I’m alive!
With all the snow and wind, I decided it was time to break out the 4 season tent: Stone Glacier’s new (last year) Skyscraper (Josh Boyd’s full review on that Tent is due out this week).
I used this tent a lot last year (early season) and wanted to give it a true cold weather run. I didn’t get home from work until after 7 last night. I pulled down the Cimarron and laid out the Skyscraper in its foot print. The wind was gusting to 15 making it a challenge. I’ve got the set up down to less than 10 minutes now, including fly
I put my E-kot, pad, and bag in with room to spare
With temps forecasted to the bag’s limit of 15, I donned my final layer that I’d have on a hunt: my First Lite Obsidians. As I said above, I use my clothes I’m bringing anyway to drop the bag’s temp rating and save bag weight.
I climbed in bed at 11:00 to gusting winds and temps in low 20s.
There is a collar inside the bag that serves two functions:
1) seal out drafts
2) insulate your neck
It has magnet closures. They work well BUT take some practice to operate as you’re deep in the bag and have to feel around to find them. Not sure how to remedy that.
Once I clipped the magnets together, I fell asleep.
I must’ve been warm because I never woke until 4:30am when I had to take a leak.
Back in the sack, I slept until 6:30, still warm. If I’m gonna get cold, it’s usually my feet but they were fine. In my sleep, I’d wrapped my feet tighter in the foot box to reduce unneeded airspace.
Back in the house, I checked the temp and it was right at the bags rating
Pretty happy with this bag! Especially considering what happened with the tent collapse on night two and that I was able to dry the bag with nothing but what I’d have on the mountain. The bag has spent the last 5 nights out there in very wet and now very winter conditions
As far as the layers I wore to get to 15, this is exactly the technique I’d use in the mountains with these temps: wear my clothes to bed. Had I not and only wore “standard” layers as sleeping bag test rating systems require, I’m not sure I could have gone below 20 degrees. However with my clothes, I hit 15 and had room to spare. I’d estimate I could go to upper single digit temps. Because we all sleep differently, your results may vary.
On pack-ability, I’m no expert in class, but looks great against my size 10 pac boot
Weight shown is with the scale zeroed when 7.2 oz compression sack was weighed, so only actual weight of bag is shown: 2lbs 4ozs.
As long as production bags meet or beat this prototype bag, I’m giving this new bag a thumbs up for hunting down into the teens, as long as you have some baselayers or pants/jacket and beanie along, most everyone should be fine
Pack size and weight are great. Can’t comment on durability but even this prototype had only two escaped feathers. 2/3 zip works well too.
The bag’s ability to recover from a soaking was quite the surprise and gives me great confidence in taking advantage of all that Stone Glacier's down fill offers for a backcounty hunter.
to hunters.
