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Snugpak Softie 3 Merlin Sleeping Bag
Long Term Report - May 6, 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: Upper Darby (Philadelphia suburb), PA, U.S.A.
Date: May 6, 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 was 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]
Since my Field Report, the bag was used for additional camping, and brought along for a Spring Break vacation to Washington, DC, for use by one of the kids in the hotel room. This trip put the Merlin through a test I wouldn’t recommend for anyone’s equipment: it was packed in the back of my new (1994, but new to me) Ford Explorer when we were rear-ended by a commercial Freightliner truck. Following a treat-and-release visit to the hospital for the five of us (plus the ferret), we went home for a few days before returning to the towing yard to retrieve our belongings. The bag, mostly in its stuff sack (it had been loosely packed, and was to be washed upon our return home) was jammed between two interior panels of the truck that were never supposed to meet. There is a little of the bag (red) visible in the photos below. Working gingerly around the bent and broken parts of the truck, and being careful to avoid all of the broken glass, I managed to wiggle the bag loose. Results: no damage!
Next stop – the laundromat. I washed and dried the bag with some other items in a front-load commercial machine, following the instructions on the bag’s tag. Result: clean-looking, clean-smelling, and no noticeable damage of any kind.
I really like this bag, and will definitely continue to use it year-round. If I were to need a lightweight bag that was significantly warmer than the Merlin, I would certainly consider the Snugpak Softie line a serious contender for my gear dollar (pound, yen, shilling, whatever…).
Things I was 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?
- Packability. How packable is the bag? I will pack this bag as part of my 3-season load in/on (preferably in) my Gregory Z-Pack. 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:
- 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 used the hood, as I generally wear a hat when sleeping out. I did however, cinch the hood to check the fit, and found it to fit well.
- Fabric. I noticed absolutely no condensation or dampness inside or outside of the bag any morning. It is quite comfortable to the touch, and I still 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.
- 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. Washes quite well in a front-load machine. Was dry in less than 24 minutes.
- 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.
- 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) web 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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