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Reviews > Sleep Gear > Sleeping Bags > Sierra Designs Cirque and Mist > Christine Korhonen > Field ReportSierra Designs Mist Field Report Name: Christine Korhonen Age: 32 Gender: female Height: 5' 4" (1.6 m) Weight: 150 lb (68 kg) E-mail: chris@wormguy.com Location: Western Montana Backpacking Background: I'm in Montana enjoying the summers and becoming re-acquainted with winter. Now that I'm back above the snow line, I'm attempting some winter camping and snowshoeing. I'm a lightweight backpacker mentally, if not always in practice. My summer pack weight is around 19 lb (9 kg) with a tent, but my winter pack still hovers around 25 lb (11 kg). Product Information: Manufacturer: Sierra Designs URL: www.sierradesigns.com Style: Women's Mist MSRP: US $359.95 Color: Blue/Gray Size: Regular Measurements: Sleeping bag Listed weight: 3 lb 6 oz (1.5 kg) Measured weight: 3 lb 8.4 oz (1.6 kg)
Stuff sack Measured weight: 5.8 oz (160 g)
Storage bag Measured weight: 4.4 oz (120 g) Measured dimensions: 29½" (75 cm) long x 13" (33 cm) diameter Mist Description: The Mist is a 0 F (-18 C), 800 fill goose down, mummy-shaped sleeping bag from Sierra Designs. The Mist is a women's specific bag, advertised as narrower at the shoulders, wider at the hips, and with more insulation in the torso and foot box than their men's bags. The Mist's outer shell is made of DriZone, a laminated fabric advertised as waterproof and breathable. Field Conditions: I tested the Sierra Designs Mist on backpacking trips in Michigan and Montana. Elevations ranged from 1400' to 6500' (430 m to 2000 m). Nighttime low temperatures were from 25 F to 30 F (-4 C to -1 C). Conditions included light wind and snow. I used the Mist in my Hennessey Hammock Extreme Ultralight Backpacker Asym hammock with a Therm-a-Rest Ultralite 1" (2.5 cm) pad or a fleece-lined insulated windshield visor underneath. Field Use: I'm still figuring out the best system for winter hammock camping, but I know a warm bag is definitely key. This bag's 800 fill goose down has kept me nice and toasty as long as the loft was allowed to do its thing. The only areas where I've developed cold spots have been on my back or sides where I'm lying on the bag and preventing the loft from lofting. Size: Since I'm short, I normally use a short-sized sleeping bag. The Mist doesn't come in a short style, so I'm testing the regular size. I was initially afraid the 72" (1.8 m) inner length would be too long. However, in the field this length seems to be just right. I am 5' 4" (1.6 m), and since the bag is just right for me, it may not be long enough for someone taller than me. On their website, Sierra Designs doesn't give a height range for people to use this bag, but I think they should. Zipper: Even with the snag-free zipper tracks, the zipper tends to snag on the draft tubes. The snag-free tracks are immediately adjacent to the zipper and provide some support when unzipping the bag, but the large draft tubes fall over these tracks and into the zipper's path when I try to zip up. Once inside the bag, I find it hard to hold the zipper at the correct angle to get the bag zipped. This might be because I'm right handed and the zipper is on the right side, but it seems to be exacerbated by the large zipper pull. Once the bag is zipped, there is a Velcro closure that can go over the zipper pull, but I don't see much point in this. Fastening the Velcro makes it that much harder to get out of the bag later on. I haven't noticed any drafts coming in through the uncovered zipper. The Velcro tab is also stiff and scratchy. Collar: The draft collar is a U-shaped tube with its opening at the zippered end. This opening can be closed by a second Velcro tab which is also stiff and scratchy. The collar's drawstring is on the other side of the bag, to the left. I can fasten the Velcro by feel without much of a problem, although it makes it harder to get out of the bag later on. The hook section of the Velcro folds back on itself and hasn't snagged on my clothes. Once the Velcro is fastened, I have to find the drawstring on the other side of the bag. The drawstring is directly opposite the Velcro closure, and it usually ends up underneath my left shoulder. If the hole for the drawstring was further towards the top of the bag, it would be easier to find. The drawstring has two strands: one tightens the top of the draft collar over my neck, while the other tightens under my neck. When in the bag, I'm afraid to pull too hard on the drawstring for fear that the Velcro on the other side will come undone. The drawstring would put less pressure on the Velcro if the hole for the drawstring was on the right side of the bag near the zipper. Hood: The hood has a separate draw cord from the collar. This cord is also on the left, but is easier to find than the collar draw cord because it's outside the sleeping bag. The hood is quite large and has a lot of down fill. While in the bag, I was able to cinch the hood down so a 3" (8 cm) diameter opening was left. I was surprised that I couldn't cinch it tighter. I was able to stick my head into the bag so my face stayed warm. Condensation: I haven't had any problems with condensation either inside or outside of this bag. The humidity has been pretty low on my backpacking trips so far, and I didn't have any condensation in my hammock, either. Packing: I've packed this bag in the provided stuff sack and in my pack without a stuff sack. The bag holds quite a lot of air so it takes awhile to pack. I can't just push the bag in. I have to give it a shove, wait for the air to leak out, then shove it again. I find that sitting on the stuff sack is the easiest way to deflate it completely. Because of the large amount of air in the sleeping bag, it takes a while to get it packed. Likes: Very warm Shorter than expected (good news for me) Dislikes: Draft collar difficult to use Hood could close more Zipper hard to zip from inside the bag Test Plan: I will test the Sierra Designs Mist on backpacks and car camping trips in Montana and Wyoming. I will use the Mist in my hammock and possibly in my one-person tent. Nighttime temperatures should be in the 10's and 20's F (-10's and -singles C), and the potential of getting down to 0 F (-18 C) exists. Wind and snow are expected. Read more reviews of Sierra Designs gear Read more gear reviews by Christine Korhonen Reviews > Sleep Gear > Sleeping Bags > Sierra Designs Cirque and Mist > Christine Korhonen > Field Report | ||||||||||||||||||||