Review: Therm-a-Rest Vela HD Quilt, a quilted sleeping bag not available in Japan, found on Sekaimon

I regularly introduce and review mountain equipment and outdoor gear from all over the world, but as you all know, there are many items among them that simply cannot be obtained legally in Japan

Just because you can't buy something in Japan doesn't mean it's of poor quality. Above all, it's a business, so depending on the market conditions in each region, there are quite a few things that are judged not to sell (or will not sell) in Japan, even if they are excellent products

The only way to get your hands on such attractive outdoor gear is to make use of overseas mail order or personal imports, but unless you are accustomed to doing business overseas, this may be out of reach for those who are not good at English

That's where Sekaimon, which I'll introduce today, comes in handy

Recently, I received a direct invitation from Sekaimon to "use their website to review outdoor gear that interests you!", which sounded interesting, so I decided to give it a try. Over the next four posts, I'd like to write reviews of unknown brands and outdoor gear that were almost impossible to get in Japan, which I obtained through Sekaimon

Let's search for items that interest you on Sekaimon right away!

What is Sekaimon?

Sekaimon is the official Japanese site of eBay, the world's largest marketplace (online auction). While Yahoo! Auctions has a near-monopoly in this market in Japan, eBay is overwhelmingly dominant globally. Currently, Sekaimon allows you to purchase products from five countries: the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, and Canada, with a total of approximately 800 million items.

Are you worried about online auctions?

To be honest, when I first heard about online auctions, I wasn't particularly interested. This is because, as an old timer, I didn't have a very good image of "private transactions of second-hand goods." Even in Japan, I was reluctant to do transactions where the price was uncertain and I was worried about whether I would receive the item in the condition I wanted, even if I won the bid (this was mostly a preconceived notion). So, I thought it would be even more scary to do an overseas transaction

However, when I checked the outdoor category products, I found that the majority of genuine new products were sold through a "buy it now" system rather than a "bid" system, with prices clearly set in advance. Furthermore, questions to local sellers, product inspection after a successful bid, shipping, import procedures, and other inquiries could all be done in Japanese, and Sekaimon would handle all communication with the sellers on my behalf

Of course, since it's an online auction, there's no guarantee that there won't be dishonest sellers or that the product you receive won't be of any use, so you do have to take responsibility for that. However, I don't think there's much of a gamble involved when it comes to buying a new product from a seller with a good track record

The biggest advantage: You can buy things that aren't available in Japan in Japanese

To summarize what I've said so far, for an outdoor gear enthusiast like me, the benefit of using Sekaimon is that you can get items that aren't available in Japan (and sometimes at a low price) all in Japanese, from product search to purchase to delivery. If you've given up on brands that aren't available in Japan or outdoor gear not sold in Japan because you're not good at or find it troublesome to communicate in English, give Sekaimon a try. You might find that you can find what you're looking for more easily than you thought. However, due to its ease and extensive Japanese support, it's undeniable that the cost is a little higher than buying from overseas retailers. In that sense, I recommend other methods for those who aren't bothered by English and who simply want the cheapest price and the fastest delivery

For more information about Sekaimon, please visit the official website

I immediately searched for gear on Sekaimon and was overwhelmed by the number of gears I wanted

I immediately tried typing the names of outdoor gear that isn't available in Japan into the search box. For example, the nCamp Stove . It's so niche that it's practically impossible to find in Japan.

There it was, without a trace. Of course, it goes without saying that it was a huge lineup of popular brands and products, so it goes without saying that this alone is quite impressive

Now, I'll pull myself together and start digging for the things I really want. This is the only gear from an overseas outdoor brand that's hard to find in Japan. When I heard about this, the first things that came to mind were "sleeping bags" and "tents." There are tons of tents and sleeping bags in Europe and the US that can't be bought in Japan. I'll start searching the website right away

I was browsing through the "brand name sleeping bag" site for hours, finding models that aren't available on Amazon or Rakuten in Japan, and my appetite was piqued. In the end, I narrowed my search to "quilted" sleeping bags, which are hard to find in Japan, and after much searching, I decided on this one

>>Try searching for products on "Sekaimon"<<

Thermarest, a well-known brand in Japan for its sleeping mats, has released a quilted model of sleeping bag that is not available in Japan!

