Reviews > Sleep Gear > Sleeping Bags > Valandre La Fayette > Steve Nelson > Field Report

Field Report: Valandré La Fayette Sleeping Bag
February 7, 2006

Reviewer's Information

Name: Steve Nelson
Age: 45
Gender: Male
Height: 5' 9" (1.75 m)
Weight: 158 lb (72 kg)
Torso size: 20" (51 cm)
Hip circumference: 32" (81 cm)
Chest circumference: 39" (99 cm)
Shoe size: 11 US (44-45 EUR)
Email address: nazdarovye at y..oo dot com
City, State, Country: San Francisco, CA, U.S.A.

Backpacking Background:

As an interface design and usability consultant by trade, I'm always excited by analyzing and improving designs and processes; backpacking provides a fertile and fun arena for that. I have been backpacking since I was a kid growing up in upstate New York: we backpacked and canoe-camped in all seasons, throughout the Adirondacks and nearby areas, ranging as far as La Verendrye Wildlife Reserve, Quebec. As an adult, I've backpacked and hiked extensively in California, but also have taken trips throughout the West, from New Mexico to British Columbia, and return often to the Adirondacks.

In the past year I made the transition to lightweight and ultralight backpacking. I like moving fast, and lightening the load facilitates that. I also enjoy urban strolls, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, kayaking, and aviation in addition to hiking and backpacking, so my gear gets exposed to a wide variety of uses and conditions.

Product information

Overview

The Valandré La Fayette is a down sleeping bag rated at 5 F (-15 C). It utilizes complex construction (85 parts including pre-cut circular baffles), and innovative features (such as the "Marie Antoinette" draft collar), and a center partial zippered opening, that the manufacturer claims increase the comfort range of the bag beyond others of similar weight and fill. I provided more details on the bag and its construction in my initial report, which you may wish to reference.

Field Conditions

So far I've had the bag out for four nights on three trips. Two were backpacking trips (to the Carson Pass area of the Mokelumne Wilderness in California's Sierra Nevada, and to Henry Coe State Park near the Bay Area of California), and one was a road trip to Utah where I used the bag indoors. Temperatures have ranged from 20 to 65 F (-5 to 18 C), elevations from 2,000 to 9,000 ft (610-2,743 m), and weather from sunny to rainy to a raging blizzard with winds in excess of 50 mph (81 kph). I've used the bag inside of the same double-wall tent and slept on the same InsulMat pad twice, and on the other trip I slept on a cot in the basement of a townhouse. In all three cases I used a light silk liner inside the bag.

Field Results

Overall the bag has performed as promised: it's kept me warm in reasonably cold conditions. We've had an unusual winter here, with temperatures being rather milder than normal, so I hope to have the chance to push the bag past its limits during the remainder of the test—but so far, the bag, even after losing loft to moisture (more on that in a minute), has been warm and comfortable.

On both of my backpacking trips with the La Fayette so far I had wet conditions that would challenge any down bag.

On the first, I discovered that a hydration bladder had leaked a bit inside my pack, and despite the sleeping bag being stored in its compression sack and separated from the bladder and water by a plastic garbage bag, part of it was wet. I laid the bag out, let it loft, and left it to dry out in the cold; I was surprised to see that it in fact did dry out some, even in those conditions. However, late that afternoon and overnight we were slammed by an unexpected and very strong blizzard. My shelter was not up to the challenge; spindrift leaked in all night, and at some point, one of the tent's poles snapped and the walls of the tent partially collapsed in on me. The La Fayette was coated with spindrift, and eventually the shell wetted through. I did note some loss of loft around my lower torso, legs and feet as a result.

While I was disappointed that the shell did not keep more moisture out from either the leak or the snow, I was impressed with the fact that the bag still kept me warm and comfortable.

On the second trip, we hiked in through a long and solid downpour, then camped out beside a lake. Needless to say, conditions were wet and humid. Also, during the night, temperatures dropped below freezing, forming ice on the outside fly of my tent, freezing its zipper shut, and leading to a fair amount of condensation inside. Once again, the shell of the bag soaked through and the bag lost some loft, especially at the foot; and once again, the bag was warm and comfortable (though on this trip we obviously weren't pushing the temperature range of the bag at all—temperatures never got much below freezing).

On the third trip, I used the bag indoors, and was curious to see how comfortable it would be in a warmer environment, especially since it has only a partial opening. As it turned out, it was fine. I was able to open it up enough that my body remained within a comfortable temperature range, though my feet and lower legs did overheat a bit. The bag is not as flexible for venting as ones I've used that have full zippers, or double zippers that allow the bag to be opened at the foot.

There are several unusual features in this bag, including the hook and loop fastener draft closure along the center-opening zipper, and the collar and waist cinch cord. All of these came into play on my trips.

