To get the best out of the Enigma, you need to know how to use it. For a quilt bag like this with no zipper, you have to sleep with the opening under your back to stay warm through the night. Credit: Arthur McMahon
The high-loft 850-fill-power down compresses down to an easily packable 7 liters. The Enigma 20 will hardly take up any space in your backpack, leaving plenty of room for more food. Or, if you’re an ultralight backpacker, it means you can take an even smaller backpack than you would have to with larger sleeping bags.
Plus, it weighs next to nothing – we measured 1.4 pounds, and that’s including the inflatable pillow it comes with (which is a nice little freebie). This gives it an excellent warmth-to-weight ratio, given that it’s manufacturer-rated to 10°F.
Lots of soft, lofty down insulation. You can see how fluffy it remains in the baffles, including between the legs. Credit: Arthur McMahon
You can customize the Enigma 20 to your liking. Choose from multiple fill-power options, temperature ratings, length and width sizes, colors, and whether or not it includes a draft collar. This lets you totally make the bag your own.
The pillow that comes with the Enigma is a welcome addition. Credit: Arthur McMahon
The downsides to the Enigma 20 aren’t necessarily downsides for everyone, but they do require a bit of explanation. On paper, it’s a very warm bag, with a 10°F manufacturer rating. While this may be achievable with the right know-how and optimal circumstances, this simply won’t be accurate for most people.
The bag does not have a zipper, so you have to learn how to lie with a quilt to get the best performance out of it. It also lacks a hood, so to stay warm, you’ll need a hat, a neck gaiter, or maybe even a hooded down jacket.
The optional draft collar can be snapped in place, but the lack of a zipper and hood means the bag is going to be a bit drafty. Credit: Arthur McMahon
The opening doesn’t go all the way down to the footbox, so you can’t fully spread out the quilt like a blanket. We also found during our testing that the buckle straps (used in place of a zipper) are difficult to operate when your fingers are cold—it’s hard to press the release.
The snaps and buckles are difficult to use with frigid fingers. Credit: Arthur McMahon
Should You Buy the Enlightened Equipment Enigma 20?
The Enigma 20 is not a traditional sleeping bag, and as such, we don’t recommend it for the vast majority of campers and backpackers – there’s so much to learn to use it properly. Highly experienced ultralight backpackers, on the other hand, may appreciate this down quilt. If you’re looking to fine-tune your ultralight game, the Enigma may be the next step in your outdoor evolution. (Though this crowd should first check out our review dedicated to ultralight sleeping bags!)
What Other Backpacking Sleeping Bags Should You Consider?
Most people will get more use out of a traditional sleeping bag. If you want one that’s just as lightweight and compressible as the Enigma 20, look no further than the Feathered Friends Hummingbird UL 30. This is a stellar sleeping bag that has many of the best performance features of the Enigma, with added comforts that make it much more enjoyable to sleep in.