New Sierra Designs DriDown Zissou 15

Sierra Designs launches new down-fill technology in DriDown™ with five sleeping bags at the 2012 Outdoor Retailer Winter Market trade show in Salt Lake City, UT January 18-22.

It’s cutting edge, and a vast improvement over regular down, DriDown™ features a molecular level polymer applied to individual down plumes during the down finishing process.

DriDown™ is a proprietary application method developed by Sierra Designs that ensures a hydrophobic finish.  As a result, DriDown™ stays dry seven times longer in the presence of rain, melting snow, or spills, maintains 98% loft after a night in a high humidity environment, and dries 33% faster when it does get wet for a dryer, warmer, more comfortable night’s sleep.

“Our inspiration for DriDown™ came from the need for higher performance down insulation,” said Sue Timbo, Sierra Designs marketing director.  “Due to its warmth to weight ratio, down is indisputably the best performing insulation available.  Its only downside is a loss of thermal efficiency as it becomes wet.  DriDown™ tolerates moisture far better than untreated down, improving the performance of down sleeping bags so everyone from pro athletes to family campers will sleep dryer, warmer, and more comfortably.”

Staying dry longer, lofting better, and drying faster, DriDown™ sleeping bags represent the evolution of down insulation technology, outperforming regular down sleeping bags in any given environment from arid deserts to humid costal locals to icy polar environments.  Sierra Designs is introducing five new sleeping bag styles, covering a wide range of backcountry conditions.

Sierra Designs’ DriDown™ sleeping bags include the Zissou 0 HI (3 lb, 1 oz; $299), Zissou 15 (2 lb, 11 oz; $259), Zissou 30 LITE (2 lb, 1 oz; $199), Eleanor 20 HI women’s (3 lb, 0 oz; $299) and Eleanor 30 LITE women’s (2 lb, 9 oz; $259).  All five bags feature 600 fill DriDown™, polyester ripstop shells, and polyester liners for an outstanding blend of performance, warmth, compressibility, and light weight.

DriDown™ sleeping bag retail availability is scheduled for June 1 exclusively through REI stores, Sierra Designs’

DriDown apparel debuts in August 2012. Women's Tov shown here.

first-to-market partner.  Look for Sierra Designs DriDown™ sleeping bags at other specialty outdoor retailers mid-July with DriDown™ apparel debuting in August 2012.

Sierra Designs DriDown™ FAQ sheet:

1.   What is DriDown™ by Sierra Designs and how does it work?

-          DriDown™ is natural down treated with a molecular level polymer applied using Sierra Designs’ proprietary method, creating a hydrophobic finish on individual down plumes.  This polymer enhances the down’s durability and structure.  DriDown™ stays dry longer, lofts better, and dries faster than regular down.

-          When wet, regular down plumes collapse, reducing loft and insulating efficiency.  DriDown™’s water tolerance far exceeds that of regular down, staying dry 7-times longer* in the presence of natural body moisture, humidity, rain and snow, offering superior loft and thermal efficiency for a warmer, more comfortable night’s sleep.

2.   Is DriDown™ waterproof?  Does is use a waterproof/breathable membrane?

-          The goal was not to create waterproof down, but rather down that would tolerate the presence of moisture, allowing it to outperform regular down in every weather condition.

-          Waterproof/breathable membranes are great for keeping moisture out, but they also keep a lot of body moisture in, reducing loft and warmth.  DriDown™ sleeping bags allow internal moisture to escape far more effectively, enhancing loft and warmth retention to outperform down bags with membranes.

-          DriDown™’s polymer coating helps keep external moisture from soaking into the insulation, staying dry 7-times longer than regular down.

3.   What are the advantages of DriDown™?

-          As regular down gets wet, it loses loft and therefore loses its ability to insulate.  DriDown™ helps eliminate this problem.  DriDown™ is the evolution of down insulation.

o   DriDown™ stays dry 7-times longer than regular down.*

o   DriDown™ retains 98% loft which can equate to a 15° temperature advantage.

o   DriDown™ dries 33% faster than regular down.

