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Reviews > Sleep Gear > Sleeping Bags > MontBell Alpine Down Hugger 3 > Andre Corterier > Initial ReportMont Bell U.L. Alpine Down Hugger #3 IRInitial Report by André CorterierDate: April 2006 
Personal Biographical Information:
Backpacking Background:
Year of manufacture: 2006
Listed Weight: 1 lb 6 oz/22 oz (624 g)
Introduction:
Description: The hood appears like a simple design, which closes with a standard drawcord. It fits me well. I was able to close it so it cupped my head with a bit of room, draw it tightly around my head and could even close the opening down to a hole which allowed only my nose to peep out. I like this a lot (though I wonder whether this ability was taken into consideration when deciding which temperature range the bag was going to be marketed for). In other words, I wonder whether I'll have to close it down so far often when I'm using the bag. The zipper features a slim, thin black textile band along it which I assume is meant to prevent the sides of the bag from getting caught in the zipper. It does this job about as well as most of the other contraptions for this purpose that I have seen: It mostly works, but does not prevent the occasional snag. As even heavy-duty attempts to solve this problem do not seem to work 100% of the time, I am happy the manufacturer went for such a lightweight 90%-solution. The draft tube along the zipper is very slim and I am not convinced that it will always cover the entire zipper when I'm inside the bag. As it is located "above" the zipper when the bag is spread out, gravity should help to move it over the zipper. At my height, I was not able to close the "Bottom Adjuster" below my feet and still use the hood. That idea seems meant to allow adjusting the bag to smaller users. I could, however, close the drawcord around my feet. Whether that will have a beneficial effect when using the bag in the field is something I may or may not find out. Adjusting it while in the bag requires sitting up and getting one hand out of the bag to reach the adjuster cord. I can see myself using this feature when using the bag as a quilt in summer - should make the slender foot end move with my feet.
This stuff sack allows compressing the bag by stuffing it into it tightly and drawing the drawcord around the opening tight. Doing so produces a rather tight package. However, the stuff sack features a second drawcord. If one feels so inclined, it is possible to use it to reduce the stuffed size of the bag even further.
When I removed the bag from its tight confines it seemed less substantial. However, it quickly regained its loft by vigorously shaking it for a few seconds. I am heartened by this. I still feel that I will resort to compressing it *very* tight only in packing space emergencies. A less constricting method of storage is presented by the "Bottom Adjuster" which allows stuffing the bag into the foot area of the last baffle and then cinching the "Bottom Adjuster" drawcord shut.
Initial Summary: This should allow me to accurately report whether the lower comfort rating of 32 F (0 C) given by the manufacturer corresponds to my own. I sleep neither particularly warm nor particularly cold (though in an unheated room with the window open). The testing period should allow me to edge into the "Minimum Temperature Range" given by the manufacturer and report whether I am indeed comfortable in just a base layer down to freezing and still able to gain some rest in temperatures marginally lower than that (I'll add additional clothing as necessary and report on what I've been wearing). In August, the temperatures will likely top the manufacturer's given top end of the comfort zone (of about 57 F/14 C according to the online "Thermal Chart"). So there will definitely be an opportunity to try out the venting options brought about by the (full-length or very nearly full-length) zipper. Can I use the bag as a quilt in warmer weather, with my feet stuffed into the "Bottom Adjuster"? For precipitation, we'll have fog and drizzle as well as rain. Especially in April and to a degree in May the air will likely sometimes be humid (foggy, though on the cold side). June and July tend to be dry, August may see some very warm and humid evenings. I plan to report on how well the down filling of the bag deals with these different levels of humidity. I should also be able to report on the DWR's effect (or lack thereof) when sleeping under a tarp (or cape) and the open sky. I plan a fair number of overnighters, but have no big (multi-night) hikes planned yet during the test period. I hike in hilly, forested terrain which starts a 15 minute walk from where I live and extends for about 30 km (20 mi) in most directions. This includes hikes in the Kottenforst State Park, the Siebengebirge Nature Preserve (Seven Mountains – bit of a misnomer there, they top out at 461 m / 1512 ft), the River Rhine and the Ahr Valley. Elevations range from 60 m / 200 ft to the above-mentioned 461 m / 1512 ft, paths tend to be well-maintained though I do not always stick to them. These trips would include leisurely rambles with the emphasis on enjoyment in company, as well as high- speed hikes with emphasis on a light pack. My overnighters tend to be „mini-adventure" solo trips. Often, it's a distance I could cover in one long day, which I prefer to cut into two half days by starting Friday afternoon (around 30 km/20 mi or so). This lets me get some solo backpacking done without impacting my family time too much. There is a "Trainer Drill Camp" coming up at the beginning of May in which the kids who we've been chasing through the woods in the past two years have decided to turn the table and will be putting us older guys through a 48-hour obstacle/wilderness survival course. I know I'll be needing some quality rest sometime during that weekend. We've also been planning a one or two night excursion just prior to this as a shakedown cruise. I plan to spend all my (outdoor) nights in the testing period in this bag. A number of these will be spent in a hammock (on pads of varying thickness – from a short self-inflating one combined with a wide ccf pad for wings down to a single 5 mm (0.2 in) one or even no pad at the height of summer). As I was also chosen to test the Six Moon Designs Gatewood Cape, the balance of nights will be spent on the ground: in a tent, a shelter, under a tarp and the open sky.
