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Owner Review - Coleman Canyon 32 Sleeping Bag
Reviewer Profile
| Name: | Ben Mansfield |
| Age: | 29 |
| Gender: | Male |
| Height: | 6'0" (1.8 m) |
| Weight: | 180 lbs (81.7 kg) |
| e-mail Address: | benmansfield27 AT gmail DOT com |
| City, State, Country: | North Ridgeville, OH, USA |
| Date: | 26 July 2006 |
Backpacking Background
Over the past 15 years or so, I've tried to average at least one weekend trip per month year round, primarily in PA, WV, and VA. During the last 8 years, I've tried to take a weeklong trip somewhere further, but still usually in the eastern US. I have hiked many sections of the AT, and am planning to backpack the 100 Mile Wilderness in Maine next year. I consider myself a mid-weight hiker, preferring some luxury over an ultralight load. I am also an avid fly fisherman, mountain biker, and snow skier, and enjoy sailing my homemade dingy.
Product Information
| Manufacturer: | The Coleman Company, Inc. |
| Model: | Canyon 32 Sleeping Bag |
| Manufacturer URL: | http://www.coleman.com |
| Listed Weight: | 2 lb 9 oz (1.2 kg) (as listed on the included stuff sack) |
| Measured Weight: | 2 lb 6 oz (1.1 kg) (per my 6 lb/3 kg analog scale) |
| Product Description: | 32 F (0 C) Rated Sleeping Bag |
| MSRP: | $74.99 (website) |
Detailed Product Description
The Coleman Canyon 32 sleeping bag is an economical warm weather sleeping bag suitable for backpacking due to its small pack size and light weight. My bag is approximately 6 years old and has been used in temperatures ranging from around 20 F (-6.7 C) up to around 80 F (26.7 C). I have spent nearly 100 nights in this bag.
As printed on the included stuff sack, the bag shell is made from 240T Ripstop Nylon, and the lining from 190T Nylon. In addition, 16 oz (453.6 g) Dupont Thermolite Micro fill insulation provides the necessary heat retention. The bag size is given as 32" W x 86" L (81.3 cm W x 218.4 cm L).
According to the manufacturer, the included stuff sack is 7" x 11" (17.8 cm x 27.9 cm). By my measurement, the sack is approximately 7" x 12.5" (17.8 cm x 31.8 cm). The stuff sack has a flap which covers the opening, and two draw strings with spring-loaded closures.
Unstuffing the Coleman Canyon 32 bag shows a traditional mummy shape with a right-hand zipper (right hand as it would be if you were laying in it, face up) provided with two pulls. The zipper runs the length of the bag, terminating just above the foot box at the bottom and just below the hood at the top. A small overlap is provided inside of the zipper which can hardly be called a draft tube but serves the same purpose in this warm-weather bag. Where the zipper terminates at the hood, there is a 3.5" (8.9 cm) piece of hook and loop material that can be used to hold the bag closed while leaving the zipper unzipped. When not in use, the hook and loop material can be doubled back onto a second piece which allows it to be secured in an apparent effort to minimize skin irritation. Unfortunately, this hook and loop strip is the one thing that I really dislike about the bag. I have to constantly move it from scratching me, despite it being secured.
There is a mummy hood with a drawstring to cinch it tight. A second drawstring wraps around the chest area, allowing warm air to be trapped in the lower portion of the bag. A small pocket just inside the sleeping bag over the chest area provides some storage for nighttime necessities. This pocket is approximately 6" x 7" (15.2 cm x 17.8 cm), with a 1.5" (3.8 cm) piece of hook and loop material centered on the opening.
At first appearance, the fill appears inconsequential, though as I'll discuss later it is quite sufficient. The trapezoidal-shaped foot box provides ample room for my size 11 (US) feet.
