One Planet Rumour -12°C Sleeping Bag

Down, as an insulating material, is incredible. So much warmth, so little weight. But the enemy of down, in fact its kryptonite, is moisture. Once wet, down clumps together, and its ability to insulate is gone. For winter sleeping bags, this is a big deal, because the inner walls of tents so often drip with heavy condensation on cold nights. After a few nights out, your bag can be rendered close to useless. In sub-zero temps, this is not ideal (yes, that’s an understatement).

But none of this concerned me last winter, when, on several Kosciuszko NP ski trips lasting up to four days, I had the opportunity to take out One Planet’s Rumour -12°C sleeping bag. You see, the Rumour Series bags sneer at moisture, with multiple defences keeping it at bay. The shell fabric is Pertex Quantum Pro, a highly water-resistant but highly breathable material that stops moisture entering the bag. The down itself—which is 800-850 loft, towards the very upper end of quality—is treated with a non-PFC hydrophobic water repellent, reducing any potential clumping. The zip is waterproof (and YKK, too, ergo awesome), and the baffles—which are a mix of vertical and horizontal to assist with better lofting of the down—are welded, reducing the amount of stitching where moisture can enter. Lastly, in terms of moisture defence, the inner liner—highly breathable Vapour Vent V2—has been given a non-PFC water-repellent treatment.

Speaking of that inner liner, you don’t have to be a gear geek to notice just how nice this bag is to the touch. It almost feels silken, and is lovely against your skin. Another thing you’ll notice from feel alone with no need to geek out is how well the zip works. I’ve slept in many winter bags where the draught tubes, trying to compensate for the colder temps, simply get in the way of the zip and get caught in it, jamming it up. It’s, well, bloody annoying, fighting with a wayward sleeping-bag zip in the darkness. But I found the Rumour’s zip (which is waterproof, btw) to be super smooth, with never a hitch. And then there’s the toe box; it’s nice and roomy. I didn’t ever feel like I was trapped, and it struck the right balance between mummy-shaped warmth and the space to move your feet. The hood struck the right balance too; I found it cinched up well, enough to cover most of my face while still being able to breathe (although a few might wish it closed down further still; Jared, a Canadian buddy who I used to ice climb regularly with, used to leave a hole the size of 20-cent piece to breathe through once it got cold).

There are also -6°C and -9°C versions of the bag, but one thing worth remembering about the Rumour, if you’re considering it for winter backcountry-ski or splitboard touring, is gender. Women, by and large, but not always, feel the cold more than men, which is why the version I took out is rated with a -12°C limit of comfort for guys, but just -4°C for gals. And while a -12°C rated bag is perfect for Aussie ski touring (it rarely gets colder, though it’s not impossible, in which case wearing your warm jacket will see you through the night), a -4°C bag will almost certainly have you feeling cold frequently enough. (Luckily, One Planet is releasing an updated Winter Lite Series in 2026, suitable for colder temps.) But for me, -12°C hits the sweet spot for a snow-camping-oriented bag that’s not too heavy or bulky, but that will keep you warm through an Aussie winter. And here’s something to note about One Planet’s temp ratings—these have been independently tested to ISO 23537-1 standards; many other bag manufacturers are opaque as to how they arrive at their ratings.

Each Rumour is filled to order in One Planet’s Melbourne factory, and they can even embroider your name on the stuff sack. It’s indicative of how much thought, care and consideration has gone into this bag. One Planet should be proud of themselves.

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