Sierra
Designs Euphoria 15 F (-9 C) Women's Sleeping Bag
Test
Series by Jennifer Koles
August
17,
2010
|
Skip to my Initial
Report- April 5, 2010
Skip to my Field
Report- June 23, 2010
Skip to my Long Term
Report- August 17, 2010
Personal
Information
Name: Jennifer
Koles
Age: 35
Gender: Female
Height: 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
Weight: 140 lb (64 kg)
Email address: jennksnowy at yahoo dot com
City, State, and Country: Orange County, California,
United States
Backpacking Background
After
getting into the outdoors scene camping while 4-wheeling
and day-hiking, I switched to backpacking in the early 2000's. I have backpacked
extensively in Utah, Wyoming and Idaho along with California, Pennsylvania
and Nevada. I have slowly been cutting my base weight to be able
to go longer in duration and distance. I have done
so mainly by using better gear and dumping heavy luxuries. I backpack year
round in all weather, and usually take a free standing tent
and a gas stove on all my trips. I love trying out new gear.
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The author in the Narrows at Zion
National Park, Utah.
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Initial
Report
April
5, 2010 |
Product
Information and Description
Manufacturer: Sierra
Designs
Model: Euphoria 15 Women's (Flex Synthetic
Line)
Year of Manufacture: 2010
Manufacturer Website: www.sierradesigns.com
Color: Green
and gray/black outer shell with purple liner.
Sizes Available: Regular fits up to 5 ft
5 in (1.65 m) and Long fits up to 5 ft 11 in (1.80
m)
Size Tested: Long
Zipper: Right
MSRP: $179.95 USD
Trail
Weight Listed by Manufacturer: Regular
3 lb 0 oz (1.36 kg); Long 3 lb 4 oz (1.47 kg)
Actual Weight with Stuff Sack: 3
lb 12 oz (1.70 kg)
Actual Stuff Sack Weight: 2.55 oz (72
g)
Fill
Weight (indicated by manufacturer): Regular
33 oz (936 g); Long 36 oz (1021 g)
Listed Stuff Size by Manufacturer: 9 in
(23 cm) x 19 in (48 cm)
Actual Stuff Size Measured (approximate): 10.5
in (27 cm) x 19 in (48 cm)
Fill: HeatSync
Shell: 30D Polyester
Lining: 30D Polyester |
Warranty: The manufacturer
guarantees that the materials and workmanship
in every product they make will stand up to the use
for which it was designed. All defective items are
to be sent the manufacturer and they will repair
or replace the item at their discretion.
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Features of the Euphoria
The Sierra Designs Euphoria
Women's Sleeping Bag is part of the Flex Synthetic Sleeping
Bag line. It is available in 15 F (-9 C) and 30 F (-1
C) models, both of which are considered to be 3-season sleeping
bags. This 15 F (-9 C) bag has a comfort limit rating of
30 F (-1.1 C) to 18 F (-7.7 C).
The Euphoria comes with a cotton
home storage bag and a stuff sack for use on the trail. The
stuff sack does not have compression straps. It is cinched
closed with a cord lock.
What exactly is a women's sleeping
bag?
Some facts about Sierra Designs
Women's Sleeping Bags (obtained from the Sierra Designs website):
- "Men and women sleep better
in sleeping bags designed for their body type. Sierra
Designs was the first in 1995 to recognize that sleeping
bags should be designed differently for women. The average
man is 6 feet (1.83 m) tall, but the average woman is
5 feet, 4 inches (1.63 m) tall. Body proportions and
metabolic rates are also different. We size our women's
bags smaller so that women are not carrying additional
weight and don't have to heat up more air space in a
larger bag. Women's sleeping bags are also designed with
narrower shoulders, wider hips and increased insulation
in the torso and foot box."
- "Sierra Designs developed the first
women-specific sleeping bags in 1995 (Calamity Jane and
Annie Oakley)."
- "Our women-specific bags are tailored
to fit a woman's body (narrower at the shoulders, wider
at the hips and sized for height)."
