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Reviews > Sleep Gear > Sleeping Bags > Exxel Outdoors Youth Mummy Bags > Test Report by Suzi Gibson

Exxel Youth Sleeping Bag
Test Series by Suzi Gibson
Initial Report - 2 August 2009
Field Report - 6 October 2009
Long Term Report - 7 December 2009

Tester Information:

Name: Suzi Gibson
Age: 31
Gender: Female
Height: 5'6" (1.7 m)
Weight: 150 lb (68 kg)
Email address: suzi_q_jones at yahoo dot com
City, State, Country: Anderson, South Carolina, USA

Actual Test Subject:

Name: Ella
Age: 2
Gender: Female
Height: ~34 in (86 cm)
Weight: ~27 lb (12 kg)


Backpacking Background:

I've gone on many family camping trips to various places along the east coast of the US since I was a child. Over the past several years, I have done several backpacking trips in the Southeastern US. With the arrival of my daughter in 2007, my husband and I have refocused on car camping and day hikes in the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic US. She loves hiking with me while riding in our child carrier and assists me in getting our base camp set up when camping, or at least the best a 2 year old can do. As she gets older, we plan on introducing her to the joys of backpacking.


Product Information:

Manufacturer: Exxel Outdoors
URL: http://www.exxel.com/
Colors Available: Camo Pink/ Camo Blue
Color Tested: Camo Pink
Listed weight: N/A
Weight as Delivered: 2 lb 10 oz (1.2 kg) for the bag; 5 oz (142 g) for the stuff sack; 2 lb 15 oz (1.6 kg) total
Listed Dimensions: 26 in (66 cm) x 66 in (167 cm) x 18 in (47 cm)
Actual Dimensions: 27 in (69 cm) x 67 in (170 cm) x 16 in (41 cm)
Compressed Dimensions: 12 in (31 cm) x 9.5 in (24 cm)
MSRP: $29.95 (US)


Initial Report


Product Description & Initial Impressions:

I received the Exxel Youth sleeping bag (hereafter called the bag) in June 2009. The initial bag I received had a couple defective seams and I was sent a replacement bag for testing purposes. Exxel Youth Sleeping BagThe bag is a mummy style, youth sized, sleeping bag rated down to 20 F (-6.7 C). The shell and liner are both a soft, silky polyester material. It has 2 lb (0.9 kg) of Polyester Microtekk Z1 fill, which is evenly distributed throughout the bag. The baffles are approximately 10.5 in (27 cm) wide on both the top and bottom of the bag and are stitched with a long backstitch (0.25 in/ 6.4 mm). There is a single zipper with two zipper pulls on the right side of the bag that runs 49 in (124 cm) from the hood terminating 12 in (30 cm) from the end of the bag. There are two hook and loop closures where the zipper ends on the hood. It has both a draft collar near the hood and a draft tube, which runs the length of the zipper. Both the draft collar and the hood have drawstrings. There are three loops on the foot box for drying out the bag.

Exxel Youth Sleeping Bag

I received the Camouflage Pink Youth sleeping bag for my daughter to put through its paces over the summer and fall. It arrived in its compression sack (also pink with a black top and handle and four compression straps.). The bag re-lofted just as much as indicated in the picture supplied by the publicists.

The seams are in good shape. The Exxel Youth Sleeping Bagzippers work ok so far but I will keep an eye on them as I've already snagged them a couple of times while inspecting the bag.

The pink color and camouflage pattern is cute, although I'm not much of a pink fan, my daughter loves it. The shell has a bit of a soft and thin feel to it, which makes me wonder how well it'll hold up over the next couple of months. The lining is soft and silky feeling but again is thin enough to see the fill behind it. The bag looks a little long for her; however, she no longer likes how confined her toddler sleeping bag has become.

The instructions indicate that the bag can be laundered in a commercial sized washing machine on a gently, non-agitating cycle. Given this, I will launder it prior to field-testing so that any chemical residues and odors will be eliminated prior to my toddler being in long-term contact with the bag.


Summary:

Overall, I think this is a nice youth sleeping bag. I like that it doesn't weigh much and the Exxel Youth Sleeping Bagcolor and pattern is cute. The stuff sack is large enough where I don't feel that I'll have any problems getting the bag back into it. The four compression straps should also help with getting the bag down to a very small size.

Likes:

  • Color scheme
  • Low weight
  • Compressibility

Dislikes/Concerns:

  • Nothing at this time

 


Field Report


Field Locations and Conditions:

Over the past 2 months, the Exxel Youth sleeping bag (hereafter, 'the bag') has been used a total of 5 nights, on three separate outings in Sadlers Creek State Park, SC, Gatlinburg, Tennessee and Southern Maryland. All trips have been car camping trips. Elevations traveled ranged from sea level to approximately 2700 ft (823 m). Daytime high temperatures ranged from approximately 73 F (23 C), to 88 F (31 C) with lows ranging from approximately 46 F (7 C) to 72 F (22 C). All outings have seen the gamut of sun, showers and thunderstorms. In addition to its outdoor usage, the bag has been used inside per my daughter's request. She really likes to set it up inside her play tent and pretend sleep on it in addition to pilling her favorite toys inside it.

