Meow!! 'The Cat's Meow' Keeps You Purrrrrring All Night
Written: Oct 18 '02 (Updated Dec 20 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: High Quality feel inside and out, durable lining around zipper provides excellent anti-snagging ability.
Cons: Retail price on this bag parallels a car payment. Sniff out a sale!!
The Bottom Line: A SUPER bag with features and the kind of userfriendliness one desires after a 20 mile hike. Try and find it on sale to avoid spending next month's car-payment.
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| bstieritz's Full Review: The North Face Cat's Meow Reg |
So, you're looking at the Cat's Meow by The North Face. I have to tell you that after owning this bag for a little over a year I am completely happy with it. In fact, I talked my girl friend into buying one too and she loves it!! She even bought the bag with an alternate zipper that enables us to zip the two bags together...which provides us with ample room to "cuddle" after a long day of backpacking. If you and your significant other are into backpacking together, I totally recommend buying the bags so you can zip them together. All you need to do this is make sure that you get a sleeping bag with the zipper on the opposite side as your partner. Meaning, if he or she has a bag that zips from the left, you should be shopping for a bag that zips from the right. But beware, not all bags have this feature so make sure and do your homework.
One quick thing to mention about this bag is that it is a "synthetic-fill" bag (there are two types of fill in sleeping bags: synthetic and down). What does this mean and why should you care? Well, Ask any hiker/outdoor enthusiast and they will probably have a different opinion on the subject but for me personally I prefer a synthetic bag. But, there are advantages and disadvantages to both. A synthetic bag would be your top choice if you were doing most of your hiking in rainy or somewhat moist conditions. Or, if you are into paddling and you anticipate your gear getting wet a bit. A synthetic bag still keeps its warmth even when it gets wet which is why most people buy them. They are also (usually) considerably cheaper than their down counterparts. However, down makes up for the slack in warmth and weight-saving/compactability. A down bag can pack down to about half the size of even the smallest synthetic bag and probably weighs around a pound or two less. Great for the ounce-counting backpacker. The only drawback to a down bag is that if it gets wet, it has the warming ability of a piece of wet cardboard. Just think about the type of outdoor activities you will be participating in.
Now, Let me tell you about somethings that make this bag a great buy. First, It is extremely comfortable. The lining is made of a very silky material that is not abrasive against the skin, as some bags can be. Second, the bag has a comfortable hood that, when necessary, will envelope your noggin' in warmth. There's also a cool flap that secures the zipper that also boasts a small storage pouch for a small alarm or, if you're like me, a container of lipbalm. Next, the full length zipper is something that all bags should have. Some people prefer a half or quarter-length zipper for weightsaving, however, I like the full-length for those humid or warmer nights. Which brings me to my next bit of praise about this bag. IT BREATHES. I don't know how many bags I've owned that half way through the night I feel like I'm in a sauna because they don't allow moisture to pass through the material. Well, the Cat's Meow does this with ease. I also can't say enough about the bag's durability. This bag is built like a tank and even after a year I have not seen a single loose thread or seam. This is one thing I must stress in buying sleeping bags. YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR. Buy a 60 dollar bag and you'll be buying another one very soon. It's not in the quality or the material, but what a lot of cheaper bags lack is quality craftsmanship. To be frank, the 60 dollar bag will start, almost immediately, to literally come apart at the seams. This is also something you should check for when shopping for the bag at the store. Look the entire bag through and through. Look for small tears or threads that are coming loose. These are things that will prove to be trouble when you least desire.
All in all, I love this bag and look forward to climbing into it after a long day out on the trail or the rapids. One quick point: Get the Long. Spend the extra 10 bucks and carry the extra 2 ounces and indulge in the SIZE LONG. This not only proves invaluable for someone of a 6 foot stance like myself, but also for someone like my girlfriend who is 5 foot 9 with what she refers to as "roomy hips" (whatever that means) The long provides both of us room to stretch out long ways and side to side.
Also, and I can't stress this point enough, FIND A SALE. Have you ever heard the saying "retail is for suckers?" Well, it applies to sleeping bags, too. Do your homework and shop around (or get creative like I did...I'll let you use your imagination for that one) and find this bag on sale because even though I will praise this bag till the cows come home, I would never have spent the money for its retail price. The cool thing about outdoor gear is that there are always sales in your town or online because there are so many places competing for your business. This goes for any camping supplies, be it stoves, tents or anything.
This brings me to my final point and then I will shut up :)
BUY NEW. Never buy used equipment. I say this because, like anything used, you never know how they treated the gear prior to you owning it. And, a sleeping bag is no exception. For instance, the worst thing to do to a sleeping bad is to sleep directly in the dirt. You should always sleep on top of a mat or cover to prevent dirt particules from becoming embedded into the bag material. You don't know if the guy/girl before you treated this piece of equipment with the same level of care that you will be treating it with, so just start fresh. There are enough deals on equipment out there were you can find good enough prices on items, sometimes even cheaper than you could find it used.
Bye and thanks for looking!!! Get out and enjoy the outdoors!!!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
bstieritz
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Reviews written: 10
Trusted by: 1 member
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