It's already been a hot topic in many places, but for the 2020 season, we quickly got our Seamless Dry Down Hugger , a new sleeping bag (sleeping bag) that was finally released by Mont-bell
Since I saw this sleeping bag at the exhibition, I have been waiting for today, holding back my desire to say it out loud. That's because this sleeping bag is a surprising new product that has dramatically evolved through innovation, something we've been taking for so long as we heard of a down sleeping bag, or something we couldn't change. We will introduce what is amazing, how it has evolved, actual reviews, and a bold, powerful and bold "dissection" of the interior.
table of contents
Rough features of the Seamless Dry Down Hugger 900 (#3)
Released by mont-bell the Seamless Dry Down Hugger is a sleeping bag that brings innovation to the sleeping bag world with a completely new construction. We have succeeded in removing the "particles" that were technically difficult to do with down sleeping bags, which were previously difficult to do, to keep the padding inside the sleeping bag to prevent the padding from being biased. By reducing the number of seams to the very limit, we have achieved higher insulation and bulkiness while still maintaining lightness. In addition, the sleeping bag with a completely new structure, such as using GORE-TEX waterproof and breathable fabric, has now added a variety of safety and comfort features that have never been seen before, making it possible to create an unprecedented, comfortable and highly functional sleeping bag.
The lineup includes a seamless dry down hugger with waterproof and breathable features on the outer material a seamless down hugger made from nylon fabric that does not waterproof and breathable features The padded down is made from the highest quality down at 900FP, and depending on the amount you can choose from #1, #2, #3, #5 (dry only #3, #5).
Recommended points
- Lightweight and waterproof and breathable, yet highly insulating
- Comfortable fit while not obstructing movement
Points that interest me
- Compression when storing is difficult
- High price
Main Specifications and ratings
| item | Specifications and ratings |
|---|---|
| Adapted height | Up to 183cm |
| Storage size | 14 x 28cm (3.8L) |
|
Official weight/storage bag included |
541g/565g (Staff bag: 24g) |
| Actual measured weight/storage bag included | 523g/547g (Staff bag: 24g) |
| Down quality | 900FP/EX down (90% down, 10% feather) |
| Manufacturer's temperature range (℃) |
|
| Outer material | GORE-TEX Infinium (13D Ballistic Air Light Nylon Water Repellent) |
| lining | 7D Ballistic Air Light Nylon |
| accessories |
|
| Thermal insulation | ★★★★★ |
| weight | ★★★★★ |
| Portability | ★★★★☆ |
| Comfort | ★★★★☆ |
| Functionality | ★★★★★ |
| Versatility | ★★★★★ |
| comprehensive evaluation | ★★★★★ |
What's so amazing?
First of all, what's amazing about this seamless down hugger?
Previous down sleeping bags have been sewn together with the front and back of the fabric to create many small rooms, and the distribution is uniform so that the padding is not unbalanced. This prevented the formation of the point where the padding became thin, so-called "cold spots," but by trapping the down in a small room surrounded by partition walls, it limited the high heat retention performance that can only be achieved when it expands, and also caused heat to escape from the seams themselves. Of course, the weight of the bulkhead and yarns cannot be ignored.
This seams down hugger has successfully eliminated the bulkhead walls that no manufacturer could have overcome, breaking a new ground for sleeping bags.
The down, which was previously kept evenly by locking it in a private room separated by partition walls, is distributed evenly in a completely different way, called the Spider Baffle System This a spider yarn is stretched inside the sleeping bag and the down is entwined there, thereby fixing a certain amount of down to the spot without a partition wall. Is there a game changer like this?
Because there are no partitions, it is "lighter and warmer": the surprising internal structure
It's easy to say it verbally. Every manufacturer does it as long as it can turn it into reality. The question is, "How do you tangle down into the thread? How do the threads stretch out?" and so on, what's actually happening. Anyway, it was hard to be bothered by this, so he took a violent act that he had never done before. I actually decided to cut it with scissors and take a look inside. Good kids should never imitate them!
I took the plunge to cut the lining with scissors to see the structure inside.
I looked inside and saw that of course there were a lot of fluffy down. This down boasts extremely high resilience of 900FP, and is an ultra-high quality "EX down" with large down balls and high density.
Looking inside, I saw that the down was packed full.
