Reviews > Sleep Gear > Sleeping Bags > Speer Hammock Frog Sac > Thomas Peltier > Field Report

I have been a professional river guide and kayak instructor for the last 11 years; however, I currently work at a family establishment in Bakersfield, California. Working a "Real Job" keeps me away from the outdoors a bit more than I would like. My summers are busy between city work and river guiding. Much of my packing is done on the river in the summer. This has driven me to long winter trips and short summer trips for the last several years. I took up snowshoeing to help get into winter packing. I have found that less is often more in my backpacking and my summer trips I find myself as happy in a pair of Chacos carrying my pocketknife as I do with a heavy pack and big boots.

Product information:

ffffff the sunt	Manufacturer:	Spear Hammocks	fff the sunt
ffffff the sunt	Year:	2004	fff the sunt
fffffff the sunt	URL:	http://www.speerhammocks.com	fff the sunt

	Size:	Medium	Large
	Listed Weight:	1 lb 10 oz (0.74 kg)	1 lb 14 oz (0.74 kg)
	Packed Size:	11 by 7 in. (28 x 18 cm)	11 by 7 in. (28 x 18 cm)
	Listed Girth:	60.5 in. (154 cm)	64.5 in. (164 cm)
	Listed Length:	84 in. (213 cm)	90 in. (229 cm)
ttfunin the sunt	MSRP:	$99.00	$109.00

My Medium

fffthe sunt	Weight	1 lb 10 oz (0.72 kg)
fff the sunt	Packed Size	11 by 7 in. (28 x 18 cm)
fffffff the sunt	Center Line Length	82 in. (208 cm)	fff thffffffe sunt

Introduction:


During the last two months I have enjoyed using the Frog Sac. It has proven to be a useful tool while backpacking and rafting during the summer. I have found that the Frog Sac packs down small and replaced my sleeping bag and my jacket during the warm lazy days of summer. If you are not familiar with the Frog Sac I recommend you first read my Initial Report. Conditions During Use:


I have used the Frog Sac several times in the last few months. On two rafting/hiking trips in the Sierra Nevada and several times on overnight sleep outs in the San Juaquin Valley. The temps during the days have reached 104 F (40 C) and dipped as low as 40 F (4.4 C) at night. I have slept in the Frog Sac at elevations between 900 ft (274 m) and 6,400 ft (1951 m). Only about 4 of the mornings have been cool enough to require the use of the Frog Sac after getting out of bed in the morning. As a Bag:


I have found the Frog Sac to be a very comfortable bag. It is roomy enough inside for me to wiggle around and stay comfortable. When the night is warm I have enjoyed the open bottom design very much. More like sleeping with a blanket or a sheet than a sleeping bag. The first time I stuck my feet out the bottom of the Frog Sac and closed my eyes for sleep it felt very strange to have my feet and ankles exposed. I got used to the feeling after a short time and I slept very well that first time I tried this. I remember waking up early in the morning before the sun rose with cold feet. I pulled them inside the Frog Sac and used my feet to pull the end of the bag down past my toes. I fell back to sleep and woke up when the sun peaked over the hill a few hours latter, my feet were nice and warm.

Midnight breaks work out pretty well. If it's not to cold I just hike the bag up and trot over to my chosen point of relief. The first time I tried this I decided to stop after a few waddling steps and unzip the foot section up past my knees. This made walking much easier and besides I was going to have to unzip to answer the call of nature.

On the coldest night I have spent with the Frog Sac I found myself a bit cold early in the morning. I was sleeping in my hammock with an inflatable pad underneath me and I was chilly. The temps were approaching 40 F (4.4 C). My feet were tucked nicely inside and the foot opening was already closed. So what I decided to do was unzip the bag and gather it over me like a blanket. I found that this method worked well and I fell back to sleep. In the morning it was still very cool so when I got up I zipped the Frog Sac up around me and wore it as a robe.

As A Robe:


When I first started using the Frog Sac as a robe I would pull the bottom of the Frog Sac up around my waist, snap the drawstring tabs together and pull them snug. I would then adjust the zippers so that I could walk. This method works fairly well for me, but during the course of the first two mornings I started playing around with the configuration. I found that I could attach a belt around my waist and pull the Frog Sac up over the belt until the bottom hung down around my ankles. I would then unzip the bottom zipper so that I could walk around easily. The belt method works well for several reasons. First with a belt holding things around my waist instead of the draw cord I never had accidental release of the clasp. My legs stayed warm still and finally the excess material would fall down over the belt and create a small shelf. I quickly found that this shelf makes for excellent storage much like a giant pocket. After walking around camp for about an hour in this configuration and sitting on the wooden bench near the fire I started to think about wear and tear on the back of the Frog Sac. I was worried that sitting and rubbing on rocks and wooden benches might cause damage to the material. I quickly found a solution to my problem. currently I am testing another piece of equipment, the Macabi Skirt. I went to my pack and pulled out the skirt. I slipped the skirt on over the Frog Sac and placed the waist band over the belt I was wearing. I then removed the belt. Now I still had a nice robe with a giant pocket and warm leggings while protecting the back of my Frog Sac from abrasion. Since making this discovery I have spent two full mornings walking around camp wearing my Frog Sac and my Macabi Skirt. I have not had any problems with the Frog Sac sliding up or down while wearing it this way and mobility has not been a problem. During the summer months the cool mornings pass away quickly and before long I'm ready to shed my insulation. I have found I can pull the Frog Sac right out the top of the skirt and over my head very easily. I have never tried hiking with the Frog Sac on but this does not seem like a viable option due to the lack of arm holes. I am also concerned with getting my sleeping bag overly dirty by hiking in it. I do not foresee myself using the Frog Sac beyond the limits of my camp site, except perhaps for calls of nature.

Construction:


So far the Frog Sac is holding up marvelously. The stitching is tight, the zippers are working good, the fabric has not faded or dulled.

What's Next:


The next four months promise to bring cooler weather and testing conditions. I am looking forward to testing the Frog Sac in temperatures below it's minimum rating. By using it in combination with other sleeping bags, liners and blankets while sleeping and with layers of clothing while using it as a robe. Because of the compact size and versatility of the Frog Sac I will easily be able to make a place for it in my winter gear. I expect to be able to use the Frog Sac in combination with other gear to keep myself warm well below freezing temperatures.

Conclusion:


After using the Frog Sac for two months I still think it's great. I still cannot find anything I do not like about it. I have entertained the idea of arm holes but I believe that would compromise my comfort while sleeping. So I still can't find anything I don't like about the Frog Sac. I still look kind of goofy according to my camping companions but hey I'm warm and happy and I just don't care. In the next four months I will be testing the Frog Sac to see just how well it works in colder weather and I will be keeping an eye on its durability. After two months of testing I expect that the Frog Sac will hold up just fine and will work in conjunction with other gear down well below freezing temperatures. This is one cool piece of gear.

Read more reviews of Speer Hammocks gear
Read more gear reviews by Thomas Peltier II

Reviews > Sleep Gear > Sleeping Bags > Speer Hammock Frog Sac > Thomas Peltier > Field Report