Field Report

Snugpak Merlin 3 Softie (Long) Field Report

Name: Cheri Tyre-Roberts
Age: 43
Gender: Female
Height: 5'7" (1.7 m)
Weight: 137 lb (62 kg)
Email address: tyrerob at earthlink dot net
Location: North Central Florida, USA

Date:
1/13/2004

Backpacking Background:

I have been backpacking for over 20 years. The majority of my
trips have been 3-6 day trips with "the big one" still looming in my
future. I backpack mostly in Florida, in extremely hot conditions
such as the Florida Trail in July, or the North Carolina mountains.

The terrain in Florida is varied, trail conditions are extremely
sandy, swampy, muddy, or completely wet. In North Carolina the
terrain is muddy and rocky with drastic elevation changes. I also
backpack with my dogs and young children ages 9 and 10. I pack light
but am not obsessed with it as I enjoy some of the "creature
comforts". I currently use a synthetic bag after giving up my beloved

down bag due to chronic moisture problems.

Product Information

Manufacturer: Snugpak a label of Brett Harris Ltd.

Year: 2003

Manufacturers Website: http://www.snugpak.com

Materials: Pertex (a high performance, lightweight nylon) Infin8T, and Reflectatherm

Listed Weight: Bag: 1.7 pounds (750 grams)

Listed Weight: Compression stuff sack: none given

Weight as delivered: (Long) Bag: 1.7 pounds (750 grams)

Measured weight of Compression stuff sack alone: 2.8 ounces (79.5 grams)

Total Bag and Stuff sack: 1.9 pounds (861 grams)

Weight measured with U.S. Postal Scale

Listed Measurements: Length: 86 inches (220 centimeters), Chest: 59 inches (150 centimeters)

Actual Measurements: Length: 86 inches (219 centimeters), Chest: 62 inches (158 centimeters)

Comfort Level: Comfortable down to 41 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius). Effective to 32 degrees Fahrenheit ( 0 degrees Celsius).

The Snugpak Merlin 3 Softie was delivered in a UPS box. Inside the box was the sleeping bag inside of the slightly compressed stuff sack. The bag was also protected with newspaper balled up for padding and shipped in a recycled brown box. Inside the box was a pamphlet about Snugpak's products and a breakdown on the different fabric types used to produce the bags.

Product Features and Construction

My initial impression of the Snugpak Softie was how soft it was. The fabric felt "silky soft". The lack of baffling common to other bags was also something that I noticed immediately. The bag is a cranberry red color on the top with black on the bottom and foot box. The top of the bag near the zipper start has a black triangle with the Snugpak name embroidered in the fabric. Overall the bag is very nice looking with quality stitching and zippers.

The Snugpak Merlin 3 Softie is constructed of some very interesting fabrics. The fabric used on the inside and outside of the bag is Pertex which is the brand name for Perseverance Mills, UK. Pertex feels like silk but is a type of nylon that uses thousands of microfine yarns woven in a manner to create capillaries that actively draw moisture to the surface allowing it to evaporate. The other fabric used in construction is Infin8T which is a new fabric that is used in Snugpaks Softie bags. Infin8T is stated to have a luxurious texture which could be the reason that the bag feels so soft.

The Merlin 3 Softie is filled with a synthetic fiber yet is not quilted as other bags. Sungpak calls this Profiling. Profiling is stated to add 30% more loft without affecting weight or pack size. The Snugpak pamphlet claims that the fibers have such a "remarkable degree of strength" that the fibers are able to support themselves with out the need for quilting to keep them in place. The filling itself is a combination of fibers that have different crimp and surface finishes similar to natural down. Reflectatherm is used in this bag to reflect heat and retain warmth. It is a metallic fabric that is very light and adds 15% additional warmth.

The Merlin 3 Softie is in the typical mummy bag shape. It has a generous foot box measuring 10 x 15 inches (25 x 37 centimeters). Attached to the outside of the foot box are two loop cords for hanging the bag in storage. The zipper is protected on one side by a flat nylon strap that runs the entire length of the zipper. I think that this is to prevent the zipper from jamming on the fabric, or to prevent drafts where the zipper closes. The zipper can unzip from the bottom as well as the top allowing ventilation and access to the bottom of the bag. The hood is slightly boxed across the top and is tightened by an elastic draw cord.

