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Sierra Designs Wicked Fast Sleeping Bag
Field Report |
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| Date Published: |
September 18, 2006 |
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Tester's Biographical Information:
Backpacking Background:
I live in Michigan and have been hiking seriously for 15 years, although I've camped
since I was 6 years old. I consider myself a lightweight hiker. I carry the lightest
gear I can get my hands on which will provide a comfortable wilderness experience and
adequately support the goals of my trip. Unless my goals are time/distance oriented,
my overall pace is always slow. I generally walk at a 3-4 MPH (5-6 KPH) pace and take
long breaks at scenic vistas, swimming holes, etc. This brings my average pace down to
2 miles (3 km)/hour. I like to hike long days and enjoy whatever nature throws my way.
Product Information:
| Manufacturer: | Sierra Designs (http://www.sierradesigns.com) |
| Item: | Wicked Fast Sleeping Bag |
| Temperature Rating: | 30° F (-1° C) |
| Insulation: | 800 fill goose down |
| Size: | Men's Long (fits up to 6'6" or 198 cm) |
| Inside Length: | 84" (213 cm) - per manufacturer |
| Shoulder Girth: | 62" (157 cm) - per manufacturer |
| Hip Girth: | 59" (150 cm) - per manufacturer |
| Footbox Girth: | 41" (104 cm) - per manufacturer |
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| Listed Weight: | 26 oz (737 g) |
| Weight as delivered: | 26.6 oz (754 g) |
| Fill Weight: | 14 oz (397 g) |
| Stuff Size: | 7 x 17" (178 x 432 mm) |
| Measured Stuff Size: | 7 x 16" (178 x 406 mm) |
| Zipper Side: | Left (not available in right-side zipper) |
| Shell Material: | 20D Polyester |
| Liner Material: | 15D Polyester |
| MSRP: | $249.95 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2006 |
| Warranty: | Sierra Designs guarantees that the materials and workmanship in every product made will stand up to the use for which it was designed. Warranty does not cover damages caused by improper care, accidents, or the natural breakdown of materials over extended use and time. |
| Made In: | China |
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The information in this Field Report of the Sierra Designs Wicked Fast sleeping bag is to be taken in addition to my
Initial Report.
Accessories Included:
| Stuff Sack: | 0.6 oz (17 g) |
| 2 Removable Pad Locks: | 0.2 oz/each (5.7 g/each) |
| Mesh Storage Bag: | 4.2 oz (119 g) |
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Product Description:
Part of Sierra Design's "Ultralight" series of sleeping bags, the Wicked Fast is a 30° F (-1° C) rated sleeping bag boasting such features as a fitted hood for better insulation and decreased heat loss, an opening in the foot box for ventilation, removable pad locks to help keep the sleeping bag affixed to the pad, and a snag free zipper track to prevent the bag's lining from becoming entangled in the zipper. The Wicked Fast also has a half-length zipper to help keep its weight to a minimum while continuing to provide the user with "easy-in, easy-out" access.
Field Conditions:
During the Field Testing period, the Sierra Designs Wicked Fast sleeping bag was used on four trips.
- June 23 - 25, Michigan, Manistee National Forest, Baldwin Segment
This outing centered on completing a scheduled "Summer" trail maintenance session along a 6.1 mile (10 km) long segment of the North Country Trail (Cleveland Drive to 16 Mile Road). Two nights were spent in the field sleeping in a Hennessy Hyperlight A-sym hammock with a 1 inch thick (25 mm) closed-cell foam pad. Nightly temperatures ranged from 42 to 62 F (5 - 17 C). The dew point temperature was reached on each night, meaning that humidity levels were at 100%. Elevations in camp were at 800 feet (250 m).
- June 27 - July 4, Michigan, "Dam-2-Dam" hike along the North Country Trail, Croton to Hodenpyl Dam, Manistee National Forest.
