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Reviews > Sleep Gear > Sleeping Bags > MontBell Down Hugger 800 3 Sleeping Bag > Test Report by Brian HartmanMONTBELL DOWN HUGGER 800 #3 SLEEPING BAG TESTER INFORMATION
I have been backpacking for over 20 years throughout Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and most recently in the Western USA. In addition to backpacking I enjoy family camping with my wife and kids and being outdoors in general. I would describe myself as a mid-weight backpacker. I hike with fairly light weight clothing, equipment, and gear but still like to bring more than the bare essentials with me while on the trail. INITIAL REPORT PRODUCT INFORMATION & SPECIFICATIONS Manufacturer: Montbell
The Montbell Down Hugger 800 #3 (hereafter called Down Hugger 800 or sleeping bag) is a lightweight, backcountry sleeping bag with a comfort rating of 40 F (4 C). It has a sewn through, multi-tube box construction, and uses high grade materials for the shell and insulation. In addition, Montbell touts the bag as having unrivaled fit and comfort thanks to their patented Super Spiral-Stretch System. Per the manufacturer, this system uses woven fabric, oriented at 45 degrees to the major seam lines, and elasticized thread to provide stretch that allows the sleeping bag to flex throughout the night. As a result, the Down Hugger is supposedly more comfortable and more thermally efficient than previous designs. The Down Hugger 800 arrived in a nondescript cardboard box along with a storage bag and stuff sack. Upon removing it, I was immediately impressed with how lightweight and compressible the sleeping bag was, and I really liked the color. The down insulation seemed to have plenty of loft and the shell fabric felt soft and thin but still durable. The Down Hugger arrived in excellent condition with no loose threads, snags, or torn seams. It appears to be well designed, well manufactured, and of excellent quality. The sleeping bag measures approximately 76 in (193 cm) long and 27 in (68.6 cm) wide at its widest point and it is considered 'regular' length. Montbell also sells the Down Hugger 800 in 'long' for individuals who are over six feet tall. The stuff sack is made of 100% nylon and measures approximately 5.5 x 14 in (14 cm x 35.6 cm) with the sleeping bag inside. Montbell's logo is imprinted on the end of the stuff sack.
I
set the sleeping bag on my family room floor, climbed inside, and
zipped up, and my first reaction was 'wow this is snug'. I'm
not a big guy and yet it seemed like my toes touched the bottom of the
bag and my chest and shoulders filled the entire upper part of the bag.
I fully anticipate I'll get used to the narrower design and it'll
be fine.
What's
not to like about the Down Hugger 800! It's well designed, well
built, incredibly lightweight, and it's down. I look forward to
the next four months of testing in a variety of weather
conditions. FIELD LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS
PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD
Speaking of warmth, the Down Hugger's comfort rating of 40 F (4.4 C) was more than adequate for the temperatures I experienced during this test period. I look forward to trying it out this winter in much colder temperatures, although I suspect a liner will be needed to overnight in below freezing temperatures. At this time although I don't have any firsthand experience with this bag in temperatures below 67 F (19 C), I will say, subjectively, the Down Hugger feels like it could easily handle temperatures in the low 50s F (10 C) or 40s F (4.4 C) without a problem. I make that statement based on experience with other Montbell sleeping bags. They make high quality, dependable products, and seem to be conservative with their ratings. At 76 in (193 cm) long and 27 in (68.6 cm) wide, the Down Hugger 800 is smaller than any other sleeping bag I've owned. I have enough room to wiggle around inside the bag but there is no wasted space that needs to be warmed. As noted in my Initial Report, my feet nearly touch the bottom of the foot box so there's no additional room for me to stash clothes or a water bottle in the bag. In that regard, I wish I had selected a size long bag as there would've been extra space below my feet to store items in winter. At 20.2 oz (572 g) the Down Hugger 800 is ultra-lightweight and that, combined with the fact that it compresses so much, I hardly notice it in my backpack. It truly is the perfect sleeping bag for thru hikers, or anyone looking to shave weight and reduce their pack size. On
my first trip of this test period, to the Charles Deam
Wilderness, I carried the Down Hugger bag in a 3,300 cu in (54.12
L) pack along with my sleeping pad and a small tent. The Down
Hugger added 20 oz
(572 g) and took up 5.5 x 10.9 in. (14 x 28 cm), or 3.8 L of
pack space. What a phenomenal difference, compared to the
sleeping bag I carried in my 20's, which weighed 5 lb (2.3 kg) and
took up to 20 L of space. When I arrived at my
campsite in the evening, the temperature was 68 F (20 C) and there was
hardly any wind. I set up my tent, inflated my sleeping pad, and
then unpacked the sleeping bag from its compression sack.
