The Oscar -2° Curve is a lightweight and very packable three-season sleeping bag. I was immediately impressed with its small size when packed away, and if you are carrying a lot of other gear in your rucksack this is a big advantage. It is supplied with two different carry sacks – a dry-sack and an extremely lightweight bag made from the same ripstop nylon as the sleeping bag shell and lining.
Price: £296 | Weight: 940g | Fill: NorGuard S-PO s-core fibre | Shell: 7D ripstop nylon | Construction: offset double box wall | Zip: 2-way, 3/4-length on left | Length: 205cm (large) | Rating: comfort +4°C, limit -2°C | Sizes: medium, large, extra-large | Women’s version: no
This makes things easy to cut the overall weight down as much as possible. The shell and lining material feels soft, comfortable and very thin. Although the first impression is that this material may be prone to damage, it seems to be surprisingly resistant to tearing. The ‘curve’ shape of the bag is described by Nordisk as ‘the optimal balance between insulation and space’, based on the premise that most people sleep in an S-shape ‘running position’. I sleep in multiple different positions during the night, so I certainly enjoyed the flexibility that this allowed.
As well as the two-way side zip, the bag includes ventilation zips on both the right shoulder and foot box. This is most welcome on warmer nights or when you wake up feeling stuffy. However, I did find that the zip pulls were small and fiddly, and difficult to find during the night. The hood and draught collar are both easily adjusted, and my head felt nicely insulated on cold nights. In low temperatures I like to be able to tighten the hood and collar so that only my nose, mouth and chin are exposed, and this was easily achievable.
I tested this bag down to temperatures of +4°, and whilst I felt comfortable for some of the night, I needed to put on an extra layer quite soon in order to avoid feeling cold. (As stated, I sleep on the cold side.) Whilst other sleeping bags I tested felt warmer in comparable conditions, the Oscar -2° Curve is a good option for three-season backpacking when size and weight are crucial considerations.