4.   Where did the inspiration come from?

-          DriDown™ was inspired by Sierra Designs’ commitment to innovation.  For its weight, down is indisputably the best performing insulation available… lighter, warmer, more compressible, and more durable than synthetic insulations.  Its only downside is a loss of thermal efficiency as it becomes wet.   Constantly looking for ways to improve the outdoor experience, Sierra Designs created DriDown™ to advance the benefits of regular down, enhancing its performance in a wider range of conditions and allowing anyone from pro athletes to family campers to stay warmer, dryer, and sleep more comfortably.

5.   How do you know it works so well?

-          We use ASTM-certified lofting tests, environmental chambers to simulate humid conditions, and tests to determine drying times.  Sierra Designs has also developed proprietary testing to evaluate DriDown™ performance in extreme conditions.  Field testing confirms it outperforms regular down in every situation.

6.   What is the down treated with?

-          DriDown™ uses a molecular level polymer coating applied through a proprietary method during the down finishing process to create a hydrophobic finish on individual down plumes. This polymer finish maintains down integrity and increases durability without adding additional discernable weight.

7.   Has this technology been used before?

-          Sierra Designs has developed a proprietary and exclusive process to adapt this tried and true technology specifically for use in outdoor products.  Staying true to a long history of ingenious solutions to backcountry challenges, DriDown™ by Sierra Designs represents the evolution of down insulation technology, giving the outdoor world the best-performing insulation yet.

* Results based on scientific laboratory bulk water absorption testing developed by Sierra Designs.

Sierra Designs Arrow Rock 30: Compact N’ Warm

In reviewing any significant piece of gear, we try not to assess any product from just one trip in the field. While evaluating the new 2010 Sierra Designs Arrow Rock 30 down sleeping bag, it was used for five backcountry trips. These trips were mostly backpacking hikes in the Sierra Nevada and San Bernardino mountain ranges of California, and the Gila National Forest of southwestern New Mexico.

Elevation for all of these trips ranged between 7,000 feet above sea level to more than 11,000 feet. Fall nighttime temperatures at these altitudes varied from lows of 40° F to less than 30°, where overnight frost would settle on the tents and forest floor.

The Arrow Rock 30 is a cool to moderately cold temperature sleeping back filled with 600-series down insulation. Sierra Designs rates this as a three-season sleeping bag, but it seams well suited for all seasons depending upon your shelter types and geographic region.

When the mercury dropped below 30° in high elevation conditions, there was never a sense of chill or lack of warmth. Most nights, my shelter was either a Hilleberg Kaitum 3 or a Kelty Foxhole 3 four-season tent that would provide a conservative 5° of warmth as I was the only human sole in these three-man tents. Some cool nights, I’d wiggle into the Arrow Rock 30 with my Mountain Khakis flannel-lined pants on simply because it was cold and windy outside — and there was no question I’d be scooting outside before sunrise to break down camp and fire up the MSR Reactor stove for coffee and oatmeal. So for folks who tend to sleep with pants and foundational torso insulation on, this Arrow Rock 30 can keep you warm well below its rating.

On nights where the temperature did not drop into the low-40’s or mid-30’s, the Arrow Rock is a roaster! There were several nights where I’d heat up in the middle of the night and zip the sleeping bag open almost the full length of the Large (for people taller than 6-foot), and just use it as a quilt since the temperature was too cold to lay on top of the bag.

For this reason, and speaking for myself, this is an ideal sleeping bag for so many kinds of high-elevation or cool weather scenarios, since I could merely adjust my sleeping arrangement depending on the overnight temperatures. However, my confidence for staying warm was never shaken regardless of how cold it got under the conditions I used the Arrow Rock 30 for. This is just one of several primary qualities I valued about the Arrow Rock 30; it kept me warm in the fall, at upper elevations.

