Backpacking Experience
I’ve been a dayhiker since the mid-1980's and a backpacker since 1992. I love the outdoors and I get out as much as I can, taking daily walks/runs, weekly day hikes, monthly backpack trips, and some occasional car camping adventures. In the winter I snowshoe, and I am learning to cross country ski. I would not call myself a lightweight backpacker, but I am happy to say that my pack weight is gradually coming down. My goal is to have a manageable pack weight without sacrificing safety or a whole lot of comfort.

Once I stop hiking and settle into camp for the night, I tend to feel cold very quickly. I sleep cold, too, and normally carry a 0 degree (-18 C) synthetic fill mummy bag until the nighttime lows reach into the 50's (10 C).

Product Information

Manufacturer: Innovations by Finn

Model: Sleeper II

Manufactured: 2004

Size: Only one size available

Color: Red outer shell with a blue inner lining

Listed Weight: none listed	Listed Measurements: none listed
Weight as Delivered: 6 oz (170 g)	Measurements as Delivered: circumference: 30 in (76 cm) length of insulated section: 14 in (35 cm) length of front cowl: 5 in (13 cm) length of back cowl: 7 in (18 cm)

Product Description

The Finbar Hood is an insulated hood designed to be worn while sleeping in a mummy bag. The outer shell of the Hood is standard coated nylon, while the inner lining is Supplex nylon for a softer feel next to the skin. The face opening is adjusted with a nylon draw chord and spring loaded toggle. It can be cinched down to the size of a walnut or even smaller.

Laurie wearing the Hood with opening tightened.

The cowl, or drape, that hangs over the shoulders, chest, and upper back is not insulated. It is constructed of the outer coated nylon layer and the inner Supplex layer; only the head and neck areas are insulated. Thin nylon arm straps connect to the bottom of the cowl at the back and front, and fit loosely under the arms.

Three layers of 3M Lite-Loft insulation line the head and neck areas of the Hood. One thin layer is sewn to the outer red nylon, another thin layer is sewn to the inner blue layer of Supplex nylon, but the thicker middle layer is not attached to the Hood in any way. The middle layer can be removed through an opening at the back of the Hood to help regulated heat.

3 layers of insulation in the Finbar Hood

Why use the Finbar Hood?   According to the brochures that came with the Hood, there are many reasons : 1) Preventing heat loss through the head should help a person stay much warmer while sleeping. 2) The Hood is designed to stay with the head even when the user rolls over during the night. 3) It greatly reduces the loss of warm air through gaps at the head, neck and face that can occurring while using the built in hood on most mummy bags. 4) It should extend the sleeping bag's temperature range. 5) The insulation level of the Hood can be varied; providing the ability to adjust for different temperatures. 6) Keeping moisture from the breath out of the sleeping bag greatly reduces the amount of moisture in the bag. This should lead to a drier, lighter bag. 7) The Hood can give tall people a little extra length when using a mummy bag.

Field Test Conditions
I've used the Finbar Hood on Washington's Olympic Peninsula and near Mt. St. Helens. Elevation has ranged from 4,000 to 5,000 ft. (1,200 - 1,524 m). Amazingly, the weather was clear and dry on all trips, except for one afternoon thundershower. Wind speed was limited to a light breeze.

Earlier in the season, I slept in a women's Sierra Designs mummy bag that is rated to 0 degrees F (-18 C) and insulated with Polarguard 3D. On those trips we used a floorless tent. Nighttime low temperatures ranged between 35 and 40 F (1 C - 4 C).

On my most recent trip, I slept in a 20 degree (-6 C), unisex, Mountain Hardware bag also insulated with Polarguard 3D. This time I used a Hennessy Hammock, a mesh enclosed camping hammock. Nighttime lows were between 45 and 48 F (7 C - 9 C).

Field Test Observations

Essentially, I've been very happy with the Finbar Hood. I've stayed much warmer, slept more soundly, and stuffed it easily into my pack.

Comfort/Functionality. Normally, I tend to feel very cold at night while camping, and often wake up shivering. Since I've been using the Finbar Hood, I've definitely stayed much warmer. I've had no midnight shivering experiences and found I've been sleeping much more soundly.

One reason I've stayed warmer is because the insulation in the Hood stays in place as I change sleeping positions.   When I'd use a hood attached to a mummy bag, I'd often wind up with a gap between my neck and the bag if I slept on my side. The Finbar Hood practically eliminates this gap. The Hood keeps the insulation close to my head and neck, it moves with my head as I roll from side to side, and the cowl stays tucked into the sleeping bag. This greatly reduces drafts and helps keep warm air inside the bag.

The drawcord opening helps me regulate the amount of heat I want to keep in. I tend to start the night with the cord pulled pretty tight, giving me a small opening over my nose and mouth. Once I build up some heat, I release the opening a bit and let some cooler air in. On warmer nights (temps in the lower 50s F or around 11 C), I've slept with the Hood fully open, allowing the maximum amount of airflow. Even at these temperatures, I've still found the Hood to be useful. It prevents drafts of cold air from hitting my neck and entering the bag, and I like the way the Hood moves with me as I change positions. While wearing the Hood, there's no need to wake up during the night to find a hat that has fallen off or to reposition my head in a mummy bag hood.

The multiple insulation layers are another key to my success with the Hood. I haven't encountered any weather cold enough to wear both layers, so I've been taking out the removable layer. It's a simple process that I find easy to do even in the dark.   To remove the liner, I take the Hood off, open the slit at the back, reach my hand inside, and turn the Hood inside out. Then I just peel the liner back and put it aside. The fibrous material easily picks up dirt and evergreen needles, so I've been trying to stash it somewhere clean.

When I first saw the Hood, I was a bit concerned that the arm straps would cause problems. However, once the Hood is on, I don't even notice they are there. The straps are so thin that I don't feel them at all, they haven't gotten tangled in anything, and they seem to do a good job of keeping the Hood in place.

Around Camp. Since the Hood kept me warm while sleeping, I tried wearing it in the morning around camp. It sure did make it easier to leave the warm sleeping bag, and it certainly kept me warm and functioning as I made breakfast and packed up camp. The only down side was that the Hood blocked my peripheral vision, especially when I turned my head. If I turned to the right, the entire right side of my face, from my nose to my ear, went inside the Hood, completely blocking my vision in that eye. The same happened on the left when I'd turn to the left.

I used two methods to get around this problem. To keep the Hood on my head and out of my vision for a few minutes at a time, I pulled the opening back and put the drawstring behind my ears, leaving the top and back of my head covered. This process is very similar to someone with long hair securing there dangling hair behind their ears.

To completely clear my field of vision for longer periods, I pulled the opening all the way back over my head like I would with a t-shirt. At this point, the Hood no longer covered my head. It rested behind my neck and shoulders, where I could quickly pull it back on when needed.

Packing. I was a bit concerned about the size of the Hood when I first saw it. It looked a little bulky, and I wondered if it would take up much room in my pack. The answer is definitely "no" to that question. The Hood squishes down to practically nothing when it lies flat, and easily fits into the sleeping bag compartment of my internal frame pack along with a synthetic fill sleeping bag. The compression doesn't seem to impact it at all. The Hood quickly puffs back up again after emerging from the pack.

I'm looking forward to more warm, comfy nights with the Finbar Hood.

Read more reviews of Innovations by Fin gear
Read more gear reviews by Laurie Shuster

Field Report

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