The stuff sack is made of some sort of nylon and may be Pertex but I am not sure. The sack is black, decorated with the Snugpak logo. It has two compression straps that are anchored to the bottom of the sack and arch over the top. Four nylon tension buckles are attached near the bottom of the sack. There is another nylon strap that is stitched around the circumference of the sack near the open end, it does not tighten. The sack has a flap of fabric that covers the opening after the sleeping bag has been stuffed inside. The Compression stuff sack works well to compress the bag, however even when I kneel on the bag and pull the straps with all my strength I can not duplicate the picture on the Snugpak advertisement of the neat little ball resting on the open hand.

Field Trial

Conditions

I have tested the Snugpak on three different trips over the past several weeks. The first trip was a two night camping trip was in November for a "Leave No Trace Training Workshop" held at Payne's Prairie State Park in Florida. The temperature the first night was 54 degrees Fahrenheit (12 degrees Celsius) followed by rain on the second night and the temperature warming up to 60 degrees Fahrenheit (16 degrees Celsius) with the rain. The ground conditions other than the Snugpak Merlin consisted of a tent footprint, tent, one person and a Big Agnes REM sleeping pad. On both nights I found the Snugpak very comfortable to sleep in shorts and a cotton t-shirt. I did use the foot zipper to allow ventilation at the foot box as my feet were rather warm on the second night. Several times I caught the zipper on the fabric while zipping myself up inside the bag. The Snugpak handled the high humidity of the second night without the slightest amount of dampness.

The second outing for the Snugpak was in December on a three-day, two-night backpacking trip on Cumberland Island National Seashore, Georgia. The weather was really cold (for a Florida girl) with days getting up to 60 degrees Fahrenheit (16 degree Celsius) and the night hitting 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 degrees Celsius). The tent set up was the same as above except that my 9-year-old daughter provided some additional body heat. I slept in polyester long johns and ended up with a fleece shirt over that and the Snugpak drawn tight around my head and was still very cold. Both night were around 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 degrees Celsius) and both nights I could not get warm. Some of the problem may be the Big Agnes Sleeping Pad that is not insulated. I wrapped the sleeping pad with a thin metallic insulating blanket and this helped some but I was never comfortably warm. One thing that was very noticeable was in the morning everyone else's sleeping bags were wet due to the respiratory moisture of the night and the Snugpak was completely dry. It was really noticeable that the Snugpak was the only sleeping bag out of 9 assorted types that was dry each morning. I would probably use a liner with the Snugpak in temperatures near freezing in the future.

The third trip was in December to Hontoon Island State Park in Florida for an overnight backpack trip with my 10-year-old daughter. The temperature was a very humid 51 degrees Fahrenheit (11 degrees Celsius) with a daily high of near 78 degrees Fahrenheit (26 degrees Celsius). The ground conditions were the same except that I placed a thin foam pad over my Big Agnes REM sleeping pad incase I needed more insulation. I was very comfortable with shorts and a cotton t-shirt. The Snugpak once again was able to handle the humidity very well with no hint of dampness in the morning, despite the fact that the fog was so thick from the surrounding swamp that the tent didn't dry until near noon.

Product Performance:

Overall I am very pleased with the performance of the Snugpak Merlin 3 Softie. It really lives up to the Softie part of its name and feels like silk inside. The zipper does snag from time to time when I zip it up while inside of the bag. I believe that the Snugpak is rated correctly and I personally find it comfortable in the 40 degree Fahrenheit (4 degree Celsius) range that the manufacturer advertises as the "comfort range." The manufacturer advertises that the "effective range" is to 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 degrees Celsius). I'm not sure exactly what effective means but I know that I effectively shivered all night in temperatures near the freezing mark.

Extended Test Plan

Over the next several months I plan to continue to test the Snugpak Merlin 3 Softie under a variety of conditions. Olympic National Park, Western North Carolina, and Florida are areas that I plan to use the Merlin 3 Softie in the testing period. I will also test the Snugpak for how it holds up to washing. The bag will always be used in a tent with a footprint and on a Big Agnes REM sleeping pad. Throughout the test period I will evaluate the sleeping bag for durability, comfort, moisture control, warmth and fill migration. I will evaluate the compression stuff sack for durability and how well it keeps the bag compressed while packed.

Suggestions for Improvement

1. A slightly larger nylon strip may keep the zipper from jamming on the fabric.

Read more reviews of Snugpack gear
Read more gear reviews by Cheri Tyre-Roberts

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