RAB NEUTRINO A classic that keeps getting better
The Neutrino series from Rab has a long-established reputation amongst British backpackers for offering an excellent balance of durability, warmth and affordability. But Rab keeps making it better
FOR MANY hiking and backpacking
Brits, the Rab Neutrino range will need no introduction. Rab is a favourite among The Great Outdoors readers, having won Gold in four of our last five Reader Awards, and its Neutrino sleeping bag range has been a mainstay of long-distance walking events like the TGO Challenge. The bags have a well-earned reputation for a fine balance of packability, warmth and weight.
The new series of Neutrino bags are all filled with a generous 800 fill power goose down, responsibly sourced under the RDS (Responsible Down Standard) ethical control, with the bags filled in the UK so the down itself is not compressed in transit. The down used continues to be hydrophobic – treated using PFC-free Nikwax – which improves water resistance and durability.
There are four weights of bag, from 200-800, which means you’re covered for everything from leisurely summer trips, to Munro-bagging in Scotland, to full-on alpine mountaineering.
Rab isn’t asleep on the job when it comes to sleep science and gender. Women generally have a lower skin temperature than men and are, on average, less tall.
As a consequence, Neutrino’s female range is shorter and redistributes down at the foot and torso, as well as tailoring for narrower shoulders and a smaller frame to maximise thermal efficiency.
The attention to scientific detail continues in the brand’s trapezoidal box wall baffle design. The Neutrino range employs these trapezoidal baffles in a chevron shape with offset stitch lines to reduce cold spots, maximise the down’s ability to loft, and reduce migration of the down within the baffle, whilst minimising weight. There’s also a tapered footbox and an adjustable, shaped neck baffle, all with the aim of reducing heat loss and cutting down on cold spots or ‘dead air’ inside the bag. The ¾-length zip is two-way, which allows you to vent from the bottom of the bag, and incorporates an additional long baffle behind it as well as a zip guard to prevent the zip catching on the lining.
Whilst the down inside is RDS-certified, both the outer shell and inner lining are recycled. The 20 denier Pertex Quantum is light enough to let the down ‘loft’ properly, and its fluorocarbon-free DWR treatment will shrug off condensation or frost. It’s soft to the touch and packs down small.
The Rab Neutrino may be tried and true, but the innovations continue. For warmthto-weight ratio, as well as its environmental credentials, it’s still a classic choice.