|
| Home | Guest - Not logged in | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
» Register
» Login
Gear Reviews
Documents
Tools
» Contact
|
Reviews > Sleep Gear > Sleeping Bags > Valandre La Fayette > Coy Starnes > Initial ReportValandre
La Fayette sleeping bag
Initial Report November 22, 2005  The La Fayette is light as a feather
Tester Bio I live in North East Alabama. I enjoy hunting, fishing, canoeing, and most other outdoor activities but backpacking is my favorite pastime. I enjoy hiking with friends and family or solo. I hike throughout the year and actually hike the least in the hot humid months of summer. My style is slow and steady and my gear is light. However I will sacrifice weight for comfort and durability. A typical 3-season load for me is around 20 lb (9 kg) not counting food or water. I usually sleep in a hammock and cook with an alcohol stove. My backpacking trips are usually 2, 3 or 4 days in length. Product Information
Specifications
Product Description This bag is a mummy bag. But first, my bag says it is a Large on the hang tag and I am assuming it is the same as the 200 cm (6 ft 6 in) listed as available in the sizes. The bag uses 850+ down which the hag tag says is grey goose down. From the website "85 individual parts in all, we have introduced pre-cut and circular shaped baffles throughout the bag, a truly 3-dimensional collar that follows your neckline as close as the headpiece of a guillotine - hence the name "Marie Antoinette styled collar". High-density knee protection system also keeps the down in place no matter how you twist and turn during the night. Internal semi elasticized waist adjustment system and static drawcord in the preformed differential cut hood. The zipper is centered and only goes 1/3 of the length. The self lockable slider stays in place which is a great help when you sit up in your sleeping back while preparing meals etc" It is a little difficult to describe all the neat features on the La Fayette but I will try. First the zipper is centered over the chest area and only goes about 1/3 of the length down the bag from the chin toward the foot end. I measured it at approximately 26 in (66 cm) long. It has a metal pull tab. Under the zipper is a hook and loop seal instead of a down tube type baffle.  The neck area is sealed off with what Valandre calls the
Marie Antoinette collar. It does wrap around my neck very
closely.  There is a bungee type cord that totally encircles the
collar with two barrel type locks at each end. The barrel locks
can be joined (snapped together) to further secure the collar as the
picture on the right shows. The cords for the collar run through
a
loop of material just below the end of the bags zipper on both sides,
with the barrel locks past the loops, as the picture on the left shows.The hood is very roomy. In fact it seems to be a lot of the length in the long version I have. It also has a cord and two barrel locks for tightening it down. However, this cord is not stretchy like the one on the collar. The two barrel locks can be snapped together. Inside the bag at about the waist is another stretchy cord and single barrel lock. With it I can tighten the bag around my waist. This is supposedly to help keep the bag from sliding off if I need to sit up in the bag to do something. Of course I never cook while in my bag so I will have to see if I find this feature useful? The outer shell for the bag is said to be Polyamide with DWR even though there is no documentation to this effect. This bag is a 2006 model and the website still shows the 2005 model with a Pertex P669RS shell. I also received a 2005 model to see if I felt the new material was an improvement. There is quite a difference in the feel of these two materials. The Polyamide with DWR is much softer and looks wrinkled to the eye. The Pertex shell on the 2005 model is slicker feeling and a lot stiffer. I gently placed a quarter on both bags and it was evident the quarter sunk further on the Polyamide shell. I must say I much prefer the newer material over the Pertex. The inner shell on the 2006 model is said to be polyester with anti-static coating. I could not tell a big difference in this liner material and the Pertex P666 liner material listed for the 2005 model. The stuff sack is a compression type bag which measures  19 x 9 in (48
cm x 23 cm). It has four straps to further compress the
bag. I could easily compress it down to around 12 in (30 cm)
long; however, I find that if I pack my sleeping bag rather loosely,
the bag will move to fit around my other gear. The storage bag is
made of mesh and it measures approximately 20 x 14 in (51 x 36
cm). The picture on the left shows the La Fayette in its
stuff sack beside the Gregory G™ Pack I presently use. This pack
is rather small at 2950 cu in (51 L) but I will see if I can manage
without compressing the bag too much.I took some quick loft measurements which are not exact. I measure the loft at 8 in (20 cm) at the shoulder but the collar under it was influencing this measurement. I measured it at 5.5 in (14 cm) from just below the shoulder to down around the knees. From the knees to the foot it gained loft, topping out at around 7 in (18 cm) at the end of the bag. This extra loft in the foot section may be due to the cut of the bag and not actual loft. One last thing. The hang tag attached to my bag reads on the front; LA FAYETTE 550 LARGE, followed by the color. If this is how the tags will read in the store then I see a major communication problem. I would take this to mean the down in the bag is 550 fill power, which is basically very poor down. I would probably skip right over this bag which would be a shame considering the high grade down used in this bag. If the tag read; 550 g of 850+ down, it would accurately describe the bag and definitely get my attention. Fit I have the largest size available. It should fit someone 6 ft 6 (200 cm). I am 6 feet even (183 cm) and the bag does