Reviews > Sleep Gear > Sleeping Bags > Sierra Designs Wicked Fast > Jeff Jackson > Initial Report

SD Wicked Fast
(Photo from Sierra Designs website)

This Initial Report is part one of a three part test series.

BIOGRAPHY

Name: Jeff Jackson
Age: 30
Gender: Male
Height: 5’ 10” (178 cm)
Weight: 185 lb (84 kg)
Website: http://www.tothewoods.net/
Email: jwj32542 at yahoo dot com
Location: Monterey, CA, USA

Backpacking Background:
I have been a wicked backpacker for about eleven years. I started as a three-season overnight-only hiker (not very wicked) in North Georgia's mountains, and have since hiked in several states on both U.S. coasts. Weather has generally been mild (50-85°F / 10-30°C) with occasional winter conditions (-10°F/-23°C). Three years ago I switched to lightweight hiking and I keep my packweight below 30 lb (14 kg) for weeklong trips. I have used several ultralight sleep systems, including quilts, hammock underquilts, Speer PeaPod, and homemade systems. All systems have been used on the ground and in a hammock. Will this Wicked bag top them all?

PRODUCT INFO

Manufacturer: Sierra Designs (http://www.sierradesigns.com/)
Product: Wicked Fast - Men's Regular (2006)
Color: Orange/Gray
Fill: 800 fill power goose down
Listed Trail Weight: 23 oz (652 g)
Measured Total Weight: 24-3/8 oz (690 g) (5.8% over listed)
MSRP: $239.95 US

Product Description:

This ultralight sleeping bag has 12 oz (340 g) of 800 fill-power goose down, a half-zipper on the left side, and an overstuffed "jacket hood" to minimize air gaps around the face and neck. Unlike Sierra Design's Wicked Lite series, this Wicked Fast is insulated on both top and bottom, and continuous baffles allow down to be shifted based on preference. Two pad locks are designed to keep the bag centered on the sleeping pad, and a zippered foot box provides additional ventilation for warm nights.

Component weights:

• Bag - 23-1/4 oz (660 g)
• Pad Locks - 3/8 oz (10 g) for both
• Stuff Sack - 5/8 oz (18 g)

My size measurements were consistently smaller than those provided by Sierra Designs; this probably results from different measurement techniques. I measured the bag while fully lofted and did not compress or stretch the material while measuring.

First Impressions

• Bag - The Wicked Fast appears to be a high quality ultralight down bag. The design attempts to cut weight while retaining a few frills, like a shaped hood and pad locks. I noticed no irregular or loose stitches and no cosmetic blemishes.

  Eleven baffles, each 6 in (15 cm) wide, contain the 800 fill power down. I measured the total loft at 3.5 in (8.9 cm), and the continuous baffles allow me to shift the 800fp down to the top or bottom of the bag as needed to adjust for comfort. In addition to the eleven baffles, the footbox, hood and shoulder area complete the 75 in (190 cm) length.

  A single 34 in (86 cm) zipper runs from my left shoulder to just below my left hip. This is sufficient for getting in and out of the bag, even in a hammock. However, when I tried to use the bag as a quilt, the zipper head ended up under my back and wasn't very comfortable. Also, venting was difficult on two humid 50 F (10 C) nights when I was overheating. The zipper is not long enough for minor venting along the length of my body; I had to remove the bag from my torso, or flap it to pump cool air inside the bag, rather than my preferred method of hanging a leg outside the unzipped bag. Adding 12 in (30 cm) would likely resolve both issues.

  The zipper includes a reinforced backing on the inside to prevent snags, but after three nights of use I have snagged fabric in the zipper three times. (The reinforcement seems to work fine as the snags all came from the outside layer, which has no reinforcement.) One of the snags left small marks on the shell material. Since Sierra Designs markets this bag as "ultralight" I did not expect bombproof construction, and exercising extra care when zipping comes with the territory. Even so, a bit of reinforcement around the top of the zipper might improve performance.

  The fitted shape of the hood, and the fact that the zipper curves around my left shoulder to end under my chin, makes the zipper a bit more finicky for the last few inches (centimeters) than other bags I have used. This costs me an extra 10 seconds or so of fidgeting to get it closed, but the tight fit and light weight make this a worthy trade.

  The hood is based on a jacket design and fits very well with no wasted space. It appears to be overstuffed; I measured a maximum single-layer loft of 3 in (7.6 cm) on the sides, with about 2 in (5 cm) on the top. Shockcord and a cordlock allow the hood to be independently adjusted under the chin and around the face (see picture).

  Jacket-Shaped Hood

  Cordlock Hood Adjustor

  The Durable Water Repellent treatment seems to work very well. I slept two nights in heavy fog, and although I could feel the water collecting on the bag I never noticed a loss of loft. I also tested the repellency by making a depression in the bag and pouring 1/4 cup (60 mL) of water into it. After three hours, I could barely see a wet spot forming on the material, but most of the water was still puddled in the depression. Based on these experiences, I am confident of this bag's ability to withstand fog and occasional windblown rain.

  The Wicked Fast comes in a matching stuff sack that measures 16 in (40.6 cm) tall by 7 in (17.8 cm) diameter when stuffed. Total weight including the bag, stuff sack and removable pad locks was 24-3/8 oz (690 g). The Wicked Fast also came with a large mesh storage bag.