This was a seven night backpacking trip along the North Country Trail through the Manistee National Forest in lower Michigan. During my 7-day hike, I covered 140 miles (225 km). I slept in a Hennessy Hyperlight A-sym hammock with a 1 inch thick (25 mm) closed-cell foam pad. Nightly temperatures ranged from 46 to 68 F (8 - 20 C). On most nights, the dew point temperature was reached and humidity levels were at 100%. I also experienced a passing thunderstorm on two nights. Nightly humidity levels were always in excess of 85%. Elevations in camp ranged from 700 to 1000 feet (200-300 m). My starting pack weight was 35 pounds (16 kg), including 4 liters of water and 7 days of food.
- August 4 - 9, Sequoia National Park, California, High Sierra Trail.
This was a five night backpacking trip in Sequoia National Park along the High Sierra Trail. A tent was used for a shelter, with a 1 inch thick, 20 inch (50 cm) wide self-inflating pad for insulation from the ground. Nightly temperatures ranged from 42 to 60 F (5 - 15 C), with low levels of humidity (always below 50%). Elevations ranged from 6700 to 8250 feet (2040 - 2515 m). Daily mileage ranged from 6 to 15 miles (10 - 24 km). I carried the food for both my Sequoia and Yosemite hikes as the bears in the park are very aggressive - keeping scented items in my car may have resulted in a break-in. As a result, my starting pack weight was 30 pounds (13.5 kg), including 1 liter of water and 12 days of food.
- August 10 - 16, Yosemite National Park, California, Bright Angel Trail Camp, Camping off the John Muir Trail.
Two nights were spent base camping at Bright Angel Campground in Yosemite National Park, with another four nights of backpacking along the John Muir Trail. A tent was used for a shelter, with a 1 inch thick, 20 inch (50 cm) wide self-inflating pad for insulation from the ground. Nightly temperatures ranged from 29 to 60 F (-2 - 15 C), with low levels of humidity (always below 50%). Elevations ranged from 3980 to 9400 feet (1200 - 2865 m). Daily mileage ranged from 6 to 15 miles (10 - 24 km). My starting pack weight was 20 pounds (9 kg), including 1 liter of water and 6 days of food.
Daily Nutrition (stoking my inner furnace):
I ate 2700 calories per day, with a day's food weighing in at about 22 oz (625 g). My breakfast consisted of about 400 calories of a granola-based cereal. My lunch was a bean-based noodle dish of about 250 calories. For snacks, my daily ration included Wasabi and soy flavored almonds (28 nuts), chocolate-covered raisins (20 raisins), six Oreo cookies, and a 4 oz (113 g) package of corn nuts, for a total of about 1150 calories. The remaining 900 calories were consumed during my dinner, which was by far my largest meal. I always found myself forcing down the last spoonfuls of my dinner - the serving sizes of the tasty meals described in
Lipsmackin' Backpackin'
sure are generous. Even on my longer trips of 12 or 14 days without re-supply, I never felt hungry or as if, given the opportunity, I could have eaten more. In fact, by the end of my trip I had food to spare in the form of snacks. Given that I didn't lose any body weight on any of my trips, I feel that I ate a sufficient amount of food to meet my body's needs.
Pajamas:
I used the Wicked Fast in the capacity of a lightweight/ultralight backpacker. I didn't carry any clothes beyond what I might need to combat expected/probable conditions, in addition to an extra pair of hiking socks. During my "Dam-2-Dam" hike, high levels of humidity meant that I would end my day covered in body oils, dirt, etc, even in cases where I was able to take a sponge bath. The situation improved while visiting the drier climate found in the Sierra, but grime was still present, and the dusty nature of the trail made keeping my feet/legs completely clean difficult. In an effort to keep the sleeping bag free of contaminants, I slept in an Egyptian Cotton sleeping bag liner and wore a breathable head cover (
Buff
). I also wore a pair of 200 weight fleece insulating socks to keep my feet toasty while I slept - I find that my feet feel much better in the morning if they are kept very warm during the night.