A chest pocket is built in for your wallet and keys at night. The left-hand side zipper is sturdy and non-binding. Upper torso and hood offer lots of room to toss and turn.

It made no difference to my perspective that 600-series down fill is used in this sleeping bag rather than the commonly regarded superior insulation capabilities of 750-to-850 premium down fills that might have been considered for this sleeping bag. The initial price (MSRP $219.00 U.S.) of the sleeping bag would have been much greater if the higher-order down fills where used. But there’s an even more rational reason for using 600-series down insulation for the Arrow Rock 30…you don’t need any more insulation than the 600 fill provides.

Another instantly recognized quality this down sleeping bag manifested soon as it was pulled out of the stuff sack was the lofting capability. Regardless of how long the sleeping bag was packed away on a trip, within a few minutes of setting up the tent and unfurling the Arrow Rock 30, the down insulation would loft-up to its full “puff.” That right there tells me, the bag is worthy of keeping me warm. The baffle-technology and the overall bag construction are design details that vary from bag to bag, and manufacturer to manufacturer. But if your down insulated sleeping bag can’t loft up within minutes of taking it out of the stuff sack, it’s a bad omen for warmth, and a confidence crusher for quality of the down fill.

As a person who weighs more than 200 pounds and stands more than six-feet tall, the Sierra Designs trademarked technology called “Flex” allowed me to curl-up or stretch out in a myriad of ways without the sleeping bag binding me in. Flex allows the bag outer shell and liner material to move with the sleeper by eliminating constriction and forming to the body when lying still, thereby continuously providing warmth and maximum insulation. With it’s “mummy” style shape, the Arrow Rock 30 never presented the sense of claustrophobic restriction traditional mummy-style sleeping bags are sometimes known for.

Housed in its stuff sack, the SD Arrow Rock 30 fit easily into the sleeping bag section of the Lowe-Alpine TFX Cerro Torre 65:85 backpack along with the new Therm-A-Rest NeoAir sleeping pad.

Just as valuable a consideration when observing the qualities the Arrow Rock 30 offered was the pack size and weight of the sleeping bag. Mercy! Since many modern backpacks include a bottom compartment just for the sleeping bag, the Arrow Rock 30 simply rocks. No kidding here. Backpacks such as the Lowe/Alpine TFX Cerro Torre 65:85 and the more traditional Kelty Trekker external-frame pack accommodated the Arrow Rock 30 (in its stuff sack) with enough additional room for the NeoAir sleeping pad, two pairs of gloves, and a Gerber short-handled camp ax. At 2lbs, 9 ounces, the size and weight of this sleeping bag in its compact form is, perhaps, the coolest single thing about the Arrow Rock 30 if you take the warmth out of the equation.

While living with the SD Arrow Rock 30 on backpacking trips, the sleeping pad that was used is the new Therm-A-Rest NeoAir. This combination of sleeping bag and sleeping pad could not have worked out better. One of the features modern down sleeping bags tend to provide are retaining straps on the underside of the sleeping bag, and the Arrow Rock 30 accommodated the Neo-Air sleeping bag as if the two were designed by the same product planning team. The Arrow Rock 30 retaining straps kept the Neo-Air sleeping pad under the bag throughout the nights, and there was never an issue with having something between my body and the floor of the tent.

In writing third-party product reviews, our experience in the past 25 years has taught us that readers don’t need to necessarily want to know the technical engineering details of a product so much as they want to know if it worked, and whether there are any significant weaknesses they should consider in making a purchase decision. With the Arrow Rock 30, the overall impression is that this is a sleeping bag I’d take on any trip whether it be backpacking, four-wheel drive camping, horse back trip, or foreign travel. There were no significant drawbacks I would have you consider. So there you have it on the Sierra Designs Arrow Rock 30.

