User Review: Sierra Designs Joan of Arc CS (Long)

Reviewed July 3, 1999 by an anonymous hiker

Rating:
Design: mummy
Fill: Polarguard
Temperature Rating: 0 degrees F
Weight: 4 lbs (for long model)
Price Paid: $209

Here's the good news, this bag is actually made for women, it's not just a shorter version of the guys' bags. The hip area is wider, the chest a smidge wider, the shoulders a bit narrower, so the bag fits better overall. The long model only fits women from 5'5-5'10, so it's still going to be too short for any taller women.

Here's the bad news. Sierra Designs says that some of their female modifications include a rating system based specifically on women's temperatures because we girls sleep colder than the guys. They also say that that they put more fill in the torso and foot box area because we tend to get colder faster in those areas.

Nice theory which caught my attention because I'm a really cold sleeper. But I'm colder in this bag than I am in my TNF 5-degree rated bag that's designed for men. Maybe SD's bags just aren't as warm as TNF bags (this is my first SD bag) or maybe their rating system is different, but I froze in this bag on several different occassions in 30-20 degree (F) weather. My butt got a little cold and my feet were freezing, even with two pairs of wool socks on. So much for their extra fill in the torso and foot region! There's no way I could ever use it near its 0-degree rating.

So, it's a very comfortable bag. And I do like the way it's cut. (On warm nights) I sleep better because I can move around a bit. But it's not as warm as you might expect... I'll only use this bag in summer, late spring and early fall... And unfortunately, I'm still in the market for a warm 0-rated women's bag. $200 that's kind of wasted...

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