Using the Wicked Fast in a Hammock:
When sleeping in a hammock, my weight caused the hammock's walls to hug me. I also used a sleeping pad in the hammock to insulate me from the air between the bottom of the hammock and the ground - the pad also wrapped itself along the sides of my body. With the walls and pad being pressed up against my sides, my movement inside was rather limited and I found that the Wicked Fast's removable pad locks weren't needed.
On the warmest of nights, I would start out sleeping in just my liner, with the Wicked Fast stored in a stuff sack above my head. As conditions cooled, I would pull the sleeping bag over my knees and then, if temperatures dropped further as to cause a chill, I would simply pull the sleeping bag up higher along my body so that I was deeper inside. I found that as the temperature fell below 55 F (13 C), it was best for me to be completely inside the bag, with the half-length zipper left open for venting purposes. As temperatures fell below 50 F (10 C), I began to close the zipper. As temperatures fell below 45 F (7 C), I found myself needing to cinch down the bag's hood for added insulation.
Using the Wicked Fast in a Tent:
In contrast to my experience with the hammock, I found the Wicked Fast's pad locks to be a welcomed feature. The pad locks kept the sleeping bag centered on my 20 inch (50 cm) wide sleeping pad, which immediately resulted in a few noticeable advantages. First, no part of the sleeping bag rolled off of the pad, so I didn't wake up in the middle of the night due to cold spots under my bag, nor was I constantly finding myself half awake trying to position myself back onto the pad. Second, the pad locks kept me from sliding up or down on my pad, so I was able to avoid waking up in the morning with the foot of my bag wet from condensation after being in contact with the back wall of the tent during the night. Finally, I noticed that I slept more soundly - a characteristic that I attribute to the pad locks doing their job in keeping the pad in place underneath me.
I did find that both pad locks needed to be installed in order to prevent me from wandering off of the pad - no gram shaving here.
I also found that the bag was more difficult to gradually pull up around me with the pad locks installed - as the straps of the pad locks wrap around the sleeping pad, the weight of my body on the pad would pinch the straps and I really had to shift my body around in order to release pressure from the pad so that I could pull the bag further up onto my body.
When setting up camp, I found it best to unfold the Wicked Fast bottom-side up, slide my sleeping pad through the pad locks and position it across the entire length of the bag, and then flip the connected pieces over as one unit. I also found that the pad locks didn't need to be pulled tightly around the pad to function properly. This meant that they didn't interfere with the bag's ability to "loft up." Loosly adjusted pad locks allowed for additional venting possibilities, as I could lay between the sleeping bag and pad, rather than inside the bag itself, with my sides exposed - I actually found this option to be cooler than slipping into the bag and opening the half-length zipper all the way.
Wiggle Room:
When zipped up in the Wicked Fast, I don't feel constrained in the least. I can position my arms at my sides, or cross them over my chest. I'm free to rest one ankle atop the other, or bend one knee slightly - I can even rest one foot under the opposing leg's knee, though the bag's fabric is wrapped tightly around my bent knee when I'm in this position. This freedom of movement, coupled with the pad locks or hammock walls keeping me centered on my sleeping pad, allowed me to realize a very restful night's sleep. There's also room for me to wear additional clothes, should it be necessary, without affecting the bag's overall loft.
Performance of Key Features:
Venting:
The Wicked Fast's half-length zipper is great for cutting down weight, but it limits venting capability by only allowing the bag to unzip down to about the waist, rather than to the foot box.
