The NEMO Coda 10/20 is a mummy sleeping bag insulated with 800 fill power, water-resistant down. It has a beefy draft collar, a ventable zippered footbox, and a “thermogill” zippered vent on the chest that lets you release trapped warmth and extend the bag’s temperature range on warmer nights. Tapered to maximize its warmth-to-weight ratio, the Coda is the first genderless sleeping bag produced by NEMO, in a break with the company’s history of producing separate men’s and women’s models. This is reflected in the Coda’s naming 10/20 naming scheme, where per industry standards, the limit rating (the first number referenced in the series) is considered the benchmark for men, while the comfort rating (the second number referenced in the series) is considered most applicable to women.
RELATED: 10 Best Down Sleeping Bags for Backpacking
-
- Sleeping Bag Type: Mummy
- Gender: Unisex (genderless)
- Weight: 2 lbs 7 oz.
- Insulation: 800 fill power water-resistant down
- Fill Weight: 1 lb 8 oz / 690 g
- ISO Comfort Rating: 23F / -5C
- ISO Limit Rating: 11F / -12C
- Fits Up to: 6′ / 183 cm
- Zipper Length: 3/4
- Zipper Location: Left center
- Shoulder/Hip/Foot Girth: 63″/57″/49″
- Ventable Foot Box: Yes
- Shell/Liner: Polyester ripstop/Polyester taffeta
- Compressed Volume: 5.1 L
- Packed Size: 11.5 x 7.5 in dia / 29 x 18.5 cm dia
- Pros: Thermogill venting, 360-degree draft collar, zippered foot box
- Cons: While added features increase temperature range, they also increase weight
The Nemo Coda 10/20 is an innovative down sleeping bag on several fronts. It incorporates a number of thermoregulation features, including a ventable footbox and a thermogill that extend its temperature range, making it suitable for warmer temperatures. The ventable footbox allows you cool the lower part of the bag so you don’t sweat in warmer weather, while the thermogill, is a vertical zipper over the chest that you can unzip to release the heat trapped around your torso. It’s not a vent prone to drafts, but when unzipped, reduces the thickness of the down insulation above your chest so it traps less warmth. The thermogill on the Coda is dual stage with an internal zipper and external zipper making it easier to fine-tune your warmth level.
If you pay 400+ dollars for a down sleeping bag, the footbox and thermogill add value by extending the comfort range in which the bag is suitable. While you wouldn’t want to use the Coda in summer, I could use the bag comfortably in nighttime temperatures as high as 50 degrees F without drowning in perspiration.
The Coda also has a very beefy and fully articulated draft collar that covers the upper chest and back, adding additional thermal efficiency to the bag. This draft collar is significantly larger than those found on other premium down sleeping bags at this temperature range, including those from Western Mountaineering. In addition, the left/center zipper used to enter and exit the bag is backed by a thick tube of down insulation that drops down behind the zipper when closed to block drafts. This is a standard feature on most down sleeping bags.
A Genderless Sleeping Bag
The Coda is the first sleeping bag that NEMO has made that is billed as genderless, meaning that it is suitable for men and women. This is an initiative, which I believe was spearheaded by REI, which now makes sleeping bags in nine sizes (see the REI Magma 15, for example) making sleeping bags that are optimized for people with different physiques, regardless of their sex. While it’s a logical equivalent of how sleeping bag temperature ratings and recommendations are formulated, I’m unsure if it makes it easier for people to select an appropriately sized bag or just generates more product returns. In any event, the NEMO Coda 10/20 is only available in three sizes (short, medium, and long – based on height) and still rated using sex-based ISO Comfort/Limit ratings, so I don’t see the difference between it and the unisex sizing offered by other sleeping bag manufacturers.
A Recyclable Sleeping Bag (Endless Promise)
The Coda 10/20 is also fully recyclable, meaning every component can be broken down and repurposed at the end of your sleeping bag’s effective lifespan when you’re ready to retire it 10-20 years from now. Even more impressive, NEMO has committed to overseeing that recycling process if you return the bag to them, something that most brands hand-wave. While recyclability is not a factor in the criteria I use to select sleeping bags, the fact that NEMO has built it into their products makes me more apt to view the company favorably.
Down Sleeping Bag Comparison Table
Recommendation
The NEMO Coda 10/20 is a well-designed and warm 800-fill power-down sleeping bag with added thermoregulation features that allow it to be used across a wider temperature range. The ventable footbox is good for releasing heat if you’re too warm, while the dual-stage thermogill makes it possible to vent warmth over the torso. Highly compressible, the Coda is an excellent sleeping bag for backpacking or mountaineering when variable conditions require gear that can easily adapt to unpredictable or changing conditions.
Disclosure: NEMO donated a Coda for review.
SectionHiker is reader-supported. We only make money if you purchase a product through our affiliate links. Help us continue to test and write unsponsored and independent gear reviews, beginner FAQs, and free hiking guides.
