Western Mountaineering Puma MF Sleeping Bag Review
When you’re camping in the woods on a balmy summer
evening, your choice of sleeping bag shouldn’t make too much of a difference
in your overall comfort level.
When you’re tens of thousands of feet above sea level in the middle of piles
of snow and howling winds, however, your selection of gear could spell the
difference between life and death.
Survival in the harshest expedition conditions requires that you do
not scrimp on the quality of your equipment.
Mindful of the unique needs of professional climbers, who make a
habit of traipsing around in freezing temperatures, award-winning company
Western Mountaineering designed the Puma MF to provide maximum warmth
retention in the most bitter of climates.
For a sleeping bag with a temperature rating of -25 degrees F, the
Puma MF weighs a scant 3 lbs. 7 oz., which definitely makes it one of the
lightest bags available with such a low temperature rating.
The Puma MF is truly a heavy-duty sleeping bag, with 36
oz. of high-quality 850+ fill down creating up to 9 inches of loft to ensure
that you remain toasty warm even as the temperature drops sharply.
The bag sports two large draft tubes, one on each side of the zipper,
which overlap to effectively block any heat loss.
The bag also comes with a heavy down draft collar that rests against
your chest and around your neck, sealing your body warmth in the bag.
The hood, while thick, is spacious enough to allow for a pillow or
cushion for added comfort. With
a 64 inch shoulder girth, the Puma MF allows for ample layering, though the
fit may feel a bit snug for a larger man.
Another major feature of the Puma MF is its microfiber
shell, made from tightly woven nylon or polyester, that features a thread
density of 400 per inch weave, which is exclusive to Western Mountaineering.
This astounding shell attribute coats the sleeping bag with a layer
of tough water-repellent but breathable fabric that protects the bag from
minor sources of dampness, such as tent condensation.
Users have acclaimed the virtues of the microfiber shell for keeping
them completely dry while their companions had to deal with the
inconvenience of wet sleeping bags.
Lastly, the Puma MF, for all of its vaunted features
and effectiveness, is highly compressible, and can shrink into a carrying
sack that is about the size of a basketball.
This quality is exceptionally important for expeditioners, as one
always seeks to minimize the amount of weight being carried around while
fighting the rigors of climbing a cold mountain.
Even a few pounds difference can be significant in survival
situations.
The main downside of the Puma MF is its price, which can range from US$570 to a high of US$640. This is certainly not a bag that you purchase if you’re a weekend adventurer. Serious climbers are well aware of the costliness of premium-grade equipment, however, and would be keen to see the Puma MF as a travel companion that should last them the rest of their exciting lives. You can buy it online here.
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