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 last of three reports of the Sierra Designs Van Winkle sleeping bag. The first report described the sleeping bag in detail, and the second report covered field testing over a two month period. This final report updates 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.

Sierra Designs Van Winkle 600 sleeping bag
http://www.sierradesigns.com
Received September 25, 2004
Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price $229.95
Weight, per product hang tag: 3 pounds 3 ounces (1.45 kg)
Weight, tested: 3 pounds 14.5 ounces (1.77 kg) (excluding stuff sacks)
[Tested weights have been revised since the last report, using a more precise scale.]
Size 94 x 31 inches (239 x 79 cm) (measured and per manufacturer)
Girth:

Advertised My
Girth Normal Flexed Measurement
Shoulder 62"
(157 cm) 68"
(173 cm) 66"
(168 cm)
(measured inside sleeping bag at longest seam)
Middle 56"
(142 cm) 62"
(157 cm) 56"
(142 cm)

Ankle 41"
(104 cm) 43"
(109 cm) 41"
(104 cm)
(measured inside sleeping bag one seam up from the bottom end of the bag)

Shell 40D polyester ripstop with durable water repellent (DWR) finish
Liner 50D polyester with moisture wicking
Filled with 28 ounces (794 g) of 600 Fill Goose Down, according to manufacturer
Nylon stuff sack, blue, 18 inches (46 cm) long and 8 inches (20 cm) in diameter (both measured and per manufacturer), 1.8 oz (53 g)
Cotton storage bag, bright orange, approximately 30 inches (76 cm) long and 13 inches (33 cm) in diameter, 4.3 oz (122 g)
Unique features:
Flex construction
NightCap Hood (TM)
Pad Locks (TM)

Long Term Test: This report updates, and should be read after, my Field Report. I have used this sleeping bag on all my overnight outings during the last four months. I will detail my experiences on two trips:

A weekend backpack in the Anza-Borrego Desert at 2,000 feet elevation (600 m). The overnight temperature was 35 degrees F (2 C).
An overnight snow camp in the San Bernardino Mountains at 7,000 feet (2,100 m) with temperatures at freezing (32 F, 0 C), camped on 12 inches (30 cm) of snow, with 6 inches (15 cm) of new snow fall during the night and light winds.

I continue to be impressed with the room this sleeping bag offers. The Flex construction works much better than I thought, and the flexible seams still return to their original shape when I'm done moving around. Rarely have I had a cold spot at the points that are stretched. Besides the flexible construction, the hood is the most roomy I've ever seen on a backpacking mummy bag. The hood accommodates my small pillow and my arms under my head and still closes neatly to keep my head warm. All in all, the Van Winkle is much less confining than typical mummy bags.

While the Pad Locks do work as designed, holding the sleeping bag on my sleeping pad, I've never found sliding off my pad to be a big deal. I often found it inconvenient to strap the sleeping bag to my pad, especially since my tents have fairly low ceilings at the back end of the tent. I have not used the Pad Locks much since my last report. Usually I just toss the bag on top of the pad. Still, it's nice to have the option if I find my floor slopes more than I'd like.

On a desert backpack, I slept under the stars so I could enjoy the Geminid meteor shower. With just a light wind and temperatures dropping rapidly after dark, I was warm enough to leave the bag partially unzipped. I find that the hood design provides enough depth to keep me warm in many cases without having to cinch it down around my face. As the temperature approached freezing after midnight, I awoke to simply zip up the bag and fall right back to sleep. Others in my group complained about the cold the next morning, while I smiled and bragged about how warm it had been.

A snow camp gave me a change to sleep on the snow. My Hilleberg Akto tent was battened down snug to keep out the falling snow, and again I was warm enough wearing just light polypropylene (and no hat) to not have to zip up until after midnight. With just a half-inch ensolite pad under me, I never felt the cold of the snow under my tent. There obviously was some heat transferred to the snow, however, as when we broke camp I found I had melted a nice depression into the snow. During the night, several inches of snow built on on the rainfly, causing it to contact the inner wall of the tent. This, along with all the doors closed up tight, resulted in a fair amount of condensation, much of which ended up on the shell of the sleeping bag. Using a bandana to wipe off the sleeping bag, I found most of it had beaded up on the DWR finish and wiped off easily. A small part of the foot of the bag had been in constant contact with the tent wall, and there a small area of fabric appeared wet, although no moisture appears to have penetrated the shell to the down or the inside of the bag. As the snow was still falling in the morning, I packed up the bag, and noticed no moisture upon returning home that afternoon.

The Van Winkle shows no signs of wear, in spite of abrasive sand and wet snow. I have never had a stuck zipper or snagged fabric, and have not seen a stray feather poking through in months.

When I first received this sleeping bag, I was very disappointed to find that the bag weighed almost 25% more than that listed on the hang tag. I probably would not have acquired this bag if I had know the true weight. Fortunately, I did not know that up front, as I would have missed out on a wonderful product. I am otherwise happy with the comfort of this bag, and will continue to use it in winter months. For summer trips I will leave it behind for a lighter weight bag. I have noticed that the specifications shown on the Sierra Designs website have changed several times during this test, and it now lists the weight of this bag as 3 pounds 13 ounces (1.73 kg), which is close to my measurement.

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.

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Long Term Report

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