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Mountain Hardwear Bishop Pass 15 Review

This bag provides features that are easy to use and good warmth, all for a decent price
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Mountain Hardwear Bishop Pass 15 Review
Credit: Ian McEleney
Price:  $285 List
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Manufacturer:   Mountain Hardwear
By Ian McEleney ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  Nov 22, 2023
68
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#7 of 17
  • Warmth - 25% 8.5
  • Weight - 25% 6.3
  • Comfort - 20% 7.0
  • Packed Size - 15% 5.0
  • Features - 15% 6.5

Our Verdict

The Mountain Hardwear Bishop Pass 15 is our favorite down sleeping bag for those on a budget. While the down insulation isn't the highest fill power, there is over a pound of it stuffed inside this bag. This makes the bag fairly warm for its weight. The feature set of the Bishop Pass is simple, but everything is well executed. We especially like the long zipper and the bright fabric used to line the bag. This makes it easy to find any small items you may put into the bag with you. Overall, this is a great option for the not-too-serious multisport outdoors person. Backpackers looking for lighter and faster options should refer to our full backpacking sleeping bag review or even our ultralight sleeping bag review.
REASONS TO BUY
Inexpensive for a down bag
Light-colored interior
Warm
REASONS TO AVOID
Lower quality down
Heavy and bulky for a down bag

Compare to Similar Products

 
Awards Best Buy Award   Best Buy Award  
Price $285 List
$285.00 at REI
$320 List
$299.95 at REI
$99.95 at Amazon$100 List
$99.95 at REI
$65 List
$54.99 at Amazon
Overall Score Sort Icon
68
72
57
55
47
Star Rating
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Bottom Line This inexpensive model has decent warmth for the weight, and features that are well thought outA comfortable mid-range sleeping bag with a bit of a weight issueThe low price keeps it affordable for a down bag, keep your expectations low for performanceThis bag is comfortable and has decent features - pair this with a bargain price and it's a great dealThe only good things about this bag are its roomy fit and low price. It's not very warm and its bulky
Rating Categories Mountain Hardwear B... NEMO Disco 15 Kelty Cosmic 20 REI Co-op Trailmade 20 TETON Sports Trailhead
Warmth (25%)
8.5
9.0
6.0
6.5
2.0
Weight (25%)
6.3
5.5
6.1
4.4
6.1
Comfort (20%)
7.0
9.0
5.0
6.5
5.0
Packed Size (15%)
5.0
5.0
5.0
3.0
6.0
Features (15%)
6.5
7.0
6.0
7.0
5.0
Specs Mountain Hardwear B... NEMO Disco 15 Kelty Cosmic 20 REI Co-op Trailmade 20 TETON Sports Trailhead
EN Temp Rating (Lower Limit) 15°F 14°F 20°F 21°F 35°F
Insulation 650 FP Duck Down 650 FP Down 550 FP Duck Down Synthetic - recycled polyester Synthetic - Polarlite
Measured Weight 2.3 lbs 2.7 lbs 2.4 lbs 3.2 lbs 2.4 lbs
Compression/Stuff Sack Weight 1.9 oz 2.4 oz 0.7 oz 1.6 oz 1.8 oz
Fill Weight 21.0 oz 22.0 oz 14.6 oz 34.9 oz not listed
Shell Material 20D ripstop nylon 30D ripstop nylon 20D recycled nylon Recycled polyester 75D ripstop polyester
Liner Material 30D nylon 30D nylon taffeta 50D recycled polyester Polyester Polyester
Hydrophobic Down? No Yes No N/A No
Neck Baffle? Yes Yes Yes No No
Small Organization Pocket? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
DWR Treatment? No Yes Yes Yes No
Zipper Info Full-length / left 3/4-length / left Full-length / right Full-length / left Full-length / right
Shoulder Girth 62 in 66 in 58 in 62 in 64 in
Hip Girth 53 in 60 in 56 in 58 in Not listed
Foot Girth Not listed 64 in 43 in 40 in 44 in
Compression or Stuff Sack? Stuff sack Compression sack Stuff sack Stuff sack Stuff sack

Our Analysis and Test Results

While the Pass 15 doesn't have any features that really knock our socks off, the features it does have are mostly well done. This includes the zipper and the interior fabric. The price is also fairly low for a down-filled bag. This fact, combined with overall performance, means that you'll have to spend a lot more cash to get a significantly better product.

Performance Comparison


mountain hardwear bishop pass 15 - not-so-early-rising with the bishop pass.
Not-so-early-rising with the Bishop Pass.
Credit: Ian McEleney

Warmth


Keeping you warm at night (or maybe for a mid-day tent nap) is the most important thing a sleeping bag is supposed to do. When it comes to warmth, the most important characteristic of any down-filled item — clothing or sleeping bag — is the fill weight. This refers to how much down is inside the bag (or coat, etc.). The Bishop Pass sports an eye-popping 21 ounces of feathers, more than almost every other down bag in our review.


Fill power is the next characteristic that affects warmth. This refers to the down's physical loft — the higher the fill power number, the more insulating the down is purported to be. The down in the Bishop Pass is 650 fill power. While this is a lot lower than the 850 or even 900 fill power found in the more premium and expensive bags in our test, there is more of it — in some cases, twice as much as other bags in this review. What this means is that — despite a lower fill power — the Bishop Pass is still a very warm bag.

