Many of REI’s products can work as more affordable alternatives to high-end hiking gear. The $100 Trailbreak 30, a three-season mummy bag that’s built for backpacking, is a prime example. While it may not be the sleeping bag for everyone, it has many factors that make it appealing to backpackers on a budget. For only $100, its low weight and packability are quite impressive. Unfortunately, we weren’t keen on the comfort and insulation, and we feel this bag would have benefited from boosting these stats even if it meant upping the weight and the cost slightly. For those who value size over comfort, this sleeping bag could be an excellent fit.

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REI is a staple of the outdoor industry, operating 165 stores in 39 states. Along with acting as a retail store for other makers, they also produce a wide range of gear that appeals to a wide range of hikers. You’d be hard-pressed to find a hiker who hasn’t bagged at least one piece of REI equipment, whether it’s a compression sack, a tent, or even just a camping mug (I, myself, am guilty of owning all three). Many of their products can work as more affordable alternatives to high-end hiking gear. The $100 Trailbreak 30, a three-season mummy bag that’s built for backpacking, is a prime example. The question is, what sacrifices had to be made to keep the cost so low?

Warmth

We weren’t particularly impressed with the warmth factor of this sleeping bag. Although its temperature rating is 30°F, classifying it as a three-season bag, its tested lower limit is 29°F while the tested comfort rating is 38°F. However, a few features assisted in the warmth department, such as an offset quilt construction in the liner to reduce cold spots, a face muffler, and full draft tube to trap in heat, and a 3-panel hood with drawstrings to cinch it down. Additionally, the water-resistant synthetic filler and durable water repellent (DWR) finish on the polyester shell help this bag from losing its heat in damp conditions.

We were surprised to find that the filler only made up 1lb 5oz of the total weight of this bag. While it should be reasonably comfortable up to the low 40s, we had serious questions about its capabilities in truly chilly temps. It seems that REI elected to sacrifice some degree of insulation to keep down the weight and the price. There are bound to be compromises with budget backpacking gear and this seems to be one for the Trailbreak.

Comfort

This was another category where the Trailbreak 30 fell a tad short of our expectations. The polyester liner was not what we’d call silky; in fact, it was a bit coarse compared to many of the taffeta-lined bags featured in our review. The dimensions of this bag were reasonably roomy, though. Like many of the mummy bags in our review, the regular-size sleeping bag will fit folks up to 6’ while the long accommodates those as tall as 6’6”. Shoulder girth is 62” while hip girth is 56”. The bag stops tapering off near the knees and has a built-out footbox to keep your toes from getting too cramped, a feature that we appreciated.

Weight & Packed Size

The regular-size sleeping bag weighs 2lb 8oz while the long is just 2oz more, making the Trailbreak 30 the third lightest sleeping bag in our review, just behind the Klymit KSB 35 and Mountain Hardwear Lamina 30. It also manages to be lighter than the Kelty Cosmic 20, which will cost you an additional $40.

The Trailbreak 30 comes with an included stuff sack that can pack this down to an already impressive 7.5L, but using a third-party compression sack, the regular can pack down to 5.7L while the long is 6.3L. If these advertised numbers are correct, this would make it the most packable sleeping bag in our 2021 review.

Features

Amongst the insulation-boosting additions mentioned earlier, it’s worth noting that the drawstring cords for the hood are less than elegantly designed and have a tendency to flop over your face. A simple strip of fabric at the base of these cords, like what you’ll find on the Big Agnes Husted 20, is an inexpensive and easy solution to this conundrum. We also would have liked to see some more ventilation options for this bag; there’s no neck baffle, and the ¾-length zipper prevented us from opening up the footbox. There was, however, a zippered pocket near the hood for stashing our cell phone.

The Bottom Line

The Trailbreak 30 may not be the sleeping bag for everyone, but it has many factors that make it appealing to backpackers on a budget. For only $100, its low weight and packability are pretty impressive. Unfortunately, we weren’t keen on the comfort and insulation, and we feel this bag would have benefited from boosting these stats even if it meant upping the weight and the cost slightly. For those who value size and weight over comfort, this sleeping bag could be an excellent fit.

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