(* Note: All weights measured on a Pelouze PE5 digital scale, +- 0.1 oz/2.8 g)

Featuring

• Baffle Construction
• Compression Stuff Sack
• Draft Collar
• DriZone "Waterproof Breathable"
• Dual Draft Tubes
• Glow-in-the-Dark Zipper Pulls
• Pad Locks
• Snag Free Zipper Tracks
• MSRP 339.95 USD

OVERALL IMPRESSION

My Initial Report describes this mummy bag in more detail, leaving this report to the results of my field experience. In that report, I identified several things I was going to look for during the Field Testing period. My findings are identified in italics below, but first my overall impression. After six nights and four trips to the woods, I have to say I'm favorably impressed with this bag. It seems to be meeting the manufacturer's claims and with only a minor exception, I've had no issues arise. The bag continues to perform well with no tears, loose seams, snagged zippers, broken drawstrings, or escaping down. All is as it was when I received it except for the glow-in-the-dark pull tab on the side zipper (more about this later). Although the coldest temperature I've experienced with this bag is 10 F (-12 C), I've not had an uncomfortably cold or even cool night. I tend to be a neutral or possibly even a cool sleeper and generally find U.S. manufacturer's temperature ratings to be accurate when I sleep in a base layer, socks, and beanie. Even at 10 F (-12 C) I've not had to fully enclose myself in this bag (e.g. tighten down the drawstrings, pull the hood tight across my face, etc.). In fact, whenever the nighttime temps were in the mid-20s F (-4 to -3 C) or higher I generally found myself opening the zipper a bit or taking off my beanie to vent. Additionally, despite three snowstorms and one light drizzling rain, no leaks have developed in the bag. All in all, I'm finding this to be a very satisfactory winter bag.

DETAILED RESULTS

As I noted above, I identified several areas of bag performance I would be paying special attention to in the Field Testing of this bag. Specifically they were:

• Is it really warm to anything near its temperature rating? A: My experience has been that yes it is. Although I have not reached the bag's rating (0 F/-18 C), the performance of the bag in keeping me warm at near-rated temperatures leads me to believe I won't be disappointed. Since I've not needed more than a base layer of clothes and have not fully sealed the bag when sleeping, I'm confident that either additional sleepwear or fully snugging down the bag is all I'll need in order to stay comfortable in rated temps. Mid-20s F (-4 C) temperatures require venting to stay comfortable and anything in the high 30s F (3 - 4+ C) or greater generally is hot in the bag and I have had to remove either my base layer, my socks, or unzip the bag and use it more as a blanket than bag. The hot night (40 F/4 C) did not result in sufficient sweating to dampen the bag (what sweating I did do, must have passed through the DriZone shell and out into the woods). This has also not resulted in any odor issues with the bag or need to wash. I do hang the bag outside after every trip to air and keep it stored in its supplied "pillowcase".

• Does it shed water/snow in the wild as well as it does in the kitchen? A: While my kitchen test (see the Initial Report) was extreme and I'd expect to see that kind of water only if I was caught in a heavy rain, the bag has stood up nicely to the elements. I've been snowed on as well as been caught out in a light drizzle. The drizzle went unnoticed while I slept on my side and it wasn't until I returned to my back that I was finally awakened by the rain. The bag did not suffer any wet-thru of the shell. Snow consisted of amounts ranging from a light dusting to about an inch (2.5 cm) and did not melt through. Snow generally seems to fall off this bag. Last week I was caught in a mixed precipitation event that dropped over an inch (2.5 cm) of rain during the day & early evening before turning to snow and dropping 8 inches (20 cm) of snow by morning--fortunately this time I had the sense to bring a shelter so I was not caught directly outside during the storm.

• Does it retain its loft after several months in & out of its storage bag and compression sack? A: I've seen no noticable decrease in loft of the bag over the past couple of months. It is retaining its ability to fluff out and is suffering no apparent harm from its downtime in the storage bag. I've not had occasion to use the compression sack yet as I've been able to simply squish the bag into my pack each time out. I expect to carry it in the compression sack on at least one trip during the Long Term testing phase. 

