Gear Review: Teton Sport Tracker sleeping bag

This winter has been quite harsh. Even though here, in Southeast Iowa, we didn't get a whole lot of snow, it has been bitter cold. I have been camping a lot more this winter than I did last winter, so I decided it was time to start looking for more cold weather gear. As I was looking for a sleep system, I came across the Teton Sport Tracker. I am quite biased to Teton. They make some really good products from sleeping bags, to tents, to packs. In fact, my first pack was (and still is) a Teton. 

This is very comfortable sleeping bag. It has a 7 denier woven fiber Innovative Polarlite insulation. This is a very warm fill and even though it is a warm fill, it is still thin and lightweight. It's compressibility is quite impressive seeing as how it is synthetic rather than down. The bag is rated for +5 degrees, but sleeping bag ratings are for survivability and not so much comfort. I camped in 9 degrees and it was a little chilly. I would say about 12-13 degrees would be a comfortable temperature for this bag. It has extra fill in the foot box as well. The feet are usually the first part of your body to get cold, so this nice addition is a must. The bag is good for people about 5'6" but anyone taller than that would feel constricted. I'm 5'4" and am comfortable in it. It also is more for skinny built people for it is a thinner bag. 

The interior of the bag is actually a soft, synthetic material. Most sleeping bags have a diamond weave interior, same as the exterior. That kind of material can get cold and takes some time warm up after you crawl inside. The material in this bag stays warm so you don't have the initial shock of the interior being cold. The downside to this material is that it does not allow for much movement when wearing clothes to bed. The slicker material allows you to roll around inside with ease, whereas this material clings to clothes which is uncomfortable. 

The hood of the bag is pocketed and fits comfortably on the head. There is a single drawstring to tighten the face of the hood. Last time I was out, I was able to tighten it until the opening was almost completely closed, which is beneficial in cold weather. The bag also has a thick draft tube to keep the warmth in. 

This bag has a duel zipper system that can be opened and closed from the inside and outside. A Velcro keeper is also added to hold the zipper shut. As with most bags, it also has loops at the feet to hang the bag up to air out. A nice, final addition is a small gear pocket on the inside of the bag that zips closed. This is a great pocket for a phone or iPod. 

The bag also comes with its own compression sack. It has 4 compression straps on the sides to compress it lengthwise and 2 on the open end as well. The bottom end has a handle to assist with pulling the bag out. It compresses small enough to fit in a medium sized day pack and weighs about 4.1 pounds. 

This is overall, a great bag. In the negative degree weather, it works great with an additional sleeping bag. I hope this post helps you in your decision on choice of sleeping bag. Please comment any questions or comments. 

Down vs. synthetic

This will be a relatively short post. A friend and I were discussing what kinds of sleeping bags we prefer and came to the topic of down or synthetic. There are real benefits to both and it kind of depends on what you want to achieve. They both serve their purposes and I personally have both. I may use a down sleeping bag on one trip, then synthetic on another. 

Warmth

When comparing the two, down is much warmer than synthetic. Being warm is vital in camping. If you can't keep warm at night, you won't be able to get a good night's rest. My philosophy is to get a sleeping bag rated lower than the temperature you expect to be in. If you are expecting 0 degrees, maybe get a -10 degree bag. It leaves some room there in case it drops a little colder in the night and it's much easier unzipped your sleeping bag than to try bundling up. If you want warm (and compressibility), down is probably the way to go. Down feathers are the undercoat of ducks and geese that keep them warm. Therefore, it has it's own warming properties. Synthetic is also warm, but it takes a thicker synthetic to reach the warmth of a down bag. If you desire warmth, then you should go with down. 

Compressibility

Another advantage I see to down is its compressibility. When it comes to backpacking, compressibility is vital next to weight, which is also an advantage to down. Down will compress very tightly and has very little weight to it, which is why it's preferred by many backpackers. My down bag fits in a small compartment in my backpack with no problems. If compressibility and saving room in your pack is your biggest concern, bear in mind that synthetic does compress down tightly as well, just not as small as down. Also remember that if size is your main concern, you can always use a compression sack to reduce the size of your bag (highly recommended). You can also put your bag in a stuff sack and strap it to the outside of your pack. If you are planning, though, to put your bag in your pack, you can compress down to about half the size of synthetic. 

Cleaning

Synthetic and down clean roughly the same and should be cleaned with care. I tend to be very gentle with some of my gear and sleeping bags are one of those. You really should hand wash a sleeping bag. Cleaning by hand ensures that you don't offset the filling or ruin the outside. All sleeping bags, in my opinion, should be air dried. Most bags have loops at the feet so you can hang them to let them dry. (Just make sure it's dry before setting out on your trip). Synthetic does have the advantage over down in this area. Synthetic will dry much faster than down and won't add much weight when wet. If you are trekking in damp climate or expect rain or moisture, you may want to go with synthetic. Down will hold in moisture and will get much heavier as where synthetic won't. I much prefer synthetic in winter, even though it takes up more room in my pack, because if it gets wet or soiled, I don't have to hike back out with an additional 4 pounds. 

Comfort

I have come to believe that comfort is a personal preference. Some people are more comfortable in down and some are more comfortable in synthetic. Either way, you should try both to decide what you like. I recommend sleeping a few nights in each in your back yard or even inside to determine what you think is more comfortable. Comfort is important when camping and especially on multi-day treks. If you're not comfortable, you won't sleep well and will be miserable in the morning. Find what is more feasible for you before setting out. I personally think synthetic is more comfortable, but I have a buddy that swears by down. It's really up to you. 

Overall, I think synthetic and down sleeping bags are equal. They both have their advantages. Your bag really depends on your preference, need, and what type of trip you will be on. Just be sure you try both before deciding (you may decide you like one that you wouldn't have though you would have). Comment below and let me know what you think.