Even if it's a little cold while you're on the move, you may be able to manage it, but the choice of a sleeping bag is very important as the human body produces little heat when you're sleeping. Especially in winter, if you make a mistake, it can be a big problem. If you don't get enough sleep, it will affect the next day, so a vicious cycle of not being able to sleep → not being able to recover from fatigue...and that mountain climbing itself can become painful.
That's obvious, but people are the ones who stoically want to reduce the weight and capacity of their luggage. In order to fulfill such desires, each manufacturer uses various ingenuity to develop lightweight sleeping bags every day while maintaining heat retention.
The Montbell Down Hager 800 Half Length #3, which we will introduce this time, has been reduced in weight from a slightly unique angle. Although it is by no means a new idea, this model can further expand the options of the Montbell sleeping bag lineup, which is well-known for its high quality. I also enjoyed the detailed tricks that only Montbell can have. We'll explain it in detail right away.
table of contents
Rough features of Down Hugger 800 Half Length (#3)
Montbell Down Hugger 800 Half Length (#3) is a sleeping bag that uses the amount of down from the conventional Down Hugger 800 #3 to only the lower body (up to the area around the water). As a result, it is lighter and more compact than the previous model, and is useful for activities such as alpine climbing, ultralight hiking, and fast packing, where luggage capacity and weight are severely affected. The comfortable sleep temperature range is from 3°C and the maximum usable temperature is -2°C, which can be used for three seasons, but the lower body is only warmed, so the upper body must be adjusted with clothes depending on the season. There are also three other models in the lineup: #1, which has a larger amount of padding, which can be used for four seasons, and #5, which has a lighter weight with less padding.
Recommended points
- Lightweight and compact
- Legs can be exposed
- Wide range of uses and applications
Points that interest me
- If the drawcord is made of rubber...
- There is no zipper
Main Specifications and ratings
| item | Specifications and ratings |
|---|---|
| size | Down part 130cm + shell part 40cm |
| Storage size | 12 x 24cm (2.4L) |
| Official weight (including storage bag) | 411g (439g) |
| Actual measured weight (including storage bag) | 412g (433g) |
| Down quality | 800FP/EX down (90% down, 10% feather) |
| Manufacturer's temperature range (℃) |
|
| Outer material | 10D Ballistic Air Light |
| accessories |
|
| Thermal insulation | ★★★☆☆ |
| weight | ★★★★★ |
| Portability | ★★★★★ |
| Comfort | ★★★★☆ |
| Functionality | ★★★★☆ |
| Versatility | ★★☆☆☆ |
| comprehensive evaluation | ★★★★☆ (with the assumption that the purpose and scene are appropriately chosen) |
Detailed review
Stoic design that simply puts the lower body through the tubular down
The basic concept is that you will bring any clothing that keeps your upper body warm, such as fleece and down jackets, so leave the upper body part of your sleeping bag to those clothes, making it lighter and more compact! That's what it is. Compared to a regular mummy-style mountain sleeping bag, the padding is only enclosed up to the sleet, so the upper body is simply covered with thin fabric.
Lightweight and thin front and back fabrics include the highest quality down.
The main body is a ballistic air light made from Montbell's original fabric, and is made lightweight and thin by knitting with 10 denier ballistic nylon yarn. The outer material is water-repellent, which prevents the heat retention from dropping due to wetting of the filling, minimizing the weight gain. The padding enclosed is made of 800 fill power EX down (depending on your height, but 173cm is about slug). EX Down uses only down from waterfowl that grew in natural environments with extreme temperature differences, so it provides better heat retention than regular down.
The supported temperatures for Montbell sleeping bags are displayed in EXP, #0 to #7, and the larger the number, the higher the temperature. #3 is a model that can be used approximately below freezing temperature. Down Hager 800 Half Length #3 is the temperature range EN13537 (European Standard), which corresponds to the temperature range of sleep bags used in Europe and the United States, and the comfort temperature is 3℃, the limit temperature is -2℃, and the extreme temperature is -19℃. However, this is about the abdomen where down is enclosed, so when using in that temperate zone, it is necessary for the upper body to be able to ensure the heat retention that is suitable for this.
Unlike regular sleeping bags, the total length is short at 170cm, and cannot fit all the way to the head. The head will depend on the hood of the clothes. There is no zipper, so when you sleep, it should go in through the top opening and place the shell part all the way to your shoulders.
The presence or absence of padding has been changed just above the Montbell logo.
Of course, it's light and compact
Of course, it is shorter than a regular sleeping bag, so it has less padding, making it extremely lightweight (actual measurement value of 412g). The weight of the staff bag is 433g. The normal Down Hugger #3 weighs 575g, and 600g including the staff bag. It has been 30% more shaped than the full length.
Storage is also compact. The storage size is approximately 12cm x 24cm. The capacity is about 2.4L. The height is smaller than the shoe's insole (27.0cm). The normal Down Hager #3 has a capacity of 3.4L, so you can reduce the capacity by as much as 1L.
Compared to the full-length Down Hager 800#3, which has the same specifications, it is lightweight and compact by approximately 30% in terms of weight and capacity (full length 575g, 3.4L: half length 411g, 2.4L).
Storage is also compact. It is more compact than the insoles of 27cm shoes.
A cotton storage bag is included for long-term storage. Of course, it is convenient to store it in a staff bag and store it without taking up much space, but if stored in a compressed state, the down loft may collapse, or it may cause mildew or smells in some cases. If you are not using it for a long time, put it in this highly breathable bag and it will give you the full performance the next time you use it.
Comes with a breathable cotton storage bag for storage.
Opening to prevent warm air from escaping
The opening, down and shell switch sections have drawcords to prevent slipping and improve heat retention. This drawcord is made of flat strings, not rubber, so it is not stretchy.
