starnescr@yahoo.com [backpackgeartesters]
2014-06-27 04:46:49 UTC
Hi David, due to not having the bag in hand this is real late. Having said that, it is a nice alternative to a traditional sleeping bag. Comments and edits welcome.
LTR Selkbag Patagon Coy Boy - Backpackgeartest.org http://www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews/test/TESTS/LTR%20Selkbag%20Patagon%20Coy%20Boy/
http://www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews/test/TESTS/LTR%20Selkbag%20Patagon%20Coy%20Boy/
LTR Selkbag Patagon Coy Boy - Backpackgeartest.org http://www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews/test/TESTS/LTR%20Selkbag%20Patagon%20Coy%20Boy/ Reviews > test > TESTS > LTR Selkbag Patagon Coy Boy Selk'bag Patagon Test series by Coy Starnes Initial Report: October 12, 2013 Field ...
View on www.backpackgeart... http://www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews/test/TESTS/LTR%20Selkbag%20Patagon%20Coy%20Boy/
Preview by Yahoo
Long Term Report: June 26, 2014
Author inside the Patagon
Testing Locations and Conditions
I have only used the Patagon for one overnighter since my field report. This was on June 24th. Temperatures ranged from 75 F (24 C) down to 64 F (18 C). It rained off and on all night. I was camped along side a nearby trail in some woods near my home. It was humid but there was enough breeze that it actually felt pretty good. Here is a short video I took right before packing up and heading home. (link)
Long Term Test Results
I mentioned in my field report that I was debating sending the bag back to have the long (front right side zipper) repaired. I decided to go ahead and sent it in on March 29th 2014. Unfortunately, a mixup delayed the process and I did not get a bag back for 10 weeks. The good news is, I received a new bag and all the zippers in it work perfectly. The bad news is, temperatures have steadily climbed so that by the time I got a replacement bag it was too warm to really test it. Of course to be fair, the Patagon is not a summer bag, there are other Selk'bags more suited for warm temperatures.
On my overnight hike I waited until late afternoon before heading out. It had come a thunderstorm shortly before I left the house and it had cooled things down to around 75 F (24 C), which felt pretty good compared to the high of 90 F earlier in the day. I hiked for about an hour and by the time I reached my campsite it was 73 F (23 C). After setting up camp I turned in for awhile wearing just my hiking clothes which consisted of socks, gym shorts and a tee shirt. I decided to forgo putting my pad in its slot under my double bottom hammock but did place the Patagon inside and sort of slept on top of it. I woke up around midnight feeling slightly chilly so decided to put the Patagon on. I did not even try to put it on while lying in my hammock but it was no trouble to get out and suit up stand right beside it, well except for the fact that I was trying to keep my socks dry by keeping one foot inside my camp shoes while inserting the first leg and then doing the same while I did the other leg. I had taken the booties off the sleeping bag before even packing my pack because I had already confirmed just a few weeks earlier that just socks would be fine in the temperatures I was experiencing overnight. Anyways, I manged to get suited up without much trouble. While standing I zipped up the chest zippers and they worked just fine, however, it was too warm to leave them up so I opened both fully. I also unzipped the vents along side the knees as far as they would go and wished they would have opened further. I then laid back down and went to sleep pretty quickly. I woke up to the sound of rain a couple of times during the night and had to get up to pee at 4 AM. It was now down to 65 F (18 C) and did not cool down anymore. After that I slept until around 6:30 AM (well past daylight) which is unusual for me. I was warmer than I would have preferred inside the bag but apperantly not so warm that I could not sleep soundly. I noticed my shorts and t-shirt were slightly damp but I was not sweating enough to really notice. After I packed up and hiked home I did lay the Patagon out on my deck for a couple of hours before storing it away. I don't see using it anymore for the rest of the summer.
