The big difference is that you were actually in the field. To me, 15 in the backyard is roughly equivalent to 27 in the field. I'm pretty sure my pad makes a difference as well. (I've evolved back to always having a pad with me.)
Having made it through 15, I would feel secure in using the peapod alone if I "knew" it would not be below 20. (My temperature planning usually involves the lowest projected temp for the area and altitude then subtract 10.) So a forecast of 27 would be as low as I would plan on the peapod alone. The weakest link for me is definitely the top. I could feel the cold this morning leeching through.
That being said, I'm leaning toward bringing heavier duty down clothing with me this Winter. (I'm shifting from my Rab PL to my NF Nuptse along with bring some 10 ounce Western Mountaineering Flight pants.) On my own, I tend to hike, cook, clean then sleep. In which case I never needed all of the heavier duty camp clothing as I relied on my sleep system for the most part. Backpacking with others, there is more time spent out of my warm hammock, so I'll be bringing the extra down clothing. With those down pants and a jacket (and of course the head cover), I think the 20° peapod with a thin pad could be reliable to 10° and possibly lower.
To be fair, that is a pretty big caveat. If one were to read these posts and merely take with them that a peapod alone when used properly will go to 10 is pretty misleading when I'm actually saying that a peapod and about $450 bucks of additional down clothing and a pad will get to 10.
The real claim should be about what BillyBob58 experienced. A narrow hammock and a 20° peapod alone can be relied on to the mid 20's for a complete three season system weighing 38 ounces.
Medicineman on the other hand is taking it a step further. An uber stuffed peapod like what he is working on should make it to 10 by itself.
Note: While I do look forward to Medicineman's reports on the overstuffing, I do not share his dream of him naked at 5°. I'm just sayin....
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