Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Riverwalker's Gear - Cell Corp Coolvent Sleepcell Sleeping Bag


One of several different styles of sleeping bags that I use is the Sleep Cell Cool Vent. It’s available at Wal-mart or Academy Surplus and has a special climate control system. It’s a large size sleeping bag at 40” x 90” and comes with different temperature ratings. I currently have two Sleep Cell bags which are rated at 30 degrees (other temperature ratings are available) which pretty much makes it an all-season sleeping bag for my usual area.

It has a removable air pillow, a drawstring hood, three pounds of Litron Hollowfill (a 7 hole polyester filling), and a compression sack. The price for these sleeping bags is generally under $40 which makes them very affordable. It’s a mummy-style bag and has a hood which can be tightly secured with the drawstring and its size allows storage of gear at the foot of the bag. The special climate control system, called Cool Vent, consists of mesh vents on each side with zippered controls that allow you to regulate the air flow through the outer portion of the bag. The system actually works quite well and I’ve had no problems at varying temperatures with over-heating while using it.


Riverwalker

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

How do i roll up this sleeping bag?
It's not your ordinary sleeping bag.

riverwalker said...

To: anonymous

These sleeping bags come with a compression sack. All you have to do is stuff them in the sack. You don't nedd to stuff the sleeping bag in any particular order (i.e., foot first or head first). Just stuff it in any old way you feel like it. This is the best way to do it as it doesn't cause a settling of the insulation. When removing the bag from the compression sack, merely give a good shake or two to fluff it up.

Thanks.

RW

Unknown said...

I love my sleepcell! I bought a fleece lining for it and it works all year round.

One thing I'm not wild about is the size of the opening but the liner helps in the cold weather.

What is the best compression sack for this bag? I need the bag to compress into a smaller size.

riverwalker said...

To: mary lynne

Sorry I didn't respond sooner. Doing the holiday thing. The sleep cell bags come with their own compression sack. A smaller sack of this type wouldn't hope up very well. What you can do is try to find "sand bag" sacks that are used for making sandbags to steady canopy tents.I have a few that I got from walmart. They're made of a lot tougher material and should handle the extra strain of further compression. You might just simply roll it up and use tie straps? Hope this helps.

RW

Anonymous said...

At Academy in my town, the have the Ebag ultralight. It has 1lb of filler and rated for 40 degrees. I'm hiking the AT in April, so I need something light. Do you know about this bag?

riverwalker said...

To: john

Sorry, but I don't know much about this bag. Academy is generally pretty picky about what they offer their customer's so it is probably a fairly decent bag. Just look it over good and check the features and construction to make sure it will fit your needs.Thanks. I've bought quite a bit of stuff from Academy and haven't gone wrong with most it.


RW

Unknown said...

hi. could you tell me the sleeping bags weight? I am looking for a very light weight bag.

riverwalker said...

To: kelli

This bag weighs in about 4 pounds and doesn't fall into the ultra-light category. Good bags in this category are quite pricey but if it will fit your budget as well as your needs then go for one of the ultra-light bags.Thanks.

RW

james said...

wondering if you know how to launder the sleepcell? my wife says she cant find anything on any tags. maybe my kids ripped them off the sleeping bag or somethng. thanks up front for any response you have.

riverwalker said...

To: james

WASHING INSTRUCTIONS (from the tag)

1. USE ONLY OVER-SIZED COMMERCIAL FRONT-LOADING WASHING MACHINE WITH A ROTATING DRUM ACTION. DO NOT USE TOP LOADING AGITATOR STYLE MACHINE.

2. Wash warm, rinse cold on gentle cycle using 1/4 cup mild detergent. Use a fabric softener in the wash. (Do not use detergents with bleach)

3. Tumble dry at low temperature in over-sized commercial dryer.

4. Use only non-chlorine bleach if needed.

5. Bag must be thoroughly dry before being rolled and stored.

Hope this helps. It looks like a trip to the laundromat is in order.

RW

Wil said...

Personally I would not ever buy another sleep cell bag again. Totally POS. Too wide and too short. Mummies are supposed to be on the longer side. Opening is way too wide. Also Ive been trying to discover where i can send mine back to..... the stitching all over mine is coming loose and is just falling apart. Its been packed up in my ruck sack and used twice.