• Are the glow-in-the-dark zipper pulls really useful or just a marketing gimmick? A: I have not found the glow-in-the-dark zipper pull a useful addition to the bag's usability. I generally feel for the pull and am not in the practice of attempting to look for it in the dark. In fact, on my last trip out the temperature dropped to a low of 10 F (-12 C) and I needed to zip the bag all the way to my shoulders. This actually proved somewhat difficult (see below for more details) and I ended up pulling the glow-in-the-dark pull right off the zipper tab. Fortunately the plastic pull is attached to the zipper tab itself with a small metal fitting so while I lost the glow-in-the-dark feature, the zipper still had its standard pull-tab which I was able to use to zip up the bag. I had to use considerable force to get the zipper up the last foot (30 cm) or so which is what caused the glow-in-the-dark pull to separate. At midnight in 10 degree F (-12 C) weather with snow falling and the wind howling (it was reported to be gusting to 50 mph/81 kmph) I wasn't much inclined to investigate the hard pull or the separation--I just wanted to snuggle into the warmth of the bag.

• Do the pad locks (straps) keep me attached to the pad during nighttime thrashing? A: I have used the pad locks on every night in the bag. I find they work very well in keeping the bag on the pad (a Big Agnes mummy shaped full length Air Core) although I admit that I don't do a lot of moving around at night. They do keep the bag from bunching & twisting when I roll over to sleep on my side. This is a nice feature that I appreciate as the Air Core is only 20 inches (51 cm) wide and is thus just about the same width as my shoulders. I like this feature and wish more bags had them. They are easy to use by loosening the fastening (there is a captive plastic slide tightener on each of 2 straps) and slipping the inflated pad through. I've found that partially inflating the pad makes it a little easier to manuever when doing this inside a tent when I don't want the pad sticking out the door when I'm doing this. Once it's slipped through the straps, a few more breaths of air and I'm ready for bed. As I'm reaching the rated limit of the Air Core (actually it's only rated to 15 F/-9 C) I'll be switching to an Exped Down Air Mattress for the remainder of the test. This mattress is a rectangular shape with a 24 inch (61 cm) width.

• How well does the snag-free zipper track keep the zipper from snagging or worse, jamming? A: Great and not at all. What I mean by this is that the zipper doesn't "snag" but it does get caught. When I think of a zipper "snagging" the bag fabric I think of when the bag's fabric gets caught between the zipper slider and the zipper tooth track until it won't slide further and often gets so bound up that it won't go up or down. Then some amount of fiddling with the fabric to guide it away from the slider as the slider is pulled (often with mechanical assistance like a pair of pliers) downward. A snag like this will also often result in the tearing of the fabric. Obviously this is a major pain in the middle of the night...especially a cold and snowy one. The Cirque's zipper has not experienced this kind of snag. However, it has caught zipper baffle fabric between the slider and the zipper teeth. What distinguishes this from a snag is that the slider will still run its length even with the fabric trapped. It is more difficult to pull (see above about the glow-in-the-dark tab...I suspect this is what caused the need for the extra pull force I had to use) but it does slide. That means not needing to sit up and futz with the zipper when I'm half-dressed and thus exposed to the cold. This is a welcome feature. I expect that it routinely "catches" like this as I often have some difficulty in getting the zipper up the last foot (30 cm). I've not occasioned to inspect it in detail when it occurs but will do so during the Long Term testing phase.

• Do the various draft tubes really keep Mother Nature's frosty breath from my tender parts? A: The draft tubes work extremely well in keeping the cold from my less protected body parts. The side baffles along the zipper do not let any cold air to penetrate the zipper as far as I can tell. Oftentimes on other bags I will get slight (to large) drafts or cold air leaks around the shoulders, even with the hood cinched around my head. This usually occurs when I roll over to sleep on my side and seems to be related to the changing shape of the bag around my body. The Cirque's shoulder baffle is larger and puffier (more fill/loft) then others I've used and seems to make the shape adjustment very well--keeping the seal in place and eliminating any drafts. I give Sierra Designs high marks for solving this nagging issue and believe it has something to do with the considerable comfort of the bag.

• Does the baffled construction (6.5 in/16.5 cm wide wavy horizontal baffles) hold up under use and keep the down from drifting? A: The baffles have kept the down in its place and the bag has not exhibited any down migration. At first I was somewhat concerned with this as I also use a down quilt when camping and fluff all of the down into the top & sides to improve its warmth. Not having that ability with the Cirque was something I thought I might regret as I would want to move the down from the underside of the bag where it's not (ostensibly) useful in providing insulation to the upper side of the bag where it is. I'm beginning to reassess my acceptance of the conventional wisdom that down under my body is compressed too much to insulate. The Cirque's down remains in place and I believe there is some re-lofting occurring as I roll and turn in my sleep. This brings previously compressed down back into play as an insulating layer as my weight shifts off of it and prevents cold spots from forming--something I've always found to be an issue with my down quilt. (The down quilt is rated to 10 F/-12 C, but I've never been able to reach that temperature wearing just a base layer as I have with the Cirque.)

