Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Sierra Designs New Game Changing Sleeping Bags

Campers who live in rainy environments have an ongoing dilemma when it comes to sleeping bags.  Even more so with backpackers trying to minimize weight and maximize warmth in wet conditions.  Down is warm and light, however if you get it wet, you're in trouble.  It doesn't dry fast, it won't keep you warm, and you might end up not having anything to sleep in.  With a synthetic bag, you gain weight and lose warmth but if the bag gets wet, there's a chance you could still sleep in it and it's possible it could still provide warmth.  Also they dry faster.  So you have to kind of hedge your bets.
Until now.  Enter the new Sierra Designs line of DriDown Sleeping Bags. These offer a new technology called DriDown that keeps your sleeping bag from looking like a drowned cat should it get wet seven times longer than regular down.  This is a game changer.

Each individual plume is coated with a hydrophobic finish which help keeps it dry, makes it loft better, and allows it to dry faster.  It has the benefits of down, being light weight and warm, but has a much better chance of staying dry.

The women-specific Eleanor is shaped to better accommodate the female body, and is a toasty 600 fill.  There's extra loft in the foot and hood area because most women are sleep colder than men.  I was able to try this out over the weekend and suffice to say, I'm in love.  First off, it's butter soft, like a dreamy combination of clouds and marshmallows.  The the colors are beautiful.  I love the blue with the lime green lining and zipper, it's a very good looking bag.  But I just can't get past how cozy soft it is, very cuddly and just what you want when you crawl in for a sound sleep after an active day.   I'm also a cold sleeper and thought the bag was plenty warm for a temperature in the 40's.  At 5'5 and a medium size, this bag fit me great and I felt like I had plenty of room.

The zipper does not stick and there's another one at the bottom so you can let a little air in if you get warm.   It comes with a mesh storage bag (I prefer to store it by hanging it on a hanger with the loops on the bottom and store it in the closet) and a stuff sack.  If you are looking for a sleeping bag for Summer adventures or just need an upgrade, be sure to check this awesome bag out.  Find it HERE