Review and photos by Rick Shandley

Specs:

Men’s Long
Price Point: MSRP $219.00
Temperature Rating / 30 F/ -1 C
Trail Weight: 2 lbs 9 oz
Zipper Side: Left
Stuff Size: 7″ x 17″
Insulation: 600-Fill Goose Down
Shell Material: 30D Polyester
Liner Material: 40D Polyester

Features:
Chest Pocket
Continuous Baffle Construction
Flex Technology
Tuck Stitch

SD BTU Parka: Serious warmth for wicked cold!

Sierra Designs cuts to the chase in severe weather with the BTU parka. We had the BTU out in icy-cold weather on several trips requiring the outer layer of insulation to not only provide warmth, but a primary barrier to piercing wind-chill, driving snow, freezing rain, and designed for maximum mobility.

These aren’t easy characteristics to build into a mountaineering jacket, yet these qualities make the Sierra Designs BTU jacket their top level performance parka for several reasons we experienced that makes this parka one of our future go-to pieces of cold weather gear.

For starters, the Sierra Designs BTU parka is aesthetically pleasing and non-puffy. Oh, the puff factor is there, but it’s contained on the interior of the parka. It can be worn in the harshest ice-laden, wind-crazy conditions whether you are in the backcountry or a more civilized environment. The weatherproof outer fabric is not only tear resistant, but it has that aesthetic thing going for it; it looks good in our perspective.

Brother Bernard burrows into the SD BTU on a 20-degree day at 7,000 feet elevation.

Now, we wouldn’t give a second thought to wearing the BTU parka into the main lobby of The Peaks Resort in Telluride, Colorado during a blizzard or a crystal clear 0° day. You can wear it anywhere, on any freezing day, in any city, country, or winter playground around the world. And to think it was designed for extreme mountaineering work is just another feather in the cap. It’s a serious cold weather alpine jacket, but it is not limited to the place it is worn. That’s what is cool about this jacket.

And the BTU outer shell is completely waterproof and breathable because of the Tropozone technology used in the fabric.  Insulation next to the body is comprised of 800-fill goose down that generates warmth when you are not active, but with enough ventilation options built into the parka to manage the heat when burning calories during mountaineering, or any cold-weather activity. This is not a parka you can easily stuff into a stuff sack for backpacking; it’s a little more purposely built to be the primary insulation for a day of crampons and ice axin’. It’s a heat source, no doubt, and it may be too warm for some activities. But realize this: even when your core heats up to the point you’ll slip out of the BTU for a couple minutes or longer, you know it is “the” safety zone when your body chills down and becomes affected by the true low temperatures you are operating in. We didn’t see less than five degrees below zero, but this parka is certainly good for much colder temps than we experienced.

BTU is generously cut and designed to allow under-layering apparel to be worn with complete mobility of the arms and upper torso. A shorter-cut hem allows the mountaineer to wear climbing gear, pack, or harness without the jacket hanging up below the hip belt or web gear. Storm closures permit you to seal out snow or cold air intrusion from the parka’s hemline. These adjustments are also found at waist level.

BTU's down insulated hood is fully adjustable and roomy enough for wearing optional headgear.

Enough room is built into the insulated parka hood so you can wear a climbing helmet, or headgear used for a myriad of activities such as search and rescue, law enforcement, or highway maintenance. The down-insulated hood is totally adjustable from the top-rear of the hood and at each side of the face. Enough fabric is built in to the transition between your neck and your chin to snuggle into the warmth chamber without interfering with your forward vision.

We wish more upper arm, zippered pockets were designed into all cold weather jackets. The BTU features a good-sized, absolutely weatherproof,  pocket on the upper left arm of jacket, easily reachable with the right hand for stored items like yo’ money or compass.  It would be a nice touch to offer the BTU for us left-handed folks, but they are still a welcome feature nonetheless.

