Sierra Designs Mobile Mummy 800 - 4 Season Bag

I know it's "still" August and may be muggy and warm through most of the country, but my mind is on fall and winter camping. For me this means it's time to start rotating the gear around from the lightweight hammocks, sandals, bug spays and lightweight sleeping bags to more of the cold weather garments, 3-4 season tents and one of my favorite sleeping bags. 

For those of us who have kids, we all know we aren't supposed to take sides or pick favorites... But I guess it's okay to do it with gear instead. I have had the Sierra Designs Mobile Mummy 800 - 4 Season sleeping bag now for two seasons. As mentioned it has become my go to sleeping bag for a multitude of reasons. At first, I was unsure of how I would sleep in a sleeping bag that was more of a garment then a traditional mummy or cornered bag. 

After continued use during the cooler and colder months I have found I sleep in this bag far better then a traditional mummy bag that doesn't always move with you. As a side sleeper that tosses considerably throughout the night, I usually end up tangled in my traditional bags while camping. This issue is no fault of the other manufacturers, it's just something I unfortunately have to deal with. In the cooler months this situation gets exacerbated especially if I am using a sleeping bag liner on a higher temperature rated bag when and if the temps dip down. It's one thing to be tangled in a bag, it's another to add a liner to the equation. All of this doesn't allow for a restful nights sleep. Trust me!

The Mobile Mummy has solved two of these issues for me in it's revolutionary design. First, the fitted and comfortable garment style design moves with me when I toss and turn and it does so effortlessly. Hence, I tend to get a more restful sleep when sleeping in the bag. I personally, always sleep better in the cooler temps while camping, but the 800 Fill Duck DriDown fill keeps me plenty warm and has done a great job doing so far lower then the 17 degree comfort limit per the specs on the bag. 

Being warm and comfortable especially in the colder months requires certain parts of your body to be covered and protected. An issue for me has always been managing the right head coverage to ensure I either wasn't losing my body heat through my head or absorbing the cold which would negate the temperature rating of the bag itself. Some mummy bags have provided good drawstring capabilities to ensure proper head and ear coverage, yet for me my head being stationary during tossing and turning left me facing the back of the bag as I turned. Not fun.

The Mobile Mummy and it's almost hoodie-like design has created a fit that when moving whether while sleeping, sitting up or walking about, your head stays covered and warm. This surely adds to the overall comfort, warmth and quality of sleep when utilizing the bag. 

In addition to general overall comfort and sleepabilty (yes, I made up a word! It's my blog, my rules) the thing that really sets the bag apart from all the others is simple, the mobility it offers the user. Ahh, "Mobile" Mummy! Did you just now get it? 

The capability to reach your arms out of the bag once you are in for the night and all zipped up to reach for a headlamp, water bottle, book or whatever is just fantastic. The ability to do this saves the stored warmth in the bag versus unzipping traditional bags and then having to begin the process of getting warm again. In addition, the non-traditional middle zipper allows for potential dressing or undressing while being in the bag itself. This feature is a lifesaver on those super cold mornings!

The two way middle zipper also allows you to unzip the bag from the bottom up and then attach the lower section of the bag to the rear of the bag. This feature allows you to walk freely while maintaining the bag on the upper portion of your body for those middle of the night jaunts out of the tent or simply sitting outside preparing breakfast of dinner. No other bag on the market allows you the capability to free your legs and wear the bag with your hands and arms free.

While doing this the lightweight 800 Fill Duck DriDown will surely keep your upper body plenty warm until you return to your tent or finish your task. This feature will lessen the time to warm the rest of your body once you are full back in the bag versus traditional bags and having to fully leave them for these tasks.

​Sierra Designs Mobile Mummy 800 - 4 Season Sleeping Bag Specs:
EN Comfort Limit:
17oF / -8oC
EN Lower Limit:
5oF / -15oC
Fits To:
Men's Regular: 6 ft / 182 cm
Men's Long: 6 ft 6 in. / 198 cm
Fill Weight:
Men's Regular: 29.71 oz. / 0.84 kg
Men's Long: 33.21 oz. / 0.94 kg
Trail Weight:
Men's Regular: 3 lbs 2 oz. / 1.42 kg
Men's Long: 3 lbs 6 oz. / 1.53 kg
Length:
Men's Regular: 80 in. / 203.2 cm
Men's Long: 86 in. / 218.4 cm
Shoulder:
Men's Regular: 66 in. / 167.6 cm
Men's Long: 70 in. / 177.8 cm
Hip:
Men's Regular: 60 in. / 152.4 cm
Men's Long: 62 in. / 157.5 cm
Foot:
Men's Regular: 40 in. / 102 cm
Men's Long: 42 in. / 107 cm
Zipper Side:
Center
Stuff Sack Length:
Men's Regular: 9 in. / 23 cm
Men's Long: 10 in. / 25.4 cm
Stuff Sack Width:
Men's Regular: 17 in. / 43 cm
Men's Long: 17 in. / 43 cm

This bag may be more then you have previously spent on any sleeping bag. I understand and get it. The question you may have now is, is it really worth it? If you are a regular cold weather or cooler weather camping in search of a lower teens comfortable bag with the added features to ensure potentially better sleep and more functionality while warm in your tent, then the answer is surely yes.

Like I said, it is my go to bag for these very reasons. Better sleep, warmth and mobility pay dividends with this bag. 

Keep Hiking Forward!

​Scott

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