Fiona Russell finds the Sea to Summit Ascent Women’s -9C bag versatile, well constructed and cosy – but does have one criticism.
There is very little to fault in the Sea to Summit Ascent women’s sleeping bag. It is very well constructed and roomy enough to wriggle about inside and also curl up. The women’s bag, compared to the men’s bag, is wider at the hips and narrower at the shoulders to better suit the female physique.
Fiona Russell’s Best in Test
The Sea to Summit Ascent is not a cheap but it has good versatility and would serve as both a three and four-season bag.- warmth
- women’s shape
- fit
- versatility
- weight
- cost
| Quick specs |
|---|
| Price: £450 |
| Weight: 797g |
| Fill: 750+ fill power RDS certified goose down with “Ultra-Dry Down” treatment |
| Shell: recycled 20-denier nylon shell and lining; 10-denier nylon waterproof-breathable hood and footbox |
| Construction: box wall baffle, plus vertical chest baffles and horizontal baffles lower half |
| Zip: 3 x 2-way zips full length, half length & toe box |
| Length: 170m (reg), 185cm (long) |
| Rating: -9C comfort, -15C lower limit |
| Sizes: regular and long |
| Women/Men’s version: yes |
| www.seatosummit.co.uk |
The fabric is light, silky and floaty and the down-fill is plush and plump. When fully zipped up with the hood tightened around my head, I felt delightfully sealed in and cosy, even when temperatures dipped well below zero. There are two lovely soft-feel cord pulls around the shoulders, too.
Yet, it’s also possible to let in air and cool off if needed thanks to an array of zips. The full-length zip is two-way, plus there is a two-way half-zip on the other side and a two-way zip along the base of the toe box. The zips are backed by draft tubes and there is a generous shoulder baffle, too.
Down fill will not be everyone’s first choice but Sea to Summit have used RDS certified goose down. It is also the brand’s Ultra-Dry Down, which means it includes a water-repellency treatment. It is difficult to judge whether this is as useful as synthetic fill for preventing the damp created by moisture while sleeping in a tent, but certainly I didn’t feel cold or damp.
The bag is on the weightier end of those on test although you would expect a warm winter sleeping bag to a fairly heavy and bulky. It does pack down to a fairly neat size in the compression sack. The product comes with a zipped stuff bag, too.
Sea to Summit Ascent Women’s -9C is not a cheap at £450 for regular – and £475 for long – but it has good versatility and would serve well as both a three and four-season bag.
A small annoyance is the zipped internal pocket that is hardly big enough to fit much more than a set of keys.
Sea to Summit gives a nod to eco-goodness with RDS down and polyester in the main body fabric that is 100% Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) certified.
Testing conditions
Fiona is 173cm tall and UK10. She is a cold sleeper. She is also a side sleeper and likes to be able to move her legs around and curl up inside a sleeping bag. These bags were tested in winter temperates below 0C.
This review was first published in the January 2025 issue of The Great Outdoors.
