice message on Speakpipe: https://www.speakpipe.com/LiveUltraLight Or write in to [email protected]! "I just flat out had some of the best nights of sleep I've ever had in the backcountry sleeping in this bag." - Tayson Whittaker CHAPTERS 0:00 Introducing the Expanse Sleeping Bag 2:16 The late night in the mountains that started the Expanse 7:03 Designing for sleep quality, side sleepers, and less fiddle factor 10:59 What people want from a sleeping bag: foot room and simplicity 13:13 Why the Expanse is hoodless 15:06 Half-length zipper and a roomier cut 17:32 Why 900 fill power Muscovy down 19:27 Extra room means cold spots: the interior cinch cord solution 23:16 Why a smaller space stays warmer: the heater analogy 26:07 Prototype one: what testers found 33:09 Refining the draft collar, zipper, baffles, and elastic cords 36:45 Why the Long size gets a third cinch cord 39:30 Top to bottom walkthrough of the Expanse 41:36 How roomy is it? Mild taper vs mummy and rectangular bags 43:37 Symmetrical design and top quilt mode 45:20 Field testing: warmth, simplicity, and sleep quality 52:30 Cold sleepers, kids, and friends in the Expanse 54:58 The tradeoff: about 5 oz heavier than a top quilt 58:20 Specs, weights, and 2027 temperature ratings 1:01:25 ExpeDRY down and 900 fill power explained 1:05:00 Wrap-up and how to send questions HOW THE EXPANSE WAS TESTED Through development, the Expanse was the design team's only sleep system, year round, in every condition. Every temperature rating was slept at and below its rating. In the 15°F model, Brigham only added extra layers once temps dropped to around 9 to 12°F. EXPANSE SLEEPING BAG SPECS Available now: 15°F comfort rating (comfortable at the rating, not survivable), Regular 72" (1 lb 13 oz) and Long 77" (2 lb), bag only Coming in 2027: 30°F (1 lb 7.7 oz, Regular) and 0°F (2 lb 6 oz, Regular) Insulation: 900 fill power ExpeDRY Muscovy down Shell and lining: 10D nylon DWR treated Zipper: half-length YKK No. 5 coil with draft tubes and anti-snag webbing Inside width: 30" shoulder to hip, 27.5" at the knee, 13.5" minimum footbox Room: about 50% more at the knee and 40%+ more in the footbox than some of our own mummy bags Baffles: horizontal and vertical, with added baffles below the knee to keep down in place Interior elastic cinch cords: 2 in Regular (knee and foot), 3 in Long Cinchable draft collar, inner snap at the top of the zipper Dry bag (1.5 oz) and storage bag (4 oz) included EXPANSE SLEEPING BAG FAQ Is the Expanse good for side sleepers? Yes. The Expanse Sleeping Bag was designed for side sleepers who roll through the night. The down is distributed symmetrically with no top or bottom side, so the bag stays equally warm wherever it t