Two sleeping bags worth lining up side by side. They score within a hair of each other, so it comes down to the details below.
| Katabatic Gear Alsek 22 | REI Co-op Magma 30 | |
|---|---|---|
| GearScore | 87✓ | 87 |
| Comfort rating | 32 °F✓ | 34 °F |
| Weight | 23.3 oz✓ | 24.4 oz |
| Warmth-to-weight | 5.7 /100g✓ | 5.2 /100g |
| Packed size | 6.5 L | 4.3 L✓ |
| Fill power | 850 FP | 850 FP |
| Price | $399 | $379✓ |
| Fill | Down | Down |
| Style | Quilt | Bag |
| Shape | Quilt | Mummy |
Highlighted cells mark the better spec: Alsek 22 in blue, Magma 30 in amber. A blank spec is never counted as a win. A lower comfort rating in °F means a warmer bag, so the warmer bag takes that row. GearScore is the overall rating (0 to 100); re-weight it on the full bag comparison. Prices are current MSRP.
The Katabatic Gear Alsek 22 and REI Co-op Magma 30 take different routes to the same job. They are close enough that this really is about which handful of specs you weight most.
The Alsek 22 is warmer (rated 32°F vs 34°F), 1 oz lighter, and stronger on warmth-to-weight. The Magma 30 is more packable (4.3 L vs 6.5 L) and $20 cheaper. Their GearScores land within a couple of points (87 vs 87), so neither runs away with it.
Pick the Alsek 22 if you care most about warmth and low weight, which makes it the better call for colder nights and shoulder-season trips. Pick the Magma 30 if packability and price matter more to you, or you are focused on saving space in your pack.
The Katabatic Gear Alsek 22. It is warmer (rated 32°F vs 34°F) than the Magma 30.
The Katabatic Gear Alsek 22. It is 1 oz lighter than the Magma 30.
They are nearly tied at 87 and 87 on the default algorithm, so re-weight the score to your own priorities to break the tie.
It depends on your priorities. Go with the Alsek 22 for warmth, or the Magma 30 for packability. The spec table above shows exactly where each wins.