Sierra Designs Sandman Sleeping Bag
By Steve Mann

Last year Sierra Designs set out to address the most common problems of sleeping on the trail. Working with several research labs, they identified three principal causes of a less-than-ideal night's sleep in the backcountry. According to Sierra Designs:

1. Most people sleep on their side, or belly. Their research shows that only 24% of people sleep on their backs.

2. To sleep well, you need unrestricted movement. The average person moves 40 times during an average night's sleep. The standard mummy bag limits your ability to move, thus hindering your rest.

3. A basic need is comfort. A sleeping pad provides some cushion from the hard ground, and significant insulation, but that doesn't help much if you keep sliding off the pad.

Next, Sierra Designs applied these sleep basics to the design of a new sleeping bag--the Flex Series. The bag retains the basic mummy bag design, but offers a few unique twists. First, the "NightCap hood", larger and more square-shaped than mummy hoods, allows you to put your arms over your head or your head to shift into a corner when you sleep on your side.

Finally, Sierra Designs added pad-lock loops to the sleeping bag. The loops hold the bag on to standard size pad with bungee-like cords that run around the back of the pad and hook onto loops on the sides of the sleeping bag.

The bag's gathered fabric and baffled insulation expand for greater range of movement. Sierra Designs claims this gives up to six inches more movement than standard mummies. This movement helps in the shoulders, hips, legs, and feet.

So much for the theories behind the design and construction of this unusual sleeping bag. Does it work? I tested the Men's Sandman 15 degree F Flex bag for several months on numerous backpacking and car camping trips.

I really noticed the extra space and freedom of movement sleeping in the Sandman. Even when not pushing hard against the sides of the bag, I felt like I had more room in the shoulders. I tend to spend most of my sleep time on my side, alternately bending my legs at the knee, then straightening them out. Most mummy bags make it difficult to bend your knees, so I also appreciated the extra leg room. Also, when I turn onto my stomach, it's pretty uncomfortable in a standard mummy, so I usually avoid it. In the Sandman, a belly flop works just fine with plenty of room for your arms in the NightCap over your head.

I didn't test the pad locks, but have examined the system in displays at the Outdoor Retailer show. The loop-and-cord system is lightweight, simple, and looks like it would do the job efficiently. Sliding off the pad isn't a problem for me, but for those who find themselves slipping onto the hard, cold ground the pad lock would be a welcome addition.

There are a few inconveniences created by the new design. First, it is harder for me to zip up the Sandman from the inside than in other standard mummies. The bag's full-length zipper comes up the side to about the arm pit, then angles in over the collar bone. A short zipper on opposite side extends from collar bone down to arm pit, allowing you to open up the neck and shoulder area. The curving of these zippers produces extra binding making it hard to adjust when your arms are inside the bag.

Also, the since there is more room in the bag, possibly because of the variable width of the insulation when the bag flexes--I found I started getting cold between 25 and 30 degrees F, although the bag is rated at 15 degrees. To be fair, few bags keep me warm to the lowest rated temperature, but you'd expect the extra space of the Sandman means you have more air to warm up inside and more places for warm air to escape. The Sandman uses Polarguard 3D filling.

Finally, the flex bag weighs a little more than a comparable mummy bag. The extra fabric, wider profile, and larger hood add up to more weight, approximately 1/2 pound more than a mummy bag.

Summary: If you can't sleep well in a standard mummy bag, you should seriously consider the Sandman, or one of the other Flex Series bags from Sierra Designs. I prefer the Sandman anytime I'm car camping and I don't expect nights colder than 20 to 25 degrees F. I'll also consider the Sandman on short backpacking trips when the extra half-pound isn't much of a concern. Although I don't have trouble sleeping in most mummy bags, the Sandman improves my sleep enough to make it my preferred bag in many less technical situations.

Sierra Designs also makes a women's version of the bag called the Dream Weaver. GearReview.com did not test the Dream Weaver.

Specs:
Sandman (Men's)
Size: Regular fits up to 6' 0"
Long fits up to 6' 6"
Weight 3 lbs 12 oz (reg) 4 lbs 2 oz (long)
Retail $209 reg $219 long
Polarguard 3D
Color Burgundy

Dream Weaver (Women's)
Size: 5' 5" (reg) and 5' 10" (long)
Retail $209 reg $219 long
Weight:3 lbs 6 oz (reg), 3 lbs 14 oz (long)
Color: Ice

Steve Mann is a contributing editor for GearReview.com

For more information, contact:
Sierra Designs
2011 Cherry Street, Suite 202
Louisville, CO 80027
(800) 635-0461