Valandré Bloody Mary
With proper ground insulation and mid baselayer, it's very comfy down to 7°F. Terrific design. Fantastic foot box. Very good outer shell. Good for side sleeper. Roomy.
Pros
- Very warm. Fantastic down quality and filling
- Terrific design
- Great foot box.
- Versatility.
- Roomy, allows serious layering
- Good for side sleeper.
- Very good warm-to-weight ratio.
- Can be used in very extreme conditions.
Cons
- A little bigger draft tube can make this bag even better.
- Lot of velcros.
- Roomy. May be a drawback for some.
First let's talk about the loft and down density. I measured it very precisely and removed the collar before doing it: 6.5 inches for the upper torso, 6 inches in the middle, and 7 just before the foot box. But that doesn't mean anything if I don't mention down resilience. It is phenomenal. It almost feel like it's overstuffed.
Second the design. I love the footbox. It's very very warm. I love the fact that it's a little less insulated at the leg section. My legs are always too warm. It is roomy so it's comfy and you can layer a lot. It can be a drawback for some. If you like tight fit it may not a bag for you. My only real complaint is about the draft tube. It can be better designed like the Shocking Blue one and a little bit thicker. I think it would improve the bag performance a lot.
Talking about performance the bag performs really well. I'm an average sleeper and was absolutely comfy down to a measured 7 or 10°F (I took with me 2 thermometers) used with an exped down dm 7 and mid layer. I was sleeping on the back and outside without a bivy bag or a tent. I'm sure I can sleep at slightly lower temp if I sleep on the side. The bag has a 50/50 so it is very good for side sleeper. Without the draft tube issue I have no doubt this bag could withstand 5°F without layering.
I tried it around 5F with a fleece and was OK, but felt it was its limit. Beyond that temp add a down vest and down booties. Actually I tried the bag down to 2F but my left arm was too cold so it woke me up. Without that I would have probably rated the bag 2F.
To finish I will talk about the fabric. It performs really well. It stops the wind adequately. And handles condensation efficiently. One night I had frost all over the bag and didn't have any issues. I just dried the bag under the sun in 20 minutes and no water enters the fabric.
Didn't put a 5 star due to the draft tube.
Source: bought it used
Price Paid: $400
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Specs
short | medium | long | ||
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Price |
Historic Range: $379.99-$611.99 Reviewers Paid: $400.00 |
fall 2010 | ||||
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short | medium | long | ||
Weight | 2 lb 5.1 oz / 1112 g | 2 lb 9.4 oz / 1175 g | 2 lb 11 oz / 1278 g | |
Fill weight | 1 lb 4.1 oz / 580 g | 1 lb 5.9 oz / 620 g | 1 lb 7.1 oz / 664 g | |
EN comfort |
32 F / 0 C |
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EN lower limit |
21.2 F / -6 C |
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EN extreme |
-9.4 F / -23 C |
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Fill |
850-fill down |
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Shape |
Mummy |
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Max user height | 5 ft 7 in / 170 cm | 6 ft 1 in / 185 cm | 6 ft 6.7 in / 200 cm | |
Shoulder girth | 61.4 in / 156 cm | 62.6 in / 159 cm | 67.7 in / 172 cm | |
Hip girth | 53.5 in / 136 cm | 55.5 in / 141 cm | 59.4 in / 151 cm | |
Foot girth | 37.4 in / 95 cm | 39 in / 99 cm | 40.9 in / 104 cm |