I got in the bag, tried to zip it and the zipper tore immediately. Hi, to comment on stories you must create a commenting profile. This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login. 🌟 Trendy home decor that will transform your living spaces.📱 Must-have consumer electronics for work and play.💼 Everyday essentials that make life easier and more enjoyable.💎 Unique finds that you won’t see anywhere else. Get Backpacking Light news, updates, gear info, skills, and commentary delivered into your inbox 1-2x/week.
Just to be clear this is not the best sleeping-bag available…it is not a Feathered Friends or Western Mountaineering bag by any stretch of the imagination. While completely honest and upfront…my review of this bag is unapologetically colored by my ozark trail sleeping bag enthusiasm for the niche I believe this bag fills…and to that end…I believe it fills that niche better than any other bag available. I would not recommend this product to anyone unless I wanted them to freeze and get a terrible night’s sleep.
The zipper broke on my warm weather bag on the second night out. Too bad too because overall I’ve had good luck with Ozark Trail stuff. Too bad the buyer at Walmart has gone to sleep on quality control on this product. Tent stakes seem to go missing in the field like socks disappear in the dryer at home. MSR sells ozark trail chair the Mini Groundhog in a six-pack (0.35 ounces each, includes the all-important pull loop) for $30. With a spool of generic 2-millimeter window shade lift cord ($8), I was able to tie lines from loop to loop throughout my tent interior to use for hanging my sweaty socks, damp shirt and such for drying overnight.
From the perspective of the average person…the Ozark Trail Cocoon 200 is a great bag…that is both well-designed and well-made for about the price of your average discount bag. The compromise is not in insulation value…but primarily weight and compression. The hood of the Ozark Trail Cocoon 200 uses some of the very best design features found in sleeping-bags made by such notables as Western Mountaineering. For example…the hood uses what is called a reverse differential construction which is a fancy way of saying that it uses over-sized cuts of fabric on the inside of the hood to allow the down to fill in around the head without the need to over-cinch the hood.
A shoulder strap pocket to hold your smart phone is a must. Gossamer Gear makes a good one that attaches to your pack with Velcro straps and features a front mesh pocket for an energy bar, lip balm and the like (large is 1.9 ounces, $22). To the pocket, I’ve connected the Koala 2.0 Super-Grip Hangtime Phone Harness (1.2 ounces, $34), so no more worries about dropping my iPhone into the drink or off some precipice while taking a photo. Bean’s Primaloft Performance lightweight crew socks ($20) and the X-Static Liner Crew Socks from Eastern Mountain Sports ($18) in my tried and true Lowa Renegade GTX Mid Hiking Boots. I really liked how I could cinch the hood and collar down to keep more warmth in or open it up to cool off. I also liked the two zippers, so I could open up the foot box if too hot or stretch my legs apart.
If they wanted to skimp on fabric, it should have been used on the outside and bottom of the bag! On the Pacific Crest Trail, I learned the importance of a GPS satellite communicator, and it’s been a trail companion ever since. I’ve upgraded my Garmin InReach Mini to the Mini 2 to take advantage of the longer battery life and improved satellite acquisition time. And it pairs nicely with the Garmin ozark trail chair Explore and Messenger phone apps for expanded functionality. First-aid kit contents get used or go missing over time, so I like to replace mine every so often. Armed with the knowledge and skills from umpteen Wilderness First-Aid courses over many years, I tend to carry a lot less, so the Medical Kit 0.5 from Adventure Medical Kits (3.6 ounces, $23) fills the bill, with a few extras tucked in.
Backpacking Light helps hikers and other backcountry enthusiasts overcome their barriers to living a life outside in Wild Places. The bags were adequate last year when temps dropped to mid to high 40’s. The criticisms I have of the hood are not that substantial…but I did find the hood somewhat over-filled…and I believe that the additional down could have been better served placed in the torso area where I found the distribution of down wanting.