Reviews > Sleep Gear > Sleeping Bags > Valandre La Fayette > Stephanie Martin > Long Term Report

Long Term Report: 2006 Valandré LaFayette Sleeping Bag

Contents
- Product use and performance
- Summary

Details in this Long Term Report are primarily a summary of experience over the test period.  More detailed field comments can be found in the Field Report and are intended to be read in addition to the more detailed product information as listed in my Initial Report.

Product Use and Performance
During the long term testing period, I have been evaluating the La Fayette in more mild temperatures when compared to those encountered during my Field Test phase.  Arizona experienced record drought conditions during that time, and field conditions were dry.  For this portion of the test phase, I was well fed, properly hydrated and went to sleep with bare feet while wearing lightweight base layers.  Testing was conducted inside a dual walled tent and my sleeping pad during this portion of the test period was a 3/4 length light weight self-inflating mattress. It should probably be noted that I typically sleep very cold, and tend to toss and turn from side to side.

I have continued to be pleased with La Fayette during the course of the test period.  With the milder temperatures, I found myself venting off heat often via the sternum zipper.  If anything, I wish the La Fayette was better suited for use as a quilt.  My earlier impressions collected during the Field Reporting stage remain unchanged.  A summary of the aspects of the La Fayette I was interested in testing and evaluating during the course of the test period follow:

Versatility - With the 1/3 length sternum zipper combined with its amazing draft collar and hood, the La Fayette has proven to be remarkably versatile in the temperature ranges I have been able sleep comfortably in.  With cooler temperatures, as encountered earlier in the test period, I was able to stay comfortable inside the La Fayette without having to resort to adding additional clothing.  Venting off heat in warmer temperatures proved to effective, if slightly complex due to the effort required to release the collar and hook and loop closure that backs the zipper in place of a draft collar.  With the milder night time temperatures, I did find myself wishing that the zipper was slightly longer and that the hook and loop closure wasn't present as it would allow the La Fayette to be used much more comfortably as a quilt.

Comfort - I really like the fabric that is used in the La Fayette.  It's soft to the touch and isn't noisy and allows for adequate ventilation while sleeping.  Due to the lack of moisture encountered during the test period, I wasn't able to properly evaluate the DWR coating in the field, other than to note that on nights that I did bundle myself up tightly inside the bag, the fabric did seem to wet through near my face due to condensation from my breath.  The cut of the La Fayette allowed me to sleep comfortably with room to maneuver a little bit inside the bag - more so than in other mummy-style bags I own - and even with my side to side tossing and turning, the bag did bind or bunch around me.  The sternum location of the zipper proved to be a boon, as I'm a side sleeper it was nice to have the zipper located such that I was not sleeping on top of it. The only minor irritants I note on the La Fayette are the zipper pull (which I still find landing on my nose when I'm not careful to tuck it behind the hook and loop closures) and the extensive use of hook and loop fastener throughout the bag.  If I was not diligent in properly matching and securing the hook and loop fastener, it would sometimes stick to my clothes or scratch at my skin.

Ease of use -  Even after having the La Fayette for four months, I still find it difficult to differentiate between the various cordlocks inside the hood area by touch alone.  I find this somewhat frustrating because it slows me down while I'm trying to make temperature adjustments in the middle of the night.  As I mention above, as well as in my Field Report, I also was a little frustrated with the use of hook and loop closure in place of a baffle behind the zipper.  While the hook and loop fastener was good at keeping drafts from sneaking in, it made temperature adjustments slightly difficult and definitely more noisy than they needed to be.

Durability and Care - After four months of use, the La Fayette is still as good as new.  The zips all run smoothly, and the cordlocks and hook and loop fasteners are in good working order with no noticeable sign of wear. While not in use, I've stored the La Fayette unstuffed on a shelf in my gear room.  The fabric of the bag has remained clean, down-proof and dust free, and I have not observed any loss in loft during the course of testing.  The only care note I have to impart is that the interior fabric seems prone to holding a static charge and I have noticed that fine grains of sand and dirt appear to be stuck to the interior of the bag (though this seems to be the normal state for most of my gear - a direct result of camping in the desert, I'm certain).

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Summary: Woo Hoo's and Boo Hoo's  
While I have an overall feeling of contentment with regards to being able to sleep warmly and comfortably in cold conditions while zipped inside the La Fayette, there are some features I feel could be improved upon. With that said, here are my "Woo Hoo's" (likes) and my "Boo Hoo's" (some room for improvement).

- Woo Hoo: I am very happy with the Marie Antoinette collar - it's proven to be draft free, even with all of my tossing and turning from side to side
- Woo Hoo: I do enjoy having the zipper placed over my sternum/chest.  In some ways, it has proven to be more versatile than traditional side zip bags
- Woo Hoo: It's warm!  Even with my tossing and turning, I haven't noticed any cold spots or drafts while zipped up inside the La Fayette.
- Woo Hoo: Easy to pack - the stuff sack is appropriately sized, and does not seem overly large or ridiculously small
- Woo Hoo: The fabric is soft and comfortable to the touch, and seems to breathe nicely
- Woo Hoo: The zipper functions smoothly, and does not seem prone to catching fabric
- General Comment: There is a learning curve to being able to both settle and escape the bag quickly
- General Comment: I have not found use for the hip/waist level drawcord - the position of the cord does not correspond to my body.  For the cord to land at my waist, I have to scootch down in the bag, but then there is excess volume on the top portion of the bag - it seems the position of the cord is for someone with a longer torso length than mine
- Boo Hoo: I continue to confess my dislike for the extensive use of hook and loop closure on this bag - it has the tendency to catch on my clothing or scratch at my skin when sitting inside the bag to read or while using it as a quilt and it can be noisy when trying to make temperature adjustments at night
- Boo Hoo: I dislike the fact that the zipper pull seems to always land on my nose when zipped fully
- Boo Hoo: I find it difficult to differentiate between the cordlocks for the hood and the collar, especially in the dark
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My thanks to Valandré and BackpackGearTest.org for this testing opportunity.

Reviews > Sleep Gear > Sleeping Bags > Valandre La Fayette > Stephanie Martin > Long Term Report