• Does the DriZone shell really breathe so I don't wake up in a sweaty puddle even if the outside of the bag is dry? A: The DriZone shell appears to repel water or snow attempting to make its way into the bag but exhibits none of the resistance to the water vapor (even sweat) escaping my body heading for the great outdoors. Snow tends to just fall off as I roll or turn and generally does not even melt (dry fluffy snow). Wet snow sticks a bit more but slides off and does not wet the fabric. Light drizzle over the course of several hours has also not wetted the fabric. Sweat escapes well as even on warmer nights I have not awoken to a soggy, clammy bag. It's hard to tell how much the DriZone fabric coating adds to the weight of the bag considering all of the other features like the draft tubes, Velcro tabs, etc., but it makes the age-old worry of getting a down bag wet of minimal concern. (I have to admit though, that in 30 years of camping I've not once soaked a down bag. I expect that because of the issue of loss of insulation when wet, I am more careful about protecting a down bag from water exposure. Usually I line my pack with a contractor grade plastic garbage bag -- 4 mil thickness -- which has prevented any bag soakings.)

• Will I see any issues with tears, snags or errant feathers (none are apparent now, the fabric and seams are tight and sturdy, it feels substantial, but will it last)? A: As I've noted above, the construction of the Cirque remains solid and I've seen none of these issues arise. 

To this list I added another that I watched out for during my testing; specifically, do my head or feet get cold even if the rest of me is warm? This is another area where the bag performed as expected. I usually wear a base layer (e.g. silk long underwear tops & bottoms, or now a mid-weight like Duofold's Varitherm), dry wool socks, and a fleece beanie. On especially frigid nights I might add glove liners and switch to a full face fleece balaclava. Since I can't complain of being cold if there are clothes in my pack, I have even resorted to wearing my outer clothes in the past when temperatures have dipped into the low teens below zero (-26 C). I have not had to resort to such bundling with the Cirque due to the weather I've encountered, but I've also not had cold feet or head either. A dry pair of fresh socks always goes on before I get into the bag which I believe is critical to foot warmth at night in the winter. The loft of the bag's hood seems to be sufficient to keep the warmth that escapes my beanie contained and I've had no cold head issues either. Basically, I am warm and toasty once zipped (and often even when partially unzipped) in this bag. This bag has performed well and makes a nice alternative to my much larger and heavier -20 F (-29 C) extreme cold bag and my three-season quilt (although rated to 10 F/-12 C, I've not been comfortable in temps below the mid-20s F/-4C so I've relegated it to three-season use). Were I to have to choose, I would sacrifice the extreme cold bag in favor of the greater temperature versatility, lighter pack weight, and excellent moisture management of the Cirque.  

TESTING LOCATIONS/CONDITIONS

I've been testing the Cirque in the foothills of the Adirondacks in the northwestern hills of Connecticut (elevation to 2316 ft/706 m) and southern Berkshires in Massachusetts (elevations to 3491 ft/1064 m). Temperatures have not been at all normal for us this year with only a short seasonal cold snap in early December with relatively mild nighttime temps in the 20s F (-1 to -6 C) being the rule. In fact, we've had substantial periods of uncommonly warm weather with daytime temps reaching near 60 F (16 C). Usually by this late in the season I've had at least one trip where temperatures have fallen to sub-zero F (less then -18 C) temps. Perhaps it's global warming or maybe just payback for a relatively cool summer. Regardless, I've another two months or so of cold weather ahead and expect to push the design rating of the bag as we head into February. Every trip so far has had precipitation, with light snow being the rule, although cold rain has also fallen on me (and 8 in/20 cm of snow might be considered heavy...perhaps I'm getting jaded and if it's not double-digit accumulations it doesn't seem like much snow anymore). Knowing that I can change into dry clothes and snug into the Cirque has made those wet days "roll off my back" as it were. As I noted in my Initial Report, I tend to head home once my mustache hairs freeze and break off. So far, although they've frozen (they do that around 10 F/-12 C) they've not broken so I'm still game for more cold weather...it's a lot quieter out there and zero (!) bugs.