Reviews > Sleep Gear > Sleeping Bags > Bask Trekking Sleeping Bag > Shandra Hunt > Long Term Report

Long Term Report - Bask Trekking Down Sleeping Bag

Name: Shandra Hunt

Age: 27

Gender: Female

Height: 5' 3" (1.6 m)

Weight: 145 lbs (66 kg)

Location: Ben Lomond,California

Email: jns170@yahoo.com

Date: 11/27/05

Biography:

Growing up in the Santa Cruz mountains, I have always been an avid hiker and camper. Only recently however, I have evolved into a backpacker. I started backpacking about three years ago. Since then I have done many trips throughout California and the Southwest. I spent five days packing in Grand Canyon, which fueled my love for the sport even more. I try to backpack as often as possible, I think I may be addicted and I am constantly looking for more efficient and lightweight alternatives for the gear that I own.

Product Information:

Bask Trekking-N-M Sleeping Bag (Left zip)

Manufacturer: Bask Company LTD

Year of Manufacture: 2005

URL (Canada) :www.baskcanada.com

Listed Weight: 2.8 lb (1.3 kg)

Measured weight: 2.7 lb (1.2 kg)

Measured weight of stuff sack: 5 oz (.14 kg)

MSRP: CA $269

Size: Medium

Fabric: Shell - 100% Nylon / Liner - 100% Nylon / Insulation - Russian goose down

Color: Shell - Black (9009) / Liner - Grey

Item number: 1992-9009

Temperature Rating: Comfort: +15/-5° C (59/23°F) ; Extreme: - 15°C (5°F) (per Bask website)

Features: (per Bask website)

Separable zip allows adjoining left and right sleeping models.

Flat hood Zip is covered with a down baffle.

Special anti-snag tape prevents fabric snagging zipper.

Zip end is secured with Velcro.

Included compression stuff sack

Test Results:

For the test period of the Bask Trekking Down Sleeping bag, I have been able to use the bag in many different areas of California. I used the Bask bag when I went backpacking in the Ventana Wilderness, which is located in the Los Padres National Forest. This area is in a steep creek canyon. I used the Bask bag during a trip to the Russian River near Forestville, Ca and I also used it for a week in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the El Dorado National Forest. All of the terrain and climate in these areas differs quite a bit, and I found the Bask bag performed well in each area. On some of the trips, I had a fair amount of dew and even some light rain that allowed me to test the waterproofing of the bag. The testing period for the Bask bag was limited to the spring and summer seasons, so I was only able to test the Bask bag at a lowest temperature of about 45° F (7.2° C). Recently I used the Bask Trekking bag on an overnight trip to Castle Rock State Park. Castle Rock State Park is located at about 1800 ft (549 m) on the crest of the Santa Cruz Mountains. This area is a blend of grasslands, madrone forest, chaparral, sandstone, and riparian habitat. This was during the beginning of fall and the nighttime temperature dropped down to about 45° F (7.2° C). More detailed descriptions of my other field testing experiences can be reviewed in my field report.

For the most part, I like the Bask Trekking Down Sleeping bag. The fabric the bag is made of is comfortable to sleep in and I really like the loft of the bag, it is very fluffy and soft. The NIKWAX TX 10i elastomer fabric waterproofing seems to be effective in repelling light amounts of water. I was able to expose the Bask bag to light rain and a fair amount of condensation. The inside of the bag stayed dry when exposed to about an hour of light rain. I had to wash the Bask bag after using it for a week and a half. I used a front loading washing machine that spins a lot of the water out of the fabric when it is done, so the bag was not soaking wet when it came out of the machine. The bag has to be hung up to dry and I was alarmed and disappointed by how long it took to completely dry out. I started by hanging the bag inside and after a day I had to put it out in the sun because it was not even close to being dry. It took a full two days for the bag to completely dry. This could be a serious problem in the field if the bag was soaked through.

When I first received the Bask Trekking sleeping bag, I was concerned about how it would fit me. The Bask bag only comes in two unisex sizes. I like to curl up and sleep on my side, so I have to have enough width. I find that there is enough width in this bag but there is also too much length for someone my size. I am only 5' 3" (1.6 m), so I have about 13 in (33 cm) of extra sleeping bag. This has caused a few instances where I have woken up with cold feet. This is easily fixed by folding over the end of the bag, but I think having the option of a smaller bag that is a better fit would be nice. This would also obviously make the bag weigh less and pack smaller. I have had a couple of problems with the zippers on this sleeping bag. The company claims that this bag has special anti-snag tape that prevents fabric snagging by the zipper, but I have had the zipper catch a few times. The pulls for the hood on this bag are hard to use as well. They seem excessively long and it is especially difficult to try to use them in the dark. The hood on the Bask bag is flat, which is nice when it is not in use because it doesn't bunch up around my head, This does cause some problem when trying to cinch up the hood because it is hard to achieve a comfortable fit and have it properly conform to my head. I rarely use the hood on a sleeping bag because I don't like having to cinch something around my head and face unless I am really cold, so the minor issue with this hood does not really bother me.

The provided stuff sack has been a little bit of a problem for me. The sack compresses well length wise, but it is very bulky in width. This makes it hard to strap the bag to the outside of my pack because my straps aren't long enough to accommodate the width. I think that this bag would compress much more and be more space efficient if it had a different stuff sack. I have had to carry the bag in the inside main compartment of my pack, which takes up a considerable amount of space. On the positive side, having a bigger stuff sack makes it very easy to pack the sleeping bag. I have used other stuff sacks that are really small and it is a struggle to get the sleeping bag into them.

Overall, I would recommend the Bask Trekking down sleeping bag for someone who is looking for a very comfortable, lightweight bag that works well in moderate temperatures ( I haven't been able to test this bag in temperatures below 45° F (7.2° C). I think this bag is best for someone who is taller than 5' 5" (1.7 m) because the Trekking bag is only offered in medium 86 x74 x30 x18 in (218 x 188 x 77 x 46 cm) and extra large 93 x 80 x 33 x 20 in (235 x 203 x 84 x 52 cm) sizes. Even though this bag is too long for me, I can remedy the problem by folding over the bottom of the bag, and this will not prevent me from using this bag in the future.

Good Things:

> Adequate summer bag

> Lightweight

> Repels light moisture well

Bad Things:

> Provided stuff sack is too bulky in width

> Had some problems with the zipper snagging

> Only offered in two unisex sizes that are both long lengths

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