Another feature of the Bishop Pass that enhances the warmth is its draft collar. While this shaped tube of down doesn't have its own drawstring like some other models do, it still does a decent job of both keeping heat in and keeping chilly breezes out.

On the other hand, this bag lacks the continuous baffles found on other models. This design feature allows users to shift down to the top of the bag for colder nights and to the bottom for warmer ones. This feature is generally found only on the fanciest bags in our review.

mountain hardwear bishop pass 15 - the draft collar helps keep heat in and cold breezes out.
The draft collar helps keep heat in and cold breezes out.
Credit: Ian McEleney

Weight


Like a turtle, everyone on an overnight backpacking trip carries their whole house on their back. The weight of all that stuff can leave you feeling like an actual turtle crawling down the trail.


We recorded a weight of 2.3 pounds (about 1 kilogram) for the Bishop Pass 15. That number puts this bag among the heavier down-filled offerings in our review. However, it is lighter than all of the synthetic-filled bags we tested. Most of that weight comes from all of the feathers in there. For this reason, the Bishop Pass has a decent warmth-to-weight ratio, especially for a model that's on the low end for price.

mountain hardwear bishop pass 15 - generally, it takes more lower fill power down to achieve the same...
Generally, it takes more lower fill power down to achieve the same warmth as higher fill power down.
Credit: Ian McEleney

Comfort


While it seems like some folks can fall asleep anytime, anywhere, for most of us, if we're not comfortable, we won't sleep well or at all. For a middle-shelf sleeping bag, the Bishop Pass 15 offers a decent level of comfort. The softness or rigidity of the insulation makes a difference in the comfort of a sleeping bag. Down-filled bags feel much softer than their synthetic counterparts, and the Bishop Pass is no exception here.


One of the primary things that affects comfort is the roominess or fit of a bag. Obviously, how spacious the bag is depends heavily on your size. That being said, the Bishop Pass is about in the middle of our lineup regarding shoulder girth; it provides about 62 inches of space around the torso. Our lead tester is slender, but he's also a side sleeper who rolls over repeatedly in the night. He found this bag to be appropriately roomy.

mountain hardwear bishop pass 15 - even life long side sleepers found this bag to be comfortable.
Even life long side sleepers found this bag to be comfortable.
Credit: Ian McEleney

Packed Size


Generally, the bigger your pack is, the less fun you will have. For most backpackers, their sleeping bag is one of the largest items that will go in there. The Bishop Pass 15 is in the middle of our group of bags regarding pack space.


The spread in size between our most and least bulky bags is not enormous, which is why this metric only accounts for 15% of the total score. In actual use, the stuff sack you use for your bag will probably have the most effect on its packed size. The Bishop Pass comes with a standard stuff sack — not a compression sack. Using an aftermarket compression sack will yield the most space in your pack for other stuff.

mountain hardwear bishop pass 15 - the bishop pass in its stuff sack.
The Bishop Pass in its stuff sack.
Credit: Ian McEleney

Features


Honestly, a sleeping bag is really just a tube filled with insulation. Our testing team finds that a few simple features are really all that need to be added, and trying to reinvent the wheel by adding gimmicks is not ultimately helpful. The Bishop Pass 15 has the basic features we expect from a sleeping bag, done well, without any gimmicks.


First up is the zipper. The upper slider is designed to reduce snags. It has a glow-in-the-dark zipper pull, a nice touch we wish every bag had. The lower slider also has a zipper pull, another nice touch. Furthermore, the zipper itself is almost full length, which is nice for both venting our feet and opening the bag up all the way and using it like a quilt. One thing we really like about this bag is the light-colored interior. The inside of the bag is yellow. This brighter color makes it easier to find anything you bring into the bag with you, as opposed to the black hole interiors of most of the competition.

mountain hardwear bishop pass 15 - this zipper has two pulls on the upper slider (one glows in the...
This zipper has two pulls on the upper slider (one glows in the dark) and one on the lower slider.
Credit: Ian McEleney

Though the drawstring on the Bishop Pass works adequately, it occasionally flopped in our faces at night. We think it could be positioned differently to prevent this.

mountain hardwear bishop pass 15 - we found this drawstring often ended up in our faces when the hood...
We found this drawstring often ended up in our faces when the hood was cinched closed.
Credit: Ian McEleney


Should You Buy the Mountain Hardwear Bishop Pass 15?


The Bishop Pass is a decent sleeping bag and a great one for the price. For folks who do lots of outdoor activities — backpacking, camping, climbing, hunting, travel — and don't need to have the perfect item for each job, this is a good do-it-all sleeping bag at a reasonable price.

mountain hardwear bishop pass 15 - we were the envy of the tent on cooler nights in this 15 degree bag.
We were the envy of the tent on cooler nights in this 15 degree bag.
Credit: Ian McEleney

What Other Backpacking Sleeping Bags Should You Consider?


Backpackers who want a faster and lighter sleeping bag than the Bishop Pass 15 should take a look at the Feathered Friends Hummingbird UL 30. It is about as light and small as a sleeping bag can be and still be an honest 30-degree bag. If you don't use a sleeping bag that often, maybe just for car camping and the occasional short overnight where weight and pack space aren't big concerns, consider the REI Co-op Trailmade 20. Synthetic insulation keeps its cost down while still delivering decent warmth and features.

Ian McEleney