With a few minutes the Down Hugger regained its loft and was
ready to go. I was comfortable throughout the night
and never felt clammy despite the warm temperature. I woke
up briefly around 3am and scooted myself back onto the sleeping
pad since I had slid off, then I fell right back asleep. In the
morning there was some condensation on the tent walls, but the
sleeping bag
was only slightly damp. Just to be safe though I strung a line
across my campsite and hung it out to dry before breaking camp. Reflecting
back on my first night in the Down Hugger, I really liked
the contoured hood. It enveloped my head without making
me feel claustrophobic. The zipper worked well, and the bag
seemed to capture every ounce of heat my body generated. I had
similar experiences on my other two trips. In general, the
Down Hugger performed exceptionally well, and the bag showed no signs
of wear or damage. The fabric appeared to be durable given its
light weight and it didn't snag or tear on anything during my trips.
In addition, the seams remained tight, and no feathers escaped
the bag. Getting the bag into its compression sack was doable but
it took some work. Luckily, down bags can be compressed over and
over again without loss of loft, and this is one big advantage they
have over synthetic bags, whose insulation tends to break down
after being repeatedly stuffed and unstuffed. One thing I was anxious to test on the Down Hugger was its DWR coating: how well it worked and quickly the bag dried after getting wet. I'm happy to report that although the outside of the bag got damp from condensation it never wetted through, and it didn't seem to affect the bag's insulating properties at all. Hopefully, I'll have a chance to go out in wet weather as I think that would be a good test for the bag. On this trip I just let the Down Hugger air out in the breeze and what little dampness was on the surface of the bag quickly dried out. SUMMARY The Montbell Down Hugger 800 has performed really well so far. Although it hasn't seen extreme temperatures, it has been tossed around in the wilderness and hung out to dry (literally). LONG-TERM TEST LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS I
used the Down Hugger 800 on two weekend backpacking trips, totaling 4
days, during Long Term testing. Both trips were to Franklin
County, Indiana, located a few hours from Indianapolis and one of
my favorite spots to get away. On
my first trip, the skies were partly sunny with temperatures
approaching the low 80s F (27 C) during the day and the mid 70s F (24
C) at night. I hiked 2.5 mi
(4 km), all off-trail, through forests and fields at elevations
that ranged from 680 ft (207 m) to 850 ft (259 m). On my second
trip the skies were clear, and temperatures were cooler with a high of
72 F (22 C) and overnight lows in the mid 60s F (18 C). PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD After
four months of testing, the Down Hugger 800 has proven to be durable.
There are no loose threads or seams, the zipper operates smoothly
and has yet to snag, and the shell shows no signs of wear.
Despite being stuffed and compressed in its storage sack more
times than I can remember, the bag always lofts back to its original
shape, and the down insulation doesn't appear to have shifted or
compressed at all. In fact, I haven't noticed any cold spots during my outings. I
love that this bag compresses so much and weighs so little. It
easily fits in my backpack and is a pleasure to take on trips when
I'm planning to hike long distances. SUMMARY Montbell has done an excellent job with the Down Hugger 800. It's
well-made, incredibly lightweight, comfortable, breathable,
and durable. I plan to use it when temperatures are between
32 and 65 F (0 and 18 C). I'll try it out this winter in below
freezing temperatures but will most likely need to add a liner or
blanket to stay warm. Read more reviews of MontBell gear Read more gear reviews by Brian Hartman Reviews > Sleep Gear > Sleeping Bags > MontBell Down Hugger 800 3 Sleeping Bag > Test Report by Brian Hartman |