Name:	Jodi Cornelius
Email:	bpskids@gmail.com
Age:	43
Height:	5'4"/1.6 m
Weight:	192 lbs/87 kg
Gender:	Female
City:	Derrick City
State:	Pennsylvania
Country:	USA
My Area of the Country:	Northwest Pennsylvania
Date:	April 18, 2005

Manufacturer	Slumberjack
Manufacturer URL	http://www.slumberjack.com/
Year of Manufacture	2004
Product Tested	Slumberjack Ultimate +20
Size	Regular Right
MSRP	$89 US

For more complete information - please read my Initial Report and my Field Report.  You can also read other reports on this item at BackpackGearTest Reviews of the Slumberjack Ultimate +20 Sleeping Bag.

After having used this bag daily for the past 6 months, I am pleased to say that the sleeping bag has held up well.  It has been slept in every night since the beginning of this test, both at home and on the trail.  I have not laundered the bag at all - I have aired it out and brushed off a minor amount of dried mud on the foot of the bag from climbing into my hammock.  In a hammock, it's a lot easier to pull the sleeping bag on outside the hammock and then sit down in the hammock than to try to climb into the bag inside the hammock.

The Ultimate +20 performed as I expected it to.  I was warm as low as 15 F/-10 C.  Naturally, I did need added warmth when temperatures dropped below 15 F/-10 C.

I got out a couple of nights when the temps had dropped to 0 F/-18 C just to see how much or little extra clothing, liner, etc. I may have needed with a sleeping bag that was rated 15 degrees lower than my usual bag rated at +35 F/20 C.  At this low of a temperature, I had to zip the vented foot box closed and cinch my hood around my head tight, but was able to get by with just my normal cooler weather clothing.  This includes thermal underwear, wool socks, and my Psolar Balaclava.  With my old sleeping bag, I would have had to have my piece of fleece cloth that I wrap around my shoulders when it's that cold outside.  With the Ultimate +20, this was not necessary at all.

I have been able to move about freely in the Ultimate and since I am a "mobile" sleeper, this is a GREAT plus in my usage.  Because of my mobility while sleeping, there are no noticeable wear spots.  Other than the fraying mentioned in my Field Report from the hook and loop closure, I have not had any threads come unraveled, the zippers work great with no catching.  One thing I would like to see, however, in the side zipper is a "catch".  Meaning, a way to keep the zipper from coming off all the way at the end of the zipper.  I don't know if there is something that can be used to keep it from coming off without ruining the ability to unzip from the bottom.  As someone who either uses it zipped up all the way or not zipped at all, I wouldn't have a problem with it not being unzippable from the bottom.  However, it is a nice option and I think it should stay there.  It wouldn't be that difficult to rig my own sleeping bag up to keep the zipper from coming all the way off.  I know that sleeping in a hammock when hiking makes it difficult to get the side zipped without multiple contortions.  I usually find myself getting out of the hammock and standing up to fix the zipper which can be real annoying when it has been snowing and my ground mat is covered in snow. 

I have not seen any change in loft in the bag.  It has maintained the loft quite a bit better than I expected after using it for 6 months straight.  Being stored in the compression sack during the day and unrolled at night, with an airing about once a month, I have been impressed with the fact the loft hasn't changed!  I do not know if that's because I'm sleeping in a hammock with an occasional sleep on the floor and not always on the ground or if the bag is just that good!

All in all, this has been a great piece of equipment to test and am pleased to say at this time it has become my permanent sleeping bag.

I'd like to take this time to thank BGT and Slumberjack for the opportunity to test the Ultimate +20.