Owner Review by Evan Cornell

Marmot Sawtooth Owner Review

Tester Bio
Name: Evan Cornell
Age: 14
Gender: Male
Height: 5’ 5” (1.65 m)
Weight: 105 Pounds (47.5 kg)
Email Address: llenrocnave AT backpacker DOT com
City, State, and Country: Milan, Ohio, U.S.
Date: February 24, 2004
Backpacking Background: I started backpacking more than a year ago (fall of 2002), and have been taking weekend trips with the occasional weeklong trip. I like my pack to be as light as I can make it, but don’t consider myself a minimalist hiker. I like to use full tents, not tarps; packs with full, supportive suspension; and the occasional luxury item such as a camp chair. I normally hike with my scout troop, in Ohio, and the temperature is in the normal four-season range of 0 F (-18 C) in the winter to about 90 F (32 C) in summer.

Product Information
Manufacturer: Marmot
Year of manufacture: 2003
Manufacturer’s website: http://www.marmot.com
Listed weight: 2 lb 14 oz (1.3 kg)
Weight as delivered: 2 lb 14 oz (1.3 kg)
Packed Size: 7” x 12” (17.78 cm x 30.48 cm)
MSRP: $199.00
Length: 6 ft (1.83 m) including hood
Product description: The Marmot Sawtooth is a 600-fill power goose down sleeping bag. The manufacturer’s listed temperature rating is 15 F (-9 C), and the weight is reasonable for a bag of this rating and price. The shell fabric is Pertex Horizon with a DWR (durable water resistant) coating, and the lining fabric is Pertex Horizon sans the DWR. The Sawtooth has good lofting abilities and the hood is contoured and down filled. There is a pocket for a watch or glasses on the outside top of the bag. The draft tube, which runs the length of the bag on the right side above the zipper, is puffy and down filled with a strip of zipper anti-snag tape, which is full length. This draft tube works well in keeping drafts out of the bag through the zipper. The zipper is a two-way zipper, which allows the user to open up the bottom and vent in warmer weather. There is one hang loop on the bottom of the bag, and there are draw cords to cinch the hood up tight. These draw cords run around the hood, and the top of the bag. They work efficiently in that they cinch down to about a two inch wide opening, just big enough for the user’s nose and mouth to breath. The cords are easy to operate, only needing a pull, and the cordlock pushed up the cord. While sleeping, the down on the bottom of the bag does not provide any insulation. All the down is compressed by the weight of the user, so an adequate sleeping pad will be needed to insulate the user from the ground such as the Therm-a-Rest Ultralite 3/4. The Sawtooth is a plain bag not sporting many extra or special features, but it does its job well, which is to keep me warm at night.

Field Information
I have had the chance to test the Sawtooth on numerous scout campouts and one short winter backpacking trip. One scout trip was at a private scout reservation in north east Ohio. The terrain was flat with a partially forested area, and a small lake. The shelter used was the Hilleberg Nallo 2 GT. The temperature for late November was a low of about 20 F (-7 C) and a high of about 40 F (4 C). The Sawtooth performed well on this trip, keeping me warm throughout the night. The hood kept my head comfortably warm, and there was enough girth to move around. Condensation did form on the outside of the bag, but I assume that was due to the stagnant air and the lack of ventilation. This moisture did not penetrate the bag, and the shell’s DWR worked great. Another trip was a backpacking trip to Zaleski State Forest, which was a 10-mile (16.1 km) winter trip in mid-December. The geography was rugged, having many ridges and valleys to cross. There was no precipitation other than intermittent granular snow for about fifteen minutes. Again, the Sawtooth kept me warm and cozy all night.

Summary
Though I have yet to use the Sawtooth for a long period, it has proven to be a warm and comfortable bag.

Pros & Cons
Cons
1. Zipper hard to open on right side
Pros
1. Very warm
2. Compressible
3. Light
4. DWR kept condensation from penetrating into the fill

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