NEMO - Forte

I’m a stomach/side sleeper and love my Zenbivy quilt+sheet and their matching pillow system, but it’s quite an investment for a casual camper. I’d recommend looking for a cheaper quilt or even a rectangular sleeping bag on Amazon or Decathlon if you’re not looking to spend a lot. I was really unhappy with my spoon shaped Nemo sleeping bag. Even though it’s wider than a traditional mummy bag, it was still restrictive. There are a lot of other spendy quilt brands out there and most have already been reviewed on r/ultralight.

I’ll be the dissenter - I hated my Nemo Forte 20 (W’s long). We’re the same height and around the same weight and I found it too narrow in the shoulders and despite the spoon shape, I could not rotisserie comfortably. I didn’t find it warm, either, and experienced huge cold spots down the side opposite the zipper on a 35° night. I replaced it on a whim with a Zenbivy core bed and love it. The sheet keeps the quilt in place while I spin and the pillow pocket lets me throw my arms up while keeping them covered. The quilt is wide at the top and can tuck around me like a regular comforter. Super warm too.

If it's going to be super cold the Nemo with a warm liner can work. Add a Nalgene hot water in a sock each night also.

Not to convince you otherwise, I had the same problem, but like the sleeping bag. Nemo spoon shape was the answer for this side sleeper. Got the Forte 20.

I have the Nemo and cannot recommend enough. The extra room makes a huge difference for comfortable sleep and it keeps you nice and toasty. I have the Nemo Forte 20 and have used it comfortably in single digits multiple times- just don’t forget a bandana/scarf for your face!

Ouch, you are in a tough situation. You need a small sleeping bag, but have a low budget. Basically anything you buy is going to take up half your backpack. Your tent and sleeping pad will most definitely need to be strapped to the outside of your pack. 35L pack is really a limiting factor. Sure - the Nemo Disco is a fine sleeping bag. Better than the Forte for sure. The Kelty Cosmic is popular because it's cheap. If you can afford more, like the Nemo - go with that. I'd skip the 'zip together' feature. Don't limit yourself in that way. It sounds cute - but in practice joining 2 bags is not comfortable / warm. At least over the 18 years I've been with my GF. Hard to say more without knowing what brands you have a pro deal with and what temperatures you'll need to use the sleeping bag in (temp rating 15/20/30/40F?)

I’ve got a Nemo Forte mummy bag that’s lasted me several years. It’s been heavily abused and other than a spot where my husky decided to attack my feet on our first camping trip, it’s still in great shape. I probably paid around $80 to $100 at an REI garage sale and still love it because it has vents to help regulate the temp, has a little extra room to adjust my knees and elbows because I’m a side sleeper and the hood/top section holds a pillow or extra clothing to turn into a pillow. Only downside is that it’s geared towards more petite people as I think the max height recommended is around 5’5”, anyone else is going to be sleeping outside of the bag.

I like my Nemo Forte. Spoon shaped for extra room in the shoulders and knees with a mock quilt around the neckline. Edit: I prioritize comfort over weight, so I sized up in length for my bag and length+width for my sleeping pad. Never been comfier.

Depending on your specific needs for temps, weight, and filling I'd recommend, Nemo's Rift, Forte, or Tempo bags. They have a "spoon" shape (extra space around knees and elbows and tapers around the waist and feet) rather than mummy shape. They're designed to feel less restrictive and I've found them to be so. Of course the bag will take up a bit more space than a mummy bag, but it's better than a regular rectangle bag. I have the Tempo and I think it's good for regular backpackers and I really like it. They're common at REI too so you may be able to try it out.

I have the Nemo forte and it's pretty good, definitely miles better than any other sleeping bag I've tried. It's not perfect though. It's fairly heavy and quite a large pack size as it's synthetic and doesn't compress very well. I have an alpkit quilt for summer and I prefer to use that whenever the weather permits.

For clarity - The Riff (and Disco) are down. While the Forte and Tempo are synthetic. Their spoon/peanut shape is definitely very popular with side sleepers, or people who sleep angular or toss and turn. Much more forgiving than a regular mummy, without the draft issues of a quilt. Recommend people getting into quilts, to buy a wide one. This will help mitigate drafts. You mention REI, all of their sleeping bags now come in "wide" versions. Still a mummy for the most part, but about 5" wider than a regular mummy. Their Magma is an excellent bag, as is their Magma quilt, but it's only rated to 30 degrees.