I didn't find the half-zipper to be an issue while sleeping in the hammock, as I could start out sleeping with just my feet in the bag, and pull the bag up around me as temperatures dropped. When sleeping in a tent and using the Wicked Fast's pad locks, however, I found that I either had to sleep between the bag and the pad, or inside the bag with it pulled up around me. When temperatures were in the low 50's (~10 C), I felt the need to be inside the bag, but I was too warm if the bag was zipped up entirely. Unfortunately, the bag was also too warm when its half-zipper was opened all the way. At this point, if I were given the option of having a longer zipper at the expense of an added ounce (28 g) of weight, say something that allowed the bag to be opened down to my knees rather than to my hip, I'd take the longer zipper.
The bag does try to address venting issues by incorporating a foot box vent into its design. Essentially, this vent is a zippered 9 inch (23 cm) long slit across the foot box. When closed, the zipper is neatly tucked into the fabric and it's hard to tell the vent even exists. While this opening is just large enough to put my feet through, it's a very tight squeeze and, as a result, I don't think it's supposed to be used in this manner. To me, the foot box vent appears designed to work as a bellows, where the movement of my feet inside the bag will move the material up and down, allowing the bag to "exhale" warm air and "inhale" colder air from outside. And, when I kick my feet around inside, I can feel the vent working. The problem is that when I don't kick my feet, the vent remains closed and I don't realize any cooling effects. To get the vent to work, I've also found that quite a bit of movement is needed - it's not something that I find to work if I simply roll around inside the bag, or shift my weight a little.
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The photos below show the foot box vent in action. The photo on the left depicts the foot box vent partially opened - note how tight the seam of the material is around the closed portion of the vent. The photo on the right shows the vent fully opened.
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During my field testing, I found a weakness in the construction of the foot box vent. The opening of the vent goes beyond the end of the zipper track and, when fully opened, movement inside the bag can cause stress to the stitching at the end of the vent, which is made up of the lightweight material of the bag's shell. I found the stitching in this area lacked strength and, throughout the course of one night, the movement of my feet inside the bag caused the stitching to tear, creating a small opening to the inner baffle through which down escaped, as shown in the image to the right.
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I was able to repair this in the field, thanks to a small sewing kit I carry. I simply sewed the hole closed, sewed the seam together, and then continued sewing the bag toward the zipper track, and into the actual zipper track - my improvement incorporates a stopper knot into the zipper track so that the zipper can no longer fully open. The weaker seam along the bag's shell is protected, at the expense of having the foot box opening being about 1/2 inch (13 mm) shorter than it previously was. Stress is now focused against a thick wall of thread that's reinforced by the zipper itself. I got this idea from the Wicked Fast's half-zipper, which has expanded teeth on the outside of the zipper track that prevents the zipper from being fully opened, and keeps stress off the bag's shell material.
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Zipper/Zipper Barrier:
The Wicked Fast has a stiff fabric barrier that runs along the length of its zipper between the bag's inner lining and the zipper track. There's a length of cord sewn into the top of this barrier that pushes the inner lining of the sleeping bag safely to the side as the zipper is closed, practically eliminating the risk of the bag's lining snagging in the zipper track.
I have yet to snag the bag's shell fabric in the zipper, thanks to this zipper barrier. However, the zipper action itself can be a bit stiff, and especially difficult to open when the bag is closed above the point where the zipper track begins to curve inwards, towards the neck or the occupant.
To open the bag when the zipper is pulled up all the way, I find that I have to remind myself that the zipper is finicky, otherwise I can look forward to frustration as I pull and tug, becoming more and more agitated as the zipper refuses to open. I now make it a point to pinch the fabric together above the point where the zipper is closed and pull up, putting tension on the zipper, before even attempting to open the bag. Doing so makes the bag open smoothly every time, and limits my frustration. This issue with the zipper only seems to occur when I'm in the bag. When the bag is empty, I can open or close it without incident.
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Removable Pad Locks:
As I wrote above, the pad locks are a winner in my book. I plan on retrofitting all of my existing sleeping bags to accommodate such a system. By using the pad locks on a standard width, 20 inch (50 cm) wide sleeping pad, the sleeping bag stays centered on the pad throughout the entire night, even as I toss and turn inside. By keeping the bag in place, instances where the bag touches a tent wall have been eliminated. I have also noticed that I sleep more soundly with the pad locks installed, as my staying on the pad eliminates cold spots and contact with the hard ground.