• Pad Locks - The Wicked Fast has two pair of loops across the bottom of the bag - one at my shoulders and one near my hips. Thin webbing straps connect to these loops with hook and loop patches on both sides. These removable straps are designed to hold the bag on top of the pad at night.

  Although I will test this feature, it appears to have a major design flaw for my sleeping style. Since the hood is shaped, in order to sleep on my side I have to roll with the bag instead of inside the bag. However, since the pad locks hold the bottom of the bag against the pad, I will not be able to roll...so it appears that I will have to sleep on my back all night if I want to use both the hood and the pad locks. Not gonna happen!

  

  Pad Lock Connection to Bag

• Foot Zip - A single 8-1/2 in (21.6 cm) zipper across the foot of the bag provides ventilation. This zipper seems to be more snag-free than the main zipper and is very easy to operate. However, it only has one zipper pull on the outside of the bag, so to use the foot vent I have to open the main zipper and reach down to unzip the foot vent, which causes me to spill all of my warm air inside the bag when I only needed some foot ventilation. Since I can reach the zipper pull from inside the bag, adding a zipper pull to the inside would significantly enhance this feature. Also, the vent is only big enough for me to slip one foot out of the bag. The footbox has enough space to add 2 in (5 cm) to the foot zipper, which would allow me to put both feet outside the bag when I get overheated.
  

  Foot Vent

Overall First Impression - Although I have listed a few minor issues, I'm impressed with this bag. It is roomy enough to be comfortable, the foot vent is convenient, and the weight is little more than a quilt of similar temperature rating. I look forward to testing this bag in the field.

Test Plan

I plan to test the Wicked Fast in California and possibly on a trip to Mt. Rainier’s Wonderland Trail. Additionally, I will test during several wicked overnighters in Los Padres National Forest and California’s Big Sur region. I hope use it on a yo-yo of the Mountains-to-Sea trail (64 mi, 103 km), sleeping on the beach, and on a trip to Yosemite National Park. Assuming a reasonable level of comfort, I will spend a minimum of thirty (30) nights in the bag during the test period.

Although I am a dedicated hammock camper, I will use the bag more often on the ground since that is its designed use. I will test the bag in a tent, under a tarp, in a waterproof bivy, in a hammock and with no shelter at all (cowboy camping).

When I camp at altitude [up to 10,000 ft (3000 m)], I should easily encounter temperatures near the manufacturer-stated lower limit (30 F, -1 C). Rainy season is nearing its end in Monterey, but it’s always rainy in nearby Big Basin so I should get plenty of experience with the bag in rainy and humid conditions.

I will evaluate the Wicked Fast on the basis of durability, and performance. Some questions I wish to answer are:

• Durability
  • How durable is the bag?
  • Does the shell material show any signs of wear or rubbing?
  • Do the seams show any signs of failure?
  • Does the zipper slide as easily at the end of the test period as it did at the beginning?
  • Does the water resistance wane during the entire test period?

• Performance
  • How easy is the bag to use? How comfortable is it?
  • How does the bag fit my body? I do not toss and turn much when I sleep, but will I have enough room to move around and to get comfortable in the bag? Can I dress and undress inside?
  • How comfortable is the hood? Does it keep me warm? Since I’m a side sleeper and I’ll have to roll inside the bag (instead of rolling with the bag), how will the hood fit when I roll over?
  • How easy is the bag to enter and exit? Will my shelter make a difference in this? For example, will I be able to easily enter the bag when my tarp is pulled down low?
  • Do the Pad Locks work well enough to justify the extra weight? With the Pad Locks removed, does the bag stay on a sleeping pad easily? Is the material too slippery to remain on my ThermaRest? On my closed-cell foam pads? Are the pad locks adjustable enough to fit around my insulated inflatable pad? Do they force me to sleep on my back?
  • How easily does the bag to fit into its stuff sack? How well does it fit in my backpack?
  • How waterproof is the shell material? Will it rebuff spray when I use a tarp, or will I need a bivy? Will the DWR rebuff the dew when I “cowboy camp” without a shelter?
  • Is the bag windproof enough to “cowboy camp” without a shelter?
  • How accurate is the temperature rating? Is the 30 F (-1 C) a “comfort temperature” rating, so will I actually be comfortable at 30 F (-1 C) with no other insulation? Will I have enough room inside the bag to wear more insulation if needed? Is the Wicked Fast easy to use with an overbag to increase the temperature?
  • The Wicked Fast has continuous baffles, so how easily can I adjust the temperature by shifting the down inside the baffles? Can I push the down to the bottom and sides for hot nights, and shift it back to the top for colder nights?
  • How well does the bag ventilate with such a short zipper? Will the lack of ventilation restrict the bag to a smaller temperature range? Will I get sweaty and clammy inside?
  • How effective is the foot vent in increasing ventilation? The website was vague on how the foot vent works...will the seal be tight enough to prevent unwanted ventilation on cold nights?
  • How comfortable is the bag when spending long nights inside. Can I easily cook, read, and rummage through my pack without exiting the bag?
  • Will the bag function Wickedly in my hammock? Will it be too hard to enter and exit? Understanding that the bag was not made for use in hammocks, this will be a minor point in the report.

• In sum, is this bag Wicked enough to replace my lightweight quilt?

What I Like (So Far)

• Lightweight
• Comfortable

What I Don’t Like (So Far)

• Poor venting
• Zipper too short to use bag as a quilt
• Footbox vent too small for both feet

I would like to thank Sierra Designs and BackpackGearTest.org for the opportunity to test this bag.

Jeff Jackson

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