- "Offer more insulation in the torso
and foot box region."
HeatSync:
The bag is filled with HeatSync;
which is a synthetic fill that the manufacturer markets as
being a short staple insulation that is warm, lightweight
and compressible.
Flex Technology:
What makes the Euphoria special
is the Flex Technology. This construction eliminates constriction
and allows the sleeping bag to move. For instance if I want
to sleep in a fetal position the bag should move with me
and keep me warm and comfortable. This technology is also
marketed as being able to improve the sleeping bag's thermal
efficiency. The Flex sleeping bags are manufactured under
a license by Mont-Bell, Ltd. I found this interesting and
unexpected. I have seen the Mont-Bell bags that are constructed
with this type of technology and this bag has a resemblance
in appearance.
Materials:
The shell and the lining are
made of 30D polyester. It is soft and silky to the touch.
The outer shell is gray/black on the bottom and green on
the top. The green color is a darker green shade, but it
is kind of bright. The inner lining is a medium shade of
purple. I think the color combination is kind of odd. Maybe
it is because the green color of the bag is kind of bright.
But, the color goes well with the spring season; it reminds
me of Easter. The lining is not stitched completely through
the insulation. At a first glance it would appear that the
bag is baffled. However, the lining is an independent sheet.
Draft Tube:
The Euphoria has a single draft
tube that runs next to the zipper to prevent cold spots and
drafts. The draft tube is on the top portion of the sleeping
bag; it runs the length of the zipper to the bottom of the
foot box and over the top opening of the bag (the collar).
It is almost 4 in (10 cm) wide when measured on the zippered
side.
Pad Locks:
The Euphoria has many
features that make this a unique sleeping bag. First
of all it comes with pad locks. These are to attach the sleeping
bag to a sleeping pad to help prevent sliding off the pad.
So many of my bags do not come with pad locks, and they end
up being an additional purchase. There are two nylon webbing
pad locks (0.5 in/1.27 cm wide); that are removable by a
hook and loop type of fastener that attaches to cording.
They are also adjustable by sliding the webbing trough a
stationary buckle. I wonder how well the pad locks will work
when I am sleeping in contorted positions. I will have to
check that out in my field reporting.
Pillow Pocket:
Another
neat feature of the Euphoria is a pillow pocket. This is
on the underside of the bag, in the hood area. The pocket
is held closed by two pieces of hook and loop. This designed
as an integrated pocket for a Sleep EZ Pillow. I do not
have such a pillow; so I am going to either use my existing
down or air pillow, or clothing to serve as a pillow. The
pillow pocket measures 20 in (51 cm) wide and 9 in (23
cm) deep.
Side Pocket:
There is a zippered side pocket
near the zipper that I would find handy to store items such
as tissues, lip balm, a head lamp, or my MP3 player. There
is no pull cord on the zipper, but I could see myself easily
attaching one in the future. The pocket is just over 4 in
(10 cm) deep and the opening is slightly over 5.25 in (13
cm).
Foot Box:
The foot box of the Euphoria
has a microfleece lining to help keep the feet warm and dry.
It also has an ergonomic shape. The manufacturer markets
this feature as allowing for ease of movement, while remaining
thermally efficient; and shaped for comfortable sleep. There
are also hang loops on the outside of the bag for hanging
the bag in storage.
Zipper:
The zipper of the body of the
Euphoria has a snag free zipper track. This is an innovative
feature that prevents a stuck zipper by creating a barrier
between the lining and the zipper track. The main zipper
track has two available zipper openings. Near the foot box
the zipper can be opened for ventilation (there is no zipper
pull on this zipper). The zipper at the top of the bag has
a small zipper pull and allows for entry into the bag.
Hood/Collar:
The hood of the Euphoria has
an ergonomic design. It is shaped to cradle the head comfortably
without compressing the insulation. There is also a draw
cord at the collar of the bag. This is to cinch up the hood
to keep warm air inside the bag.
