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Reviews > Sleep Gear > Sleeping Bags > Sierra Designs Van Winkle 15 degree > Bill Jeffrey > Field ReportSierra Designs Van Winkle Sleeping Bag - Field Report
Tester Personal Biographical Information Bill Jeffrey
I have over 30 years backpacking experience, starting with Scouting as a youth. I am currently the High Adventure Leader for a Scout Troop. I try to get out once or twice a month, plus at least one week-long trek each year. My trips are of two types. First, I am hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in sections, and generally use a lightweight approach on these typically solo trips. Other trips involving family involve more traditional backpacking equipment. Terrain varies from sea level to 14,000 feet (4,300 m), desert to mountain, and trail to cross country, occasionally including snow travel. Sierra Designs claims that the hood will "allow you to configure it for your preferred sleeping position" and includes belly, side, and back sleepers. If this was a multiple choice test I would choose "D" - all of the above, although I prefer to call my sleeping position "occupy as much space as possible." This is the second of three reports of the Sierra Designs Van Winkle sleeping bag based on use in the field. The First report described the sleeping bag in detail. This report is based on field use over a two month period. The final report will update this report on how I feel about the Van Winkle 600 after six months. Product Description: A summary follows. See my Initial Report for details, including photographs of the unique features of this sleeping bag.
Field Test: Testing took place at two locations in San Diego County. The first was a lake side camp at 3,000 feet (900 meters). I often find the air very damp here, and this trip was no exception. The temperature dropped to 34 degrees F (1 C) inside my single-walled tent, and 26 F (-3 C) outside, and there was heavy condensation on the inside of the tent. The second location was at 400 feet (100 meters) in a small valley, camped in an open wooden shelter. The temperatures was 45 degrees F (7 C), with light rain. Roominess and Fit: I am very impressed with the Flex Construction. It easily accommodates most of my varied sleeping positions, including with one leg pulled forward nearly 90 degrees like scissors. (I have sleep this way to stretch my lower back to relieve pain.) The flexible seams return to their original shape when done. I have noticed only a rare cold spot at the points that are stretched, probably due to the generous 28 ounces (794 g) of fill. With the NightCap Hood and Flex Construction, I found it is possible to sleep in any position with all arms inside the bag, and to turn inside the bag without the usual restriction of a mummy bag. Comfort: The lining of the sleeping bag, while smooth, is comfortable against my skin. It seems to warm quickly rather than having a cold surface like some bags, and, so far, I have not felt clammy in the bag. The Pad Locks really do work, holding the sleeping bag on either my self-inflating or closed-cell pad. I must admit I have never found sliding off my pad to be a big deal, and simply scoot back on and go back to sleep. I actually found it a bit inconvenient to strap the sleeping bag to my pad, especially the strap closest to the foot, as it required some contortion and stretching to reach it because my tent slopes down quickly to the rear. I suspect I will more often just toss the bag on top of the pad as I usually do. It was nice to have the bag and pad connected, and sleeping with this arrangement was similar to sleeping in a bed with the sheets tucked tightly on the sides. However, the entire assembly still slid to the low point one night, and I found it more difficult to scoot back into position than usual. Weight: I was very disappointed, but not surprised, to find that the bag weighed 25% more than advertised. I probably would not have acquired this bag if I had know the true weight. While slight variations in fabric weights do occur between lots, this seems excessive. However, I am otherwise happy with the comfort of this bag, although it will probably see less use than it would if it was lighter. Ease of use: The NightCap Hood is easily adjustable for many sleeping styles. In warmer weather, I enjoyed being able to leave the opening wide and put my arms over my head, or under my head as a pillow. The wide flat cord at the top of the hood reduces the volume of the hood to preserve warmth. One drafty night I tightened this hood slightly for warmth, but usually I just leave it loose. There is no need to loosen this cord when getting out of the sleeping bag - I just adjust it the way I want and leave it alone. A typical round cord at the opening is easy to operate in the dark. Performance: I have yet to reach the bottom of the temperature range of this bag. I found it very comfortable at 34 F (1 C) while wearing lightweight polypro long underwear. On warmer nights I wore shorts and a t-shirt, and found it easy to ventilate the bag by opening the bottom of the long zipper and loosening the two upper zippers slightly. I hope to test the bag in colder temperatures this winter. On one night a cold breeze blew through my shelter, and I zipped the bag closed against the wind, feeling no draft inside the bag. Durability: The zippers work smoothly without binding or grabbing fabric. I have had no snags in the fabric, and have found only a couple feathers poking out. Water Resistance: On my coldest night, there was a heavy dew, and heavy condensation inside my single-walled tent. The sleeping bag brushed against the wet tent wall several times when turning or sitting up. The moisture was easy to wipe off the durable water resistant (DWR) shell, and the bag dried quickly even with cloud cover. Packability: The stuff sack provided is just the right size for this bag, requiring just a slight effort to get the last few handfuls stuffed inside. The sleeping bag regains its loft quickly when laid out the next evening. Summary: This is an amazing sleeping bag, almost as comfortable as the sheets on my bed. During the nights I spent in the Van Winkle, I slept as sound as old Rip himself. The Flex Construction allows more freedom in the bag without compromising warmth. The NightCap Hood is the most roomiest hood I've seen on a mummy bag, and I appreciate the room to stretch my arms over my head. However, this comes at the cost of more weight than I expected, and a weight is significantly more than advertised. I suspect this will limit my use of the bag during warmer months, when a lighter weight bag will be more comfortable on my back, if not while I sleep. Next: The Van Winkle will be used on all my trips during the next several months. Two specific planned trips are a two-night desert backpack at 2,000 feet (600 meters) elevation with temperatures near freezing and an overnight snow camp at 7,000 feet (2,100 m) with expected temperatures around 15 degrees F (-9 C) and possible rain and snow. I will continue to look at how well the Flex Construction and NightCap Hood accommodate my varied sleeping positions, focusing on comfort and warmth.
Reviews > Sleep Gear > Sleeping Bags > Sierra Designs Van Winkle 15 degree > Bill Jeffrey > Field Report | ||||||||||||||||||||||||