leesaj@gmail.com
Southwestern Maine
45 years old
Female
5'7" (1.7 m)
160 lb (73 kg)

Background:
   My camping, hiking and backpacking experience has included trips varying in length from one-day hikes to two-week trips. My experience hiking began with my father when I was about six years old. We hiked along the river pathways in northeastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania.
   While enjoying the outdoors with my friends and family, I spend time hiking, geocaching, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and camping.    Although I am not a lightweight backpacker, I am trying to ‘lighten up’. I spend almost as much time outdoors during the winter as I do during the summer.



Product Information:
Sierra Designs Glow Sleeping bag - Women's long
http://www.sierradesigns.com

	As Advertised	As Measured
Weight	2lb 5 oz (1 kg)	2lb 7 oz (1.1 kg)
Fill Weight	27 oz (.76 kg)
Inside Length	76 in (1.6 m)	76 in (1.6 m)
Shoulder Girth	59 in (1.5 m)	59 in (1.5 m)
Hip Girth	58 in (1.5 m)	58 in (1.5 m)
Footbox Girth	38 in (1 m)	38 in (1 m)

Summary of Use:
    I have been able to use the Glow Sleeping bag of 13 occasions during the last two months. While some of those nights were warm and muggy, the bag still proved comfortable. On the warmest of nights, when the temperatures never dropped below 68 F (20 C) I would leave it unzipped, stick my feet out the Foot Box Venting or just lay on top of the bag. Most nights though, the weather cooled down to approximately 60 F (15 C) or below. On these nights, I would sleep comfortably inside the Glow. I did not find that I perspired extensively while sleeping, but did notice that the increased humidity on a few nights, left the bag with a damp feeling on the outside. The inside stayed dry, and the outside dried quickly once the sun came out. Although this bag is rated at 15 F (-9 C), I found it useful even in the summer, here in northern New England.
    The bag has held up very well to use both in a tent and in a hammock. Although entering a hammock with a sleeping bag takes some coordination, once inside it is very comfortable, and doesn't slide around excessively. The bag still looks relatively new. There are no snags or scuff marks on the fabric, and the zipper works smoothly without snagging. The bag contains PrimaLoft Sport insulation that has maintained its loft. After removing from the stuff sack, I usually just give it a shake or two and it 'puffs' right up. I am glad that I received the long - it fits just right. At 5'7" (1.7 m), the regular would have been too short. The draft tube and Jacket Hood were not really needed during my testing, due to the relatively warm weather. They were not restrictive in any way though, nor did I really notice them while resting.
    The pad locks work well to keep the bag and pad together. I used a pad while tent camping, but not while in the hammock. It's nice to wake up in the morning, still on the sleeping pad.
    I am very impressed with this bag and will continue to use it as the weather cools. I believe it lives up to the claims made by Sierra Designs on their website. Thanks to both Sierra Designs and backpackgeartest.org for the opportunity to test the Glow Sleeping bag.


Test Locations, Conditions and Time Frame:
        Living in Northern New England, I have the good fortune of being able to experience at least 4 seasons (sometimes within days of each other!) and some of the best outdoor areas around. During the last 2 months our temperature range has run from the current average of 72 degrees F (22 C) up to about 92 degrees F (33 C).    We have had approximately 4 in (10 cm) of rain in the last four weeks, which seems like nothing after the heavy spring rains. Up until the first of July, we hadn't gone two days in a row without rain. It had been one of the wettest springs on record for this area.
    While hiking in northern New England, many of the trails are unimproved, meaning that I spend lots of time climbing over rocks and brush.    We also tend to camp in remote, unimproved areas, as opposed to ‘camp grounds’.

Read more reviews of Sierra Designs gear
Read more gear reviews by Leesa Joiner

Long Term Report

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