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Cumulus X-LITE 200 Sleeping Bag First Look Updated
Herein lies the saga of obtaining a Cumulus X-LITE 200 Sleeping Bag. It is a long and tangled tail of international commerce, and the saga will enthrall you with wonder. Back in days of yore, when scribed my 2025 paddling gear update, I penned that I wasn’t going to buy any new gear this year, but I was on the lookout for a 30°F sleeping bag without a hood. I kept my eyes open for a bag that would meet my criteria, and decided that at 30°F, I’d likely just bring my Sea to Summit 15°F Spark. That meant I was looking for a bag for the summer. I used…
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Sea to Summit Spark 15°F Sleeping Bag First Look
I’m excited that I get to test the Sea to Summit Spark 15°F (-9°C) sleeping bag this season. They sent it for review. If you haven’t heard of this bag, it’s an lightweight down sleeping bag made by Sea to Summit. It’s claimed weight is 1 pound 9.7 ounces (730g). At that weight, it is in the weight range of quilts. This is my initial impression after using it for two short trips. Later this year, I’ll post a final review after I get about 30 nights on it. Unboxing When I pulled this bag out of the shipping box, I got excited just from the storage bag. Usually, sleeping…
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Flextailpump Tiny Pump Review
For last several years I’ve been using an inflatable air mattress for camping (I like my Exped Ultra 3), which is more comfortable than the self-inflating Therm-a-rests that I’ve used in the past. Since I started using it, I’ve used several methods of inflation, including pump sacks and the Exped Mini Pump. I’ve had the Flextailpump (yes, they smash everything together into one word) for awhile, and I used it again last weekend. Without further ado, here’s my Tiny Pump review. Is it the tiny camping mattress pump that could? The Flextailpump Tiny Pump is a lightweight, rechargeable electric pump designed to inflate camping mattresses. It comes with a bunch…
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Trekology Ultralight Camping Pillow Review
Over the last couple of years, I’ve been experimenting with different pillow options that range from Hyperlite Mountain Gear Stuff Sack Pillow to stuffing clothing into the sleeves of my coats. Nothing has been comfortable. So, when searching for inflatable pillows, I came across an inexpensive option that was well reviewed on Amazon. It’s the Trekology Ultralight Camping Pillow. This is my brief Trekology Ultralight Camping Pillow Review. Description The Trekology Ultralight Camping Pillow is technically called the Aluft 2.0. It’s $16 on Amazon. It is an inflatable pillow. It takes three to five breaths to completely inflate. When inflated, it’s about 17 inches by 11 inches and about 4…
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Initial Big Agnes Wind Lip Review: a Sleeping Bag with Pinneco Core® Insulation
This spring (if spring ever comes to the polar vortex), I’ll be testing out Big Agnes’ Wind Lip sleeping bag on kayaking and canoe trips, but I had a chance to test it out over the last week while in the Badlands National Park. I was out there photographing the park and scouting locations for a potential photography workshop that I’d run in December (if you’re interested, email me). I used to be a geek about sleeping bags and sleeping bag insulation when I worked as a buyer/line leader for a major sporting good retailer, but since then I’m fallen out of the loop. The Big Agnes Wind Lip sleeping bag…
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Sierra Designs Lazer 30 Review
All summer, I used the 2010 Sierra Designs Lazer 30 as my only sleeping bag — for one trip report, check out the Sea Gull Lake loop trip report. I bought it to supplement my excellent Mountain Smith Wisp 800-fill down sleeping bag with a synthetic. Although, I don’t worry about getting a down bag wet on paddling trips, sometimes I just like synthetics, because the smell of down doesn’t always agree with me. I also wanted a sleeping bag that would quickly dry after washing it. The 2010 version of Sierra Designs’ Lazer is an “ultralight” synthetic bag. It features a flexible mid-section, a jacket-style hood, an ergonomically shaped…
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