User Review: Marmot Atom

Marmot Atom
Above: The current Atom, which may differ slightly from the version reviewed.

Reviewed March 25, 2006 by Alphawolf

Rating:
Design: Mummy
Fill: 850 +
Temperature Rating: 40 degree
Weight: 1 lbs 4 oz
Price Paid: $150

So far as I am concerned Marmot is the Technical gear leader these days. Before I would have told you this was The North Face, but everything Marmot builds or creates is just better. This bag is no different.

I have been using the Marmot Helium bag but wanted a summer bag as well. I thought long and hard about getting a down summer bag. The Helium I use in below freezing temps, so not too much to worry about with water soaking the down. The Atom will be used in rain storms so you better have a good tent that’s going to stay dry if you use this bag.

This bag is everything as advertised. It's as roomy as the Helium (I'm 6’1" and 240 lbs) and I am very comfortable in the long version Atom. This thing packs down to nothingness so much so I have been able to downsize my backpack. The room that is normally reserved for sleeping bags of the past is now used for other stuff. As a result I just don’t need as much room. Temperature rating is again understated if anything. A pair of long johns, a cap, and I think I'd be happy down to 25 degress.

The reason that this bag is better then the Helium is because Marmot somehow found a way to drop the price of the bag compared to in the past. The reason it's worse is for some reason Marmot can no longer guarantee 900 fill down.