Therm-a-Relaxation Parsec 0 Sleeping Bag Evaluate

The Therm-a-Relaxation Parsec 0 is a VERY light-weight cold-weather sleeping bag appropriate for year-round use. It’s a really heat bag with premium field baffling and 60% of the insulation positioned over the chest and 40% on the underside so as to present enhanced heat when used with an applicable sleeping pad. It has a draft collar and zipper draft tube to carry in your physique warmth with a two-way zipper so you’ll be able to vent the bag in the event you really feel too heat. The Parsec 0 has beneficiant girth measurement to accommodate additional clothes layers and to allow you to retailer gear inside like boot liners or water bottles which you don’t wish to freeze in a single day. Particular sleeping pad straps assist stop you from rolling off your pad at night time, whereas exterior loops allow you to layer suitable quilts or blankets on prime to spice up the Parsec’s temperature ranking so that you don’t want to purchase a separate sleeping bag for colder circumstances.

Specs at a Look

• Gender: Unisex
• Temperature Ranking: 0F (-18C)
• EN Examined Decrease Restrict: 0F
• EN Examined Consolation Restrict: 14F
• Insulation: 800 fill energy goose down
• Water-Resistant Down: Sure, Nikwax Hydrophobic (PFC-free)
• RDS-Licensed Down: Sure
• Building: Field Baffles
• Shell and liner: 20 Recycled Nylon
• Zipper: YKK Snag-Free, 3/4 size
• Weight: 2 lbs 6 oz / 1077g
• Down Fill Weight: 26 oz /  738g
• Size: 72 inches examined (66″, 78″ additionally obtainable)
• Girth: Shoulder (63″), Hip (58″)
• Compression Sack Weight: (included)
• Storage Bag: Included

Sleeping Bag Options

The Parsec 0 has all the normal options you’d count on on a premium cold-weather sleeping bag, together with a draft collar, two-way YKK snag-resistant aspect zipper, zipper draft tube, taped zipper stiffeners, spacious dimensions, and a really heat hood. However a number of the issues that set this bag other than others embrace field baffling building with lets the down loft absolutely whereas stopping downshift, a 60/40 distribution of goose down insulation with extra on the highest and fewer beneath, and equipment loops built-in into the shell that allow you to connect Therm-a-rest quilts or blankets. Whereas I haven’t used this layering performance but, it’s a really compelling function for winter use when tenting in minus 10F to minus 20F climate.

Steady Draft Collar and Zipper Draft Tube

The draft collar is a dow-filled tube that wraps underneath your higher again or shoulders in the event you lie in your aspect, and continues with out a break to cowl your higher chest. It prevents heat air heated by your decrease physique from escaping while you transfer round at night time. The collar is definitely a steady extension of the zipper draft tube working alongside the aspect zipper, so there aren’t any gaps between the 2 the place leaks or drafts might happen.

You may’t stress the draft collar to tighten it on this bag, which is a plus as a result of it makes the bag easier and much more comfy to make use of in comparison with sleeping luggage which have extra elaborate velcro tensioning methods, which are likely to get crufty with age and use. But it surely will also be a unfavorable if the bag quantity is just too massive to create a draft-free seal. It’s simple to compensate for, nevertheless by looping a sweater or light-weight insulated jacket round your neck to create a tighter seal.

Two-Approach Zipper

The Parsec 0 has a 3/4 size zipper that ends round your knees and has two sliders. Each side of the zipper are taped with grosgrain to stiffen the zipper and stop snags. The highest zipper has additionally a particular YKK zipper cowl designed to forestall snags and whereas it’s not foolproof, it’s fairly efficient. Whereas snags are annoying, their largest hazard comes from ripping open the shell material alongside the zipper and leaking the insulation. I’ve accomplished it earlier than on different luggage and it actually sucks.

