Recon 4 Sleeping Bag Cold Test Wilderness Gear Review

[LeeHoFook20]

Is it safe to make a campfire in this bag? If the bag does not have proper ventilation I would worry about breathing too much smoke.

[stolegrom]

Your body weight makas pressure, so you didn't have insulation on some spots. Next time use air mattress, and it will be warmer with same bag. :)

[libertyphoenix777]

6 avocados? WHY AVOCADOS???

[WildernessGearReview]

@libertyphoenix777 Lol. I love avocados.  And jalapenos. What else would I use? Aren't avocados the obvious choice? ;)

[libertyphoenix777]

@WildernessGearReview Me too, Avocados are VERY TASTY!!! Not so crazy about jalapenos though.

[Apostle0fLove]

I bring chilli camping, therefore my dutch oven can help me survive Antarctic temperatures.......

[MinatsukiSan]

The reason the parts of your body that were pressing down were cold is because the sleeping bag will be damp. Alot of sleeping bags aren't waterproof and the performance decreases when they do get wet.

[stackedhippiechick]

Tests show that when your sleeping, up to 75 percent of heat loss is downward and only 25 percent up through the top of your sleeping bag. So, it is imperative you use a good quality pad under your bedroll. While in my sleeping bag, I sleep in my panties only. I have never been cold. It is your body heat that warms the air and the air is the insulator.

[WildernessGearReview]

@stackedhippiechick Great data! Thanks for that.  And, yep, my ground cover was minimal...wool blanked doubled over. Thanks for the feedback.

[clamcrabber]

@stackedhippiechick Closed cell pads (full size) work great, and cheep.

[ViolentKisses87]

@clamcrabber Any Particular brand of pad you recommend? Sleeping not maxi.

[Wikipunani]

@stackedhippiechick I am actively resisting a plethora of panty jokes that veritably beg to be said. I hope you appreciate that.

I'm so much more mature than I used to be > )

[antonyjh1234]

@stackedhippiechick

Your'e killin me..... Stacked hippie chick AND you sleep in your panties Gawd Damn!!! xoxo : )

[dcentral]

Are sleeping bags even designed to be used without a tent or some form of shelter? Shelter improves warmth significantly.

[mrsparex]

Let's add a tent along with a sleeping pad...

Then make it only 5 below zero...

hot coffee...and a back back full of goodies!

[dhsvincent]

That is a great test, Doing my first winter camping trip this year, have a great -18 Big Agnes bag, but looking for a lighter option as well, and that Bivy takes out a tent.

Thanks for posting the video

[teb0atoz]

Military = weight.

Loft = warmth, without 8" of loft this is not going to be good to those temps, 14oF.

Compression = loss of loot with time.

cheers

PS Always use a pad????

[mlndstream]

What would be an interesting test is to sleep out in the same temp and weather with all the same gear minus the bag, to see how much warmth the bag really provided you, and maybe then wear an extra layer of thermals, socks and toque to see if a possibly cheaper and lighter second set of more versatile warm clothing could out perform the bag?

[mlndstream]

@mlndstream the reason I am interested in this test, is that a lot of the features of the bag that form part of its weight and cost are made redundant by a cheap USMC bivvy bag. The bivvy bag is a water proof(not just resistant), durable, pretty cheap outer shell, which could make all the weight and cost of the durable heavy 'water resistant'(poor breathability) nylon that the recon 4 is made of redundant, plus the fairly inexpensive USMC bivvy functions as a good warmer weather bag on it's own

[mlndstream]

Ok,I bought the Recon 4"-10C"sleeping bag and slept out on my patio for 3 starry nights in a row with virtually no wind,and protected by walls all around me,the lowest temperature reached early morning was about 8C(46.4F),I wore a cotton t-shirt and cotton shorts each night,no socks,thermals,beanie etc..but did use a sleeping pad.I am disappointed,I woke up every morning with cold feet,and only comfortably warm upper body,and the cold came through to my hips when sleeping on my side at 8C?:(

[mlndstream]

@mlndstream I wasn't so naive to expect to be warm at -10C,but I should have been toasty at 8C,and sure people may say wear thermals,but how much extra weight and cost in thermals do I have to put in to be warm at just 0C?,I used my USMC goretex bivvy with the recon 4last night,same temps,and my feet were warm this morning,that's about 3kg of weight to get warm feet and legs when lowest temp reached was 8C?.Should have bought the-20recon5,or perhaps another bag entirely for the $:weight:temp:(

[mlndstream]

@mlndstream also,the damn drawstring is outside the mozzie net and on opposite side of zips,felt some condensation around the foot box in the morning too so the'water resistant'nylon isn't very breathable,but to be fair,on the plus side,it has a zip in/out mozzie net around the face,the bag is made from heavy duty nylon(you can treat it rough),has reinforced foot box to wear boots if necessary(might need to at -10C too),silver impregnated fibres will stop stink factor,hang tabs for drying it

[mlndstream]

@mlndstream it has no baffling around the neck either which it needs,the stuff sack can really cynch it down which is a big benefit if you need the room in your pack. So I think this range of bags could be good for a genuine soldier who needs a very durable bag and who is willing to carry the extra weight due to heavy materials rather than lots of hollow fibre(not much loft imo),but who will intend on wearing thermals,full field clothing,bivvy bag,and possibly boots to stay warm at -10C:/ imo

[WildernessGearReview]

@mlndstream Hey thanks for your input. Sorry to hear you're disappointed. Sucks to purchase & not be totally jazzed. Check with your supplier and see if they have a refund policy. Sleeping bags are a bit of a tough gig because so much depends on 3 individual characteristics too. 1) Individual metabolism - fluctuating with food intake or onset of sickness, like a cold. 2) Body fat - I'm 6' even and about 195. and 3) personal tolerance. Def check for a refund. Let us know how it goes.

