| |
Gear Reviews
Documents
Tools
|
Coleman Cloudcroft 40 Degree Down Mummy
Bag
Field Report September 30, 2006
Tester's Information
Name: Liz Neely
Age: 38
Gender: Female
Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Weight: 145 lb (65.8 kg)
Email address: liz at armory dot com
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
Tester's Background:
I've been day hiking for many years, and started backpacking in 2005.
My hiking and backpacking has been primarily in the San Francisco Bay
Area of California,
on designated trails, with occasional stream crossings. My backpacking
trips have ranged in length from two to four days and have all been in
state and national parks in the San Francisco Bay area. The
temperatures I encounter range from 25 F (4 C) to 80 F (27 C), the
elevations are between sea level and 7500 ft (2286 m), and my pack
weight is between 28 to 36 lbs (13 to 16 kg).
Product Information:
Manufacturer: Coleman
Year of Manufacture: 2006
URL: http://www.coleman.com
Note that weights and
measurements below are for size Regular.
Listed Weight: hangtag says 2 lbs 1 oz (936 g);
Coleman website says 2 lbs 2 oz
(964 g); Coleman press release says 2 lbs 3 oz (992 g)
Measured Weight: sleeping bag: 2 lbs 2 oz (964 g);
stuff sack: 1.75 oz
(50 g)
Listed Size: packed: 6 x 14 in (15 x 36 cm);
unpacked: 31 x 80 in (79 x
203 cm)
Measure Size: packed: 6 x 14 in (15 x 36 cm);
unpacked: 30 x 80 in (76
x 203 cm) at the shoulders, which is the widest section
Insulation Type: Gray Goose Down
Temperature Rating: 40 F (4 C)
Available Colors: I believe this only comes in one color, which is
orange on the top side, black on the bottom side, and gray inside.
MSRP: $120 (from Coleman press release)
Other options available: according to the press release, a Long version
of this bag will also be available, and temperature ratings of 20 F (-7
C) and 0 F (-18 C) will also be available.
Washing Instructions: 1. Send to a cleaner experienced in down
products. Should not be dry cleaned. Solvents in dry cleaning can strip
the natural oils from the down. 2. To machine wash: use only an
over-sized commercial, front-loading washing machine. Never use an
agitator style machine. 3. Use a mild soap and wash on gentle cycle in
cold water. Rinse multiple times to ensure all soap residue is removed.
4. Drip-dry or tumble dry at very low heat setting. Sleeping bag cover
and liner can melt if exposed to high heat. It may take several hours
for the bag to completely dry. Check your bag throughout the drying
process. 5. Never steam, press or iron the bag.
Product Description:
This is a goose down filled mummy style sleeping bag, which is rated as
being appropriate in temperatures down to 40 F (4 C). This sleeping bag
has the following features:
- 310 Invista Tactel® nylon cover and liner material
- Tactel nylon has a tight enough weave that no additional
coating (i.e. weight) is needed to make the fabric down proof.
- Tactel nylon is water and wind resistant.
- Tactel nylon feels nice to the touch.
- Warmth-retention features
- Goose down (600 fill power) has a high warmth to weight ratio.
- Fully sculpted hood naturally covers more of the head for
better heat retention.
- Full-length insulated draft tubes keep warm air in and cold air
out.
- Baffle box construction allows the down to fully loft, yet
keeps it from shifting.
- Side-block baffle keeps the down from shifting from the top of
the bag to the bottom.
- Insulated zipper gussets minimize heat loss at the zipper base.
- Ground-level side seams keep warm air in and cold air out.
- Which One draw cords for easy hood adjustment: there are two draw
cords, one adjusts the top of the hood and the other adjusts the lower
portion of the hood. The two cords are colored and shaped differently
so they can be differentiated even in the dark.
- Trapezoidal foot section is angled to allow for the foot's
natural position during sleep.
- Full length, double slider, locking zipper for ventilation;
zipper guard to prevent snags
- Interior utility pocket
- Small nylon stuff sack and 100 percent cotton storage bag are
both included.
- Foot loops are on the bottom outside of the bag for an
alternative long-term storage option.
Initial Impressions:
To read about my initial impressions of this sleeping bag, please read
my Initial
Report.