The "Marie Antoinette" collar is indeed warm—when properly sealed, it really does prevent drafts and a bellows effect in the bag. However, I find its cord and toggle fastener a bit fiddly to deal with (and note that it's easy to mix up the collar and hood toggles, as they're exactly the same). The toggles, which snap together from two halves, also form a lump that I find a bit uncomfortable against my chin and neck. The hook and loop fastener material is also rather stiff, catches on clothing and my silk liner, and is difficult to seal evenly. Despite that, I actually do like the collar—I feel that it forms a better seal than the traditional draft tubes I'm used to.

The center zipper is also a mixed bag. The fact that it runs down the middle of my chest lets me sleep on either side and not be laying on the zipper (as well as to leave it open and still be comfortable). On the other hand, it also means that the metal zipper pull is almost always clanking against my chin (especially annoying when the pulls are freezing cold). I really don't like this and would recommend that Valandre either wrap the pulls in fabric, or install a fabric/hook and loop flap or some other sort of cover into which the zipper pulls can be secured.

The hood cinch cord works well for snugging down the hood, but suffers from the same issue as the collar toggles: the plastic forms a lump that is sometimes uncomfortable or chafes against my skin. The waist cinch cord has proven useful; on the colder trips, snugging the bag in at my waist seemed to make it warmer.

So, to summarize: the bag has some innovative features that do indeed seem to make it warmer and less drafty than other bags I've used...but it would be great if the comfort of these features could be improved.

Durability seems great so far. I've had very little down leak from the bag; the seams and zippers have remained problem-free; and the loft and baffles appear to be as they were when I received the bag.

Regarding other issues of comfort: the La Fayette is plenty roomy for me, even when I put clothing inside to dry or keep warm, and when I cinch down the waist cord. It also continues to loft well, even after being stored in its compression sack. The fabric, especially the inside lining, is pleasing to the touch.

I like the La Fayette's compression sack—it's roomy, it's easy to get the bag into it, and it cinches down quite a bit. I've used it on all of my trips, even thought I generally don't compress my other sleeping bags.

One minor and odd note: the sleeping bag arrived with a bit of a funny smell (kind of like a combination of a chicken coop and baby powder). It is noticeable enough to me that I will wash the bag during my long-term testing. I'll be sure to follow all of the manufacturer's recommendations, and will report back whether this has any effect on loft, the fabric, or other elements of the bag.

Long-Term Test Plan

I will continue to use the La Fayette in a full range of California winter conditions, in various shelters, and in various locations from seashore to mountainside. As noted previously, I'll use it on its own, as well as with a silk liner, Thermolite liner, and vapor barrier liner. I'll also test it with varying layers of clothing, from just a base layer to a full set of insulating layers, hat, gloves and booties. I hope during my long-term testing to find even colder weather to test it in than I've lucked across so far.

In addition to the above-noted points, I will continue to examine:

• Is its temperature rating reasonable for me?
• Is the down distribution good after longer-term use? Does the complex construction facilitate retention of loft, or allow redistribution of filling to adjust comfort and coverage?
• How effective is the new shell against precipitation, condensation, frost and other sources of moisture? How breathable is it? How well does it hold up against abrasion and wear? How about the interior fabric?
• How easily does the La Fayette dry out in the field?
• Is the one-third-zipper an effective way to increase warmth, a limitation to venting in warmer weather, or both?
• How effective is the "Marie Antoinette styled," "three-dimensional" collar in keeping out drafts and increasing warmth?
• How effective and comfortable are the waist and hood cinch straps?
• Does it come with a stuff sack and/or storage sack? How useful are these? How well does it stuff down for packing, and how well does it regain loft when unstuffed?
• How comfortable is the bag for "wearing" in camp while cooking and doing other chores?
• How durable are all of the bag's components, including zipper and cords?
• How well does it retain its loft and other features over time and use?

I'll record weather, terrain, clothing and shelter information for each trip, and will get pictures of the bag in use.

Summary

While I'm still getting used to some of its features, the La Fayette is definitely a warm and well-made sleeping bag. I feel that the shell is less water-resistant than I'd like, but overall the bag has done what it's promised: kept me warm in tough conditions.

Things I like:

• Gorgeous construction and details
• Good loft, with baffling and complex construction to maximize its retention
• Draft collar, when properly adjusted, is particularly effective at sealing off the interior of the bag

Things I don't like:

• Hook and loop fastener strips inside collar and hood are a bit stiff and rub against my skin
• Zipper pull clanks against my chin when I zip up the opening of the bag
• Fabric does not appear to be very water-resistant, at least in the conditions I've encountered

Thanks to BackpackGearTest and Valandré for giving me the opportunity to participate in this test.

Reviews > Sleep Gear > Sleeping Bags > Valandre La Fayette > Steve Nelson > Field Report