[mlndstream]

@WildernessGearReview I sent them an email stating the bag was still in perfect condition(just like someone had tried the bag for size in their shop)and that I was disappointed by how cold I was in the bag relative to their claim of it being a -10C rated bag,and after about 3 days they sent me back an email quoting this from their site"** Ratings are a Guide only as there is a myriad of factors which could and do effect performance" and that for health reasons they don't take returns on bags

[MrHaveGun]

@mlndstream - I use the recon 3 which is significantly smaller and 300 grams lighter. It is only rated to -5 but I sleep in a sheepskin vest and if it's really cold my fox fur trapper hat. I'd recommend the recon 3 if you want something smaller and intend to sleep in warmer clothing.

[mlndstream]

@MrHaveGun I believe I am a cold sleeper anyway, I'm planning on buying a down bag for sub 0 Celcius temps. I've since learned that the Recon range are classified as 'military sleeping bags' and so the accuracy of their ratings are not to be compared to civilian bags, as in they don't need to comply with the same standards as civilian bags under Australian regulations etc....

[0122358]

how much?

[TheStealthCamper]

Very good video, awesome test.

[mlndstream]

Thanks for posting your test, but it's important to know what clothing you were wearing inside the bag, as of course you would not have been so warm at those temperatures if you were not wearing all that clothing, so can you give us some idea of what your wearing there?thanks

[WildernessGearReview]

@mlndstream hey thanks for the comment! Good question too. All I was wearing in this vid was a pair of cotton boxers underneath a polypro/fleece set of long underwear, top and bottom with a pair of 60% wool socks. Oh yeah, and, as we call them in Canada...a toque. That's pronounced tuke. A winter cap. Synthetic blend of some kind. I ain't got hair on top so from November to April, my head's covered. ;)

[mlndstream]

Thats interesting, so if someone were wearing thermals, had a decent sleeping pad under them and had a hooped bivy to lift the bivy up off the sleeping bag to allow it to loft properly you would have been comfy at -15 C?, nice.Also I read recently that when people claim that their feet get cold in their sleeping bags the problem is actually their head getting too cold and the body prioritizes the brain for warm blood so it reduces the supply of warm blood to the extremities...hence the toque?:)

[WildernessGearReview]

@mlndstream I would say that it would be very close to comfortable under those conditions. The sleeping pad would be a huge improvement. And, I can confirm that keeping the head covered keeps the feet warmer. Though it's also a function of the feet being isolated, much like wearing finger gloves vs. mittens. The fingers side by side stay warmer and the feet are the same. But I like my feet free to move around. Great comments!

[snowyywwinters]

just got myself a new 4season marmot bag, going to be doing some back yard tests, before take it out climbing:)

[mysticalwoodsman]

I would recommend you sleep with your boots down at the bottom, so that when you wake up, they are dry/warm and you can conveniently put them on.

[woodlanduk]

Nice Test mate,Love bivvying up in that weather,

[rayme4raw]

Have you ever reviewed the Wiggy's sleeping bags?

[WildernessGearReview]

I haven't tried them but have heard tons about them. Anyone have their website handy? I'll call them and ask for a bag to review. Happy to post it.

[idm28]

Google Exped to get to their web site. They are a Swiss company and make expedition quality gear and their down filled inflatable sleeping mats are impressive. They have an internal built in hand pump. There is a review on youtube. Check out their Arctic Goose sleeping bag...nothing better.

[idm28]

a good down sleeping mat like the Exped would have improved things 20%

[WildernessGearReview]

hey thanks idm28...do you have a link to the Exped sleeping mat? I'd be happy to find one and do a similar test over again. thanks for the comment.

[WildernessGearReview]

hi everyone. thanks for the comments. the Recon 4 measures approx. 8.7" x 6.3" (22cm x 16cm). you can really pack these puppies down. i'm engaged in some other projects right now but hope to continue gear reviews this May. subscribe now to get the first views and opportunities on purchases.

[gasdorf]

hows small is that bag compressed ...how is it working out its been while

[brewer1981]

your boots are gonna be very cold

[audiofreeq]

great review,at last someone like me silly enough to test kit in the real world,even here in the UK we get that weather on the hills.thanks mate.

[aimusleh]

Can you show us the size of the bag compressed compared to something. A review of your bivvy sack would be cool to. Thanks for the review, it was amazing.

[fraud66]

Thanks for the review!