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Sierra Designs Big Dog Sleeping Bag
Field Report
December 30, 2005
Tester Bios
Child
Name: Cameron Smith
Age: 6
Gender: Male
Height: 3’ 10” (1.17 m)
Weight: 40 lb (18 kg)
Shoulder Girth – 28” (71 cm)
Hip Girth – 31” (79 cm)
Foot Girth – 25” (64 cm)
Backpacking Background: Cameron has been camping and hiking since he was about
18 months old. He will currently carry up to 5 lb (2.5 kg) of his own gear.
Cameron is very comfortable sleeping in his own tent, and has expressed interest
in trying hammock camping. Cameron is growing into an avid outdoorsman, always
asking when the next trip to the woods is.
Adult
Name: Anthony (TJ) Smith
Age: 31 years old
Gender: Male
Height: 5’10” (1.78 m)
Weight: 155 lbs (73 kg)
Email address: tjsmith1946@gmail.com
City, State, Country: Pensacola, Florida USA
Backpacking Background: I have been camping for a little over 5 years now, mostly
car camping. I have recently begun backpacking, and I am constantly adding new
gear to my “collection” in an effort to get my gear list tailored
more towards backpacking. Most of my backpacking trips are short duration, not
more than one or two nights. I am planning some longer trips in the near future.
My current pack weight is around 15-20 lb (7-9 kg) without food and water, depending
on if I'm solo camping or taking my son along, as I have to carry some of his
gear. I am a dedicated hammock camper and have tailored my personal gear to
that aspect of camping.
Product Information
Year of Manufacture – 2005
Manufacturer URL – www.sierradesigns.com
Stated Weight – 2 lb 9 oz (1.2 kg)
Stated Size – 62 in (157 cm) inside length, 50 in (127 cm) shoulder girth,
47 in (119 cm) hip girth, 33 in (84 cm) footbox girth
Stated Temperature Rating – 20 F (-7 C)
Stated Stuff Size – 7 in x 17 in (18 cm x 43 cm)
Weight as Delivered – 2 lb 9 oz (1162 g)
Size as Delivered – 60 in (152 cm) inside length, 50 in (127 cm) shoulder
girth, 45.5 in (116 cm) hip girth, 35 in (89 cm) footbox girth
Stuffed Size as Delivered – 7 in x 16 in (18 cm x 41 cm)
MSRP – $89.95 US
Initial Information/Observations
The Sierra Designs Big Dog is a youth-size synthetic fill mummy bag. For more information, our initial observations and pictures see our Initial Report.
Testing
Date: November 9-11, 2005
Location: Wiregrass Trail and Karick Lake Campground, Baker, Florida
Weather: Clear skies; daytime highs of 87 F (30 C), 72 F (22 C) and 58 F (14 C) with
overnight lows of 52 F (11 C) and 32 F (0 C). We did not encounter any precipitation
on this trip, and humidity levels stayed below 75%.
This trip was 1 day on the trail with Cameron carrying the bag in his pack,
and 2 nights in an organized campground. The Big Dog was used as Cameron's bedding
in a Hennessy Hammock for both nights, with a Walmart closed-cell foam pad underneath
the bag. Cameron did not have a problem getting into or out of the bag on his
own with the bag in the hammock. We did find we need to trim the pad as it is
a little too wide and long for the sleeping bag (a full size adult pad used
with a child's size sleeping bag.)
Cameron slept very comfortably for both nights while using the Big Dog. He did
not complain of being too cold or too hot on either night. The first night (52
F [11 C]) Cameron wore cotton long underwear with no socks, and the second night
(32 F [0 C]) Cameron had on his long underwear, cotton socks, a cotton T-Shirt,
and blue jeans. Cameron is not able to get the bag into the stuff sack on his
own yet. He does require assistance with this, but is able to handle all other
functions of the bag by himself.
Date: December 3-4, 2005
Location: Karick Lake Campground, Baker, Florida
Weather: Overcast skies with some precipitation, temperatures ranged from 76
F (24 C) to 55 F (13 C). We experienced about 20 minutes of heavy rainfall,
and about 2 hours of condensation dripping from the trees after that.
This trip was an overnight at an organized campground. Cameron used his Big
Dog in a double-wall tent on this trip, with a closed-cell foam pad underneath
the bag. Cameron only spent part of the night in the Big Dog before he got lonely
and moved into the double sleeping bag his mom was using. The part of the night
he was in the Big Dog went without incident, and he said he was comfortable
in the bag. Cameron used a regular pillow on this trip instead of the included
pillow with the Big Dog. Cameron still has problems with being able to stuff
the Big Dog on his own, so I have had to continue stuffing the bag for him after
use. The Big Dog did not seem to be affected by the high humidity levels caused
by the rainfall experienced during this trip. The bag appeared to loft as well
as it has during the rest of the testing period.
