Sierra Designs DriDown Zissou

Bottom Line

The Sierra Designs DriDown Zissou gives campers in moist or high-humidity environments the comfort and easy packing of down fill. With models available in three temperature ratings, sleepers should be able to find the right Zissou bag for their spring-to-autumn camping.

Performance

The best of both worlds. The Sierra Designs DriDown Zissou sleeping bag won several awards after impressing outdoor-gear reviewers upon its release in 2012. The bag's main selling point is the down fill, which is specially treated with a polymer to repel water much like synthetic fill. Campers who prefer the easy-to-pack and cozy down over synthetic fills say the DriDown Zissou performs much better than untreated sleeping bags when faced with condensation, dew, mist and sweat. It's available in three temperature ratings: 6, 12 and 23 degrees Fahrenheit.

"Just be aware you can't go to sleep out in the rain," Trailspace.com reviewer "Gonzan" concludes after sleeping with the bag in the direct rain. He reports that while the bag keeps dew and mist out, on a night with "drizzling rain" water crept in through the seams and zipper. Additionally, AdventureJournal.com's Brendan Leonard tests the DriDown Zissou in humid and condensation-prone environments, concluding that its water-wicking and insulation performance is surprisingly good. "Where in the past I'd woken up with cold feet in the middle of the night because of wet down in the footbox of my bag, I was toasty in the Zissou," Leonard writes.

Comfort

Roomy. Reviewers say the DriDown Zissou's mummy-style design retains campers' body heat while preserving enough room around the torso for comfort while sleeping. The bag is lined with a 30-denier polyester that receives no major complaints from users or reviewers, though Trailspace.com's reviewer notes the down pushes sweat back into the bag, creating a "clammy" feeling the morning after a humid night. To help with ventilation, the bag features a two-way zipper for easy airflow into the footbox when needed, and for stability, the bag has multiple hooks to ensure restless sleepers stay on their insulating sleeping pads.

Ownership

Zipper issue solved. In comparison to the other bags tested by Climbing magazine, reviewer Julie Ellison writes the Zissou is too heavy for ultralight hiking; it weighs 2 pounds for the 23-degree version.

One of the biggest peeves of sleeping bag users is a sticky zipper, and testers of the DriDown Zissou give mostly positive reviews in this regard. Climbing magazine editors say the Zissou was the only one of its top-rated bags in 2012 that did not have zipper issues. However Trailspace.com's reviewer says the zipper catches easily on the bag's draft tube and lining. Campers cannot double up this bag, as the zipper is only available on the left-hand side.

According to their website, Sierra Designs guarantees its product materials and workmanship but does not elaborate on any special warranty for its bags.