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Grand Trunk Silk Sleep Sack
TEST SERIES BY LARRY KIRSCHNER
INITIAL REPORT - May 31, 2015
FIELD REPORT - August 27, 2015
LONG-TERM REPORT - November 8, 2015
TESTER INFORMATION
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NAME:
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Larry Kirschner
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EMAIL:
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asklarry98 at hotmail dot com
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AGE:
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51
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LOCATION:
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Columbus, Ohio
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GENDER:
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M
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HEIGHT:
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5' 9" (1.75 m)
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WEIGHT:
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208 lb (95 kg)
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I've been an intermittent camper/paddler since my teens, but when my kids were avid Boy Scouts,
I caught the backpacking bug. Now that they have grown up, my wife and I plan to continue our adventures on the
trail. I consider myself a mid-weight backpacker because I like comfort, but I can always learn to go lighter and
longer.
INITIAL REPORT
May 31, 2015
PRODUCT INFORMATION & SPECIFICATIONS
Manufacturer: Grand Trunk
Year of Manufacture: 2015
Country of Manufacture: China
Manufacturer's Website: http://www.grandtrunkgoods.com/ is listed on the packaging,
but http://www.grandtrunk.com also works
MSRP: USD $69.99
Color: Blue with a black stuff sack
Weight:
Per manufacturer: 5 oz / 142 g
Measured: 4 oz /115 g on non-digital scale (includes attached stuff sack)
Size:
Per manufacturer: 84 x 36 in / 213 x 91 cm
Measured: 84 x 34 in/ 213 x 86 cm
ITEM DESCRIPTION
The Grand Trunk silk sleep sack is a sleeping bag liner manufactured by Grand Trunk, a company that makes "Goods for the Road".
This Chicago-based company has been around since 2001, with the goal to produce products that are "lightweight, durable, and
extremely packable."
The sleep sack that I will be testing is part of is their "Adventure Travel" line. It is made from 100% silk, which, as shown in
the photo below, is quite thin.
According to the manufacturer, the sleep adds 10 degrees of warmth. I presume this is 10 F or 4.5 C.
The sleep sack is sewn at the sides and the bottom but is otherwise seamless. The horizontal lines in the photos are just from
folding of the material. The top seams are split on both sides to a distance of 32 in/ 81 cm. There are two ties on each side to
keep the edges together if desired.
It also has a pillow pocket at the top which extends the width of the sleep sack and extends
13.75 in/ 35 cm from the top. It is open on the bottom edge. I have put a towel in the pillow pocket in the photo to demonstrate what
this looks like.
There is an attached stuff bag which has a drawstring and a small strap which could be hooked on a carabiner if I wanted. Overall,
considering how large this sack is, it packs down quite small!
INSTRUCTIONS and WARRANTY
The only instructions found indicate that the sleep sack should be hand washed. However, I don't think further instructions are needed.
The packaging indicates that this product "comes with a limited warranty", although no details are provided. On the website,
there is a form that can be filled out, with instructions to take a photo of the damage, and return it with the form. According
to this section of the website, refunds are made only from products purchased from the website, and a proof of purchase is
required. If a Grand Trunk product is purchased from a distributor, warranty issues must be addressed with that company. The
warranty is good for two years, unless noted otherwise.
INITIAL IMPRESSIONS
The sleep sack came stuffed, and I was struck when I opened it how HUGE this is. The sleep sack is much bigger than my sleeping bags.
As shown in the photo with one my backpacking bags (a Kelty Light Year), the sleep sack is not only longer than my sleeping bag, but
it is also significantly wider. I measured it at 34 in /86 cm, which is 2 in /5 cm narrower than the specs, even if I tried stretching it.
Even with this discrepancy, the sleep sack is still significantly wider than my sleeping bag.
The rectangular shape of the sleep sack also means that if I use this inside my sleeping bag, there
will be a lot of excess fabric floating around. The fabric itself was much thinner than I expected, and has a nice smooth feel.
My other thoughts on first blush are that I'm not sure how useful are the side ties-not sure that I want to fumble around in the
dark trying to get these tied during the night. I'm also not sure how much I like the pillow pocket. I think it is too large to make
a pillow from stuffing it with clothes, since it would take more clothes than I typically bring to fill it up. Would I rather stick
my pillow underneath and put my head on the silk? I guess I'll find out during testing. Another thought I had when I examined the
sleep sack is that I hope I don't roll over onto the stuff sack-the clasp for the drawstring would be awfully uncomfortable to sleep
on! My last concern is a personal issue, in that I frequently like to stick my legs out the side of my sleeping bag if I'm feeling
warm at night. If I am bundled up in the sleep sack, I won't be able to do that. Of course, if I unzip my bag, the 34 in/86 cm
width of the sleep sack would probably give my legs plenty of play.
EXPECTATIONS for the Grand Trunk Silk Sleeping Sack:
This is a type of gear I have been eyeing for a while, so I'm glad that I will have the chance to evaluate one for
BackpackGearTest.org. The Grand Trunk version seems well made, so I'm interested to see how I like it on the trail,
both in the hot weather, where I may sleep in this on top of my sleeping bag, and in the cold, where I'll use them together.
THE STORY SO FAR
Impressive
- Lightweight
- Silk fabric seems like it will be very comfortable
- This thing is HUGE (haven't decided yet if this is impressive or a concern)
- Packs down to a small size
Concerns
- What will I do with all the extra fabric when I'm in my sleeping bag?