A larger zipped pocket on the upper left side chest area is handy for storing your gloves when working with bare hands. Two zippered, and flannel-lined, hand warmer pockets are large enough to accommodate your paws with or without gloves on. On the interior of the BTU parka, deep storage pockets facilitate larger items like water bottles or whiskey flasks kept close to body heat. An upper left interior pocket with zipper closure secures your valuables. The BTU parka’s primary torso zipper worked flawlessly, even in the dark. That is huge for us. Full length Velcro-secured closures provide storm-welt sealing over the primary torso zipper, and we couldn’t ask for more from a parka. Same goes for the Velcro closures on the wrist cuffs aided by elastic in the cuff ends. All the adjustable draw cords at the parka hem, waist, hood, and neck areas allowed us to tailor ventilation and fit.

While the Sierra Designs BTU parka is available in Black, Brick/Granite as color options, ours is the Vine/Granite color scheme. We found the green and grey color to be very sociable when wearing the BTU for everyday winter warmth. Some cold-weather parkas are so bright and scream “look at me” or “find me quick,” that they are less appropriate for blowing into an office building during a snow storm in the course of a business day. For all the warmth and ruggedness the BTU parka delivers in a mountaineering environment, those same qualities play very well for wearing it to the office on any winter day. The warmth is guaranteed whilst the styling is practical and subtly always in style.

SD BTU with backpack for the night hike.

Overall, this SD BTU parka meets every feature/benefit the manufacturer claims with regard to performance and warmth. Yes, we can recommend the Sierra Design BTU Parka. How they kept the initial investment to less than a grand while insulating with 800-fill goose down, we may never know. Many strategic manufacturing and business decisions are limited to the trade off in quality components vs. cost to build at a reasonable expectation of return. All we can deduce is that Sierra Designs has achieved economy of scale and design in a parka that actually gives the wearer an expectation of safety and confidence in killer cold conditions.

Review and photography by Rick Shandley

Specifications:

Sizes: S, M, L, XL, XXL

MSRP: $299.00

Colors: Vine/Granite, Brick/Granite, Black

Gear Source List:

• Sierra Designs BTU Jacket
• Lowe-Alpine Cerro Torre 65:85 backpack
• Kelty Foraker -15 Down Sleeping Bag
• Merrell Outbound backpacking boots
• Mt. Khakis Original Alpine pants
• Timex WS4 Expedition Watch

When you’re backpacking in cold and high-altitude, you need a stove that can light easily and get  hot quickly. The MSR Reactor stove does both quite effectively.  First, it’s easy to light while you’re wearing gloves and the stove’s radiant burner glows hot, indicating it’s ready to be used.

The stove features a heat exchanger that allows it to work in windy conditions and also makes the Reactor Stove very efficient. When used with MSR’s ISOPRO fuel, which contains and 80/20 percent blend of isobutane and propane, the Reactor Stove burns extraordinarily clean.

The MSR Reactor stove weighs over 1lbs. but is compact and easy to opeate, even if you're wearing thick gloves.

But if you’re into super lightweight packing, the Reactor may be one of the heaviest pieces of gear in your pack. It weighs in at 1lbs. 2.2 ounces which is much heavier than other ultra-light stoves that can weigh anywhere from 3 to 11 ounces. Yet, if you’re willing to put up with the extra weight, you’ll find that the Reactor is still very compact and stows inside a 1.7 liter pot, which can handle most of your individual cooking needs. In our experience, we didn’t need much else other than a spoon and fork.

MSR claims that the Reactor stove heats quickly. Our experience with the stove allowed us to boil a liter of water in less than two minutes at low elevations, and at slightly less than three minutes at higher altitudes. When lit, we found that it takes several tries to get the flame adjuster in the right positon to provide a medium level of heat for simmering.

While we liked the Reactor stove’s function, cleanliness and efficiency, we didn’t like that  you couldn’t use any other type of pot or pan on it. One might argue that the Reactor is not a base-camp stove and is designed for experienced backpackers and mountaineers. But the reality is that many of us like to fry up the day’s catch from high-country streams. 

Because of this, we found ourselves limited to only packing soups, stews and whatever we could make with boiled water on our trips. Not a total tragedy by any means, but these backpackers missed their morning pancakes.