I used my High Sierra Dyno 65 + 10 L (4577 cu in) pack on this overnighter. It is a fairly heavy pack but carries very well and I use it a lot on short trips close to home, kind of like a a beater pack. I mention the size because it is really what I consider a winter sized pack. Anyways, the Selk'bag Patagon fills it up nicely. Between it, my pad which I did pack but didn't use, and my hammock, I had just enough room for my other necessities and a few snacks. In other words, this is a bulky sleeping bag. The good thing is, it is too warm for most of my summer trips so I will use lighter and more compact options. However, using the Patagon has pretty much ruined my appetite for using any type of traditional sleeping bag with a hammock. Fortunately, during the time the Patagon was in for repair and ultimately replaced, I discovered a good combination of light and compact wearable clothes that worked great during some pretty cool conditions, namely some cheap insulated ski pants and a light down jacket along with some winter type gloves, hat and some old synthetic booties I had purchased a few years ago. But back to my recent hike. Here is my backpack before setting up camp for the night.
pic of my backpack loaded with gear.
I really can't comment on the long term durability of the replacement bag I received. I can say that the zipper that was giving me trouble on the original bag I had was faulty from the beginning and none of the other zippers ever gave me any problems. I say that to say this, Selk'bag did not manufacture the zipper that I had issues with. It is unfortunate that a bad zipper slipped through quality control but it is also possible it worked fine initially and the problem showed up when I worked it my first time. Either way, the product itself (the bag) does appear to be very well made. I am also pleased at how they stood behind the product by sending me a new bag. I would have been just as happy if they had just repaired my original bag.
Final Thoughts
The Selk'bag Patagon is a viably option for anyone wishing to escape the confines of a traditional mummy bag. For a hammock user such as myself it really does make a big difference in how much I enjoy being out in the woods. One unexpected benefit was being able to get up and pee during the night and not get cold. I also found that by adding a few layers inside the bag I was able to withstand temperatures as cool as 26 F (3 C). I actually think I could take it much colder than that by using my recently acquired ski pants. On possible improvement would be to make a down version rated for similar temperatures. Such a bag should be lighter and more compact which would be nice when weight and space are a major concern. As it stands, I will use the Patagon on shorter trips or when I'm not having to tote it on my back. I also plan to continue to carry it in my truck in the winter as an emergency bag for the off chance that I get stranded
This concludes my testing of the Selk'bag Patagon. I would like to thank Selk'bag (MusucHouse Ltda) and BackpackGearTest.org for this test opportunity.
LTR Selkbag Patagon Coy Boy - Backpackgeartest.org http://www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews/test/TESTS/LTR%20Selkbag%20Patagon%20Coy%20Boy/
http://www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews/test/TESTS/LTR%20Selkbag%20Patagon%20Coy%20Boy/
LTR Selkbag Patagon Coy Boy - Backpackgeartest.org http://www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews/test/TESTS/LTR%20Selkbag%20Patagon%20Coy%20Boy/ Reviews > test > TESTS > LTR Selkbag Patagon Coy Boy Selk'bag Patagon Test series by Coy Starnes Initial Report: October 12, 2013 Field ...
View on www.backpackgeart... http://www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews/test/TESTS/LTR%20Selkbag%20Patagon%20Coy%20Boy/
Preview by Yahoo
Long Term Report: June 26, 2014
Author inside the Patagon
Testing Locations and Conditions
I have only used the Patagon for one overnighter since my field report. This was on June 24th. Temperatures ranged from 75 F (24 C) down to 64 F (18 C). It rained off and on all night. I was camped along side a nearby trail in some woods near my home. It was humid but there was enough breeze that it actually felt pretty good. Here is a short video I took right before packing up and heading home. (link)
Long Term Test Results
I mentioned in my field report that I was debating sending the bag back to have the long (front right side zipper) repaired. I decided to go ahead and sent it in on March 29th 2014. Unfortunately, a mixup delayed the process and I did not get a bag back for 10 weeks. The good news is, I received a new bag and all the zippers in it work perfectly. The bad news is, temperatures have steadily climbed so that by the time I got a replacement bag it was too warm to really test it. Of course to be fair, the Patagon is not a summer bag, there are other Selk'bags more suited for warm temperatures.
