Reviews > Sleep Gear > Sleeping Bags > Coleman Cloudcroft > Kathy Waters > Field Report

Field Report: Coleman exponent Cloudcroft ^TM 40 º Sleeping Bag  
October 3, 2006

Contents:
Tester Biographical Information
Product Information
Field Conditions/Completed Tests Results
Summary to Date
Continuing Test Plan

Tester Biographical Information    <back to top>

Name: Kathleen Waters
Age: 55
Gender: Female
Height: 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m)
Weight: 124.5 lb (56 kg)
Email address: kathy at bysky dot com or TheMiddleSister at usaring dot com
City, State, Country: White Lake, MI USA

Backpacking Background: My husband and I started hiking in 1998 after an eye-opening climb up Hahn's Peak in Colorado.

Hooked, we return to Colorado often. We've hiked/snowshoed glaciers, rain forests, mountains and deserts in exotic locations, including Iceland, Costa Rica, Slovenia and Death Valley.

At home in Michigan, we plan for 2-3 hikes of 6-8 mi (10-13 km) weekly and one weekend hike monthly. Weekday hikes take place in Pontiac Lake Recreation Area, a mixture of heavily-wooded moderate hills and flat terrain. Weekend hike locations vary.

My hiking style is comfortable, aiming for lightweight. Current pack averages 25 lb (11 kg) including food and water.

Product Information, including picture (from website)    <back to top>
http://www.coleman.com

Manufacturer: The Coleman Company, Inc. Year of Manufacturer: 2006 Model: exponent CloudcroftTM 40º (Model No. 8475-400) Weight: 2 lb 2 oz (.96 kg) Sizes: regular and long Color: Orange and gray MSRP: n/a Warranty: Coleman products have a limited warranty from the date of original retail purchase that the product will be free from defects in material and workmanship. The length of the limited warranty may vary by product. The warranty is valid for the original retail purchaser from the date of initial retail purchase and is not transferable.

Description:

• Keeps you comfortable down to 40 F (4.44C)
• 31" (79 cm) x 80" (203 cm)
• 13 oz (369 g) Grey Goose Down Insulation
• 310T Invista Tactel® Nylon Cover offers wind and water resistance
• 310T Invista Tactel® Nylon Liner offers wind and water resistance
• Box baffle allows the goose down to fully loft, yet keeps it from shifting
• Side-block baffle keeps the down from shifting
• Semi-sculpted hood with Which-one™ draw cords
• Ground level side seams, full-length insulated draft tubes and insulated zipper gussets keep warm air in and cold air out
• Full length YKK locking zipper with two-way zipper makes it easier to vent the foot area
• Angled foot box give your feet more room to move
• Nylon stuff sack and cotton storage bag included
• Pack weight 2 lb 2 oz (.96 kg)
• Pack size 6" (15.24 cm) x 14" (35.56 cm)

Product Information (from tester)

Size: regular
Weight: 2 lb 1.75 oz (.96 kg)
Trail Weight (including stuff sack): 2 lb 3 oz (1 kg)
Packed Size: 6 in x 14 in (15.3 cm x 35.6 cm)
Unpacked Size: 31 in x 80 in (79 cm x 203 cm)
Color: Orange and dark gray with lighter gray interior

For a more detailed description of the Coleman exponent Cloudcroft ^TM 40 º Sleeping Bag, please see my Initial Report.

Field Conditions/Completed Tests Results    <back to top>

During this portion of my field testing of the Coleman exponent Cloudcroft ^TM 40 º Sleeping Bag, some of my overnight hiking took place in the familiar terrain of Pontiac Lake Recreation Area. Elevation range was very limited from 177 ft to 800 ft (54 m to 244 m) and temperatures over this torrid summer varying from 80 F to 101 F (27 C to 38 C) during the day time and 60 F to 52 F (16 C to 11 C) at night. A weeklong trip to Cañon City, Colorado also tested the Coleman exponent Cloudcroft ^TM 40 º in high desert conditions. Night time temperatures in Colorado also never dipped below 50 F (10 C). While most of my hiking was in sunshine, I did encounter two misty showers, one steady rain and one 10 minute torrential downpour.

My field testing of the Cloudcroft ^TM 40 º Sleeping Bag has given me a really good impression of various features of the sleeping bag.