not seem that tall on me. However, I think the bag would fit a skinny tall guy better than a fat tall guy. For one thing, I measured the length inside the bag as best I could and found the bag is at least 6 ft 6 in (200 cm) long, but trying to feel the end of a down bag from the inside, with a tape measure, is not an exact science. The bag does extend on past my feet a little but not much. Valandre mentions that the La Fayette is made roomy so that extra clothes can be worn inside the bag. The shoulder circumference is given as 170 cm (57 in), the hip as 152 (60 in) and the foot as 86 cm (34 in). I can't say how accurate these measurements are but I wear a size XL in shirts and size 38 in (97 cm) pants and the bag is plenty big for me. I would not say there is a lot of room left for extra clothes other than maybe a pair of long underwear and some fleece outer wear. A puffy down or synthetic jacket would fit but be squeezed. The leg and foot section of the bag tapers in quickly. Test Plan This bag is marketed as an all around bag which I read to mean a three season bag. As such it will most likely need to be able to deal with warmer temperatures then its comfort rating. Since heat rises it should be fairly easy to open the chest zipper on warm nights but will the short 1/3 length zipper allow enough warmth to escape? I am also concerned that the bag is warmer than I need for most of my winter camping. Overnight temperatures below freezing are fairly common but really cold weather is not. I will attempt to find the coldest weather possible to test in and I will indicate how accurate I found the manufactures temperature rating. However, a sleeping bag should do a lot more than keep me warm. Since I spend longer hours inside my bag on winter night than in the summer, the bag should be roomy. It will be interesting to see if the bag is roomy enough for other clothes to be worn inside it without compressing the down in the bag or my clothes whether down or whatever. I will see if I have room to store all my clothes in the foot area of the bag which was the reason I expressed an interest in the long version. I will report on how well the La Fayette works with my style of sleeping which happens to be in a hammock most of the time. Getting in and out of a sleeping bag is harder in a hammock than on the ground. It is also harder to zip a sleeping bag from inside a hammock. The chest zipper should prove easier to zip but testing will tell? I will also use the La Fayette on the ground for several nights. For one, most potential customers will probably do the same, and for another, it will give me a more accurate indication on the temperature rating. I will use a tent or tarp and a good pad when sleeping on the ground. I would also report on the construction of the bag. Will any seams tear or zippers fail? Do the various cord and cord locks work flawlessly? I will look at how well the bag handles moisture from the air and more importantly how it handles moisture I produce. I will note if any plumage leaks through the stitching on the bag. I will report on how the hood and collar work keeping my head and neck area warm. In a 4 month test period I doubt I will need to wash the bag but if I do I will follow the manufactures care instructions. I was interested in reading that shampoo is good for washing a down bag. Sneak Peek at Field Performance I have used the bag on one overnight campout so far. The low was 36 F (2 C) but it was around 40 F (4 C) at 8 PM when I set up camp in the dark. I was using a hammock and I did not have any problem staying warm. I did get off my insulation (a summer weight sleeping bag spread out in another hammock hung directly under me) a couple of times and felt the coolness where the bag was compressed against the hammock walls. I would unzip the La Fayette and reach below me to adjust my insulation which fixed the problem. It was easy to get in the bag, get it zipped up and get the collar adjusted. What was really interesting was the way I had to check the time or any other time I need my arms out of the sleeping bag. With my watch on my wrist I could not see what time it was without unzipping the centered zipper a little and poking my arm through the hook and loop closure. The collar is unquestionably sealed off tight. The bag gave me plenty of room from the waist up but my feet and knees felt a little restricted. I like to pull one knee up intermittently and this is not a possibility inside this bag. To be fair, I can't do this in my other mummy bags either. Still, I slept very well and woke up at 3:30 AM feeling well rested. My dogs seemed a little jealous but I don't believe I'll share the La Fayette with them. They can stay home on colder nights.  Madain Voyage of the La Fayette Anticipated Testing Locations and Conditions According the Valandre, the La Fayette is perfect for Anything, When going light is right, Alpine Climbing, Randonee and Serious Trekking. I probably won't be doing any Alpine Climbing or Randonee but the other three are fair game. I will be testing in the southeaster US with trips into the local mountains of Tennessee, Georgia, and North Carolina. However, most testing will be done in northeast Alabama where it is handy to hike and camp. Elevations will generally be less than 4000 ft (1219 m). Temperatures will be possibly warm early on but colder as the test progresses. This winter should see temperatures well below freezing even though it doesn't usually stay cold for long. The La Fayette is advertised as an all around bag. I experience changing conditions, often within a day or so and sometimes within a few hours. I will see how adaptable the bag really is? I will faithfully report all my findings. Stay tuned! Read more reviews of Valandre gear Read more gear reviews by Coy Ray Starnes Reviews > Sleep Gear > Sleeping Bags > Valandre La Fayette > Coy Starnes > Initial Report | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||