- I'm worried about sleeping with the clasp for the stuff sack in my back
Back to Top
FIELD REPORT
August 27, 2015
FIELD CONDITIONS
Over the past few months, I have taken the Grand Trunk silk sleep sack with me on 3 short trips:
- An overnight camping trip to Ohiopyle State Park, in Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania. Elevation 2,259 ft (689 m). It was 70 F / 21 C overnight.
- An 3-day/2-night 18 mile / 26 km hike on the Zaleski Backpacking Trail in McCarthur, Ohio. Elevations 750-1000 ft (230-305 m). HOT and humid with low temps 65 F / 18 C overnight with HIGH humidity.
- A 3-day/2-night 16 mile / 29 km hike on the Adventure Hiking Trail in Corydon, Indiana. Elevations: 450-850 ft (135-260 m). HOTTER and humid with an overnight low of 75 F / 24 C.
I also took the sleep sack with me on 1 long trip:
- A 11-day/10 night backpacking trip of 80 mi / 129 km in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains near Cimarron, New Mexico. Elevations 6500-11800 ft (1980-3600 m) . Temperatures with a low of 40 F / 4 C and high of 80 F/ 18 C.
Most nights it was between 50-60 F / 10-15 C.
FIELD EXPERIENCE
The first three trips on which I took the Grand Trunk sleep sack, it was too hot
to sleep in my sleeping bag. On each of those trips, I tried sleeping inside the
sleep sack, but I was just too hot. Even though the bag has a rectangular shape
and therefore provides more room for my legs, it still felt too constricting. Of
course, it was so hot and humid that I'm not sure anything would have been
comfortable. I ended up sleeping on top of the sleep sack on one of the weekend
trips. On the others, I just got too frustrated and pushed it over to the side of
my tent and slept on top of the sleeping bag.
On my trip to New Mexico, the weather was much cooler, making the sleep sack much
more usable. I slept in it about half the nights. Typically, my scheme was that I
would unzip the sleeping bag and get in the sleep sack on top of it. As it cooled
down overnight, I would stick my legs (already in the sleep sack) into the
sleeping bag, and sometimes zip it up around me. I did not fool around with the
ties on the sleep sack, as I always used it in the dark. I found the sleep sack
to be incredibly comfortable for sleeping. I enjoyed the feel of the soft silk on
my body-it is much nice than the nylon inside my sleeping bag. With a sleeping bag
rated at 20 F / -7 C, I'm not sure I really needed it for warmth, but I did feel
warmer on the nights when I used it. I didn't use it when I was sleeping outside the
tent, as shown below.
I also liked the ability to wrap myself in
the sleep sack inside my sleeping bag. I do the same with my sheets at home, so I
appreciated the ability to cocoon myself on the trail. I had wondered in my
Initial Report about discomfort from sleeping on the attached stuff sack, but this
was not a problem at all. I never even noticed it, and I did the like the ability
to stuff it quickly in the morning.
My major complaint with the sleep sack is that I found it rather tricky to get it
oriented in my sleeping bag when I took it out in the tent. There is not a lot of
room inside my backpacking tent, so I was usually trying to find the bottom of
the bag while lying on my side on my half of the tent. As the sack is a uniform
blue color, it is really difficult to get it laid out with the bottom by my feet
and the two halves of the top by my head. I got a little better at this the more
I used it, but it still usually took me a bit of time to get situated.
I have hand-washed the sleep sack twice now, and it dries quickly when hung. There is no notable wear that I can see.
FIELD IMPRESSIONS
To date, I have found the Grand Trunk Silk Sleep Sack to be a nice luxury on the
trail. With its low weight, I didn't mind carrying it for the added comfort it
provides. I also liked the warmth, although I haven't used it in conditions where
I really needed it.
Back to Top
LONG-TERM REPORT
November 8, 2015
FIELD CONDITIONS AND EXPERIENCE
Since returning from my big trip to New Mexico, my backpacking opportunities have been very limited. I took the
sleep sack with me on a conference overseas because I thought it would be a good refuge if I got stuck overnight in the
airport. Fortunately, there were no travel snafus, so the Grand Trunk sleep sack didn't make it out of my bag.
SUMMARY
Overall, I think the Grand Trunk Silk Sleep Sack is a nice piece of luxury gear for backpacking. It is easy to pack
and lightweight, but I don't think I will use it routinely on the trail if weight is at a premium. I found it too
warm when the weather was hot and sticky, and I found it difficult to sleep on top of it because it bunched up very
easily. On nights when I used my sleeping bag, I liked starting out in the sleep sack and crawling into the sleeping
bag sometime during the night. For my own tastes, I would have preferred opening only on one side, rather than the
ties on both sides, since I think that would have made it easier to use.
Things I liked about the Grand Trunk Silk Sleep Sack:
- Very comfy for sleeping
- Super easy to pack in its attached stuff sack
- Lightweight
- Added warmth to my sleeping bag
Things I disliked about the Grand Trunk Silk Sleep Sack:
- Difficult to orient the sleep sack when in my tent at night
- Didn't use the side ties at all
- Difficult to sleep on top of it because of sliding and bunching, at least when used with sleeping pad
Thanks to Grand Trunk for providing this item
for testing, and to BackpackGearTest.org for giving me the chance to participate in the
evaluation process.
-larry kirschner
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Read more reviews of Grand Trunk gear
Read more gear reviews by Larry Kirschner
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