Sierra Designs Calamity Jane Sleeping Bag (Women's Regular)

Owner Review by Jennifer Williams

REVIEWER INFORMATION

Name: Jennifer Williams
Age: 26
Gender: Female
Height: 5 ft 3 in (1.6 m)
Weight: 120 lbs (56 kg)
Shoulder width: 18 in (46 cm)
Hip Width: 17 in (43 cm)
Email: jensmail78 (at) yahoo.com
Sunnyvale, CA, USA
Date: April 5, 2005

Backpacking Background:

I grew up horseback riding, camping, and hiking and developed a love of the outdoors and respect for nature. I try to get outside as much as possible and am an avid skier and snowboarded. I started backpacking about two years ago. All of my trips have been one or two night stays. My trips normally range from coastal trails in the redwoods to mountainous terrain in the Sierra Nevadas. I tend to hike where I encounter rain and dampness. This year I am looking forward to making some longer trips in northern California and gaining more experience. I am not a lightweight backpacker yet, but would like to reduce my current pack weight significantly.

PRODUCT INFORMATION

Manufacturer: Sierra Designs
Year of manufacture: 2003
URL: www.sierradesigns.com
Listed weight: 2 lbs 13 oz (1.28 kg)
Weight as delivered: 2 lbs 12 oz (1.25 kg)
Length as delivered: 66 in (1.7 m)
Width (shoulder) as delivered: 29 in (.74 m)
Width (feet) as delivered: 19 in (.48 m)
Fill: 550 Powerfill Down
Degree Rating: 15 F (-9 C)
Color: turquoise (black lining)

Product description:

The Calamity Jane is a women's specific down, lightweight sleeping bag. It is a mummy-style bag with more width in the hip area to better fit a woman's shape. There is also extra insulation around the torso area and foot box to accommodate women's lower sleep metabolisms. It has a full-length zipper with a draft tube that runs the length of the zipper to keep out cold air. The hood has a cinch cord around the opening to close the gaps around your head. The bag also has 2 adjustable straps on the back to loop around a sleeping pad to keep you from sliding off during the night.

When I received the bag the package contained the sleeping bag, a nylon stuff sack, and a mesh storage sack. When the bag is packed in the stuff sack it measures 17 inches (43 cm) by 7 inches (18 cm). The storage sack is much larger and allows the bag to remain loose and inflated during storage. While the stuff sack is a nice size for car camping, I bought a small compression sack that compresses the bag down to 6 inches (15 cm) by 8 inches (20 cm).

Field information:

 My first trip with this bag was a one night backpacking trip in the central California Ventana Wilderness.  My camp was near 4000 feet (1200 meters) in elevation, the weather was dry, and the temperatures overnight were between 40 to 50 F (4 to10 C). I used my compression sack that gets the bag to a very small, semi-round shape that fit nicely in the bottom of my pack. I used the bag with an old Therm-a-Rest sleeping pad, but did not use the straps on the sleeping bag to secure it to the pad. Despite this, I did not slide off of the pad during the night. I am generally a pretty still sleeper but I do turn on my side occasionally. I am also a very cold sleeper, particularly my feet. I slept in shorts and a t-shirt and a pair of wool hiking socks. Since the temperatures that night were relatively warm, I stayed nice and toasty in my bag, but I was pleased to note that I didn't feel too hot or sweaty in the bag. The lining is polyester and I was afraid it might feel sticky or clammy against my legs after a hot day of backpacking. However, the lining was dry and light and did not stick at all. I left the hood open for ventilation and remained comfortable all night. Even my feet were warm. I also won a "worm war" (wrestling with your tent-mate while keeping all appendages zipped in your bags) the next morning, although I don't know if I can attribute that to the bag.

My next trip using this bag was a three-night car camping trip in Sequoia National Park. My camp was at 6800 feet (2000 meters), with just a bit of dampness in the mornings and temperatures near 30 to 40 F (-1 to 4 C) at night. This time I used the stuff sack that came with the pack since size was not an issue in the car. The stuff sack was easy to use and kept the bag at a manageable size. Again, I slept in a t-shirt and shorts with wool hiking socks. Since the temperatures were a bit cooler I tightened the hood around my face to keep the cold out. The cinch cord was easy to use, but did require two hands, which made it awkward for me to cinch it really tight. I was warm and comfortable every night. I was able to sleep on my side and curl my legs up inside the bag even though it is a mummy bag. I also used the straps this time to secure myself to the sleeping pad. It was easy to slide the straps over the pad and adjust their tightness with the buckles. I did not notice them restricting my movement, even when I slept on my side. Although, the straps did prove to be my demise during a vicious worm war since I was attached to my sleeping pad and could not defend myself. 

My most recent trip with the Calamity Jane was near the coast in the redwoods of northern California. I camped at 1000 feet (300 meters) in cool, damp conditions. Temperatures overnight were around 30 F (-1 C). Because the weather was cool and damp I wore pajama pants and a long sleeve shirt to sleep in. The lining of the bag was nice and slick and did not cause the pants to bunch up when I moved around. Before I got to sleep, my tent mate managed to spill a whole Nalgene bottle of water on the bottoms of our bags. I was pleased to see most of the water roll off of my bag instead of soaking in. The remaining water wiped away easily and I did not feel any moisture inside the bag. That night I also found the zipper very easy to find and operate when I woke up to find 8 raccoons ransacking our camp food. The zipper never snagged or got stuck even though I was unzipping very quickly to get out and defend our food supply. Once I got to sleep, I did find that I was a bit warm with pants on, even in the cooler temperatures. I was able to loosen the hood and unzip about half way and then I was comfortable the rest of the night.

SUMMARY

Overall, the Calamity Jane Down Bag is a solidly constructed sleeping bag for women. I have noticed a couple feathers poking out at the seams, but nothing drastic. Despite being a cold sleeper I have always stayed warm and comfortable in it. The bag is functional for backpacking or car camping and saves weight with its shorter design. It has a few nice extras, like the straps to secure it to a sleeping pad and women specific insulation around the feet and torso.

Likes:
Lightweight and compressible
Shorter length
Extra insulation in foot box

Dislikes:
Drawstring around the hood- I would like to see a cinch cord with one-handed operation.