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Reviews > Sleep Gear > Sleeping Bags > REI Kindercone Sleeping Bag > Owner Review by Peter Spiller

REI Kindercone 30 F (-1 C) Sleeping Bag

Peter Spiller

August 4, 2008



BiographyUser Experience
Product InformationSummary
Field Information


Biography:


Reviewer #1:

Name: Eleanor
Age: 7
Gender: Female
Height: 48 in (122 cm)
Weight: 58 lb (26 kg)

Camping Background: Eleanor has been a camper from the womb.  She has camped extensively with her family throughout California.  She recently has taken up backpacking,  completing her first overnight backpacking trip last July in the High Sierra Mountains in Central California, camping at 12000 ft (3650 m).  Eleanor is currently in training for an expedition to the floor of the Grand Canyon in Arizona planned in April 2009.

Reviewer #2:

Name: Elizabeth
Age: 3
Gender: Female
Height: 40 in (102 cm)
Weight: 36 lb (16 kg)

Camping Background:  Elizabeth has been an avid camper since completing her first camping trip on the coast of San Diego, California at 8 weeks old.  Since then she has been enthusiastically exploring the wild places of California with her family.  Elizabeth is a very "hands on" camper, preferring to immerse herself in nature by rolling in it and wearing it to bed and ultimately home. Elizabeth has an extensive soil collection embedded in the cloth of her camping clothes and gear.

Facilitator:

Name: Peter Spiller
Age: 38
Gender: Male
Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83m)
Weight: 190 lb (86 kg)
Email address: phspiller@cox.net
Website: http://www.outsidesd.com
City, State, Country: La Mesa, CA U.S.
Date: August 4, 2008

Backpacking Background: I have been camping and hiking avidly since childhood.  In the last several years my passion for backpacking and kayaking has grown.  I am a Chapter Outing Leader for the Sierra Club, I have trained in Wilderness First Aid, and am a staff member for a Wilderness Basics course.  I enjoy solo backpacking and group trips.  I have an adaptable style that is fueled by my interest in backpacking gear.  I pack as light as possible when the situation dictates, but I am not against hauling creature comforts. I average 1 hike a week, and 1 backpack a month year-round.



Product information

Kindercone BagManufacturer:  REI
Manufacturer's Website: http://www.rei.com
Listed Weight: 3 lb (1.4 kg)
Delivered Weight: 3 lb 2oz (1.53 kg)

Product Description:


The REI Kindercone Sleeping Bag is a synthetic filled mummy bag sized for children. It is rated to 30 F (-1 F), and features a smooth nylon exterior (pink in the case of our sleeping bags, but also available in other colors) with regularly spaced baffles sewn perpendicular to the length of the bag. A soft cottony, printed fabric lines the interior. It has a hood with elastic around the face, a small stash pocket near the chest area, and a zipper that runs around the foot of the bag allowing it to open up and lay flat. There is a Velcro tab that secures the zipper when completely zipped up. The hood is complete with a pocket that can be stuffed with clothing to form a pillow. The hood cinches down using elastic sewn into the edge. There are no draw cord on the bag, to keep young users from getting tangled up and harmed. The bag comes complete with a nylon stuff  sack that compresses the bag for transport.


Field information:

 Locations:


The REI Kindercones are the primary sleeping bag for camping and recreational use of both my children.  These sleeping bags have been used indoors and outdoors in San Diego County, Los Angeles County, and the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range from Yosemite to Mammoth.

Conditions:


The conditions range from mild sea level chaparral to oak and pine forests with substantially more precipitation.  The bags have always been used inside a shelter when camping.  These shelters range from a single walled hybrid tarp-tent, to a double walled tent, to a pop-up trailer. My children have utilized these bags at least 40 nights while camping, and more than 50 nights using them at home and during sleepovers.

User Experience:


Sleeping In Bag
We own two of these bags, and they get extensive use both in the field and at home. The bags are most often used zipped up when car camping or backpacking, and usually unzipped as a quilt when at home.  These sleeping bags are the go-to insulator in any situation that is not in their bed.  With all of this use the sleeping bags get very dirty, and they have been washed somewhere between 8-10 times since they were purchased. The normal mode of washing is to place them individually in a regular top loading washing machine, using cold water, and a gentle cycle in the dryer. This method has worked well, despite the manufactures recommendation to use a front loading machine, and the bags are both in good condition after so many washings. 

The sleeping bags are both much larger than the children using them, and they have room to grow into the bag.  I speculate that this will affect the comfort rating of the bags, but we have yet to expose the children to cold weather camping.  The extra room is an advantage, at this point, as my children are restless sleepers, and would not do well in a snugger fitting bag that would bind up as they twist and turn.

The bags are in no way ultra-light, or ultra-compressible.  The weight and volume are comparable to adult size bags, and pose a dilemma when used as a backpacking bag.  These bags are too big to fit in the small pack my 7-year-old uses, and at this point I carry it in my pack.  I have yet to have the 3-year-old old backpacking, so I have not needed to carry two of the sleeping bags in my pack. 

The little chest pocket, the built in pillow pocket and the ability to unzip the bag and lay it flat are all features that my children use and appreciate.   When car camping in warmer weather my children often unzip the bags and use one flat under them, and one draped over them.  There have been numerous occasions when one of their parents has joined them in this configuration during particularly restless nights.

Summary


The REI Kindercone Sleeping Bag is a very versatile, functional, and durable synthetic sleeping bag for children.  While not light and compressible, it is warm and comfortable, with a design and features that will promote extensive use. 

Pros:

•    Durable
•    Easily washable
•    Unzips flat
•    Built in pillow pocket and stash pocket

Cons:

•    Bulky
•    Heavy



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Reviews > Sleep Gear > Sleeping Bags > REI Kindercone Sleeping Bag > Owner Review by Peter Spiller



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