Snugpak Elite 4 Sleeping Bag
- Details
- Written by JT McAvoy
For the better part of a year now I have had the opportunity to test Some of Snugpak’s equipment and products. This included their Elite 4 bag. At the time the Elite series was a new line of bags that was designed with Special Forces and special needs in mind. This bag line ranges from what I consider to be cool weather to sub-arctic conditions. The Elite 4 falls technically into the category of an all weather bag. It has a wide temperature range which in most parts of the country covers 3-4 seasons. It also has a few other impressive and what I considered at the time unique features. I can say after testing these that now I consider these features to be the standard bags should be built too and also mandatory for anyone spending time in the cold weather.
I have to say that sleeping bags in general have never really impressed me. For this reason this article has been a long time in coming for me. I wanted to make sure that it not only held up to industry standards, manufactures claims, but also my standards as well. I mean lets face it, if the bag does not word I am the one who will be cold not them. So it is my standards and experience that has led me to an observation over the years; sleeping bags have always had one of two problems. The first one being that it was either small and light but despite claims of temperature ranges would not keep you warm. The second being that if they kept you warm and held true to their claims they were big, bulky, and heavy.
It was with mild enthusiasm that I ventured out on several occasions to test this bag. I say mild for a reason. I am always excited when a manufacture sends me a product to review. I love being in the field and putting their products through real wold testing, it is quite a stress relief for me. The down side when testing things that are supposed to keep you warm (or dry for that matter) is that if they fail then you become cold and that is not a good way to be on your first day with 4 to go. I will say though while testing the Snugpak Elite 4 that this did not happen. I don't think that it even came close to happening. Enough rambling from me though let me tell you about the conditions that it was tested under.
The Elite 4 is what I consider and Intermediate size bag. It is not small even when compact in its carrying case. If you have it strapped to your pack you will not forget it is there. It is however light enough and compact enough to make it worth carrying with you and do so without stressing you out. There were many times that I considered leaving it at home and not taking it with me. Every time I would decided it was not that heavy and with a 60 lb. pack what is a few extra. Every time and I stress every time I was glad, if not thrilled that I decided to bring it with me. Even on a 10 mile hike through the back trails of the mountains there was not enough bulk and extra weight there to make a noticeable difference. This proved especially true once I came to realize that the benefit to having if far out weighed the minor inconvenience at time.
By temperature standards where I live is pretty mild. We do not have extremely hot summers or extremely cold winters. What we do have though is humidity, even in the winter. This makes the conditions feel much much colder than they actually are. So I decided to test this sleeping bag on multiple occasions not only abroad but in my own backyard so to speak. It was in those tests that I felt like I found the most out about the Snugpak Elite 4.
The Elite 4 as mentioned earlier has a wide temperature range(roughly 32℉ to 0℉) to make it a 3 season bag. During testing I tried to test both ends of that range. This proved impressive and for me hot at times. To make many long stories short this sleeping bag is best suited for a temperature some place in the middle. I found that on the high end to be comfortable you needed to leave some of the Elite 4 open to allow warm air to escape. On the low end of the scale if you kept a layer of clothing on and cinched the bag down around your head and neck you could stay comfortable enough to sleep without getting cold. Getting cold is one thing that to date I have not done in this bag. I have never once awoke to cold feet or hands in the Elite 4. I have slept in cold buildings, cars, on the ground under a tarp while the rain was pouring down, and there were nights that I did not sleep in it at all. I had simply gotten cold and leaned against a tree while in the bag just to stay warm and that I did. It was also during that trip I found out the bag is water resistant. That feature is always a plus with me.
The fine fibers that make up this bag and allow it to keep you warm in the coldest of conditions also adds a certain cushion and comfort to the bag. When you first climb into it you will notice that there is cushion to it even on the hard ground. Even on the worst of days this should bring some sibilance of a smile to your face. These fibers that make the bag also allow it to be wind proof to the industry standards of 3 cubic feet per minute. What does this mean in english you may ask. Well it is simple it means that when the wind is blowing the Elite 4 keeps the cold wind out while keeping the warm air in. So all of these things combined make for an extremely great sleeping bag for the money.
Now the things I really liked about the bag were numerous. Let me try to hit the high points here. First off the fibers that make up the bag are filament fibers 10 times finer than human hair. This allows for warmth, comfort, wind proofing, water resistance, as well as allowing the back to wick quite well. The temperature range was great and on the money as far as what the Elite 4 is capable of. The Elite 4 also has an Expander Panel System. This allows the area around the head and neck to be widened for those that need more room or if you want to let air out without leaving the bag open. I liked the fact it was not heavy at all so could be carried with minimal effort. Finally a small detail but the Olive color is great and the carry bag is the same color and is not cheap either.
With all of the good things said about the bag there were a few things that I thought needed some attention. Most of these items though have nothing to do with the bag itself but rather explanations on the bag features and care of the bag. First off I would have liked to seen instructions and explanations on the Expander Panel System. I had to do some research on exactly what this was and how to use it along with a few educated guesses. Next would have been some instructions on the best way to stuff the Elite 4 back into its carrying bag. It comes to you neat, rolled, and fit perfectly. Once you take the bag out it never seems to fit easily in there. I am sure there is an efficient or better way to do it. It took a few experiments to figure out what I thought was the best way. I leave this open to anyone who has ideas feel free to share with me and I will keep trying and do the same. Finally when you take something of this nature into the environment it gets dirty and needs to be cleaned. Due to the unique nature of the construction of the Elite 4 it would have been great to have a set of care instructions as well. I will be honest I had no idea where to start on this one. I give props to my girlfriend who took a somewhat educated guess and cleaned it for me. It seemed to work and not damage the bag at all. For anyone who wants to know how she did this contact me and I will let you know.
As an over view of the Snugpak Elite 4 I believe at this given time for the money it cannot be beat. The Elite 4 is a great size which allows it to be mobile easily. The temperature range is great for an all around sleeping bag, and allows you to stay warm within that range no matter what the conditions. It has a few features unique to it that I consider now indispensable such as the EPS. The construction is very durable and color will blend with most anything. I have no doubt that this bag will provide me great sleeping in cold environments for years to come. For those individuals operating within and even a little outside of the temperature range of the sleeping bag the Elite 4 is defiantly my recommendation to them. You will be extremely hard pressed to find a warmer, better quality sleeping bag for the money.