Initial Impressions
I checked out the Sierra Designs website prior to
receiving the Euphoria bag. The bag on the website
looks like the bag I have in my possession. However,
I think the color on the website is not as bright.
The features and specifications are listed on the site
and they are listed on the product tag that I was attached
to the cotton storage sack of the bag. On the website
there is a huge error. On the fabrics and materials
tab it lists that the following for the insulation
properties: " Insulation: HeatSync™ Down
Shell Material: 30D Polyester Liner Material: 30D Polyester".
So, silly me I thought I was getting a down sleeping
bag, because I failed to research what HeatSync was
before receiving it. This is not a down bag as indicated
on the fabrics and materials tab of the web page.
I am just over 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) tall and I know
from past experience that the regular sized Sierra
Design bags are not comfortable and are too small for
me. That is why I opted for the long size. Even though
I am at the small end of height for this bag, I thought
going up to the next size would be better than a bag
that was too small. To see how the Euphoria fits; I
crawled in the bag for an initial fit test. The bag
was not constricting and I had some extra room in the
foot box. But, I like to extend my feet down when I
am sleeping; so I like the extra room here. The bag
seems wide and not tapered in the leg area, but this
may be due to the Flex construction. I will have to
see if I get cold spots.
The included stuff sack does not have compression
straps, which I found to be odd. I like to make my
bag as small as possible before I put it in my backpack.
That way the sleeping bag takes up less volume. On
the bottom of the stuff sack there is a wide band of
added material that I can hold on to when pulling the
bag out of the sack; for easier removal. The sack is
very large and there is basically no effort on my part
to cram the sleeping bag in to the sack. The sack has
a flap at the opening to protect the bag from dirt
when it is closed by the draw cord.
The care instructions and the phone number for customer
service are on a tag that is sewn on the draft tube.
The care instructions are pretty much standard: do
not dry clean; hand or machine wash with mild soap
or soap designed specifically for use with sleeping
bags; machine wash on gentle cycle; do not use an agitator
type of washing machine; rise very thoroughly to remove
all soap; drip dry or tumble dry in a commercial drier;
do not steam press or iron.
So far the Euphoria fits me and it has quite a few
nice features. I can't wait to try it out.
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Field
Report
June
23, 2010 |
Testing Locations
Death Valley, California: The
Euphoria was used here on a two night camping trip. The elevation
was approximately -180 ft (-56 m) and the low temperatures
were 45 F (7 C) to 49 F (9 C).
Cleveland National Forest,
California: This was a one night backpacking trip
with a first-timer friend of mine. The low temperatures hovered
around 40 F (4 C). The elevation at camp was 1,600 ft (488
m).
Near Red Rocks, Nevada: This
was a one night camping trip. It was very warm at night with
the temperatures in the upper 70's F (24 C) and the elevation
was around 4,500 ft (1,400 m). During this trip I slept on
top of the bag and used it as a ground insulator.
Performance in
the Field
Over
the past two months the Euphoria was used in temperatures above
40 F (4 C). It has been difficult over the past two months
for me to sleep at colder temperatures, mostly due to mild
weather when I traveled out of state on my recent trips. I
have been comfortable sleeping in the Euphoria, even though
it was used in warmer temperatures. I just vented the bag as
needed to cool me off. The warmest temperatures encountered
while using this bag was during my trip to Red Rocks as it
was a warm 75 F (24 C) at night. So, I just slept on top of
the Euphoria and used it as a ground insulator.
The Euphoria is very comfortable. I think
this is mostly due to the Flex Technology construction. I can
sleep on my side all curled up into a fetal position and not
be constricted or have a claustrophobic feeling. The bag is
soft and has a light loft to it. The material is not scratchy
and the lined foot box is very comfortable against my feet.
Due to the added insulation the lining enables me to sleep
sock free in temperatures above 40 F (4 C). In the warmer temperatures
it has also been helpful to vent the back by opening the zipper
starting at the foot box.
