Toasty tootsies at last
Written: Sep 16 '04 (Updated Sep 28 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Warm and light
Cons: Cost; down is not warm when wet
The Bottom Line: This is a nice bag.
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| rebeccad's Full Review: Mountain Hardwear Phantom 15D |
In my desperate effort this summer to lose weight and bulk, I not only got a new pack, but a new sleeping bag. Well, the former sorta made the latter necessary, as the old behemoth wouldn't fit in the new, trim pack. Remembering a series of none-too-warm bags in my past, I set off to REI with a short wish-list: a 15-degree bag weighing in the 2-pound range. I sleep like the dead (ice cold, that is), so I needed something good.
Enter the Phantom 15
My choice was fairly limited, even if I hadn't wanted to buy at REI (to take advantage of a 20% discount coupon), so I can't say that I truly compared this bag with every bag on the market. Still, I did a lot of on-line searching, and the Phantom 15 was on my short list.
Official specs:
* 15-degree bag
* 1 lb, 15 oz (more on this later)
* 800-fill goose down
* nylon shell
* comes in 3 lengths, though not at REI
* 3/4-length 2-way zipper
* velcro tabs at zipper top
* drawstring hood and internal draft collar
* comes with stuff sack and mesh storage bag
At the store I crawled in, found I could both stretch out and curl up, and hauled the thing home.
So how's it work?
So far, so good. I've yet to get cold enough to even begin to test the full range of heat-containing features. Probably our coldest night was around 30 or 32 (heavy frost) and I still didn't get cold, though I believe I did pull the hood up around my head.
The hood fits nicely around the head, and the draft collar in front can really seal off any heat loss. In fact, the biggest problem seems to be a certain tendency to overheat (doh!). This suggests to me that a) the temperature rating is accurate, and b) some of the other bags I've used weren't.
All features seem to work as intended: the zipper zips without catching any more than average, the draw-string pulls the hood in nicely (there are 2 strings, for fine control, but I haven't bothered to figure it out yet), and the shell repels minor droplets. It's not waterproof, but it will let you brush off drips from your waterbottle.
The bag packs down very small. The stuff sack provided is about the size of a rugby ball, but the bag actually fit in the spare space in the top of the stuffsack with my kid's bag.
Any kvetching?
Well, naturally. The manufacturer's weight is listed as just under 2 pounds. My own kitchen scale suggests more like 2 lbs, 3 oz. I wonder if this is because the listed weight is for the short, and mine is a regular length? I was undeniably disappointed to find I had 3 or 4 oz. more than expected.
In addition, like most bags, the Phantom has a patch of velcro at the top of the zipper (to hold the thing shut). Even though it folds in on itself nicely, my braids DO get caught if I'm not careful. My preference is for a velcro-free bag, but this is only an issue if you're a long-hair like me. I also found that the Phantom felt a bit clammy if I got too warm. Not the most body-friendly liner fabric, if you know what I mean.
These are very minor complaints about a very warm, light, and roomy (for a mummy) bag. Actually, the biggest flaw is that it is very long. The Mountain Hardware web site lists it as available in short, regular, and long. All I could find was regular, which is probably 6 or 8" too long for my 5 1/2 feet. Despite that, I'd buy it again, no question (especially if I could find it in short).
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
rebeccad
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Member: Rebecca Douglass
Location: San Francisco Area
Reviews written: 105
Trusted by: 52 members
About Me:
Frugal bookworm mother of two enjoys hiking, cooking, photography, eating, running, travel, writing.
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