There’s a snap on the prime of the zipper at chin top that it’s best to shut earlier than pulling the zipper up, while you’re mendacity within the sleeping bag. This helps take the strain off the zipper whereas serving to it to trace extra simply. When the snap is closed it’s also possible to vent the chest space by knocking down the highest zipper whereas preserving the hood snugged round your head. As said above there’s a thick draft tube working alongside the zipper, which slides over the zipper when it’s closed, and blocks chilly air from leaking via the zipper and chilling you.

The underside zipper slider doesn’t have the identical YKK zipper cowl, since there may be a lot much less strain on the zipper and the edges keep effectively aligned. That backside zipper is sweet for venting the foot space of the bag and helps lengthen the bag’s vary in hotter climate.

Pad Straps

The pad straps complement the 60/40 prime and backside distribution of the goose down within the Parsec 0 by guaranteeing the right ulilization of an approirately rated sleeping pad. Whenever you sleep in a sleeping bag, the sleeping bag insulation beneath you’ll be able to’t lure heat air since you’re mendacity on prime of it and stopping it from lofting. Referred to as Synergy Hyperlinks, these pad straps are detachable in the event you don’t wish to use them, however they do assist preserve you on the pad, particularly in the event you roll round lots at night time.

Therm-a-Relaxation has been supplying sleeping pad straps or sleeves like these Synergy Hyperlinks with their cold-weather sleeping luggage for a few years. They use the identical method with their quilts, together with the superior Vesper 20, Vesper 32, and Vesper 45, which I additionally extremely suggest.

Large Girth

Dimensionally, the Parsec 0 is reduce vast so you’ll be able to put on additional clothes layers, and retailer additional gear, like your boots, boot liners, or water inside with you while you sleep to forestall them from freezing. That additional width additionally permits you to sleep in your aspect or transfer round at night time with ease. If it’s a must to spend 12 hours in a sleeping bag in winter, you’ll recognize the additional room!

Mummy Hood

The Parsec 0 has a closely insulated mummy hood with a reasonably standard form that favors again sleepers. There may be an exterior cordlock that controls the dimensions of the hood opening and could be cinched down fairly small for max heat retention. Nonetheless, in the event you’re a aspect sleeper, the hood is not going to rotate together with your head just like the jacket-style hood on the NEMO Sonic 0. Which means that the within of the hood will get moist as you exhale at night time, which may get nasty and uncomfortable in the event you’re out for a number of nights in a row and don’t have an opportunity to dry the bag out within the solar. It’s completely usable for single night time excursions.

Exterior Chest Pocket

There may be additionally an exterior pocket on the aspect of the higher chest which supplies good place to stash a headlamp so you could find it for a nighttime toilet break. It’s fairly massive really, but it surely’d be a complete lot extra handy in the event you might entry it from contained in the bag, with out having to unzip the higher half of the sleeping bag to succeed in it. I desire placing my headlamp within the pocket of the hoody I put on to mattress in chilly climate as an alternative. When you’re a aspect sleeper or roll round at night time, I’d warning towards placing a smartphone into this pocket until it’s in a sturdy protecting case.

Comparability desk: 0-degree sleeping luggage

Suggestion

The Therm-a-Relaxation Parsec 0 is a cold-weather down-insulated sleeping bag with premium options together with a box-baffled building and body-mapped 60/40 down insulation. Along with being heat. I prefer it as a result of at 2 lbs 6 oz, it is without doubt one of the lightest-weight 0 levels sleeping luggage obtainable at the moment, which is an actual win for chilly climate or winter use when your skin-out pack weight is edging near 40 kilos. With glorious options and good air flow choices, the Parsec 0 is versatile sufficient to be used throughout a wider temperature vary than simply winter, ranging into autumn and spring when nights drop near freezing.

Notice: The temperature ranking for the Parsec 0 is predicated on the ISO sleeping bag temperature ranking normal, in order that 0 diploma Fahrenheit temperature ranking is sweet for males and heat sleepers. In case you are a chilly sleeper or a girl, the temperature vary be nearer to 10 levels Fahrenheit. The distinction is because of the truth that ladies aren’t usually as massive as males and don’t generate as a lot physique warmth.

Disclosure: Therm-a-Relaxation donated a sleeping bag for assessment.

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