One of the worries I had with the pad locks was in my tossing and turning. If the bag didn't move, and I flipped over onto my side or stomach, wouldn't my face be pressed up against the inside of the bag's hood? How would this affect breathing and condensation buildup?
What I've found is that space inside the hood is generous. This allows me to place my pillow (in this case, the stuff sack that came with the Wicked Fast, filled with my fleece top, rain poncho, windshirt, gloves, and fleece neck gaiter), inside the hood and, as I turn, my face lands sideways on my pillow - I breathe either directly into it or against the inside of the sleeping bag's hood. I haven't noticed any real build-up of condensation inside the hood when I wake up in the morning. At the same time, all my testing, to date, has been in a dry climate. My long-term testing will be in my home state of Michigan, which tends to be humid and characterized by heavy condensation during the night. These conditions should allow for a better idea of how wet the inside of the hood gets while sleeping on one's side or stomach, in addition to testing on how well the fabric dries in between the time I wake up and actually have the sleeping bag packed back into my pack.
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Fitted "Jacket Hood":
The Wicked Fast's hood is fitted for the head, looking like something one might find on a parka used by alpinists traveling in the harshest of conditions. The hood provides at least three inches (76 mm) of loft at any point around its circumference. The hood comes complete with a length of shock cord sewn into a channel around its front - this shock cord can be used to close the hood down around the face, minimizing the amount of skin exposed and thus locking in as much warmth as possible. The shock cord has a barrel lock on it so adjustments made by the user are securely held.
I've been a bit surprised at the hood's performance. Given its design, I was expecting it to be a "brain furnace." Instead, I find myself waking up and having to put a hat on in relatively mild temps, say in the upper 40's or below (< 9 C). Once I have a hat on though, I've been completely comfortable in all the field conditions I've encountered thus far.
That said, the hood is really comfortable. In warmer conditions, I fold the hood back on itself and use its loft to augment my pillow. In colder conditions, it can be cinched down such that the opening is just large enough for me to breathe through, but covers the rest of my face. At the same time, even when the hood is cinched down there's room inside for my pillow. The cinch cord is easily accessible from inside the sleeping bag, it holds the setting I adjust it to, and, when pulled tight, the excess cord does not seem to be a choking hazard.
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Temperature Rating:
While the field conditions listed above show a minimum temperature of 29 F (-2 C), it should be noted that I was sharing a two person tent with another occupant at the time - temperatures inside my tent never got colder than 38 F (3 C) and, in general, all of the in-tent temperatures listed in the "Field Conditions," above, can have 5 - 10 F (3 - 5 C) added to them. It should also be noted that most of my cold temperatures were experienced during a relatively dry period, with humidity levels of under 40%. With the exception of my having to put a hat on, the bag has proven itself comfortable in all temperatures experienced.
Next Steps:
In the long-term phase of my testing, I project that I will be exposed to temperatures as low as 10 F (-12 C) and will be camping in more humid environments. I look forward to seeing how low of a temperature the bag proves itself in, both on its own and in my having to wear some additional clothing. In the roll of a lightweight/ultralight backpacker, the bag is only cold when I'm wearing all the dry clothes I have and I still feel uncomfortable. The insulation that I wear around camp or during cold morning hikes - such as my fleece top, gloves, neck gaiter, and tights - will be worn inside the bag to augment its capabilities. I not only want to resolve the question of what temperatures I stay warm in while using the bag on its own, but also define the extreme limits of the bag's use, in an effort to save pack weight. Hopefully, for some readers the limits I find will be more than adequate for year-round use.
Read more reviews of Sierra Designs gear
Read more gear reviews by Andrew Mytys
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