For me, a major plus is that the Cloudcroft ^TM 40 º is very roomy. I get very claustrophobic in most mummy bags where I can't move my arms, bend my elbows, roll over, etc. In this bag, I can do all of the gyrations that I normally do in my own bed at home and still not suffer from loss of body heat trying to heat up a too big sleeping bag. I can roll over within the bag and also "roll" the whole bag over, if I want - I usually roll over in the bag.

Thanks to the roomy design of the Cloudcroft ^TM 40 º, working the zippers is quickly and easily done. The right-sided zipper has the ability to be zipped and unzipped from the top and/or the bottom of the bag. The top zipper has a zipper pull both inside and outside of the sleeping bag which is very handy when I'm in the bag and want to zip up right to the top.

The bottom zipper doesn't come to a dead stop nor is there a zipper pull on the inside of the Cloudcroft ^TM 40 º. There is a gusset behind the zipper to stop the drafts, but there is enough of an opening that I can reach the outside of the zipper and grab the pull with two fingers of my left hand and then with the help of my right hand, inside the bag, I can pull the zipper open to vent my toesies. I can do and have done this in the dark without going into a panic and a sweat! An inside zipper pull would make foot venting that much easier though.

After opening and closing the zippers both top and bottom, a dozen or so times, I have yet to snag them or have to struggle with them. Of course, I do use care when zipping and unzipping, as I would with any other bag.

During the past couple of months, the Cloudcroft ^TM 40 º hasn't really gotten a chance to test the lower temperature ratings of the sleeping bag. But it has been quite comfortable in the lower range of temperatures that I have experienced so far. I found that, for me, anything over 60 F (16 C) and I'm too warm to sleep zipped up in the Cloudcroft ^TM 40. On those nights, I left the bag unzipped and just used it like a quilt over my body. Because it is so roomy, I never had the problem of waking up exposed and cold on the side of my body facing the opening. I slept on a Mountain Hardware sleeping pad and each night wore long silk underwear.

This bag is wonderfully comfortable to the touch! The Invista Tactel® Nylon Liner is very smooth and silky against my exposed skin and my silk long johns just glide right over it like a hockey puck on ice! And the insulated draft tubes and insulated zipper gussets protect me from any contact with the zipper and/or cold air.

Most nights, I would start with the Cloudcroft ^TM 40 º unzipped, but as the night would wear on and the temperatures would drop, I would end up zipping up and snuggling down. Particularly on humid Michigan nights, the dampness would be more a factor than the temperature. The ease of moving around and zipping and unzipping the Cloudcroft ^TM 40 º made these adjustments a minor interruption to my sleep rather than a frustrating chore - I quickly returned to zzz-ing.

At no time during this phase of my testing did I have any need to tighten up the hood using the unique Which-one™ draw cords. In fact, I didn't even need to use the hood except as additional "pillowing". However, I did test the drawcords and tried to sleep with them cinched tight one night. This brought on an extremely uncomfortable feeling of claustrophobia within a short time. I was able to easily loosen the hood. I will try again to batten down the hatches when the cold temperatures outweigh my need to be free!

Summary to Date    <back to top>

When it comes to the backpacking part of overnight hiking, the Coleman exponent Cloudcroft ^TM 40 º Sleeping Bag is a winner. It's very easy to pack down into the provided stuff sack. Due to the small pack size, the Cloudcroft ^TM 40 º conveniently lashes to the back of my Granite Gear Nimbus Ki backpack or on short-term jaunts when gear is minimal, I can just pop it inside my pack. When camp is set-up, a quick shake of the bag, and the Cloudcroft ^TM 40 º fluffs out to a quite comfy sleeping cocoon.

The Coleman exponent Cloudcroft ^TM 40 º Sleeping Bag has been great to use so far in this testing period. There is so much to like about this bag from the head to the toe. I've completed three nights in Michigan and 5 nights in Colorado thus far and am really looking forward to the rest of the fall season.

Continuing Test Plan    <back to top>

For each night of testing, I will report on my location, including altitude, the weather conditions, including temperature, precipitation (if any), and estimated humidity and wind speeds. I will note what clothing was worn and what shelter and pad (if any) was used.

Some questions still be to answered

Will I be warm enough in colder temps? At what point will I need additional insulation? 40° or higher/lower? Does the baffle construction system keep the filling from shifting over the testing period? Does the stitching stay intact after repeated use or will breaks in the threads occur over time? Will the zipper pull break under normal usage? Does the sleeping bag retain odor?

I will also report any other issues that arise during the testing period.

Reviews > Sleep Gear > Sleeping Bags > Coleman Cloudcroft > Kathy Waters > Field Report