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Snugpak Softie 3 Merlin Sleeping Bag
Field Report - January 14, 2004
Contents
Reviewer Information [return to top]
Name: Chuck Kime
Nickname: Fuzzy
Age: 37
Gender: Male
Height: 5'8" (1.72 m)
Weight: 229 lb (104 kg)
Email address: ckime AT nelsononline DOT com
City, State, Country: Norwood (Philadelphia suburb), PA, U.S.A.
Date: January 14, 2004
Product Information [return to top]
Manufacturer: Snugpak
Model: Softie 3 Merlin
Year of Manufacture: 2003
URL: http://www.snugpak.com
Listed weight, total: 26.5 oz / 1 lb 10.5 oz (750 g)
Measured weight, total: 31.7 oz / 1 lb 15.7 oz (899 g), scale accurate to 0.1 oz
Measured weight, bag: 29.0 oz / 1 lb 13 oz (822 g)
Measured weight, stuffsack: 2.7 oz (77 g)
Color: Cranberry
Other Colors Available: Olive, Black
MSRP: None Listed
Features (from web site) [return to top]
- Compression stuffsack
- Layering capability
- Snugfit hood
- Zip baffle
- Circle foot
- Hanging dry tabs
- Anti-snag zip two way zip
Description [return to top]
The Softie 3 Merlin is the lightest of Snugpak’s Softie lineup, rated for a low of 0 °C (32 °F) and a comfort level of 5 °C (41 °F). For reference, the heaviest in the line is the Softie 15 Discovery, rated for a low of -20 °C (-4 °F) and a comfort level of -15 °C (5 °F), which weighs 3 times as much as the Merlin.
The bag is a mummy design, with a full 2-way zipper and a cinchable hood with a draw cord and toggle lock. There is a draft tube that runs the length of the inside of the zipper. The Softie is constructed of Pertex/Pertex Infin8t, which looks to me similar in appearance to ripstop, but with a hex-shaped pattern. The Softie 3 also includes Reflectatherm, which, according to a poster I received with the Merlin, is a metalised fabric designed to reflect heat and retain warmth.
The insulation used in the Merlin is what gives the Softie line its name. “Softie is a combination of fibres with different crimp systems and surface finishes. The random nature of the process results in a product that closely resembles the structure of natural down and the way it performs. Softie is extremely lightweight, and has excellent re-loft abilities, when unpacked.” There are several claims made in that statement, only two of which I can address: performing like down (well, I’ve never slept in down, so I can’t compare directly, but…), and re-loft abilities. I will be alert to these claims during testing.
The compression stuffsack included with the Merlin has four compression buckles located radially around the bottom edge of the sack, with the straps crossing over the sack’s opening. There is a draw cord with a toggle at the opening of the stuffsack, and a flap of the body material sewn to the inside of the opening to close off the sack when cinched shut.
See my Initial Report for a more detailed description and dimensions.
Field Testing [return to top]
Our Boy Scout troop camps monthly. Almost all of these outings include a minimum of 2 nights of camping, with temperatures expected to be from lows around 25 to 30 ºF (-4 to –1 ºC) to highs around 95 to 100 ºF (35 to 38 ºC), although I don’t expect it to be this warm during the testing period for this bag. Elevations will range from sea level to approximately 2,000 ft (610 m).
We have had two cold-weather trips on our schedule so far this winter: Thanksgiving weekend (last weekend in November), and a Winter Survival campout held the first weekend in January. Temperatures were pretty good for testing the temperature range of the Merlin with and without extra layers, with Thanksgiving weekend ranging from a low of 23 °F to a high of about 43 °F (-5 to 6 °C) outside – maxing out near 50 °F (10 °C) indoors during the day – but unseasonably warm in January, with daytime highs between 50 and 60 °F (10 – 15 °C), and nighttime lows around 40 °F (5 °C).
In the cabin in November, the Merlin was used on a ¾-length Therm-a-Rest on a wooden platform. I slept both nights in only socks and briefs, and was too warm to zip the bag fully. The lining of the bag felt cool and comfortable against my skin, with no sticking.
In January I shared a cheap 4-man tent with my son, using the same Therm-a-Rest on the tent floor, with a basic plastic tarp under the tent. I wore the same sleepwear of briefs and socks, adding a knit cap, and zipped the bag all the way up. There was a constant breeze through the mesh side of the tent where the fly was staked out, blowing lightly across my face throughout the night. I have been colder and still able to sleep, but the Merlin kept me just warm enough that the unevenness of the ground was more of a sleep hindrance than the temperature.
On a trip last weekend to visit family, I used the Merlin in the upper level of my uncle’s garage. We did not realize until the next morning that the heat was not working properly and only had the temperature up to a maximum of 49 °F (9.4 °C) by the time I woke up. I slept on the sofa in my basic sleepwear (socks and briefs) using the bag mostly as a quilt, and was quite comfortable (I slept like a rock).
