Sierra Designs Cloud 800 Sleeping Bag

The comforter has an insulated shoulder pocket that seals the bag like a zipper might, keeping the comforter tucked in when the nights are colder, as well as a cord lock to batten down the hatches.

On warmer nights, kick your feet through the self-sealing foot vent.

The sleeping pad sleeve keeps your sleeping pad under the bag so you won’t roll or slip off your pad at night. When you’re in a sleeping bag, the insulation that you are on top of is squished; this loss of loft means the insulation is then rendered useless. When sleeping on a sleeping pad, the pad is what offers the insulation from the ground, and the Cloud 800 accounts for this. Reduced insulation between you and the pad means a lighter overall bag.

The shell and liner continue to keep things lightweight with 15D ripstop nylon, and 800 fill Dridown keeps with the lightweight theme while offering excellent insulation. DriDown is real down that has been treated with a water repellent coating that prevents the down from becoming saturated and hence retain loft. 

In order to maintain loft when not in use, the Cloud comes with a mesh storage bag, and features exterior hanging loops. For when you are taking the bag on the go, they have provided a stuff sack. 

Insulation: PFC-Free DriDown
Fill Power: 800
Shell fabric: 15D ripstop nylon
Liner fabric: 15D ripstop nylon

• Zipperless design
• Oversized integrated comforter with insulated shoulder pocket
• Self-sealing foot vent
• Sleeping pad sleeve

I’m a really big fan of innovative variations to traditional sleeping bag designs, and the Cloud 800 is a great example of how little changes can make a big difference. The zipperless design inspires well thought out features that change the game when it comes to the sleeping experience. 

The oversized comforter offers unrestricted movement for those who don't like the feel of being in a tightly wrapped burrito. The oversized nature of the comforter and the crescent-shaped opening to the bag helps to keep you in a nice cocoon, keeping drafts out without the need for a zipper. 

The hands-free foot vent is probably my favourite feature of this bag. This zipperless approach to ventilation means you can simply slide your feet out of a sneaky opening in the foot box when they need a bit of air. When not in use, this vent is basically unnoticeable and does a great job of keeping drafts out. 

As more and more sleeping bags feature water-repellent down, it becomes less impressive but by no means loses its appeal. DriDown is tried, tested, and true, and offers reliable performance in any conditions.

My only qualms with the bag are the lack of compression straps on the stuff sack, and the weird yellow strip on the shell. As far as the stuff sack goes, it’s a pretty simple addition that goes a long way when trying to fit everything in a backpack. As for the yellow stripe? I don’t think it’s doing anything for the aesthetics of the bag, and stitching of a different coloured panel adds complexity to the production and therefore additional costs to the consumer… is it a big deal? Not really, and aesthetics are opinion based so maybe some will approve. 

I think this bag is best suited for those who want a technical bag that offers a few creature comforts while remaining lightweight and thermally efficient.