Field Performance:

To date, the bag has performed well for a children's sleeping bag. All stitching and seams have held up extremely well to my toddler's abuse. I have had a several zipper snags, but it has been easy to back the zipper out. Since testing has been conducted in mostly mild temperatures, I have had my daughter start the night sleeping on top of the bag. As the night progresses, I zip her into the bag. Our last trip was the coldest yet (46 F/7 C nightime low) and I kept her tucked in the bag for the entire evening and later in the night, pulled the drawcord on the hood to close the opening a little bit to help her retain heat. The bag has done a great job keeping her warm at night even down the 46 F (7 C). The bag did feel damp on a few occasions, however a few hours of dry time was all it needed to feel dry again. Stuffing the bag back into its stuff sack has been very easy and I really like how well it compresses. The compression sack itself it holding up very well with no rips, fraying straps or seams.

Summary:

Overall, I've been very pleased with how this bag has Exxel Youth Sleeping Bagperformed so far. I know my daughter has also enjoyed the warmth it provides during our excursions. I like how compact and lightweight the bag is. These features have allowed my toddler to be able to assist me with setting up camp since she can grab the top loop of the stuff sack and the low weight and low volume allow her to easily carry it from the car to the tent. I'm looking forward to seeing how well it performs during our upcoming excursions.

Likes:

  • Lightweight
  • Compressibility
  • Warmth
  • Durability

Dislikes:

  • Nothing at this time

Long Term Report


Field Locations and Conditions:

The Exxel youth mummy bag has been tested an additional 5 nights at the same Maryland location as well as a local South Carolina state park. Elevations were 100 ft (30.5 m) and 680 ft (207 m), respectively. Weather conditions ranged from partly sunny to light rain, and calm winds to >10 mph (>16 km/h) sustained winds with gusts to ~20 mph (32 km/h). Daytime highs ranged from 48 F (9 C), to 77 F (25 C) while overnights lows ranged from 41 F (5 C) to 68 F (20 C). In addition to field-testing, my daughter has used it during overnight trips with her grandparents as well as insisting it become a permanent fixture on her bed.

Performance and Durability:

During this testing phase, the bag has primarily been used car camping with an air mattress underneath. I dressed the little tester with a thermal underwear base layer plus fleece, footed pajamas when nighttime temperatures were forecasted to be at or below 55 F (12 C). She wore just the footed, fleece pajamas when nighttime temperatures were forecast to be above 55 F (12 C). The bag did an excellent job keeping Ella very warm during the night throughout this testing phase. I would routinely check on her, and observed the only times she was chilled were the times she had left the bag because she had become too warm.

The bag's construction has withstood the rigors of its' two year old tester. The seams have retained their integrity throughout testing and have withstood Ella playing with the bag with her inside play tent, taking it to bed with her, in addition to several launderings. The bag's loft has remained the same throughout testing with no shifting or clumping. There were a few zipper snags, however backing the zipper out fixed the snag every time with no visible signs of damage.

The stuff sack has also held up very well during testing. It has been drug by Ella from the car to the tent, across fine gravel and over coarse fields with no visible signs of wear and tear. The straps have performed well with no observed fraying. There has been ample room inside the stuff sack for the bag plus a few small, bedtime books. I also like how compact it is when stowed. For me, this really helps since both garage storage as well as trunk space is limited.

Summary:

Overall, I have been very pleased with the bag's performance during testing. As a parent, my primary concern for any bag is that it keeps my child warm and secondly, that it holds up well over time. This bag has not only met those criteria, but has exceeded them. Of course, it's also a plus that my child finds the bag extremely attractive. I believe the Exxel Youth Mummy sleeping bag has been an essential component in making our camping trips a positive experience for my daughter. The mere sight of the bag causes great excitement for her. Overall, I think this bag is an excellent value for the price. I'm looking forward to allowing my daughter to continue to use it during overnight trips with family as well as car camping trips starting next year and beyond.


This concludes my report for the Exxel Youth mummy sleeping bag. Thanks again to Exxel and BackPackGearTest.org for granting me and my daughter the opportunity to test the Exxel Youth mummy sleeping bag.


Read more reviews of Exxel Outdoors gear
Read more gear reviews by Suzi Gibson

Reviews > Sleep Gear > Sleeping Bags > Exxel Outdoors Youth Mummy Bags > Test Report by Suzi Gibson



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