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Reviews > Sleep Gear > Sleeping Bags > Sierra Designs Glow and Volt > Coy Starnes > Initial ReportSierra
Designs Volt
men's sleeping bag Initial Report April 26, 2006  Sierra Designs Volt enjoying the view!
Tester Bio I live outside a small town in northeast Alabama. I also enjoy hunting, fishing, canoeing, and most other outdoor activities. Backpacking is my favorite pastime. I consider myself a knowledgeable backpacker but I am not an expert. I enjoy hiking with my friends and family or solo. I limit my hiking to areas fairly close to home, usually within a day's drive of home. I hike throughout the year and actually hike the least in the hot humid months of summer. My style is slow and steady and my gear is light. However I will sacrifice weight for comfort and durability. A typical 3 season load for me is around 20 lb (9 kg) not counting food or water. I usually sleep in a hammock and cook with an alcohol stove. My backpacking trips are usually 2, 3 or 4 days in length. Product Information
Product Arrival and Description The Volt arrived on April 21, 2006. A quick inspection revealed no flaws. The sleeping bag came with a large mesh storage bag and a stuff sack of thin translucent like material which looks like silnylon. Sierra Designs describes the Volt as Warm to 15 degrees with PrimaLoft Sport for maximum compressibility, this synthetic ultralight goes from base camp to rock ledges without worrying about a thing. The Volt is in the Ultralight series which consist of both down and synthetic bags. The Volt uses PrimaLoft® Sport for insulation. From the manufacturer's website PrimaLoft Sport is the perfect combination of high performance insulation and value. This technology combines ultra-fine and multi-diameter fibers for specific performance characteristics. The specially treated ultra-fine fibers help to form a water resistant insulating structure, while the multi-diameter fibers help to build loft. Performance Traits PrimaLoft® Sport is the most compressible synthetic insulation available. The Volt I am testing is the long version which is 2 in (5 cm) roomier at the shoulder than the regular version. The Volt features: * 1/2 Zippers  * Draft Tube * Foot Box Venting * Jacket Hood * Removable Pad Locks * Shingled Construction * Snag Free Zipper Tracks Initial Impressions The bag has a nice soft touch and feels more down like than I expected. I like the feel of the lining in particular. Here are my general observations so far. The Volt feels light for a 15 F (-9 C) synthetic bag. A check of the loft resulted in approximately 4.5 in (11.4 cm), as best I can tell.. The half zipper makes about a 30 degree turn at the shoulder which allows the hood to be smaller and as a result does resemble a jacket hood. The half zipper measures approximately 34 in (86 cm). The stuff sack is generously sized and it is easy to stuff the Volt inside and then remove it. All measurements and weights given on the website were very accurate. Overall, I am impressed with the Volt.  Test PlanWhen I first read about the Volt, I was immediately drawn to the ventilated footbox. I was secretly hoping it would not have any type of mesh behind the opening. Why? Well, I have found that a sleeping bag with a hole in the foot end fits over my hammock and eliminates the need to carry a separate pad. I am happy to report that there is no mesh at the footbox zipper and I plan to fully utilize this by using the volt over my hammock and will see how it all works out. With that said, I will also use the Volt in a more traditional way a few times, most likely in a tent with a 1.5 in (3.8 cm) self inflating mattress. As I test the Volt I will be looking for comfort at varying temperatures. I doubt I will see 15 F (-9 C) during the test period but I still expect some cool nighs. On warmer nights I will be checking the usefulness of the zippered footbox. Will it allow enough ventilation? I will test the roominess of the volt. I am broad shouldered and find a tight bag very uncomfortable. I will see how well the jacket hood works. I am especially interested and will test the claim of a snag free zipper. I will see if the outer shell resists moisture. I will see how well the bag handles my sweating on the hottest nights. I will see how the Volt holds up under trail conditions. I will wash it if necessary but will not use my agitator type washing machine. I will either hand wash or use a front loader. I will report on how the bag retains its loft over the test period. Anticipated Test Locations and Conditions I will be testing in the southeastern US with trips into the local mountains of Tennessee, Georgia, and North Carolina along with plenty of testing in the woods around my home in northeast Alabama. I will use the Volt in my hammocks and in a tent. As I outlined above, I will also use it over my hammock. During the anticipated testing time frame the temperatures should be in the 40's F (4 C) early on and warmer during the summer with lows around 70 F (21 C) except when I am at higher elevations. Elevations will generally be less than 4000 ft (1200 m). I am planning a 3 or 4 day hike in early June with my son and he has requested we return to the Appalachian Trail and do some more ridge hiking. I will be making other hikes as I find opportunity. Stay tuned for complete testing results! Read more reviews of Sierra Designs gear Read more gear reviews by Coy Ray Starnes Reviews > Sleep Gear > Sleeping Bags > Sierra Designs Glow and Volt > Coy Starnes > Initial Report | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||