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Reviews > Sleep Gear > Sleeping Bags > Sierra Designs Echo and Electra > Ken Bigelow > Initial ReportSierra Designs Echo Sleeping Bag
Initial Report November 23, 2005  Name: Ken Bigelow Age: 27 Gender: Male Height: 5' 9" (1.8 m) Weight: 205 lbs (93 kg) Email address: krb84108 (at) yahoo (dot) com City, State, Country: Salt Lake City, Utah, USA Date: November 23, 2005 Backpacking Background: I was first dragged on a backpacking trip eight years ago and have been addicted to it ever since. My adventures vary in length from a weekend to over two weeks. I am slowly shifting my backpacking style to a lightweight approach. I recently upgraded to a hammock to reduce weight. From spring through fall I typically backpack in the mountains or desert, while in winter I often go snowshoeing. I see a wide variety of climates ranging from -5 F (-20 C) with snow to 90 F (32 C) and sunny and just about everything in between. Product Information: Manufacturer: Sierra Designs Website: www.sierradesigns.com Manufacturer's Temperature Rating: -20 F (-29 C) Size Tested: Regular Insulation: 800 - Fill Goose Down Zipper Side: Left Shell Material: 40D Nylon Liner Material: 40D Polyester Year of Manufacture: 2005 MSRP: $400 (US)
Product Description & Initial Impressions: The Sierra Designs Echo is a mummy-style sleeping bag constructed using Drizone Laminated Fabric. This material is supposed to be both extremely waterproof and breathable. Drizone technology is designed to allow moisture to escape through the fabric and prevent exterior moisture from entering. The baffled construction is designed to eliminate cold spots by increasing the ability of 800-Fill Goose Down insulation to stick to the material. Only time will tell if this fabric lives up to the manufacturer's claims. The Bag's high loft certainly makes it comfortable to lay in. I first climbed in the bag after a long day at work and nearly fell asleep in it. I hope it is this comfortable after a long day on the trail. The zipper is located on the left side of the bag and runs all the way down to the footbox (lower 8", or 20.3 cm, of the bag). I am right handed so the zipper (which is on the left side of the bag) is a little bit awkward to use, but it isn't too bad. Perhaps it just takes some time getting used to. Two draft tubes (one top, one bottom) are located next to the zipper in order to cut down on cold spots and increase the overall warmth. The zipper has a glow-in-the-dark pull so that users can see and operate it in the dark. The zipper slides on a "Snag-Free" track. Essentially the anti-snag design creates a barrier between the lining and track to prevent the zipper from getting stuck while in use.  Glow-in-the-Dark Zipper Pull & Snag-Free Zipper Tracks   The Echo's Cinch Cords, Draft Tubes & Draft Collar   Pad Locks on the Sierra Design Echo Sleeping Bag  Sierra Designs Echo in Compression Stuff
Sack (Ruler for Scale)
Testing Location: I will test the sleeping bag on weekend hiking trips where car camping is required and backpacking trips. Initially these will be in the Southern Utah desert. It gets fairly chilly at night and I am a cold sleeper so I do not anticipate the bag becoming too hot. Only testing the Echo in these conditions will tell for sure however. In December I have an overnight trip planned in the Uinta Mountains where snow should completely cover the landscape (it already does at the upper elevations). I have a similar trip planned for late January in the Wasatch Mountains and expect to spend time in Bryce Canyon National Park over the Holidays. The terrain will mostly consist of snow covered trails, off-trail snowshoeing and may include wet and muddy corridors, rocky terrain and slickrock. Temperatures should range from -5 F (-20 C) to 40 F (4 C), but could easily be colder as I have never gone mountain backpacking in the Uintas during the middle of winter before. I will likely see all types of weather ranging from heavy snow to sunny. The elevations experienced should be between 4,000 feet (1,220 m) and 11,000 feet (3,353 m). Testing Plan: I tend to sleep cold so when winter rolls around I usually either head south to warmer climates or limit myself mostly to snowshoeing. This substantially reduces my backpacking trips, which is where I have the most fun. An excellent winter bag will hopefully provide the ticket to increased bag nights during the winter. A good bag needs to perform well in harsh weather, provide comfort so I can achieve a good nights sleep and must be durable and take the abuse that the terrain and myself dish out. Over the course of the test period I intend to examine several characteristics of the sleeping bag: Performance - Will the bag keep me warm on cold nights? Is the rating provided by the manufacturer close to accurate? Condensation tends to drip everywhere inside my tent. How well will the bag respond to this moisture? Does the Drizone laminated fabric adequately protect the inside of the bag from minor moisture? Will it dry out quickly? How well does fabric really breathe? If it's a warm night will I constantly sweat when in the bag, and if so how will the Sierra Designs Echo respond to my perspiration? Do the zippers allow for easy zipping and unzipping? Will the Snag Free Zipper Tracks prevent the sliders from snagging on the fabric? Do the Glow-in-the-Dark Zipper Pulls allow the zippers to be easily found and used in the dark? Can the zippers be easily operated while wearing gloves? Will the bag's interior dry quickly and effectively? Is the zipper drafty or do the dual draft tubes keep out the wind? Are there any cold spots in the bag or does the baffle design adequately distribute the insulation throughout the bag? Does the draft collar let cold air in and expose my body to subfreezing temperature? Basically, can I survive a night in this bag? Will the bag insulate me sufficiently if I sleep on the ground or do I need a pad underneath? I will test the bag without a pad first and see how it makes out before testing it with either my Therm-a-rest or Exped pad. Will the pad locks prevent the Echo from sliding off the pads during the night? Will my fleece bag liner fit properly in the bag? Does the bag compress simply for easy packing? Is the compression sack waterproof? Comfort - If I am unable to achieve a decent night's sleep, I'm not going to be very coherent the next day on the trail and will enjoy the trip notably less. A comfortable bag will help ensure that I receive enough sleep to function the following day. Is the texture comfortable against my skin? Will the hood fit my head comfortably? Can it be cinched down to snugly fit my head? Being that I am a restless sleeper, I fully intend to examine the flexibility of the bag. In other words, can I toss and turn in the bag easily? I usually sleep on my side so I really need to test the hood and see if it prevents me from sleeping on my side or stomach? Can I extend my legs fully or will I have to sleep in the fetal position? Will I have room if I need to wear extra layers of clothes for warmth? I tend to sleep cold so I when it is extremely cold I place all my extra clothing under my feet at the bottom of my bag. Will I still have room to continue this tradition? Durability - Will either the sleeping bag or stuff sack rip, tear, or in any other way be damaged during the test period? Will loft be lost with continued packing and unpacking? Over the test period will the bag lose its compressibility? Will the insulating properties of the bag decrease over four months of use? Will the baffle construction deteriorate and allow the down insulation to migrate throughout the bag? Will the sliders need replacing after multiple uses? Will the down fill material escape from the bag over time? How often will the bag need to be washed? Is this easy to do? Will washing cause any deterioration? I would like to thank Sierra Designs and BackpackGearTest for allowing me to participate in testing the Echo Sleeping Bag. Read more reviews of Sierra Designs gear Read more gear reviews by Ken Bigelow Reviews > Sleep Gear > Sleeping Bags > Sierra Designs Echo and Electra > Ken Bigelow > Initial Report | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||