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

I received the Finbar Hood on Saturday, March 20. It arrived in an amazingly small box that measures only 9.5 in x 4.25 in x 5 in (24 cm x 11 cm x 13 cm) with no additional protective packaging.

Five photocopied information sheets accompanied the Hood:

The Finbar Hood main promotional brochure. It describes the Hood's features and benefits and is illustrated with line drawings.
The Finbar Hood. This is a two sided, unillustrated text document describing the features and benefits, cleaning instructions, and a history of the Hood.
Losing Heat. A one-page description of how the body looses heat through the head, suggestions for varying the amount of insulation in the Hood, and an explanation of how the Finbar Hood helps prevent moisture from your breath from entering your sleeping bag.
Changing the Liner. A small sheet with directions and line drawings showing how to remove the insulation liner and put it back in.
American Women's Trans-Antarctic Expedition endorsement letter. A letter from Ann E. Bancroft, expedition leader.
Innovations by Fin field test report. On the back of the endorsement letter is a one page test report compiled by Brother Finbar. It outlines his camping experiences with the Hood over a very cold 10 day test period in Minnesota during January.

Why use the Finbar Hood? There are many reasons according to the material in the brochures: 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.

The manufacturer suggests wearing a thin silk or polypro balaclava under the Hood to help keep it clean. The Hood does not fare well in a regular agitator washing machine. It should be hand washed and air dried.

Product Observations

Fit. The Finbar Hood comes in only one size. I tend to be skeptical of items that are "one size fits most", but I am pleasantly surprised by this one so far. The Hood seems to fit me well. The head area is roomy, but not bulky. The cowls, or flaps, over the chest, shoulders and back seem like they are an appropriate length. The arm straps are a bit long on me, they reach almost to my waist. However, the .25 inch (6 mm) wide straps are simply folded, sewn nylon and are so thin and light that I don't anticipate any discomfort. I was very surprised to find that the Hood and arm straps also fit my 6 foot tall, 285 lb (1.8 m, 129 kg) partner.

Hood opening. One bit of magic about the Finbar Hood is the way the face opening is designed. When tightened, the opening is meant to stay centered over the nose and mouth. This helps keep moisture from the breath out of both the sleeping bag and the Hood. A white nylon chord and blue push button, spring loaded toggle allow the opening to be cinched to a minimum width of 0.5 inch (13 mm). Even at this tiny size, the opening did stay over my nose and mouth even when I rolled around on the floor.

When fully open, the Hood is quite comfortable. However, like most hoods, it does block my peripheral vision somewhat. Even so, I'm looking forward to wearing it around camp at night to keep warm, and I will include my observations in future reports.

Warmth. I haven't used the Finbar Hood outside yet, but it sure felt warm in the house. I tried using the Hood in a hoodless down sleeping bag on the living room floor. Without the Hood on, I felt fairly comfortable in the sleeping bag. Almost immediately after putting it on, I felt significantly warmer. In fact, I felt so warm after only a minute or two that I needed to take the Hood off. After this experience, I'm looking forward to trying the Finbar Hood outdoors even more than I was before!

Removable Insulation Liner. Removing and reinserting the insulation is a very easy process. Directions, illustrated with line drawings, are included with the Hood.

To remove the liner, take the Hood off and open the slit at the back of the Hood. Simply put your hand inside the opening until it reaches the top of the Hood, then turn the Hood inside out and peel the liner back.

To reinsert the liner, start with the Hood inside out. Put your hand inside the Hood for support, and fit the liner around the red, insulated side of the Hood. Using the hand inside the Hood, lightly grasp the outer shell and the liner. Pull the Hood right side out. Fluff the Hood around a bit to seat the liner properly, and tuck the corners of insulation into the neck if needed.

I am a bit concerned about the liner. The uncovered Lite-Loft insulation liner seems a bit fragile and unprotected. When I touch the insulation, I feel the fibers snag on the palm of my hand. I'll be interested to see how the liner holds up to normal wear and tear, if it remains clean, or if it collects dirt easily.

Product Expectations. When I opened the box with the Finbar Hood, I was not at all surprised by what I saw. The Innovations by Finn website did a good job of explaining the features of the product. However, I did not have any idea of the item's weight or dimensions. Information about the weight and size of the Hood would be wonderful additions to the company's website and brochures.

Field Test Conditions

I plan on using the Finbar Hood in the Pacific Northwest. Olympic National Park, Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, and the rest of the Cascade Range are all within a few hours drive from my home, so I should have plenty of cold weather available well into the spring. We'll be taking weekend backpacking trips about once a month and are hoping to fit in a few three to four day trips over the next 6 months.

Nighttime temperatures during this test period will range from the teens to the low 50's (about -8 C to 13 C). Rain is very common and snow is definitely possible. We normally use a floorless tent, giving the rain and snow a bit of extra opportunity to sneak in if the wind blows just right. Elevations will range from sea level to 5,000 ft. (1,524 m)

Test Plan

My test plan is based on questions of comfort, packability, and durability.

Comfort Questions
* Will the Hood really help me feel warmer while I sleep? Can it extend the temperature range of my sleeping bag?

* Will it stay tucked into the sleeping bag through the night?

* If I get too warm while I'm sleeping, how easy is it to open the front of the Hood or to take it off?

* What happens when the Hood gets wet? Will I stay warm? Does it take long to dry?

* Will it block out the wind?

* Will I be able to wear the Hood around camp or will it be too bulky or awkward?

Packing Concerns
* Will the Hood pack easily? How much will it compress?

* Will I feel like it's taking up too much room in my pack?

Durability Questions
* How durable is the liner when it is removed from the Hood? Will it easily pick up dirt and debris?

* Will the Hood absorb odors easily?

* The manufacturer does not recommend cleaning the Hood in a regular washing machine. Will cleaning it by hand be effective?

I've begun to answer some of these questions with my brief experience in the house. The idea of being warm when I sleep is incredibly appealing. I'm looking forward to trying the Finbar Hood in the great outdoors!

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

Initial Report

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