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Snugpak Softie 3
Merlin Sleeping Bag -Long Term Report
May 3, 2004
Thomas Vickers
36 years old
Male
5 feet 11 inches tall (1.8 meters)
170 lb (77 kg)
redroach@pobox.com
Southeast Texas, Houston Area
Background:
I grew up in the piney woods
of southeast Texas. Camping was a quick trip into the mosquito-infested woods behind the
house. I started hiking in my college years
and my style has evolved over the past 17 years - from my discovery, heavy gear period
(internal frame packs, sleeping bags and tents) to - believe it or not - heavier, more
expensive gear. Over the last 3 or 4 years, I
have begun to take a lighter weight approach to hiking gear (I still use sleeping bags and
tents, just lighter versions) and I have rediscovered the pleasure that can be involved in
being outdoors with your gear. While I have flirted
with lightweight hiking, I feel that I am more of a mid-weight hiker now. My philosophy is
one of comfort, while carrying the lightest load possible.
Manufacturer Details:
Website: www.snugpak.com
Weight: 26.5 ounces (750 g)
Colors: Cranberry, Olive, Black
Length: 87 inches (220 cm)
Chest: 65 inches (165 cm)
Zip: Side (right or left)
Stuffed Size: 11 x 5.5 inches (28 cm x 14 cm)
Temperature Rating: Comfortable: 41 degrees F (5 degrees C)
Low: 32 degrees F (0 degrees C)
Year of Manufacture: 2003
Measured Product Details: (all measurements are approximate)
Length: 87 inches (220 cm)
Chest: 56 inches (142 cm)
Zip: Right
Color: Olive
Weight: 1 lb 13.4 oz (833 g)
Stuff Sack Weight: 3.6 oz (87 g)
Stuffed Size: 10 inches x 6 inches (25 cm x 15 cm)
Additional Tester Measurements:
Shoulder Girth: 49 in (124 cm)
Chest: 38 in (97 cm)
Waist: 34 in (86 cm)
Hips: 39 in (99 cm)
Testing
I have spent 25 nights (14 since my last report) in the Snugpak Softie 3
Merlin at this point in the testing. All of the nights have been in the piney woods
of Southeast Texas under a variety of conditions. The temperatures at night have
ranged from 30 degrees F (-1 degree C) to 70 degrees F (21 degrees C). There have
been dry nights and several rainy nights so far during the field period.
Sixteen of my nights have been on a Therm-a-rest full-length Ultra Light pad and 9 have
been on a Z Rest full length sleeping pad. All of my nights have been spent in the
bag wearing my briefs and a Hot Chilly's Bi-Ply Bio-Silver long sleeved shirt or a
short sleeved synthetic tee shirt. On several nights I even put my Integral
Designs Dolomitti jacket on over my shirt. No matter what I have worn, I have only
pulled the hood over my head on one evening. The rest of the nights I spent
with the Snugpak Softie 3 Merlin pulled up to my chest with my arms and head sticking out
of the bag.
Size/Comfort:
As with most sleeping bags, I fee ll rather claustrophobic when zipped up inside of one.
That is no different for the Snugpak Softie 3 Merlin. With minimal clothing I
have plenty of room in the bag, but I still feel trapped. When I put on my typical cold
weather gear/rain gear and slept, it was worse. No room at all for me to twist and turn
inside the bag. I don't feel that this is a real drawback because I have yet to find a
sleeping bag that I am truly comfortable in fully clothed.
One thing about the Snugpak Softie 3 Merlin that I really enjoy is that it is very easy to
sleep with my torso out of the bag, either in a shirt or jacket. On warm
nights I slept with only a tee shirt on, but no matter what I wore, the low bulk of the
Snugpak Softie 3 Merlin allowed me to pull the bag up around my chest and sleep with my
torso hanging out. The hood/upper part of the bag was usually tucked underneath me,
which added a small degree of extra padding, but did not create an uncomfortable 'lump'
underneath me.
Sleeping this way solves my problem with being confined inside of the bag and it makes
this sleeping bag very versatile over a wide range of temperatures.
When I did zip up in the bag and sleep with my snorkel (nose) sticking out it was no worse
than any other bag I had used.
Loft/Filling:
I have kept the Snugpak Softie 3 Merlin stuffed in its stuff sack for weeks at a time with
no noticeable loss in loft (taken out only to sleep in). I have also kept it stuffed
in the bottom of my pack for several days with a full load of gear on top of it with no
apparent loss in loft.
One thing I feel that I am very lazy about is the hanging and airing out of sleeping bags.
Despite my lax attitude about this, the Snugpak Softie 3 Merlin does not seem to
have suffered from my treatment. It has remained just as "fluffy" and warm
as when it first arrived
The "no quilting" construction of this sleeping bag had me worried that the fill
material would shift inside the bag and leave me with 'bare' spots in the fill material.
After using the bag quite often, stuffing it, unstuffing it, fluffing it in the
dryer, and even walking on it, there was no shifting. The loft was still
"fluffy" and the fill had not shifted into clumps. This was a big relief
since I have had issues with clumping on other synthetic filled bags.
