Stephenson s Warmlite Triple Sleeping Bags

Stephenson s Warmlite Triple Sleeping Bags 

DESCRIPTION

· -65/65 degree · 850 fill down · Sleep system · Available ib 56,60,64 and 70 inch models

USER REVIEWS

Showing 1-3 of 3  
[Oct 04, 2004]
ldw
Backpacker

This bag is TOASTY WARM. The first time I used it was at 9000 feet in freezing temperatures. I was in a 24 hour race and shivering badly and decided to take a warm up in my Warmlite. I went from shivering to sweating and needing to cool down in a very short time. It's difficult to imagine being cold in this bag with both tops on. It's like sleeping under an electric blanket. It's definitely my winter/snow bag and I don't think I'll be sleeping cold again. The Air Mattress (DAM) puts you 3-4 inches off the ground and this insulation seems to really help in keeping conduction to the ground to a minimum. Much better than a thermarest. Comfort is pretty much the same as an air mattress but by filling the air matt with down, it is a much better insulator. The pump sack is clever but you need to seam seal the sack/pump to get decent efficiency. It takes a little practice to be able to pump it up. I've found it works best to keep the sack more or less vertical and keep the valve to the side. I can fill it up in just a few min now. I intend to make a new sack with the valve at the bottom and try it. I've used this bag as a summer bag, and it works well and is pretty comfortable, but IMHO it's pretty bulky for this. I think you can save a few lb's and bulk by choosing a more conventional system. I don't think you really need a 4" Air Mattress (DAM) in the summer, but it's awesome in winter. Another disadvantage is that I like to be able to use my Thermarest as a seat and the Air Mattress doesn't seem to work as well for this. You can't have everything though. In summary I think this is an excellent winter bag with very usable summer options. It's really in a class by itself. I do a fair amount of snow camping and I'm glad I bought it.

Customer Service

Stephensons seems very much a Mom and Pop custom store. They are very nice and extremely creative. They can do anything you want but don't expect pretty long delays. I would budget at least 2 months between purchase letter (They don't do credit cards) and product.

Similar Products Used:

Moonstone

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Sep 21, 2001]
grimmers
Mountaineer

Strength:

None

Weakness:

None

Stephenson''s Warmlite Triple - I bought it a long time ago - 15 years ago or more and it is still going strong. I work as a guide and sleep in it around 100 nights a year or more and it has always been everything I had hoped it would be. It still gets many good comments from others evenafter all these years. Buy one for life and you won''t be dissapointed.

Similar Products Used:

His tent - as good but I wore two out after many years of use.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jul 27, 2001]
Tercio
Backpacker

If anyone has ever felt cold inside this sleeping bag please let me know because I'm not sure it's possible. (Maybe in outer space--I hear it can get quite chilly)
If you're not familiar with it's design, it comes with two zip-on tops--a thin summer top and a thick winter top--that can either be used seperately or together. I've owned this bag for several years now and have used the two tops together only once, when I was in Alaska with no tent and the temperature was 20 degrees below zero. I was cozy and warm all night.
The bag comes with a built in vapor barrier liner (between you and the insulation) making it feel as though there are radiators in the bag pumping heat right back at you as soon as you get in, with no period of shivering trying to warm up the bag. The VB liner also prevents your perspiration from soaking your insulation, adding weight to the bag and causing it to lose it's ability to keep you warm. My friend's bags are always heavier and harder to stuff at the end of trips because, although they've kept their bags dry from external sources, they've soaked them from within while innocently sleeping in their bags. The VB liner can cause some clamminess, but being too warm is a problem I am happy to deal with; and if you feel liquid sweat on your skin you simply vent the bag--no problem. Approximately 14-18 percent of the body's heat is lost through evaporative cooling. A vapor barrier liner prevents this heat loss.
The Warmlite also comes with a built in (but removable) down air mattress, which is exactly what it sounds like--an air mattress with down insulation in it. You pump it up with the bag's stuff sack, which takes about five minutes. The end result is that you lose no heat to the ground and you get a nice comfortable surface for sleeping. A big selling point for was that the mattress gives you the ability to sleep on your side comfortably without waking up in the middle of the night with numb limbs.
I could go on--check out their web site.
A couple quick points though:
They make the bag to your size. Nice.
The hood is a bit tricky but very versatile.
All the different parts (including the down air mattress) add up to about 6.5 lbs (for my size bag, I'm 5'8"), but I almost always leave the thin top (18 oz) or thick top (30 oz) at home depending on the season.
Yeah, it's pricey, but years later I've forgotten the hard work I did to make the extra money, but I enjoy the comfort and warmth of my Warmlite on every trip.

Customer Service

It's a small business so there really isn't a team of operators waiting to solve your problems, but I've called them with some questions and they've been helpful.

Similar Products Used:

Sluberjack 0 degree, North Face 30 degree, Sierra Designs 10 degree and such

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
3
Showing 1-3 of 3  

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