Sieerra Designs 700f 15 Degree Zissou Plu Reviews

When the Sierra Designs Zissou series hit the market last yr, they fabricated a heck of a ripple in the pond.  For not-ultralighters, the Zissou may simply be the perfect sleeping bag: the 700-fill downwardly is reasonably priced, but provides much of the aforementioned stellar performance as 800-fill up.  Most importantly, though, the Zissou has Sierra Designs' magical DriDown technology, which helps downwards insulation concord upwards in wet atmospheric condition.  The Zissou and I have been through rain, hail and lots of condensation so it'south near time to release the play-by-play on this sleeping bag.

Sierra Designs Zissou 12 Sleeping Bag Features:

• 700-fill DriDown Insulations
• Ergonomically shaped footbox
• Unique "corded" anti-snag attachment prevents snags and eliminates drafts
• Snag-free zipper tracks™
• Describe cord at collar
• Draft collar
• Ergonomic hood
• Zipper typhoon tube
• Pad locks
• EN Tested
• Includes stuff and storage sacks
• Full weight: 2lb 7oz
• MSRP: $269.95

The Full Zissou Experience

I have already had the chance to test out Sierra Designs's proprietary DriDown insulation in our review of the Tov puffy jacket.  We were certainly impressed with the Tov's ability to shed all types of moisture, merely this is our get-go look at a hydrophobic down in a sleeping bag.  Earlier nosotros get to the fun part, though, permit's get to the purse.

The Zissou is a pretty no-nonsense purse.  It has a total-length zipper for easy in-n-outs, though that does interpret into extra ounces on the calibration.  There's a big fatty bamboozle running along the length of the nothing and it does a dandy job of sealing out drafts and cold spots.  I wasn't extraordinarily impressed with the anti-snag applied science – it's amend than others, merely I'll exist darned if I don't snag the zip at least once every time I pull it.  Sierra Designs makes such good down products that I tend to expect elevation-notch operation from every aspect of the product.

The hood and neckband surface area on Sierra Designs' bags are some of my favorites in the industry – the draft collar is overnice and cushy and keeps your torso isolated very well.  The hood itself is a lightweight jacket-way which hugs and cushions your caput very well.  The drawstring at the face up is a bit of a clunker – it'southward a adequately wide-approximate cord that seems to scream, "I don't intendance about extra weight."  At that place's a small pocket correct up at the hood wherein I like to keep my contacts.  Sierra Designs does a good job of keeping the cranial area comfortable in a sleeping bag while not adding ounces with extravagant bamboozle or hood designs.  That drawstring could use a redesign, since it'due south both heavy and awkward to apply.

Spending a night in the Zissou is a definitely the best fashion to become a feel for the bag – it'due south actually a archetype mummy, but with a comfy human foot box and the aforementioned jacket hood.  I'grand five'11" and the normal size fits up to six′, so I felt perfectly at home in the handbag.  The only matter I'd similar to see is the addition of a toe box zipper for a picayune bit of added temperature control — I call up that's important on bags for xv degrees and colder.

Sierra Designs used horizontal baffles on the Zissou, just their newest bags (notably the Cal series) are using vertical baffles which distribute heat more effectively.  The upshot to the Zissou's horizontal baffles, though, is that yous can manipulate the downwards within the baffle to get it out from nether the bag where information technology doesn't do much good.  Sierra Designs chose a 30D nylon weave for the body fabric, and then you tin expect quite a scrap more immovability than the 10D nylon that you'll find in nearly ultralight numberless – admittedly, that durability comes at a weight penalization.  Additionally, I  similar Sierra Designs' option of 700-fill down; it's quite a bit more than affordable than 800-make full down, but most of the performance benefits of 800-fill are here.  In any instance, it's leaps and bounds better than 600-fill up downwardly.

Last merely not to the lowest degree, DriDown definitely deserves some praise – I never expected that the addition of hydrophobic downward to a sleeping handbag would brand such a tremendous difference, only afterwards spending several wet nights in my Zissou I tin can't tell y'all how impressed I was by the pocketbook'south performance.  The tent that I primarily tested the Zissou in, a Sierra Designs Mojo 2, has a chronic condensation problem at the foot of the tent.  Every morning when I woke up the outside of the handbag was wet, simply the down was withal lofty and my toes were dry out.  The ane night that I spent in the Zissou during a serious storm at viii,700 feet saw me with the tent all closed up save for frog-eye vents, and starting to develop some substantial condensation past morning time – the Zissou shrugged information technology off with aplomb.  You can also expect the Zissou to handle sweat and oils much ameliorate than a purse with conventional downward as well, which is particularly important in the long run.

As adept as DriDown is, a word of circumspection is appropriate: DriDown does indeed stay loftier and dry faster than normal down, merely at this point it's however not a substitute for constructed down.  If yous expose the pocketbook to enough moisture that the material wets out, you tin can expect to become a little bit dank.  DriDown is simply insurance against water, and it's a little bit like the difference betwixt 'water resistant' and 'water proof.'

The Proficient:

• DriDown is merely equally game-irresolute in sleeping bags equally it was in down apparel
• Total-length attachment slides fairly hands and is simple to make it and out of
• Collar and hood are comfortable, don't add extra ounces
• 700-make full down is economical but performs more than like 800-fill up than 600-make full
• 2lb 7oz total weight is decent for a non-UL 700 fill up bag

The Bad:

• Some feather leakage with 700-fill
• Toe box zipper would be a squeamish bear upon
• Hood drawstrings are chunky and awkward to use

The Bottom Line: Zissou Sleeping Bag

Now that I've been able to spend quite a few nights in the Zissou, I understand what all the kerfuffle around this purse was: information technology's but a stellar product at a adept price point, backed up by the down know-how of Sierra Designs.  It's not an ultralight product and so at that place'southward no indicate in wishing it was a sub 2-pounder, but information technology's still very compressible and the 700 fill down lofts upward well.  DriDown is what gives the Zissou a true edge over traditional downward bags, but it'southward something that you lot'll but have to try to empathize why I'grand so impressed.

Buy now: Bachelor from REI.com

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Source: https://www.feedthehabit.com/outdoors/sierra-designs-zissou-12-sleeping-bag-review/

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