User Review: Pneugear Cocoon 4

Summary

These bags take a quantum shift in thinking of sleep systems, but once you get used to it you will never want to part with it.

I actually have two of these bags and have used them in some of the most god awful weather and will never go back to an ordinary sleeping bag again.

First I think it is important for people to understand this sleeping bag was originally developed for NASA for a cost of $10 million dollars to resolve the cold and sleep problems encountered in space flight. Since they had the money and talent to think out of the box this bag is light years ahead of anthing out there, but to gain full advantage of the bag you have to learn how to use it.

The first thing people notice is that this bag is more comfortable than your bed at home. With a down filled mattress below you by adjusting the air pressure you can make the lower section as hard or as soft as you want. The top section controls your sleeping temperature but as the pressure builds up it domes over you not even touching your chest. The neck collar gets a little getting used to, but once you get used to it but once you do you're fine. 

The next sensation you get is of the bag feeling like a steamy room, but that actually part of the design to minimize moisture loss to the human body. How you handle the issue is simply go to bed in thin long johns to remove the clammy feel and you're fine.  

Where this bag really shows its stuff is if you ever do a long winter trip.  If you have ever done one you will find out that the biggest problem you have is moisture from your sweat building up in your sleeping bag insulation and freezing. With this bag it's impossible to get the insulation wet thus you stay warm irregardless and with the insulated mattress below you sleeping on frozen or wet ground. 

Some of my greatest memories with these bags though invove back country skiing in the Sierras where my girlfriend and I on a crystal clear January night cut out a pad to sleep on and just climbed into them for the night. Right there at 10,000 feet. Mid winter, In the snow. We were toastie warm in sub zero cold on a starry night.