Sierra Designs Wicked Light 45 Sleeping Bag

“Compact and Versatile”

by Reelin' Rob Grady

I have used the Sierra Designs Wicked Light 45 sleeping bag a few times now, both indoors and outdoors, and I like everything about it. It is lightweight, compact, and comfortable. The best test of this sleeper was on a weekend camping trip last August. Typical MN weather: cold and rainy the first night, and hot and sticky the second.

On the first night the sleeping bag did a great job of keeping me warm in cooler conditions (low 50’s). It is so thin and light one would expect it to do nothing more than keep the bugs off of you, but that was definitely not the case. My fear of shivering all night was quickly dispelled when I zipped up the side and settled into a warm cocoon.

The second night was the complete opposite of the first; the heavy rain from the precious night/early morning made for a sticky night after a full day of sunshine and temps around 90. I had such a good experience staying warm the first night that I was actually concerned about overheating so I unzipped the bag completely and just laid on top of it. What I found was that the lining of the bag actually kept me cool, and eventually I covered myself in it (unzipped) to get the full effect. There are probably people out there who can tell you why a bag can keep you both hot and cold, but that person isn't me. All I can tell you is that for someone who can’t STAND sleeping hot, this bag was great as it actually cooled me down.

Side note: at 6’3” I am not used to being covered completely, but I found myself fitting in comfortably. In fact, I was able to get my head inside without having to be a contortionist.

Lastly, one of the best qualities of this bag is that it is light, compact and compressible. It comes with a drawstring bag to pack it in. You don’t roll this one up so much as shove it in the bag, and the result is a soft bundle slightly bigger than a large thermal container. Nice and easy!