On my overnight hike I waited until late afternoon before heading out. It had come a thunderstorm shortly before I left the house and it had cooled things down to around 75 F (24 C), which felt pretty good compared to the high of 90 F earlier in the day. I hiked for about an hour and by the time I reached my campsite it was 73 F (23 C). After setting up camp I turned in for awhile wearing just my hiking clothes which consisted of socks, gym shorts and a tee shirt. I decided to forgo putting my pad in its slot under my double bottom hammock but did place the Patagon inside and sort of slept on top of it. I woke up around midnight feeling slightly chilly so decided to put the Patagon on. I did not even try to put it on while lying in my hammock but it was no trouble to get out and suit up stand right beside it, well except for the fact that I was trying to keep my socks dry by keeping one foot inside my camp shoes while inserting the first leg and then doing the same while I did the other leg. I had taken the booties off the sleeping bag before even packing my pack because I had already confirmed just a few weeks earlier that just socks would be fine in the temperatures I was experiencing overnight. Anyways, I manged to get suited up without much trouble. While standing I zipped up the chest zippers and they worked just fine, however, it was too warm to leave them up so I opened both fully. I also unzipped the vents along side the knees as far as they would go and wished they would have opened further. I then laid back down and went to sleep pretty quickly. I woke up to the sound of rain a couple of times during the night and had to get up to pee at 4 AM. It was now down to 65 F (18 C) and did not cool down anymore. After that I slept until around 6:30 AM (well past daylight) which is unusual for me. I was warmer than I would have preferred inside the bag but apperantly not so warm that I could not sleep soundly. I noticed my shorts and t-shirt were slightly damp but I was not sweating enough to really notice. After I packed up and hiked home I did lay the Patagon out on my deck for a couple of hours before storing it away. I don't see using it anymore for the rest of the summer.
I used my High Sierra Dyno 65 + 10 L (4577 cu in) pack on this overnighter. It is a fairly heavy pack but carries very well and I use it a lot on short trips close to home, kind of like a a beater pack. I mention the size because it is really what I consider a winter sized pack. Anyways, the Selk'bag Patagon fills it up nicely. Between it, my pad which I did pack but didn't use, and my hammock, I had just enough room for my other necessities and a few snacks. In other words, this is a bulky sleeping bag. The good thing is, it is too warm for most of my summer trips so I will use lighter and more compact options. However, using the Patagon has pretty much ruined my appetite for using any type of traditional sleeping bag with a hammock. Fortunately, during the time the Patagon was in for repair and ultimately replaced, I discovered a good combination of light and compact wearable clothes that worked great during some pretty cool conditions, namely some cheap insulated ski pants and a light down jacket along with some winter type gloves, hat and some old synthetic booties I had purchased a few years ago. But back to my recent hike. Here is my backpack before setting up camp for the night.
pic of my backpack loaded with gear.
I really can't comment on the long term durability of the replacement bag I received. I can say that the zipper that was giving me trouble on the original bag I had was faulty from the beginning and none of the other zippers ever gave me any problems. I say that to say this, Selk'bag did not manufacture the zipper that I had issues with. It is unfortunate that a bad zipper slipped through quality control but it is also possible it worked fine initially and the problem showed up when I worked it my first time. Either way, the product itself (the bag) does appear to be very well made. I am also pleased at how they stood behind the product by sending me a new bag. I would have been just as happy if they had just repaired my original bag.
Final Thoughts
The Selk'bag Patagon is a viably option for anyone wishing to escape the confines of a traditional mummy bag. For a hammock user such as myself it really does make a big difference in how much I enjoy being out in the woods. One unexpected benefit was being able to get up and pee during the night and not get cold. I also found that by adding a few layers inside the bag I was able to withstand temperatures as cool as 26 F (3 C). I actually think I could take it much colder than that by using my recently acquired ski pants. On possible improvement would be to make a down version rated for similar temperatures. Such a bag should be lighter and more compact which would be nice when weight and space are a major concern. As it stands, I will use the Patagon on shorter trips or when I'm not having to tote it on my back. I also plan to continue to carry it in my truck in the winter as an emergency bag for the off chance that I get stranded
This concludes my testing of the Selk'bag Patagon. I would like to thank Selk'bag (MusucHouse Ltda) and BackpackGearTest.org for this test opportunity.