Since there are no partitions, a large amount of down overflows from inside (this time I opened it and looked inside, and a considerable amount of down was blown away by the wind).
Since there are no bulkheads, a large amount of down will overflow.
Then, I groped the inside a bit and found threads that had been entangled with down! This is the spider yarn.
There was, this is the spider yarn. The down is firmly entangled.
I selected only one and took it out. A large amount of down is intertwined with one thread, creating a voluminous thread.
If you take out just one piece, you will see that the down is well entangled.
The spider yarns were not one at a time, but several of them were put together and secured by tying them into the thread rubber sewn onto the lining. Thanks to the fact that several pieces are entangled together, the down also entangles between each spider yarn, and it is estimated that even with a small amount of the down is efficiently secured.
Several spider yarns are held together and secured by tangled with the thread rubber on the lining fabric. It's well thought out...
By spreading countless stacks of spider yarns around the sleeping bag in a mesh shape, we have succeeded in keeping a certain amount of down in place without requiring bulkheads. What a complicated sewing though...
Excluding the inside, spider yarns are spread out freely.
Thanks to this spider baffle system using spider yarn, there are no cold spots that allow the area to be put under weight to escape, allowing the body to remain warm evenly. However, not all down is tangled with this thread. Untangled down can move around the sleeping bag to some extent, so this play area can be adjusted to adjust the degree of bias to suit your temperature and comfort preferences.
The spider yarn is sewn inside the sleeping bag, so no seams are required on the outer fabric, so heat is no longer released from the seams, allowing even more heat retention even with the same weight.
Really a seamless outer material. It makes you wonder if it's still a sleeping bag.
"Waterproof and breathable" function made possible by the disappearance of partition walls
The Spider Baffle System improves heat retention, making it lighter. However, mont-bell didn't simply lighten the sleeping bag, but instead took advantage of the advantage of having no seams on the surface, and made it a dream-like design where the outer material was covered with GORE-TEX, a waterproof and breathable material. Now you can always protect your down sleeping bag from getting wet, even without a sleeping bag cover.
Detailed review
Is this completely different to the sleeping bags?
What was the first time I saw it? Is it a sleeping bag? That's the impression. With almost no seams, it looks like it overturns the past concept of sleeping bags.
The surface is almost completely seamless, so it seems that people who don't know will know anything.
The back has seams just like previous sleeping bags, making it the same as traditional down hugging. The spider yarn is entangled in this seam.
Both the down hugger half lengths on the left and the seamless dry down hugger on the right are the same inside.
The hood is a slightly stretchy drawstring so you can squeeze the entire face.
The hood is simple and can be tightened with a drawstring.
Under the neck there is a tube-like place filled with down to fill the gaps and keep you warm.
It's hard to tell from the photo, but the amount of down around the neck has been increased.
Waterproof and breathable material
The outer material is GORE-TEX Infinium. Even though Infinium is the same GORE-TEX, its main focus is not to focus on waterproofing like the ones used in jackets, but to keep them as dry as possible, namely breathability and comfort. In the case of sleeping bags, they are rarely used in environments where rain is directly exposed, and they just need to be isolated from the outside air and release the moisture that has accumulated inside the sleeping bag, so adopting Infinium was probably a natural choice.
The outer material is made of GORE-TEX, which is safe.
You can see that seam tape is firmly attached to the back of the seams on the outer material of the GORE-TEX.
The outer sutures are made of seam tape for added waterproofing.
By the way, when you look at the seam tape from the inside, it looks like this. You can see that it is reinforced well. The inner fabric feels smooth and makes it difficult for the down to cling.
Seam tape on the inside of the outer material.
The lining is made of mont-bell's unique ultra-light shell, 7D ballistic air light. The outer material is seamless as the product name suggests, but the inner ballistic air light side is sewn with thread rubber to secure the spider yarn and for super spiral stretching.
The lining is sewn with rubber thread to secure the spider yarn and to make it elastic.
Unlike the seamless down hugger that does not use GORE-TEX, the zipper uses a short 80cm piece, contributing to lighter weight. Of course, it uses a waterproof Aquatect zipper, which also improves waterproofness.
The zipper is short, 80cm. Uses YKK waterproof zipper.
Looking at the zipper from inside the sleeping bag, there is a flap that covers the zipper to prevent cold air from entering through the zipper. This flap is not flush, but has a down sealed firmly.
