Choosing a three season sleeping bag can be a daunting task. Size, fill material, weight, loft, and of course warmth are all factors you need to consider before making the big purchase. Sierra Designs is hoping to make the decision an easy one; their Pyro 15 sleeping bag is designed to please in every category. Chock full of SD’s award winning bag tech, the Pyro is a toasty sack that packs a few pleasant surprises.
Biggest problem with most sleeping bags? Too much heat where you don’t need it, and not enough where you do. The Pyro 15 uses SD’s new Core Comfort Technology (CCT) which ensures maximum loft and warmth around your body’s core. The end result are baffles that warm you in all the right places for a comfortable night of sleep. The 600 fill down is protected by 30D polyester micro-ripstop fabric, and the bag weighs in at 2 pounds 13 ounces. The Pyro is a mummy style sack that will keep you warm down to, you guessed it, 15 degrees F.
I took the Pyro 15 on a few backpacking trips to the Uinta Mountains. High elevations were the only way to ensure some cold temperatures and a real test of the bag’s promises. The CCT baffle design made compressing the bag a bit more difficult than I’m accustomed to, but with some effort (and a good compression sack) you can get it smashed down to about the size of a loaf of bread. At just under three pounds the carry weight is a bit high, but considering it’s a 15 degree bag I let that slide. I wasn’t initially blown away by the Pyro, but as soon as I pulled it out in camp, things changed.
The Pyro 15 has built in sleeping pad locks. This was my first time using a bag that had them, and I loved it. Just slide your sleeping pad through them, tighten them down and you have a slip-proof sleeping system. No more waking up halfway off your pad in the middle of the night. The pad locks and spacious design of the bag allowed me to roll, toss and turn on my side without getting twisted up. Another great feature on the Pyro is the pillow pocket. I crammed my down jacket into the pocket, sealed it up with the velcro attachments and had a happy head when I drifted off. Warmth was another win- temperatures dipped into the 30s but I was so toasty in the Pyro that I unzipped the bag halfway to let some air in. Every time I brought the Pyro into the backcountry I had a warm, comfortable night of sleep no matter what the conditions.
The final verdict is positive: when it comes to keeping you warm and comfortable, the Pyro is as good as any sack out there. SD’s CCT works as promised, with campers staying heated where it matters most. It’s not the lightest bag out there, but consider the extra features and the fact that it sleeps down to 15 degrees and the extra ounces are worth it. With an MSRP of $249 the Pyro 15 won’t burn a hole in your pocket, and could be the easy answer to your sleeping bag conundrum.
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