In addition, Cameron has used the Big Dog at home very frequently (approximately
20 nights during this reporting period.) Cameron has slept comfortably both
using the bag on his bed as well as with the bag just laid on the carpet. Cameron
hasn't complained about being hot or cold at any time while using the bag at
home.
Overall Impressions
Cameron has been quite pleased with the Big Dog so far. It has suited him over
a range of temperatures and while being used in a hammock, a tent, and at home.
Cameron appears to be comfortable, and actually sleeps more soundly with this
bag while camping than he has with previous bags he has used.
Functionally, Cameron has not experienced any problems with the Big Dog. The zipper functions well with no sticking problems, and Cameron has not had a problem with the fabric of the bag getting caught in the zipper. He has also not had any problems with a loss of loft in the bag during the test period. The bag lofts well after being removed from the stuff sack, even after being packed in the bottom of Cameron's backpack.
Cameron has found the bag to be quite comfortable, even over a wide range of temperatures. This could be attributed to the fact that Cameron seems to sleep comfortably in a wide range of temperatures anyway. Cameron has not had any complaints about the lining being uncomfortable against his bare skin, and has not complained about problems with the lining when he wears clothing in the bag either.
The pad lock straps have so far worked quite well, keeping the bag on the pad throughout the night. Cameron does toss and turn quite a bit, so bags wandering off his sleeping pad has been an issue. In addition, by having the pad locks around his pad we haven't had as many issues with him moving the bag from its designed position (i.e., having the head opening facing down, the zipper ending up on the bottom of the bag, etc.)
The bag is sized well for Cameron, with room for him to grow. He has not yet found a functional use for the two pockets on the bag. He prefers to store items in the pockets on his hammock or tent instead of in his sleeping bag, but that is a matter of his personal preferences.
Pros
1. Pad lock straps
2. No snagging problems with the zipper
3. Cameron's comfort level
Cons
1. Have not found a practical use for the pockets
2. Difficulty for Cameron to stuff the bag into the sack
Continued Test Plan
The Big Dog will continue to be tested in a variety of locations throughout
Northwest Florida and Southeast Alabama. During the testing period, expected
weather conditions range from a high near or just above 80 F (27 C) to lows
approaching or creeping to near 20 F (-7 C). We also anticipate varied levels
of precipitation, from bright sunny days with low humidity all the way to torrential
downpours.
We have numerous trips planned during the test period to include several one
night trips. Cameron will most likely continue to use the Big Dog at home as
well for sleeping on the floor in his bedroom.
The following are a list of issues we intend to continue exploring:
Durability
1. How well does the bag continue to handle various humidity levels? Does it feel as though
the bag doesn’t loft as well in high humidity, or does the loft not seem
to be affected?
2. How well does the zipper hold up during the remaining test period? Does it snag on the fabric requiring constant
attention? Does it develop “sticky” spots that require some finesse
to get the zipper past?
3. How well does the bag continue to handle potential dirt exposure? Does it readily stain,
or does it seem to repel light dirt and debris?
4. How well does the bag retain its loft in the bottom of the bag, after being
compressed under body weight for several nights?
Comfort
1. How comfortable is the lining after continued use? Is it still comfortable against bare skin,
or does Cameron require clothing or a liner to be comfortable?
2. How well does the draft tube keep drafts out of the bag?
3. How well does the foot box allow for ventilation?
4. Cameron tends to toss and turn quite a bit at night. Does the bag have enough
room to allow for this, regardless of where Cameron sleeps (tent, hammock, bed, etc)? Or are some areas a bit confining in regards to constant
movement? In addition, does the bag stay in place during movement, or does he
end up with the zipper underneath him, or worse yet, on the opposite side from
where it is supposed to be?
5. How true are the temperature ratings for Cameron? Does the bag reach the
rated temperatures without requiring a great deal of clothing? And how close
does the bag reach the rated temperatures while using the bag in a hammock?
Function
1. How well does the bag continue to loft after being compressed in its stuff sack
inside Cameron’s pack while hiking?
2. How well does the pad lock keep the bag on a sleeping
pad, even after extensive use?
3. How well does the glow-in-the-dark zipper pull continue to work? Is Cameron still able to find the zipper easily, or does he develop difficulty
locating the pull?
4. How useful are the two pockets for Cameron’s use? Are they something
he uses to store items in, or are they just extra “frills” that
aren’t really functional for Cameron?
We also intend to continue reporting on any other issues that may arise during
our testing of this product.
Our thanks to Sierra Designs and BackpackGearTest for allowing us to test this item.
Read more reviews of Sierra Designs gear
Read more gear reviews by Anthony Smith
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