I am currently trying to talk the troop into attending the Valley Forge Pilgrimage and Encampment in February, where conditions are historically (pun only slightly intended) as bad as when George Washington was there over 200 years ago, generally with a fair amount of snow on the ground, if not actually falling during the event. This would require additional layers, and would test the sizing of the bag as well as the rating.
Things I am/will be looking for:
- Fit. Does it fit me? I may not be tall, but I’m pretty wide. Will I be claustrophobic? Does it move well with me? Does it restrict my sleeping positions?
- Hood. Is the Snugfit hood truly snug? Does it cinch easily, and comfortably, down to fit my face/head?
- Fabric. Does the Pertex breathe well?? Is it water resistant (definitely going to want to test this)? Is it wind resistant (important with a tarp)? How durable is it? Is it comfortable against my skin? Does much insulation percolate through?
- Insulation. The Merlin is an unquilted bag. Will there be cold spots due to shifting? Does the bag regain loft well/completely after unpacking?
- Warmth. How cold can it get and still keep me warm, or, at least, comfortable? I may attach a keyring thermometer to the zipper, just so I don’t have to wonder.
- Packability. How packable is the bag? I will attempt to pack this bag as part of my 3-season load in/on (preferably in) my Deuter Futura 32. At just over 6¼ in (16 cm) stuffed, it shouldn’t be too difficult.
- Washability. I have always been hesitant to wash sleeping bags, but the care label says warm wash, tumble dry low. If/when Merlin needs a bath, I will report on the results.
- Stuff sack (not mentioned specifically on the web site). From what material is it made, and how well does the bag fit in it? Is it easy to compress? Waterproof?
My findings so far:
- Fit. The Merlin fits me quite well, giving me enough room to zip easily and not feel claustrophobic. It moves well with me, allowing me to move easily from sleeping on my back to sleeping on my side and back again.
- Hood. I have not yet used the hood.
- Fabric. I noticed absolutely no condensation or dampness inside or outside of the bag any morning yet. The light breeze last weekend did not penetrate the fabric in any way. It is quite comfortable to the touch, and I have seen no insulation coming through the fabric.
- Insulation. I have not noticed any cold spots in this bag, with the warmth being even throughout. The bag does not have significant loft to begin with, but does loft up to the same point each time when taken out of the stuff sack.
- Warmth. As noted above, I have taken the Merlin down to its comfort rating and been (gasp) comfortable. I will be going colder in the next few weeks, so I will be able to get a better handle on how much lower I can take it.
- Packability. Boy, can this thing get small. I have stuffed it down to the size of a small melon, and it fits pretty easily into any pack I have.
- Washability. Not yet.
- Stuff sack (not mentioned specifically on the web site). The nylon stuff sack is just large enough for me to get the bag into after rolling it tightly. After closing the draw cord and toggle, compressing is just a matter of pulling on two opposing straps while kneeling on the bag to aid compression. Total packing time from flat bag to compressed bundle is well under 5 minutes.
Things I like [return to top]
- Lightweight.
- Compact.
- Comfortable.
- Color. Hey, I like bright red.
Things I don't like [return to top]
- The dimensions (see my Initial Report) and weight given were quite a bit different from the ones I obtained. I will investigate these discrepancies further.
- The anti-snag zipper... snags. I haven’t zipped it most of the time, but it has snagged on me roughly half of the times I used it, although there has been no damage – so far. Perhaps a slightly larger strip would help.
Backpacking Background [return to top]
I started car/trailer camping with the family when I was about 5. I enlisted in the Army Reserve during my first year of college and spent 17 years fine-tuning my packing methodology - by the time I separated from the service, I was down to what I thought was a respectable 75-80 lb (34-36 kg) load. When my son started Cub Scouts, I brought my 60 lb (27 kg) ALICE pack for a weekend. We got to Boy Scouts in the Spring of 2002 and now camp monthly in locations ranging from the Chesapeake Bay area (flat and lightly wooded) to the Pocono Mts (flat spots hard to find and very wooded), in all seasons.
Lightweight (and ultralightweight) sites, along with a day hike up Pikes Peak in July 2003, have led me to seriously rethink my gear choices. I plan to start doing more hiking/backpacking on our monthly scout trips, taking along as many scouts as are willing, to a) get in shape (yeah, yeah, I know… round IS a shape), and b) determine what I really need to take along. I am relatively confident that I will be able to reduce my 3-season pack to 20 lb (9 kg), before food, fuel and water, by the time this season is over.
Thank you for your time.
Chuck Kime
a.k.a. Fuzzy
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