I sleep outdoors. Alot. Contrary to what some folks think, no, this doesn’t mean I’m homeless-I’m a river guide. Specifically, I need a sleeping bag that will keep me warm on cold fall nights and keep me dry on those dewy spring mornings. Enter Sierra Designs Cirque 20 Degree Sleeping Bag.
I used this sleeping bag for the majority of my river season this year and I was very pleased with the results. Sierra Designs has developed a fabric called DriZone, which is a waterproof, breathable membrane bonded to the shell of the bag. DriZone allows your own perspiration to release through the bag but blocks on the outside against dew and other kinds of moisture.
To folks in the outdoor industry, down is king. It keeps you warmer than any synthetic fabric will ever be able to. But if down gets wet, it loses all property to keep you warm. So, in other words, this new DriZone membrane enables you to have the warmth of down but not worry about getting it wet. Don’t get me wrong, you can’t sleep in it during a rainstorm and expect to be dry. I did though often wake up with a fresh layer of dew on the bag in the morning, and was still as cozy as ever in this 600 fill down. People, this is revolutionary!
Another feature that I enjoyed about this sleeping bag was the fleece lined footbox. I hate sleeping in socks, and I found the fleece bottom of the bag kept my bare feet comfy and warm. I liked the women’s cut, it felt snug but I could still raise my knees and shift comfortably in the bag. At just under 3 pounds, it’s a solid edition to your camping gear.
If you are shaking your head in agreement as to how cool this technology is, then I highly suggest checking out Sierra Designs products with DriDown, their newest finish on their down products. While DriZone (what is on the Cirque sleeping bag) is a membrane bonded to the outside of your bag, DriDown (on their most recent sleeping bag, the Eleanor) is a hydrophobic finish. This means a DriDown bag will breathe even better than a DriZone bag.
I know, it’s a bit confusing. This page here explains the DriDown technology more extensively. The bottom line is that both DriDown and DriZone technology enables you to keep warmer and drier in a down sleeping bag than ever before.
Sierra Designs Cirque 20 Degree Sleeping Bag can be bought on here on Amazon for $305.