Reviews > Sleep Gear > Sleeping Bags > Sierra Designs Van Winkle 15 degree > Clifford Haynes > Field Report

Sierra Designs
Van Winkle Powerfill 600 Flex
Men's Long Sleeping Bag

Field Report
December 5, 2004

Personal Stats:

Backpacking Background:
I am from and live in Maine. I have been hiking, backpacking, and canoe camping for over 45 years. I average 2 to 3 days a week in the woods year round.

I can't really say that I have a backpacking style. I take what I need or want, depending upon what I plan to do on the outing. Even before my knees became a problem, I could never see being in a big rush. It is my opinion that camping is part of backpacking, and should be enjoyed at least as much as the hiking. In areas where there is a lot of hiker traffic, I tend to pack heavier in order to minimize impact. I just like being out in the woods, and exploring.

When I applied for this test, I applied for the men's long Van Winkle instead of the regular. The regular was the proper bag for my height, but I wanted the addition girth of the long Van Winkle. I also normally bag and keep my boots inside the foot of my sleeping bag during cold weather, so needed the extra length for my boots.

Product Information:

*The two girth measurements are unstretched / stretched.
** as determined by tester on test bag

Product Description:

The Sierra Designs Van Winkle Powerfill 600 Flex sleeping bag is a goose down filled mummy style sleeping bag.

Features: (quoted from web site)

• Full length, packcloth trimmed, zipper draft tube to ensure warmth and snag-free zipping.
• Patented Flex construction, which adds inches of girth to the bag., which adjusts to meet the needs of belly, back and side sleepers.
• Nightcap Hood, Color coded, night touch drawcord adjustments for the hood: Black flat lace for the forehead, Grey round cord for the chin.
• Locking zipper sliders to ensure warmth.
• Pad Locks to keep you on your pad all night long.
• Cotton storage sack and a polyurethane coated stuff sack.
• Quick drying, highly wicking, black polyester lining.
• Durable, Pertex shell with DWR.
• Easy-grab zipper pull loop.

Field Report:

At this point, I am very happy with the Sierra Designs Van Winkle sleeping bag. I have managed to get out weekly for one or two nights and managed to get one three night outing. October was quite warm with night-time temperatures in the lower 40s and upper 30s (between about 5 C and 2 C). Due to the warm temperatures, I used the Van Winkle as a quilt. At these temperatures  wearing Duofold long underwear wool blend top and bottoms, I was too hot in the Van Winkle when I zipped it up.

Since about the middle of November, I have been using the Van Winkle with my Sierra Designs Down Stretch Addition. The Van Winkle is large enough for me to get into without the addition, but it is too tight to sleep comfortably when I bring my arms inside the bag, and I would not be able to use the Pad Locks.

The coldest temperature I have experienced while sleeping in the Sierra Designs Van Winkle was 22 F (-5 C). I was very comfortable and warm (wearing Duofold long underwear wool blend top and bottoms, and heavy wool socks). I experienced no cold spots or drafts. I haven't experienced cold enough weather to need to tighten the Nightcap Hood.

Size / Fit:

As I mentioned in my Initial Report, I am fat. Even with the Sierra Designs Down Stretch Addition, many of today's new lightweight sleeping bags are too small for me to  sleep in comfortably. The Van Winkle with the Stretch addition is large enough for me to sleep comfortably in. I love the Sierra Designs Flex Construction. The bag conforms to my body's contours with minimal dead space for me to heat. The Flex Construction has not compressed the down enough to create  a cold spot. Thanks to the extra length of the Men's Long Van Winkle, I have adequate room in the foot of the sleeping bag for my bagged boots. I hate starting the day on a pair of cold frozen boots.

Nightcap Hood:

I'm really hooked on the Nightcap Hood. I really like being able get my folded arm inside the hood when I sleep on my side. I'm looking forward to the temperature dropping now that I can rest my head on my arm and keep arm warm too.

Zippers:

I have logged twelve bag nights in the woods, and have used the Van Winkle around the house and camp as a quilt. I have zipped the Van Winkle to my wife's LL Bean sleeping bag (which has a #8 YKK zipper also) several times when we were camping together. The zippers still work smoothly and I have experienced no serious snags. I especially like the short diagonal zipper on the right shoulder. I often put the Nightcap Hood over my head, unzip both sides of the top of the Van Winkle and can get both arms out of the bag to read or tinker with something, while staying warm in my bag. The draft tubes appear to work well as I have not experienced and cold spots along the zippers.

Pad Locks:

While I still have reservations regarding the durability of the Pad Locks, my visual inspection of the Van Winkle for this report revealed no apparent damage around their attachment points. I have been using the Pad Locks since the middle of November, and they work well. They keep the Van Winkle on the sleeping matt. On those occasions when I have managed to rolled over with the Van Winkle rather than in it, the sleeping matt stayed attached and rolled with the bag.

Polyester Lining:

The lining is smooth and comfortable against my skin. During the nights that I was too warm in the Van Winkle, the lining did not get damp and sticky and was comfortable even though I was too warm. In cold weather the material seems to warm quickly. My inspection of the lining revealed no signs of wear, fraying or significant down penetration. I haven't experienced any static electricity problems yet while wearing my wool blend long johns.

Pertex shell with DWR:

On several outings I have awakened with condensation from the tent fly and frost (managed to slide out from under the fly). The moisture had beaded as was easily shaken off, and didn't appear to have penetrated the shell. The following nights the bag appeared top fluff up well and was warm. I haven't noticed any down loss through the shell yet.

Current Impression:

I like the Sierra Designs Van Winkle sleeping bag. It is the most comfortable sleeping bag I have used since gaining weight. At this point in the test, I have no dislikes. While the Van Winkle is heavier than many of today's new sleeping bags, it is a bigger roomier sleeping bag. 

Field Information:

Testing was conducted while backpacking and camping in western and northern Maine, at elevations between 300 ft (92 m) and 4000 ft (1200 m). The temperature during field-testing was between 22 F (-5 C) and 60 F (15 C). Precipitation experienced during testing consisted of light to heavy rain and light snow.

Test Plan:

I will be using the Sierra Designs Van Winkle as my primary sleeping bag throughout rest of the test period. My primary interest will continue to be warmth, comfort, reliability, and durability. I plan to be out for overnight outings weekly and have several multi-night trips planned for this winter. These outings are planned for Northern Maine and the Western mountains of Maine. I will be camping using an MSR Hubba Hubba tent (or just the fly) through most of the test period.

I would like to thank Sierra Designs and BackpackGearTest for the opportunity to participate in this test.

Reviews > Sleep Gear > Sleeping Bags > Sierra Designs Van Winkle 15 degree > Clifford Haynes > Field Report