Field Information:
I have used this sleeping bag on one car camping trip and two
backpacking trips, for a total of four nights. The lowest temperature I
encountered during these trips was 35 F (2 C), which was a great test
for a sleeping bag rated at 40 F (4 C).
The first backpacking trip was a one night stay in Big Basin State
Park, California. The elevations were between 400 to 1000 ft (122 to
305 m) and the temperatures were between 55 to 70 F (13 to 21 C). I
slept inside a tent on hard packed dirt with a Therm-a-Rest RidgeRest
sleeping pad under the Coleman Cloudcroft. I wore lightweight silk long
underwear (top and bottom) for my pajamas, with bare feet. I found the
sleeping bag plenty warm, and I did not need to zip it completely up to
my neck nor did I need to close the draw cords around my face. One of
the things I had been worried about was whether this sleeping bag would
provide enough padding underneath me, since it feels thinner than the
sleeping bag I typically use. This was not a problem; I was completely
satisfied with the amount of padding it provided underneath me. Another
thing I had been worried about is whether I would have a lot of cold
airspace in the foot area, since the sleeping bag is 12 in (30 cm)
longer than me. I was very happy to find that once I settled into the
sleeping bag, the down puffed up all around my feet and filled in the
empty space beyond my feet, so there were no air pockets at all.
The car camping trip was a one night stay in Dayton State Park, Nevada.
The elevation was 4400 ft (1341 m) and the temperatures were between 51
to 88 F (11 to 31 C). I slept inside a tent on hard packed dirt with a
thick sleeping bag unfolded across the entire floor of the
tent (the luxuries of car camping) and my Therm-a-Rest RidgeRest under
the Coleman Cloudcroft. Since this trip was a car camping trip, I was
not
limited to pajamas that don't weigh too much, so I slept in a long
sleeved cotton t-shirt and sweat pants, with bare feet. During the
night I got too warm and removed the sweat pants. I could have instead
unzipped the sleeping bag, but I like the cozy feeling of being all
zipped up.
The second backpacking trip was a two night stay in Desolation
Wilderness, California. The elevations were between 6900 to 8700 ft
(2103 to 2652 m) and the temperatures were between 35 to 75 F (2 to 24
C). I
slept inside a tent with a Therm-a-Rest RidgeRest sleeping pad under
the Coleman Cloudcroft. I also had an emergency space blanket (one of
those very
thin metallic blankets) under the Therm-a-Rest, which is something
I do to stay just a little bit warmer on cold nights. The temperatures
on this trip were significantly lower than my previous uses of this
sleeping bag and I could feel it! On the first night, the temperature
got down to right around 40 F (4C), which is what this sleeping bag is
rated for. I started the night sleeping in medium-weight silk long
underwear (top and bottom) and a fleece hat. As the temperature
dropped, I had to put
on thin fleece pants and a thin fleece long sleeve top. I noticed that
I still felt cold for a while after putting on this additional
clothing, but after about 15 minutes I was warmed up and slept
comfortably. I kept the sleeping bag fully zipped and the draw cords
cinched such that only my face was exposed. On the second night, the
temperature got down to 35 F (2 C). I slept in medium-weight silk long
underwear (top and bottom), fleece pants, two fleece shirts, and a
fleece hat. I
started the night out wearing thick socks, but after the inside of the
sleeping bag warmed up, I removed the socks. I prefer to sleep bare
footed when temperatures permit. I kept the zipper fully zipped, and
the draw cords cinched such that only my nose was exposed. I noticed
that each time I rolled over (I do this a lot), I would feel a
cold spot where the down had been compressed from being under me, but
after a few minutes, the down would puff up and warm up and the cold
spot would be gone. I was warm enough to sleep through the night, but
if I were going to sleep in temperatures any colder than this, I would
need to wear additional layers of clothing to stay warm. One thing I
noticed was that occasionally after rolling over, I would end up in a
position such that the draw cords were in my face, and I would have to
readjust their position and my position within the bag to get them out
of my face. I also noticed that sometimes after rolling over, the
inside zipper pull would be in my face a little and I'd have to tuck it
back in where it belongs and reposition the draft tube over it.
There were three issues I reported on in my Initial
Report that I would like to comment on again now that I've been
using this sleeping bag for two months.