This quilted jacket is extremely user-friendly and has become a staple for me when trekking in the spring and summer, but it's not yet that common in Japan, and currently the only options are Montbell or other expensive ultra-lightweight models. I've been wanting to try out a variety of different models, so I'm excited about this

Therm-a-Rest Vela HD Quilt Features

This versatile three-season quilted sleeping bag (renamed Vela™ 35F/2C Quilt in the 2018 model) can be used as a blanket or to wrap around your body. The filling is made with high-quality 650-fill-power Nikwax® Hydrophobic Down, which has been treated with a proprietary water-repellent finish. This minimizes vulnerability to moisture. Side baffles around the entire perimeter prevent heat loss, and an elastic footbox around the feet prevents the quilt from shifting, providing maximum warmth and comfort with limited material

Recommended points

• Easy to adjust temperature, making it suitable for use in cool seasons and hot summers
• There is no discomfort, just like sleeping on a regular futon
• Water-repellent down means you don't have to worry about it getting a little wet
• Baffles on both sides keep the heat in
• The mat can be kept in place to some extent without having to be tied down properly

Points of interest

• It's not that lightweight or compact considering its temperature range of 2°C
• Only large sizes are available, so compact mats can leave some space
• It takes time and effort to secure it firmly to the mat

Vela HD Quilt (Vela™ 35F/2C Quilt)

Therm-a-Rest

850g

Main specifications and evaluation

Detailed Review

Sleeping comfort as expected

The item arrived safely about two weeks after I won the bid. Sekaimon generally takes about three weeks for products to arrive, and delivery times vary depending on the seller's region and service, but this time it seemed to go relatively smoothly. A brand new item appeared without any problems from a cardboard box overflowing with items from overseas

When it arrived it was in a large long-term storage net, which of course also included a stuff sack for compressing it for storage

Let's actually spread it out on the mat (see photo below). At 162cm wide and 213cm long, it's more than enough space for most Japanese people

I tried sleeping on it in a tent, and even stretching out my arms and legs felt completely comfortable, almost as comfortable as sleeping on a regular futon (see photo below). The light weight of the down and the soft lining provide an exceptional sleep

The areas that cover the neck and shoulders are made of stretchy material to prevent heat from escaping through the shoulders (see photo below)

Furthermore, the baffles on both sides help to trap heat inside the sleeping bag and prevent outside air from getting in (see photo below). The sides and foot area can also be tucked under the mattress, which helps to keep the sleeping bag in place to some extent without having to tape the ends together

There is also a pocket on the right chest for small items such as a headlamp. This kind of small consideration is what you would expect from a reliable brand

To secure the sleeping bag snugly to your sleeping pad, you need to connect the hooks on both ends to the included attachments (snap loop kit with adhesive backing) and attach them to various parts of the pad. You can sleep without using them, but securing them will help the sleeping bag fit your body better and keep you warmer

Water-repellent down means you don't have to worry about it getting a little wet

The down filling is 650 fill power, which isn't particularly resilient, and its heat retention is only moderate. If the minimum temperature is 2°C, that's about right. Incidentally, with quilted jackets, the warmth of the back depends on the insulating properties of the mattress, so actual comfort depends on the combination of these factors

The fill power is low, but it uses Nikwax® Hydrophobic Down, which has excellent water-repellent properties. The polyester outer fabric is also DWR-treated, so unless you expose it to rain for a long time or submerge it in water, you can use it without worrying about it getting wet. This makes it ideal for mountain stream climbing

Concerns

It's not that lightweight or compact considering its temperature range of 2°C

Quilted sleeping bags are generally marketed as being lightweight and compact due to the omission of the back and head compartments, but in that sense, this model is not that light (850g) and not that small either. This is a bit of a problem. The photo below shows the bag in the included compression bag, and although the bag is a little roomy, it still doesn't feel ultra-light

Only large sizes are available, so compact mats can leave some space

It's only available in one size, 162 x 213 cm, so it's undeniably a little large for Japanese people. However, the good thing about the quilted version is that unlike the mummy version, all the excess material isn't wasted. The larger size can also be attributed to the increased comfort and temperature regulation

It takes time and effort to secure it firmly to the mat

As mentioned earlier, to secure it to the mat, you basically need to attach the included attachment to the mat with a sticker. If you use a variety of mats, you'll need to purchase this accessory for each one, so this isn't very practical. It's quicker to just attach some flat elastic tape from a craft store to the hooks on both sides yourself

Summary: For summer hiking and canyoning where you want something that can withstand getting wet

As the specifications suggest, it's not suitable for the cold temperatures of spring and autumn, but when the weather warms up between June and August, it provides just the right amount of warmth for low mountains below 2,000m, and the overall quality is undeniably high, with many considerations regarding sleeping comfort. Furthermore, its high water-repellent properties mean you can use it without worrying about getting wet, an advantage not available with other quilted jackets, making it perfect for activities where you want to wear it out in harsh environments, such as river climbing or long trails

In any case, the best thing I learned was that Sekaimon allows me to relatively safely and easily obtain attractive, "niche" outdoor gear from overseas that I've been unable to get my hands on due to the language barrier until now, even if I'm not good at English.If you're interested after reading this article, I recommend you take a look

an overview and details about Sekaimon , please see the official website here.

Vela HD Quilt (Vela™ 35F/2C Quilt)

Therm-a-Rest

850g

We also recommend this article about sleeping bags

• Stay warm from the inside out with the perfect sleeping bag – How to choose and 8 recommendations
• No more quirks! 7 reasons why I decided to switch to quilted sleeping bags for spring, summer, and fall, and two recommended models
• How to choose a winter sleeping bag for a comfortable winter tent stay in the mountains and our top 8 recommendations

   

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