Pertex Shell:
I tried three different sleeping pads with the Snugpak Softie 3 Merlin (Deluxe Ridgerest
was the third). Despite my initial concerns about the "slipperiness" of
the Pertex outer shell of the sleeping bag, they were unjustified. I never slipped
on any of the pads I used and even when I wound up on the Silnylon floor of my tent on
several occasions there was no unusual or exaggerated slippage.
Despite drooling, rain, and the occasional nighttime snack in the Snugpak Softie 3 Merlin,
it has not stained, especially on the outer shell material. The outer shell seemed to shed
water very well and I never had any problems with the fill material getting wet, despite
sitting in a puddle of water for most of one night. A small puddle had formed
in my tent from me entering during a rain storm. I didn't notice it during the night
and when I got out of the bag in the morning there was a damp spot on the Pertex material.
Of course I was out of the bag and staring at the water puddle and then staring at the
bag. Terrified of the fill being soaked I kept inspecting the whole situation till I
was secure in the knowledge that the portion of the bag that had spent the night in the
puddle had not gotten soaked and the fill material wet. There was a big sigh of
relief from me. I have spent one miserable night in a wet sleeping bag and it was
more than enough. Luckily my stupidity did not lead to a repeat of this bad
experience in the Snugpak Softie 3 Merlin.
Since I typically slept in the least amount of clothing possible, I did not track any mud,
leaves, or other materials into the bag. This means no stains and best of all,
no odors. Luckily the weather was cool enough to keep the bugs at bay. This means
that I never had to expose the interior of the Snugpak Softie 3 Merlin to residual insect
repellant. I am going to be interested in seeing how odor resistant the bag remains
as I use it in warmer temperatures and locations that require insect repellant to be used.
Temperature Rating:
Most of my nights in the Snugpak Softie 3 Merlin were spent between the temperature of 45
degrees F and 60 degrees F (7 degrees C to 16 degrees C). The Snugpak Softie 3
Merlin has been down to 30 degrees F(-1 degree C) during the testing period. This is
just below the 'low' rating of the bag. I was wearing just my skivvies, and no extra
clothing. The bag was very comfortable at this temperature and an extra layer of
clothing probably would have made it just perfect for me.
I think that the temperature rating of 41 degrees F (5 degrees C) is fairly
conservative. As a cold sleeper I spent most of my time in this bag without it being
fully zipped up or the hood around my head. I don't think that I was ever that
exhausted when I slept in the bag, but even with a much higher level of physical exertion
I doubt that I would have been cold sleeping in the Snugpak Softie 3 Merlin.
What amazes me is that despite its low weight and bulk, and my cold sleeping nature, this
sleeping bag seemed very warm no matter what the outside conditions were.
I have only slept in the bag above 65 degrees F (18 degrees C) once. My upper torso
was exposed so I didn't have to unzip the bag along my legs to cool off. At 70 degrees F
(21 degrees C) the Snugpak Softie 3 Merlin was comfortable. I feel that the light weight
construction of the Snugpak Softie 3 Merlin is what helps make it that much more habitable
without completely unzipping as the temperature rises.
Zippers:
One thing that has really impressed me with this sleeping bag is the zippers. Not
only do they work well, but I have never had a snag from zipping up sleeping bag material
in the zipper. This translates to smooth zipping, no matter what the circumstances.
I have rushed into the bag during cold rainy weather and I have had to unzip while
completely inside of the bag. Despite the conditions and rushing on my part, the zippers
worked smoothly and without any problems. This is something that I really appreciate
about this sleeping bag. I have had more than one experience with a bag that gets
completely unzipped and therefore forcing me to struggle with a reluctant zipper when I
would rather be in the bag, sleeping, and warm. The zippers are a definite plus for this
bag. No struggles with them at all.
Final Impressions:
I have used a bag in the same weight and temperature range as the Snugpak Softie 3 Merlin
for several years and after this test, there is no comparison. The combination of
quality construction, weight, temperature range, and price make this sleeping bag an
excellent choice for those of us who live in mild climates or those who spend a lot of
time outdoors during the spring and fall.
Not only is it light weight and durable, but it is also comfortable. After using the
bag for several nights I never worried about how comfortable the bag would be.
The conservative temperature rating of this bag is also a selling point. I was
nervous a time or two when the temperature was supposed to drop below its rating, but most
of the time I never woke up and/or noticed. The Snugpak Softie 3 Merlin was either
going to keep me warm enough to sleep or I was going to be able to easily unzip the bag,
put on more clothes, and get back to sleep.
I also liked the idea that as light as this sleeping bag is, I can add a liner to further
reduce the comfortable temperature range without ruining the weight savings of the Snugpak
Softie 3 Merlin.
Overall, I would not hesitate to recommend this sleeping bag. One of my hiking
partners is already contemplating purchasing one after seeing me use it on a couple of
nights. He has been searching for a lightweight spring/fall/summer bag and the
Snugpak Softie 3 Merlin fits the bill.
Read more reviews of Snugpack gear
Read more gear reviews by Thomas Vickers
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