Sleeping Bag Fit and Function
A few additional pertinent personal statistics:
| Width @ Shoulders: | 21.5" (54.6 cm) |
| Width @ Hips: | 17" (43.2 cm) |
| Girth (Circumference) @ Shoulders: | 49.5" (125.7 cm) |
| Girth (Circumference) @ Buttocks: | 43" (109.2 cm) |
I tend to sleep on my side or back, turning frequently through the night. This is often non-conducive to spending a comfortable night in a mummy bag. This bag, however, has ample room for movement inside the bag, without the necessity to bring the bag with you. That is, I can turn without getting tangled in the bag and without ending up with my face buried inside the mummy hood and unable to breathe.
I am a warm sleeper, and as such, probably stretch the use of this sleeping bag a little past its intended temperature range. As I mentioned above, I have spent almost 100 nights (based on rough estimates - it may in fact be many more nights) in this bag, in temperatures ranging from around 20 F (-7 C) up to around 80 F (27 C). I have always used this bag with some type of additional insulation between myself and the ground - either a foam or self-inflating (Therm-a-Rest) pad.
Personal Use & Impression
Use Locations
My usage of this bag has been exclusively in the Eastern US, including a week in Chattahoochee National Forest in Georgia, several weeks in the Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania, many weekends in West Virginia and Virginia, and countless car camping trips in the same region.
Insulating Qualities
I have always used this bag with some type of additional insulation between myself and the ground - either a foam or self-inflating (Therm-a-Rest) pad. Overall I believe the 32 F (0 C) comfort rating is very close to accurate for me with this setup. I have been cold in this bag only in temperatures at or below freezing. I typically sleep au natural, but on very cold nights will wear a stocking cap and/or wool socks. This bag is also comfortable for me on warm nights, when I tend to use the bottom zipper to vent the foot box or leave the bag completely unzipped (and often zipping it up once the night cools off).
Moisture Resistance
I enjoy sleeping under the stars, and often wake up in the morning with a layer of dew on the outside of the bag. I am an early starter when backpacking, and rarely allow the bag to dry before re-packing it for the day's hike. However, I do tend to stop early in the day, and always unstuff and lay out the bag as soon as I reach camp. Presumably because of the relatively small amount of insulation, this bag tends to dry relatively quickly (compared to other bags I own) if it becomes wet due to rain or dew.
Durability
Sleeping outside rather than in a tent causes a potential problem for sleeping bags: the tendency for dirt to be ground into the shell and/or sharp rocks or sticks tearing the shell. Although I sleep on a pad, I do slide off regularly and have indeed found myself on top of some sharp edges. Thanks to the durability of the Ripstop nylon shell, however, I have not incurred any damage in all the years I have used this bag. I have never had the zipper snag or get stuck.
Care & Cleaning
I tend to be a bit hard on sleeping bags, and of the seven in my gear room, this sleeping bag gets the most use and subsequent wear and tear. This particular bag did not come with a larger-sized storage bag, and unfortunately I store it stuffed into its tiny stuff sack. If the sleeping bag came with care instructions either in the package or sewn into the bag itself, they are long gone. I wash the bag in my home washer (top loading, with agitator - I know I may be asking for trouble, but this bag is not particularly bulky and has always been OK) periodically, and either line dry it or lay it out flat to dry.
Summary
I originally purchased this sleeping bag as an inexpensive summer bag. I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a very technical bag, because I intended to use it exclusively on warm and hot weather trips. At the time, I was looking for the smallest and least expensive bag I could find. I accomplished the small size requirement, as it fits into the sleeping bag compartment in every pack I own, including my Gregory Advent Pro @ 2700 in3 (44L) with room to spare for other gear. It also met the inexpensive requirement at under a hundred dollars US. I typically tend away from Coleman products for use in backpacking (though think they're fantastic for car camping), and was a bit reluctant to buy this sleeping bag originally. However, this particular product has changed my prejudice, as I have very few negatives to report.
What I like
- Small Size
- Light Weight
- Sufficiently Warm
What I dislike
- Hook and loop strip near shoulders scratches skin
- Easily slides off of sleeping pad - would prefer straps or some other method to keep me on the pad and out of the dirt
- No large mesh storage bag included
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