The MSR Reactor stove retails around $160 which may seem a little high, but considering that it comes with a pot, lid, pack towel and fuel canister, it’s probably everything you’ll ever need in a backpacking stove.

www.MSRGear.com

By Dan Sanchez

The MSR Reactor stove stores in its 1.7 liter pot. The only disadvantage is that you can't use it with any other type of pan.

SD Arrow Rock 45º Down Warm Weather Sleeping Bag 

 Big on comfort and light on weight, the Sierra Designs Arrow Rock 45 is the hot ticket for warm weather backpackers. Weighing in at just 2-pounds, 2-ounces, the Arrow Rock is built with Sierra Designs’ Flex construction, allowing the bag to move with you while you sleep. This eliminates dead airspace to help keep you warm.

Arrow Rock’s 600-fill goose down is light, warm, and super compressible. In fact, this bag stuffs down to a real packable 7-inch by 17-inch stuff sack, which makes it perfect for slipping into a sleeping bag compartment in your pack or nestled in amongst your gear in the main pack compartment. A full-length zipper regulates temperature while a zippered chest pockets keeps your valuables close at hand.

We’ll be doing a product review on the Sierra Designs Arrow Rock 45 in coming weeks.  As the weather chills down towards Fall and Winter, it’s our intention to use this bag along with additional insulation such as tent, clothes, jacket, etc. to learn how far into the seasons we can be comfortable in it.

Arrow Rock 45 specs

Weight: 2 pounds, 2 ounces
Fits: up to 6′
Fill Material: 600-fill goose down
Shell Material: Polyester
Price Point: $189

Sierra Designs Lightning XT 4-person tent.

Thanks to sweepstakes partners Visit Wales and Virgin Atlantic Airways, Sierra Designs is sending one lucky winner and a friend to Wales for a week of exploring the beautiful and expansive Welsh countryside.  The trip will include airfare, hotel stays at the beginning and end of the trip, Sierra Designs gear, and BritRail passes for custom travel throughout Wales.

Wales, a land of historic castles (641 at last count), green pastures, and endless coastline is an outdoor enthusiast’s dream come true with abundant opportunities for hiking, biking, trekking, climbing, camping, caving, and that uniquely Welsh adventure, coasteering.

“One month into our Wales Adventure Sweepstakes and we’re already seeing hundreds of people entering to win,” said Kenny Ballard, president of Sierra Designs. “A trip like this really resonates with an outdoor community eager for new experiences and exciting adventures.  Including the award-winning Lighting XT 4 and a variety of other Sierra Designs gear certainly helps to draw attention.”

Included in the grand prize package is a Sierra Designs Lighting XT 4 Tent, two award-winning Verde 20 sleeping bags and two sets of legendary waterproof hiking gear:  the Cyclone Eco Jackets & Pants. This prize package also includes round-trip airfare for two on Virgin Atlantic Airways, two nights lodging in a luxury yurt at the Graig Wen resort, a BritRail FlexiPass for transportation around Wales and to Snowdonia National Park, and two nights at Escape, a five-star boutique bed and breakfast, prior to flying home.  

The sweepstakes is running through September 30, 2009, and the winner will be notified.  For a complete description of the prizes as well as sweepstakes terms & conditions, go to:

 http://www.travelwales.org/server.php?show=ConWebDoc.10346. 

About Wales:

Wales is a country about the size of Massachusetts: 200 miles long and 70 miles across at its widest point.  Wales and England and Scotland are the 3 distinct countries that make up the island of Britain. Wales is “a peninsula on the western flank of England, facing Ireland,” as writer Jan Morris aptly says.  The people of Wales are called Welsh and many still speak the ancient Welsh language (as well as English). Wales is the host nation for golf’s Ryder Cup competition in 2010, the sporting world’s third-most watched event.  The Ryder Cup will be played at the Celtic Manor Resort near Newport, Wales in October 2010.