This is a sweet bag, especially for the $. I used a friend's on a November trip and was toasty in 10 degree temps. I made the mistake of buying a piece of crap -20 REI downtime for about $80 less than this one retails, an I really regret that decision. I've tried out the Marmot CWM and this compares in comfort level and carry weight, only the Darkstar is 40% of the price. Damn fine bag...

Customer Service

Here's a complaint about North Face - Why are all their jackets cut to fit fat people? I own a Mountain Jacket and a Denali fleece and neither are as warm as they should be because they are cut way too loose in the abdomen. It would be nice if they made an "athletic" fit....

Similar Products Used:

REI Down Time (sucks), TNF Foxfire

I've never been cold in this bag. i used to back country snowboard using this and a tarp with a 3/4 length thermarest and was fine. i've now upgraded to a bivy and believe this is a great combination if you are a light weight winter camper. When I hike in the spring/fall in the Alberta Rockies I still take this bag and just use it opened up if its too warm. The added weight and bulk I find is worth the quarantee of being the warmest hiker in the group. I definitely recommend this one. If you want down then go with the Inferno (TNF) I'm sure you can't go wrong.

Customer Service

Never had to return an item.

Similar Products Used:

TNF Cornice. Few other brands but only summer bags.

I usually sleep cold when I go winter camping so I thought I'd get a bag with a very low temp-rating. My first bag was TNF Tundra (-20) and I returned it for the Darkstar (-40). Even at above zero temperatures and plenty of ground insulation, I'm cold in this bag. It must just be me. Otherwise, the bag is constructed well and really fluffs up full after pulling it out of a compression sack.

Similar Products Used:

Slumberjack, The North Face, L.L. Bean

Bought a Dark Star for winter camping with my son's Boy Scout Troop. It's great and has kept me warm to -25F. We usually don't tak the kids out when it's colder than -20F for safety reasons. I especially like the fleece lining on my model and not having to crawl into a cold bag. Bought one for my son and he's never been cold in it. It's a bit bulky, but then we haul our winter gear on pulks, not on our backs. We both use bivy sacks over the Dark Star and snow caves or similar shelters under trees in the winter. Never had any problems with the bag in several years of use. Great bag.

This one of the warmest bags out there. This bag is ready for denali, everest, ama dablam. Any cold weather enviroment. When im in the mountains i know i can sleep flawlessly with no cold spots or drafts. The zipper guard works good and the foot box area is a great fit for my size 14 feet.

Similar Products Used:

marmomt cwm, solar flare

I have had this sleeping bag for about three years now and have never been the least bit cold while sleeping in it. I prefer winter snowshoe camping in OH, PA, and while skiing in CO, UT, and WY. The coldest it's ever been is probably -15 degree F. My tent is a North Face VE-25.
The Dark Star sleeping bag's -40 degree F rating is absolutely great if you tend to be a "cold" sleeper. Out of the many sleeping bags I've owned in my lifetime, this is by far the one I've enjoyed the most. Although it takes up more than the normal amount of backpack space, it's well worth it. The large amount of insulation provides exceptional ground cushioning and there's never any cold spots. The lining warms up almost instantly once you get inside the bag.
I also have a North Face Tangerine Dream (now discontinued) that is rated to -30 degrees F. The TD did not provide as much warmth as I needed for my type of resting metabolism. I went ahead and purchased the Dark Star because of the additional warmth it provides. The difference in warmth between the two bags is remarkable.
Even if you don't expect to be camping in sub-zero weather, the Dark Star is still a great choice. My philosophy is that it's better to have too much insulation than not enough. If anything, the Dark Star is a good insurance policy for bad weather. It's not often that you hear of someone dying from a being too warm in their sleeping bag during the winter. But, history is replete with cases of people freezing to death due to unforeseen bad (i.e. cold) weather. You can always unzip the bag to release excess heat if you need to.

Customer Service

I have had no need to contact customer service at The North Face.

Similar Products Used:

North Face Tangerine Dream Sleeping Bag
REI Denali Expedition Sleeping Bag