Pocket |
I have used the pad locks
on the Euphoria and I think they are great for when I
am sleeping on my back, which is not often. They do a
good job of holding the sleeping pad in place. But, when
I sleep on my side in this bag I just like to have the
pad placed beneath the Euphoria. The pad locks do not
work as intended if I am sleeping on my side in this
bag.
I love the pillow pocket
in the hood of the Euphoria. I have never owned a sleeping
bag with a pillow pocket. I have used both my down pillow
and my air pillow while sleeping in this bag. Both fit
nicely in the pocket. Most of the time at night I wake
up and I cannot find my pillow, or my air pillow gets
cold when I forget to bring the pillow cover. I noticed
that my air pillow stays warm in the pocket with no additional
cover.
The side pocket on the Euphoria is a
nice addition to the bag. I have stored a snack, tissues,
lip balm, and my MP3 player inside of it. It is tricky
for me at times to open the zipper on this pocket since
there is no zipper pull, which would be a nice addition
to this pocket.
The Euphoria compresses nicely into the
stuff sack that was provided with the sleeping bag. However,
it is oversized for the bag. I prefer to use a smaller
compression sack for this bag. It fits compressed nicely
into my 55 L (3,200 cu in) Osprey Ariel backpack, but I
have difficulty carrying it inside my smaller packs. If
I take the Euphoria with me in a smaller pack I do not
have much room for spare gear and necessary gear. |
Long
Term
Report
August
17,
2010 |
Testing Locations
Mt. San Jacinto State Park,
California: I took two one night backpacking
trips here. Went for a day hike to the summit on both trips.
We camped at an elevation around 9,000 ft (2,750 m).
The low temperature was in the mid 40's F (5 C).
Performance in
the Field
Over the past two months the Euphoria was
used on two one night backpacking trips. It was warm at night
as the temperatures were above 40 F (4 C). I slept with the
bag zipped open midway for most of the night.
One of my favorite features of the Euphoria
is the flex construction. It basically flexes into the same
position as my body. I can roll around, bring my knees to my
chest, and sleep with my arms in a comfortable position with
this bag. The foot box lining so far has enabled me to sleep
without socks in the warm temperatures the bag was exposed
to.
My second favorite feature is the pillow pocket.
No more looking for a pillow that has slid away during the
night. It stays all tucked away in the pocket.
On these two backpacking trips I took with
the bag I opted to stuff it in a smaller stuff sack and one
with compression straps. The stuff sack provided with the Euphoria
is overkill in my opinion. There is so much extra space in
the sack even when I stuff the Euphoria inside with my down
pillow.
While camping at San Jacinto State Park I
spilled some water on the bag in the evening. Basically the
bag got soaked near my knees. Luckily I was not cold through
the night. The bag also got some condensation on it during
the night and again I was not chilled. The bag dried during
the daytime hours when I left it in my tent as I hiked to the
summit.
I have yet to wash the Euphoria as it does
not have an odor yet. It surprises me that there are no odd
odors as the Euphoria has been exposed to some warm temperatures.
The Euphoria looks like new. The insulation
is not bunched up and the zippers are working just fine with
no sticking or snagging. I would like to see a larger zipper
pull on the main zipper and I would also like to see one on
the bottom zipper near the foot box. I recently tore a
ligament in my thumb which makes pinching and gasping difficult.
I think a larger zipper pull would make grasping the zipper
much easier; especially with my injured thumb.
This bag is on the heavy side for me to take
backpacking in the future. That is just my personal preference.
I like the flex construction of this bag so much that I plan
on using it car camping or on short backpacking trips.
Things
That Rock:
- Flexes
- Comfortable
- Pillow pocket
- Pad locks
- Small front pocket
Things That
Are So-So:
- No compression straps on the stuff
sack
- Roomier than thought it would be
- The color combination is odd in
my opinion
- On the heavy side
Remarks
This
concludes my reporting on the Euphoria.
Thank you Sierra Designs and backpackgeartest.org for
providing me with the opportunity to test this product.
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Included stuff sack
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