What is the Spark SPII?
The Spark is one of the lightest, most packable sleeping bags available, weighing an incredible 490g. If you've been searching for a sleeping bag that provides high amounts of warmth without the excessive weight and pack size, the Spark should be at the top of your list.
What is it made of?
Insulation: The key to the Spark's unbelievable pack size is the super lightweight outer fabric and high quality insulation. Starting with the insulation, Sea to Summit fill the Spark with 300g of 850 fill-power, UTRA-DRY treated, RDS certified Premium Goose Down. We know that's a lot of jargon, so let's break it down. 850 fill-power down is some of the highest quality insulation available and allows the bag to pack down to a miniscule size yet provides an exceptionally high amount of warmth relative to its weight. ULTRA-DRY treated down vastly improves the down's reaction to water without affecting its weight or warmth. Essentially, it will retain 60% more loft and absorbs 30% less moisture than untreated down. RDS certified down ensures that the feathers used in the sleeping bag come from animals which have not been subjected to unnecessary harm. To sum all of that up, it performs better in damp conditions, uses some of the highest quality down available and sources it in an ethical and sustainable manner.
Outer fabric: Further contributing to the astonoshing weight of the Spark is its 10D nylon outer fabric. This outer fabric is by far one of the most packable, lightweight fabrics we've seen on a sleeping bag; it's so lightweight that you can actually see the down through it! Inside the bag lives an even thinner 7D nylon, allowing the Spark to pack down to the same size as your average 500ml water bottle.
What is the construction used in the sleeping bag?
It isn't just a series of space-age materials which make this bag so light and packable, it also comes down to where the insulation is placed. You'll notice in the picture above that some baffles are positioned vertically and some horizontally; this isn't just to make it look cool, they do serve a purpose! The vertical box baffles in the torso area accomodate extra down and boosts warmth, while vertical baffles on the chest optimises the position of the down to prevent it moving during use. A box wall construction is used on the vertical baffles to optimise warmth, while a stitch through construction is used on the horizontal baffles to optimise pack size. Each baffle is contoured to give the sleeping bag its 'mummy' shape, reducing the amount of dead space inside and decreasing the overall pack size.
What are the features?
Features wise, you get a 1/2 length zip with a 'slider aid' to reduce the liklihood of the zip getting caught on the fabric, two zip toggles to allow you to ventilate if needs be, a draft tube to prevent heat loss through the zip and a Sea to Summit logo on the yellow baffle next to the zip... that's about it! It's a simple bag which keeps the feature list to a minimum to save weight.
How does it fit?
The SpII is roomier than the SpI but not as roomy as the SpII; this is to allow you to wear extra bulky clothing without feeling restricted. The SpII features more room in the shoulders and the hips yet still maintains its efficiency by using a tapered mummy shape.
Summary
We know this bag won't be for everybody, but for those demanding the lightest, most packable sleeping bag available for spring/autumn persuits, look no further.
-
10D outer fabric
-
850+ fill-power down
-
Hydrophobically treated
-
1/2 length zip
-
Ultra small pack size
-
Large glove friendly zip
How warm a sleeping bag do you really need? We’ve tried to help you by grouping our sleeping bags by their recognised comfort ratings. These are the ratings supplied by the brands that indicate the temperature at which you will remain comfortable whilst sleeping on an insulated sleep mat. After all, comfort is what you want when it’s cold and wet outside, and you’re all tucked up in your nice warm sleeping bag.
We always recommend that you choose your bag according to the coldest conditions you will experience; you can always unzip a bag if it is too warm, but trying to sleep when you’re too cold is just miserable. Bear in mind that we are all individuals, so we all feel the cold differently and that our own resistance will fluctuate depending on a whole load of factors, including how much we have eaten, whether we have consumed alcohol, whether we need a wee or what kind of mood we are in!
Sleeping bags do not generate heat; they only trap the heat we produce, so it is vital that you get into your bag when you are giving off warmth, don’t go to bed when you are cold, have a hot meal or a hot drink or do some brisk exercise to get you nicely warmed up.
Traditionally sleeping bag manufacturers provided their own temperature ratings based on their experience, the product's intended end-use and the perceived environment. However, each brand tested their bags in different ways, and it was hard to find a fair comparison between models. So, in 2005 a European standard for sleeping bag temperature ratings, EN 13537, was introduced to give consumers a comparable guide to sleeping bag performance across a range of brands and models. The ratings have four different temperature ratings to give you an indication of the bag's performance.
Comfort Rating: This is the temperature at which an average female should experience a comfortable night’s sleep. On average, women sleep colder than men, so this rating is some degrees above the "comfort lower limit" for a man.
Comfort Limit Rating: This is the lowest temperature at which an average male should experience a comfortable night’s sleep whilst laid down in a curled up position.
Extreme: This is a survival rating where the user is likely to suffer health damage such as Hypothermia. It should be treated with the utmost caution and not be relied on for general use.
However, the EN 13537 European Standard does not apply to down-filled sleeping bags with a fill weight of more than 800g; for those bags, you will have to rely on the manufacturer's experience and technical expertise, which is often more accurate!
Most reputable brands still use their own rating system alongside EN 13537, for instance, Mountain Equipment's “Good Night’s Sleep” and Rab’s “Sleep Limit”. These ratings are often the most accurate guide to the overall performance of a sleeping bag being used by an average outdoor enthusiast because they are based on years of expedition heritage, field trials, technological experience, and constant feedback.
But please bear in mind that all ratings are only a guide and, as mentioned earlier, there are a huge range of factors that can affect your comfort; if you are just not sure, it is always wise to go for a warmer model.
The biggest difference you can make to your overall comfort is to use an efficiently insulated sleeping mat. Once you get inside your sleeping bag, you instantly compress all the filling beneath you, greatly reducing its efficiency. Therefore using a quality sleep mat will ensure you are properly insulated from the cold ground, and you will be a lot more comfortable... Basically, there is no point in buying a top-quality sleeping bag if you are just going to lie down on the floor.