The back of the zipper has a flap to prevent cold air from entering.
The actual weight is 523g, making it extremely lightweight. Compared to the same Montbell #3 sleeping bag, the Seamless Down Hugger 900#3, which does not use GORE-TEX, is 494g, and the regular Down Hugger 800#3 is 573g.
Accessories include a regular staff bag (24g) and a mesh fabric stream bag (70g). This streaming bag can be used for storage when not in use for a long time, or as a laundry net for washing at home. The staff bag has a large trapezoidal opening to make it easier to store.
The left is a storage bag for laundry and storage, and the right is a staff bag.
It comes with a washing method tag to make it easy to wash at home.
The bag contains instructions for washing at home.
Impressions of actually using it
First of all, when you go inside, you'll be surprised at how airtight it is. It is difficult for air to escape, so it quickly swells to a full. As expected, the outer material does not have conventional seams, making it difficult for air to escape, indicating that it is quite airtight. This keeps heat from the body firmly stored in the down bag inside the sleeping bag and keeps it warm.
The lack of bulkheads also makes the down bulge quite impressive. This is the power of a 900FP EX down... Even if you deflate the air, if left untreated it, it will naturally swell up immediately. I am amazed at how limited the number of sleeping bags they have been in the past.
When laid flat, it will store air and swell.
Thanks to this, you can enjoy the fluffy feeling when you go to bed, allowing you to sleep very comfortably. I am amazed at how much difference it is that the bulkheads were able to be removed.
However, due to its airtightness and high inflatable nature, it is quite difficult to keep it small, so it is a pain to store it in a staff bag.
When I try to roll it up, it bulges out to a full extent, so it's a pain to store it.
Once the air is removed, the amount of down decreases, so the storage size is compact.
The storage size is very compact.
The waterproofness is as expected from GORE-TEX. I laid flat and poured water over it for about 30 minutes, but the water didn't seep into the inside. I'm sure no one will use it in the rain, but since the GORE-TEX cover is standard, the reason why there is no need to worry about condensation when used in cold regions or dew when used in simple equipment like Zert is no longer necessary, it will be a huge advantage in terms of weight reduction and volume reduction, as it no longer requires carrying a sleeping bag cover.
As expected of GORE-TEX, there is no concern about its waterproofness.
The benefits of the mont-bell sleeping bag that can be carried over seamlessly
Even when the outer material is GORE-TEX, the super spiral stretch is still intact, allowing you to hold your hair tightly. It's such a good design that some people choose a Mont-bell sleeping bag because of this super spiral stretch, so it's a great addition to being able to survive.
As usual, it's okay to sit cross-legged.
Mont-bell's temperature settings are quite reliable, so you can feel safe in terms of heat retention. Currently, GORE-TEX is only used as the outer material, #3 and #5 are the only seamless dry down huggers, but as they are likely to be more useful in winter mountains, a sleeping bag with #1 or EXP will likely be released in early autumn.
summary
An innovative sleeping bag has arrived. What we thought was almost complete was a breakthrough, but with new technology, we were able to take a major step forward. This seamless dry down hugger has removed bulkheads that were certainly structurally necessary and has completely new sleeping bags.
This technology has created great benefits by eliminating surface seams. The improved heat retention allows for the total amount of down to be reduced, making it lighter and more compact. And it has become possible to use waterproof and breathable material on the outer material. These two alone have a huge advantage, and this applies to users of a variety of activities. Especially for people who are challenging themselves in even more harsh and extreme situations, they should be able to benefit from unprecedented benefits. oh yeah! I wanted something like this! ! And what I had envisioned came into existence. I'm sure there were many people who said this.
However, this seamless dry down hugger is not yet a product that should be talked about in terms of cost performance (a rare case with mont-bell). It is certain that even traditional sleeping bags are a great piece with detailed ingenuity, and it is a very satisfying item. In that sense, it's hard to believe that beginners will be able to buy this sleeping bag first to be happy. Rather, I feel that this item can be recommended only to those who understand the appeal of this new technology and feel the need for the powerful benefits that can only be obtained with this model.
With the emergence of these sleeping bags, other manufacturers will be more motivated to develop them, and hopefully a new air will blow into not only sleeping bags but also other outdoor gear!