Mountain Hardwear Tallac

Review Date
October 20, 2003

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Reviewed by: Devon Reehl(Unregistered User) ,  Backpacker

Price Paid:  $180.00 at Mountain Edge Outfit

Summary:
This bag has served me well in the roughly one year that I have owned it. I got the 15 degree Stormlight version (which is the same as Conduit, the name just changed). I recently took a trip in the adirondaks and slept under a shoddy tarm in some heavy rain throughout the night. This bag being down, I was concerned that the water dripping on the bag would kill the loft. The stormlight shell actually worked, and I woke up in the morning with only slight dampness from perspiration but felt completely warm. Other people with me had synthetic bags that were literally soaked all the way through.

Review Date
November 13, 2001

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Reviewed by: Marc_O(Unregistered User) ,  Backpacker , from Austin, TX, USA

Price Paid:  $210.00 at online

Summary:
I have had my Tallac for 4 years and have been extrememely happy with it. I have been down to 26 deg and still been warm. It is light, packs down small, and is very comfortable. I am 6'3" and have the long version which makes an important difference in comfort for me.
I recently bought a regular length for my fiance and she loves it.
Just make sure that if you buy two that you get the R & L zippers so you can zip them together!

Customer Service:
Haven''t had to use them.

Similar Products Used:
REI-brand 20 deg. bag.
North Face Blue Kazoo.

Review Date
November 10, 2001

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Reviewed by: Hoff (Unregistered User) ,  Backpacker , from Baltimore, MD

Price Paid:  $200.00 at Hudson Trail Outfitt

Summary:
I bought the 15 degree Stormlight version of this bag in preparation for an end-of-October trip to the Adirondacks High Peaks wilderness in NY. The week before going, the forecast for the backcountry was overnight lows into the single digits, so I also split with the money for the liner to take it down to a 10 below bag...

The first two nights promised temps in the low 20s, so i didn't bother with the liner. I was toasty warm both nights, even without a draft collar (note - we were sleeping in a lean-to, not a tent, so the outside air temp was what i was actually experiencing), and the zipper didn't snag at all getting in and out. There was sufficient room inside for me to store some clothes and water at the bottom (I am 6', and got the Long) and still move around, but without feeling like there was too much room to heat. I didn't feel cramped at all, either. The third night promised lower temps, so I zipped in the liner (the liner is made to zip into the bag so you only need one zipper to get in and out - a great feature). I don't know how cold it actually got, but i was almost too warm! I had to vent a bit to keep from overheating. Also, the liner has a draft collar on it, so if you are concerned that the main bag hasn't got one - my experience was that it wasn't needed around 20 degrees, and for the extreme cold, you get one when you zip in the liner.

The quality of the bag was extremely high, the stormlight shell fended off some snow that drifted into the shelter and didn't allow the bag to get wet. All in all, the bag is well worth the purchase price and I look forward to many many years of good use

Customer Service:
No experience

Similar Products Used:
Fried Bro's (old) 20 degree down mummy bag

Review Date
July 28, 2001

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Value Rating
 3 of 5

Visitors rate this review
2.00 of 5, 1 votes

Reviewed by: Nicolai Michel(Unregistered User) ,  Backpacker , from Canada

Price Paid:  $120.00 at Local shop

Summary:
I have the older 20 F / 7 C bag. I got it on special for only US$120. This older version has the same cut, but has the Crazy Legs expandable stitching in the knee area. It has 575 fill power down. It does not have the little pocket or bug net of the new bag.

I was quite happy with this bag at first, except for the zipper constantly jamming. After a while I realized that the bag is quite heavy and doesn't fit me at all. I'm 5'9" / 173 cm and skinny, so I can almost fit into this thing twice. As a novice buyer I equated this with comfort, but now I know this makes the bag colder and heavier. The temperature rating doesn't apply to me - there is too much empty space in the bag for me. The shell material is not water resistant at all, but I don't find this to be a problem. The lack of a neck collar means that the bag is not as warm as it could be. The new model doesn't have one either. It also bothers me that it's made in China - a country with a dismal human rights record.

I bit the bullet and bought a Feathered Friends Hummingbird instead. I haven't used it yet, but it fits me better, has a removable collar, packs much smaller, and weighs 12 oz / 350 g less.

Customer Service:
I e-mailed them three times but never got a reply.

Similar Products Used:
Mountain Hardwear Down Upgrade
Feathered Friends Hummingbird

Review Date
June 18, 2001

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 1 votes

Reviewed by: Bill Hart(Unregistered User) ,  Mountaineer , from Fresno, Ca.

Price Paid:  $144.00 at SierraTradingPost.com

Summary:
I have only used this bag on one trip so far, but I loved it right away!
Its lighter and warmer than any synthetic bag I have ever owned, and I love the included mosquito hood.
I will do another review once I have used the bag more.

Customer Service:
I called Mountain Hardwear for some purchasing advice and they were totally helpful on helping me select a bag and size for my particular use. They even sent me some stickers!

Similar Products Used:
Kelty Ridgeway
The North Face Cats Meow