Reviews > Sleep Gear > Sleeping Bags > Kelty Galactic 35 F Sleeping Bag > Test Report by Derek Hansen

Kelty Galactic 35+ Sleeping Bag

Test Series by Derek Hansen

TESTER INFORMATION

Name	Derek Hansen
Age	34
Gender	Male
Height	5' 10" (1.78 m)
Weight	165 lb (75 kg)
Email Address	derek·dot·hansen·at·mac (without cheese)·dot·com
City, State, Country	Flagstaff, Arizona, USA

BACKPACKING BACKGROUND

I am a lightweight backpacker with a typical overnight pack weight of 15 lb (7 kg) and a multi-day weight of 20 lb (9 kg). My normal backpacking style is to carry a simple hammock and a multi-functional tarp, often a poncho used for multiple purposes. I recently completed a backpacking trip on the Kalalau Trail on the Napali Coast on the island of Kauai.

INITIAL REPORT

5 Sep 2009

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

Illustration by Derek Hansen

The Kelty Galactic 35+ Sleeping Bag (hereafter just ‘Galactic,’ ‘sleeping bag,’ or ‘bag’), is a rectangular, 600-fill-power down-filled sleeping bag rated for 35 F (2 C), or moderate 3-season camping conditions. The bag can be unzipped completely and unfolded to be used as a blanket. With the four sewn-in interior loops, a liner may be added for additional warmth or comfort. There are also four external snap loops that enable the Galactic to be used as a liner in another bag.

The bag can unzip from the foot for extra ventilation. On the top of the bag are two cords (“Fatman and Ribbon”) to cinch the top; one cord cinches the front, and the other cinches the back.

The sleeping bag arrived in excellent condition in a product display box. The bag came with a small black stuff sack, and a larger cotton storage bag. With the addition of the hang loops sewn to the bottom of the bag, I can also store the Galactic from a hanger in a closet.

WEBSITE

The Kelty website was very easy to navigate, search, and locate the Galactic to get additional information about the features on the bag.

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

The Galactic is a well-made sleeping bag that packs down small and is very light. I really like the feel of the fabric and the rectangular construction. When I go backpacking, I prefer to sleep in a hammock, which makes the idea of “crawling into a sleeping bag” a bit of a trick. I typically unzip the bag, leaving the foot area closed and then use the bag as a kind of quilt. The Galactic works really well with this set up, especially since it doesn’t have a hood that flops over my face when used as a quilt.

What I wasn’t expecting, but am very happy to have, is a drawstring at the head of the bag. The Galactic is sewn with a different drawstring controlling the front and back, so I can easily adjust one or the other to my liking.

On the inside, there are four sewn-in loops where I can attach a liner. There are also four loops around the center of the bag where I can secure a sleeping pad. At the top and bottom of bag, on the outside, there are four snap loops so the Galactic can be used as a liner in a bigger bag.

PRO—Lightweight; the material is smooth and comfortable; packs down small.

CON—None at this stage.

FIELD REPORT

17 Nov 2009

FIELD LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS

September 25–26 ~ Sycamore Canyon, Kaibab National Forest. Out with the Boy Scouts at the Fall Camporee. A total of 5 miles (8 km) hiking. The low temperature was 35 F (2 C) and the high was 75 F (24 C). Elevation was 6600 ft (2012 m).

October 9–10 ~ Walnut Canyon, Coconino National Forest. Fast-packed 6 mi (13 km) into the Walnut Canyon area where the overnight low was 27 F (-3 C) and the daytime high was 65 F (18 C). Elevation was 6800 ft (2073 m).

November 10–11 ~ Sandys Canyon, Walnut Creek. Went on an impromptu overnight camp with my daughter to take advantage of the Veterans Day holiday. Hiked 2 mi (3.2 km) to the cliffs of Walnut Creek and "Le Petit Verdon." Overnight low temperature was 28 F (-2 C) and rose to 60 F (16 C) during the day.

PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD

Warmth

In all my field testing, I’ve used the Galactic in a hammock, which is my favorite way to backpack and camp outdoors. I was a little worried about the bags temperature rating in the cooler months I’ve been testing, but so far the bag has worked really well.

During the camporee with the scouts, I used the Galactic inside my hammock as a quilt; I left the foot box zipped and then tucked the sides around me. I used a torso-sized closed-cell-foam pad under me for insulation and I wore fleece pants and a fleece top to bed. Under these conditions, I slept fairly well and warm using only the Galactic as my top insulation. Down is an amazing material for warmth! I have a synthetic 0 F (-18 C) rated sleeping bag that I froze in at 32 F (0 C). I consider myself a cold sleeper, and I was very comfortable with only a few cold spots in the Galactic at 35 F (2 C).

During my trips in October and November, however, the overnight temperatures were low enough that I tried something new. In October, I read about “pull-up” bags around hammocks, which is basically pulling the sleeping bag completely around the hammock. I brought the Galactic, plus a small fleece blanket and my torso-sized closed-cell foam pad for insulation. I also tried wrapping a Mylar "space blanket" around the outside of the hammock. The Galactic was AMAZING as a pull-up bag. I was much, much warmer (over 80 F/27 C) inside the bag at night, with ambient outside temperatures of 27 F (-3 C). The bag over the hammock made a significant difference in warmth!

In November, I made myself an “under-quilt,” after reading HammockForums.net. An under-quilt is basically a sleeping bag that hangs below the hammock for added warmth. I made mine out of a synthetic poncho liner. As it was cold (28 F/-2C) that night, I wore my down jacket to bed and again wore my fleece pants and wrapped up inside the Galactic sleeping bag. I didn't use the space blanket this time. After only 30 minutes, I was cold! I quickly changed things and wrapped the Galactic bag around my hammock and brought the poncho liner inside. I was thrilled that within minutes I warmed up and was comfortable the rest of the night.

Function

Using the Galactic bag as a pull-up bag over my hammock has been perfect. The zipper on the foot made it easy for me to slip the sleeping bag over the hammock and the rectangle design allowed me to still sleep at a slight angle for maximum comfort in the hammock. Even using the bag as a quilt has been very nice. The full zipper lets me adjust the foot box and I like that there is no hood to get in my way when I’ve spread the bag and tucked it around me.

The drawstring closure at the top is spot-on. After I pulled the bag over me, I was able to easily cinch up the bag around my face. As a pull-up bag, I didn’t worry about the Fat-man or Ribbon cords because I pulled each equally to enclose the bag around my hammock.

However, on my trip in November when I used the bag inside the hammock, I did use the Fat-man and Ribbon cords to only cinch up the top of the bag as needed. Although it was dark and I was wearing gloves at the time, I was able to easily feel the difference between the two cord types and pull the one I needed for adjustment. I really like this feature!

Packing

During my backpacking trips, I left the stuff sack at home, preferring to save the weight and use my backpack as a glorified stuff sack. I find it easier to stuff the sleeping bag directly into the bottom of my backpack, inside a thick plastic garbage sack for moisture protection. The Galactic packs down pretty small, and I’ve found that I’ve been able to use smaller volume packs during my overnight trips. When not packed, I’ve been storing the Galactic in the cotton storage bag.

FIELD USE SUMMARY

CONTINUED USE

While I will continue to use the Galactic sleeping bag in my hammock, I haven’t tried the bag on the ground in the traditional way. I hope to sneak in a trip where I can do this and get a feel for how well the bag performs on the ground.

This completes my field report. Please check back in a few months for my long term report.

LONG TERM REPORT

I would like to thank Kelty and BackpackGearTest.org for providing me with the opportunity to test this product.

Reviews > Sleep Gear > Sleeping Bags > Kelty Galactic 35 F Sleeping Bag > Test Report by Derek Hansen