Specific Questions I Would Like to Answer: Warmth: Obviously – will I be warm enough in just a base layer down to freezing? Will I overheat in summer? How easy is venting with the zipper when it's zipped up, what is the spectrum of adequate warmth when I use the bag as a quilt? (I'll carry a little lightweight thermometer around to enable accurate reporting.) Comfort: Will it fit me? (My shoulder girth is on the low side of the manufacturer's given range, as is my height – for the "Long" bag.) Yes, it does. Will I notice anything different on my skin regarding the "calendared" thread? No. Will the inner lining feel good? It's okay. Will it be clammy if I'm warm (or, worse, even if I'm cold)? Can I get into and out of the bag without problems, or is finagling the zipper open an exercise unsuitable for a sleepy person with a full bladder? Will the single draft tube prevent drafts? How well does the hood fit, and how easy is it to adjust in the dark? Will the "Gathered Quilt" system of elastics sewn into the baffles make the bag feel roomier than its cut would imply? If due to the way I turn I stretch the bag in the horizontal, will this reduce the loft in that area, resulting in a cold spot? Packability: Does the bag really compress down to 5 by 8 in (12.5 by 20 cm) with the help of the compression sack? Yes. If carried without the compression sack (wrapped in a garbage bag or just stuffed into the last baffle with the help of the "Bottom Adjuster"), how much volume does it require? Hard to say - it's about the size of a normal pumpkin, but of course it can be compressed further. Loft: How much loft is there? How quickly does it recover from being somewhat compressed or very heavily compressed? A bit of fluffing up seems to be all that is required. In various levels of humidity? Weight: Is the reported weight (1 lb 6 oz / 620 g for the Long version) accurate? Yes - and it includes the stuff sack. How much does the compression sack weigh? 24 g/0.8 oz. Durability: I am aware that such a lightweight sleeping bag, especially one that has considerably more weight in the down filling than in the fabric (!), requires care and will treat is as such. Still, if the zipper snags or I fail to notice a branch where I unpack the bag – will the fabric used (reportedly stronger than some fabrics twice the weight) be up to what wear and tear is unavoidable over four months (and hopefully beyond)? Will the calendared thread employed in the construction manage to avoid down leakage altogether? Moisture Management: How much moisture does the bag take on (from the outside/from the inside)? How quickly does it dry? (A "felt" guess in the field, which I'll try to back up with measured weight from my gram scale when testing close to home.) Will I be able to observe the DWR in action (I guess I'll try a bead test)? Will it still be as good when I write my Long Term Report? Bottom Adjuster: An interesting gimmick. Will it help me adjust the bag to my personal length and warmth requirements? Length - no. I *just* require the long length according to the manufacturer's online sizing chart and cannot shorten the bag this way. What it does for warmth remains to be tested. Will it be a good stuff sack for the bag? Or could I do without the added complexity? Is it easy to adjust in my hammock in the middle of the night? Will it stay the way I set it if I toss and turn a little? Vertical Box Construction: Keeping the down where it should retain most of the warmth is good, of course – but what if I sleep on my side? Will I have less down there then? What about my back (if I sleep on my side)? In my current bag, I can shift the down around on purpose – I guess I won't be able to do that here. Will that be good or bad? Read more reviews of MontBell gear Read more gear reviews by Andre Corterier Reviews > Sleep Gear > Sleeping Bags > MontBell Alpine Down Hugger 3 > Andre Corterier > Initial Report | |||
The bag shipped in a cotton storage sack (which allows storage
pretty much without any compression) and a stuff sack.
While my heart went out to the down inside the bag while I was using extreme force to coerce it
into the container, it was possible for me to reduce it to the dimensions the manufacturer
suggests - or close enough not to make a difference. I didn't look at the listed dimensions
while I was taking my measurements and am willing to allow that it might have been possible to
compress the bag down by another half inch (a cm). I just wouldn't want to do that too often.
This creates a roughly pumpkin-shaped and sized something which seems ideally suited to fleshing
out the bottom of any barrel-shaped pack, to have the remains of whatever comes along stuffed in
on top, thereby creating whatever degree of compression seems warranted at the time. And it means
I can leave the stuff sack at home, too!