- Down feathers found coming out of the bag update initial
inspection
After each of the nights I used this bag, I re-inspected it for this
problem and did not find a single down feather. I don't think the bag
leaks, and I think those initial few feathers I found were just a
one time thing.
- Snagged fibers on the draw cord causing the cord to become stuck
The initial snag is still on the draw cord, but it is high up on the
cord, thus only goes through the pull when the cord is almost fully
cinched. I only had a problem with this getting stuck once during the
four test nights, and because I knew what the problem was, it was
simple to unstick. While I do believe this draw cord should be
redesigned with a less snaggy fiber, I don't consider this a major
problem with this sleeping bag.
- Zippers coming off the tracks if I unzip the bag too far down at
the foot end
Because I was being very careful not to unzip the bag this far, this
only happened once during these four test nights, when I was being
careless. I do think this should be redesigned in such a way that this
can't happen, however, it is not a major problem, and this time I was
able to get the zipper back on track fairly easily since I had done it
previously.
Summary of feelings about this sleeping bag after two months of
field
testing:
Comfort
I have used this sleeping bag down to 35 F (2 C) and I found it warm
enough if I wore warm pajamas. This is a slightly lower temperature
than the bag is rated for, so I would say that the manufacturer has
accurately rated this sleeping bag. I found that when I first got into
the sleeping bag, I would feel slightly cold, but it quickly puffed up
around me and
I would warm up quickly. The warmth of the bag was fairly uniform from
head to toe, there weren't any "cold spots", other than if I had just
rolled over and the area I had compressed from laying on it had not yet
puffed back up again. I had been a
little concerned about cold air pockets near my feet since the bag is a
fair bit longer than I am, but what I found was that the down puffed up
a lot wherever I wasn't, and filled in any possible air pockets.
Because of this, the fact that the bag was longer than me
wasn't even noticeable.
Another concern I had was whether it would be thick enough to provide
padding underneath me. I found that it was just fine. Sleeping on the
ground on my thin Therm-a-Rest RidgeRest can sometimes be a bit
uncomfortable, but I did not find it any more uncomfortable than usual
with this bag compared to other bags I have used. I also found the
padding to be evenly distributed in this bag; there were no
uncomfortable lumps or thin spots.
Dampness
While I did not experience excessive condensation during this two month
test period, there were a couple times when the outside of the sleeping
bag felt damp to the touch. This dampness never went beyond the outside
of the bag, and was always dry by morning when I was ready to pack up
the bag. The inside of the bag never felt damp, even when I slept with
my head completely inside; my breath did not make the inside of the bag
at all damp.
Durability
So far the sleeping bag is showing no signs of wear, other than
the snag on one of the draw cords mentioned in my Initial
Report. It has no lumps or thin spots, the stitching is still in
perfect condition, there has been no down leakage, and the zippers are
still very easy to zip.
Care
I have not yet washed this sleeping bag, I will be testing that during
the next two months of the test period.
Ease of Use
I find packing the bag into its stuff sack fairly easy, and since this
bag packs down so small, it is very easy to get into the
sleeping bag compartment of my backpack, with room to spare! I had no
problem finding the zippers and draw cords in the dark, although I
consistently had
trouble finding the interior pocket. It's in an easy to find location,
in the center of the upper part of my chest, however, it is streamlined
so well that even when I am feeling around right where I know it is, I
don't always find it. Once I find the interior pocket, it is a nice
place to store small items such as my earplugs. I was concerned that
they might fall out, due to it being closed with a hook and loop
closure rather than a zipper, but that was not a problem. As for the
"Which One" draw cords, I could tell them apart in the dark due to
their different shapes, however, I could not usually remember which was
for the top section of the hood and which was for the bottom section.
This might be something I get accustomed to after extended use of the
sleeping bag. I had no problems finding or operating the interior
zipper in the dark, while inside the bag.
Additional Testing
The major area I have not tested yet is washing the sleeping bag. I
will be doing this during the remaining two months of the test period,
and carefully inspecting the sleeping bag after washing it for any
problems that may cause. In addition to that, I will continue using
this bag and report on any changes of my opinions about it and any
degradations due to additional use.
Thank you to BackpackGearTest.org
and Coleman for giving me the
opportunity
to test the Coleman Cloudcroft 40 Degree Down Mummy Bag.
Read more reviews of Coleman gear
Read more gear reviews by Liz Neely
|
