Reviews > Sleep Gear > Summer Bags and Liners > Marmot Trails > Owner Review by Karin Claus

Name: Karin Claus
Age: 44
Gender: Female
Height: 5 ft - 6 in (167 cm)
Weight: 120 lb (54 kg)
Email address: KarinClaus@yahoo.com 
Region: Evergreen, CO USA
Date: March 9, 2004

Backpacking Background:
I live and play in the Colorado Rockies.  I have section hiked the entire Colorado Trail.  I through-hiked the Appalachian Trail solo in '02.  I plan on through-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in '04 with my husband.  I have been backpacking and bike touring for the past twenty years.  I have climbed 38 of Colorado's highest peaks.  I enjoy getting out in the woods almost every weekend.

I learned the value of lighter-weight hiking while through-hiking the AT. I was exposed to a lot of different equipment; and am thoroughly enjoying updating my gear to a lighter weight style of packing. I am building up my comfort level with alternates to tent camping. I now use a hammock, tarp, a bivy, or just sleep under the stars.

Product Information:
Manufactured by:  Marmot
Manufactured Date: 2002
Manufacturer URL: www.marmot.com

Specifications:
Listed Weight of bag: 1 lb 3 oz (540 g)
Actual Weight of Bag: 1 lb 3 oz (540 g)
Listed Weight of  Stuff Sack:  none
Actual Weight of  Stuff Sack:  1.25 oz (35 g)
Total Weight:  1 lb 4.25 oz. (575 g)
Year of Manufacture: 2002
Listed Girth: none
Actual Girth: 56 inches (142 cm)
Length: 6 ft (183 cm)
Temperature Rating: None
Zipper:  Left Hand, full length, two way
Size: Regular 
Small Stash pocket with Velcro closure
Elastic draw cord at top

Product Description:   
Even when the weather is extremely warm, I still like to snuggle up inside a sleeping bag at night.  The Marmot Trails bag is a rectangular summer bag.  It is not rated.  It is made of synthetic material.  It does not have any filling.  It unzips completely to allow opening flat for a blanket. It packs into a stuff sack that is 12 in (30 cm) long.  It packs very small.  The circumference of the stuff sack is 16 in (41 cm).  The bag virtually disappears into my backpack. When not camping, I leave the bag stored in the stuff sack, since compression will not adversely affect the bag.  There is no hood on this bag.  The zipper is a two way zipper, so it can be left unzipped at the foot.

I bought the Marmot Trails bag while through-hiking the Appalachian Trail.  Summer had arrived, and the temperature was rising.  I slept in this bag for a couple of months on the Appalachian Trail.  I still use it every once in a while.  In the summer at home, I sleep with a down comforter on my bed all summer.  So, I don't have much use for this in my cold climate.  I do take it with when I am traveling.  I have slept in this bag for approximately 70 nights.

Fabric:
The outer shell is nylon, the lining is a soft Micro DriClime (R) fabric. There is no filling.  The outer shell  is dark gray with light gray and red stripes.  The lining is light gray. The outer shell feels smooth, the lining feels soft and luxurious.


Temperature:
The Marmot Trails bag does not have a rated comfort range.  I have used to from about 40 degrees F (22 C) to well over 100 degrees F (56 C).  I feel that it is only good when the temperature is down right hot.  I was comfortable every night except one in this bag.  I had one exceptionally cold night, where I got extremely cold, so I decided to walk to warm myself up.  I packed up at 3:00 AM and walked till 9:00.  I then cooked breakfast and had a nap in the warm sun.  Even with this inconvenience, I was still glad that I was carrying a light summer bag.

Size:
The size of the Marmot Trails bag is perfect for me.  When laying in the bag, I can pull the bag all the way up to my nose.  The width is fine with plenty of room to spare.

Features:
There are two hanging loops at the foot of the bag. 

There is a small stash pocket hidden in the seam of the bag.  The stash pocket closes with Velcro.  I have never stored anything in this pocket.

The zipper is a two-way zipper, so one can unzip the zipper at the bottom and let one's feet receive ventilation.  There is no fabric lap over the zipper, so there is nothing for the zipper to snag on.

There is a drawstring cord at the head of the bag.

Washing:
In the summer, the malodors wafting from my body and into my sleeping bag are not pleasant.  High temperatures and lots of sweating produce this undesired effect.  The Marmot Trails bag is machine washable.  The directions for cleaning are to machine wash warm and to tumble dry.

Since this bag does not have any loft - the loft does not get destroyed by washing.  I really enjoy throwing this bag in the wash.  I always worry about washing my other sleeping bags, because I'm sure washing will destroy some of the loft. Washing also gets rid of those annoying little drool spots.

Durability:
My bag still looks like new.  There has been no pilling or fraying.  

 Summary:
 I love this bag. It packs small, is lightweight and is enjoyable to sleep in.  There is nothing I would change about this bag.

Reviews > Sleep Gear > Summer Bags and Liners > Marmot Trails > Owner Review by Karin Claus