You can tighten the two points, the entrance and the padding part, with a drawcord.
The shape becomes wider as it reaches the top and has a trapezoidal shape. The opening is 84cm long.
The trapezoidal shape is easy to enter with a wide entrance.
I can show my legs! (Temperature control, cross-legged, walking)
There is a zipper on the bottom, and temperature can be adjusted by opening and closing. Also, when laid flat, it is 35cm long, so if you open it fully, you can reach the ankle, and you can stand up and move it.
The bottom part opens and closes with a zipper. You can ventilate and put your feet out.
This is a common feature in Montbell sleeping bags, but because it uses a super spiral stretch system, it improves stretchability while maintaining heat, making it easy to sit crossing while wearing your sleeping bag or change position while sleeping.
Of course, it also uses the elastic structure that is familiar to Montbell.
Impressions of actually using it
The manufacturer has set the temperature range that can be used for any sleeping bag, and in this Montbell, there are eight different temperature ranges, from "EXP." for extremely cold regions to #1 to #7. Normally, you can use the sleeping bag alone if you choose the environment to use and the temperature range set by the manufacturer. However, this half length is only the part where the filling is alive.
Speaking of Montbell's #3, the comfort temperature is around 3°C, so you can somehow use it! The limit temperature is set to -2°C. With the full-length #3, it can be used at that temperature as long as it has the sleeping bag, but this is different when it comes to half-length, which has a similar temperature range. If you only need to go to the area where the filling is enclosed, there is no problem under that temperature, but please do something else yourself. That's what happens.
The original concept is that since you're in a cold place, you should have a decent amount of equipment. There are down and fleece clothes too, so you can rely on the upper body, and make your sleeping bag lighter and reduce the amount of equipment you need. So, it's a reasonable sleeping bag.
So, in order to sleep at a low temperature within the #3 temperature range, you will need to wear cold weather gear on your upper body as is normal. However, this half length is a great advantage. Of course, it will become lighter, but it can be adjusted and can be used widely. When sleeping in the temperature range of #3, wear winter clothes and use the unpainted shell part up to your shoulders. The shell part is windproof, making it difficult for heat to escape and improving heat retention.
It's firmly inside the shoulders.
If you feel hot, use the shell while wearing your winter clothes to lower the shell to allow for ventilation and comfort. Even in warm temperatures, you can wear it comfortably without wearing a thin piece of clothing.
When the temperature is high, lower the shell to make it more comfortable.
Another interesting point is that by opening the zipper on the bottom, you can promote ventilation and adjust the temperature. If heat accumulates, open the zipper and ventilate. When the temperature is high, I put my legs out. You can also use it like that.
The zipper on the bottom not only serves as a ventilation vent, but also allows you to extend your legs.
A normal sleeping bag has a long vertical zipper that opens and closes to allow it to come and go, but perhaps to reduce weight, half lengths do not have a zipper. This is surprisingly inconvenient, and you have to take it off when you go in or out. I thought that if the entire piece is fastened with a zipper, it could become a quilt if removed, making it even more suitable for use. The weight will increase considerably...
While there is no zipper, it is inconvenient to enter and exit, there is a zipper on the bottom, so you can stick your feet out of it, so you can actually stand up and walk. The opening area is not that wide, and even if you can get it out, you will have to walk around the ankles, so when you walk you will have to walk like a chick. However, this is surprisingly convenient, and is very useful when it's cold and you don't want to leave your sleeping bag, but you want to move around a little. For men, I thought that if there was a zipper around my waist, I could go straight to the toilet, but I guess that's a luxury.
If you open the zipper on the bottom, you can somehow walk.
Drawcords are located at two locations: the "entrance" and the "switching part between the padding and shell." When it reaches the shoulder, tighten the drawstring at the entrance to block the sleeping bag from shifting when you go to bed, and prevents hot air from escaping and cold air, increasing heat retention. If you don't put the shell part on, tighten the other side to prevent it from slipping. However, when I squeezed the drawcord below, I felt a little stressful about whether to put my arm out or put it inside. If this drawcord was made of rubber, it may have been a little more flexible while sleeping. It may be a good idea to change it yourself, but overall it is a slightly larger piece so this drawstring is essential to prevent it from slipping while sleeping.
By tightening the drawstring, it prevents slipping and improves heat retention.
In terms of weight and capacity, it's not as light as I thought. It has a name called half, so it's half the weight and capacity! You may think this on your own, but be careful about that. However, the actual measured value including the storage bag is 433g, which is about 30% lighter than the regular Down Hager #3, and the capacity is similarly about 30% less, so it should be very large for people who want to reduce their weight and capacity as much as possible.
Summary: Recommended for people like this
It's just a unique product. Down Hugger #3 is a great deal if it's light and has a small volume, even though it's the same temperature range! If you buy it without understanding its characteristics, what is this? Can't use it! This could also help to fertilize your dresser. That's fine, but if you take it to the mountains at this time without even having to test it, it's even dangerous. This is a sleeping bag that will show the benefits, even if you can clearly understand what kind of product it is, or who can see the benefits at a glance.
Regarding #3 this time, it can be used in a wide range of ways, from low mountains in winter to traverses in summer. I want to reduce the weight and volume as much as possible. This is perfect for those who are wondering, but when using the product around the lower limit of the operating temperature range, solid planning and simulation are required.
For those who have doubts about the nature of sleeping bags up until now, for ultralight hikers who are stuck in weight reduction, and for alpine climbers who want to reduce weight even just a few grams, they have strong quirks, so if they fit perfectly, they may become something you won't want to let go. This may be a tricky method, but it is also possible to use it in a state close to full length for short children and women.