Hyke & Byke Snowmass 0 Sleeping Bag: Keeping You Warm Below Zero

Modern day sleeping bags are amazing pieces of sleeping equipment that are being developed to become lighter yet warmer. The Hyke & Byke Shavano sleeping bag scores highly on both those points and offers great value for money.

The Shavano 32 is an expertly designed mummy shaped sleeping bag perfect choice for hiking, urban backpacking, and camping during warmer summer temperatures. It has great warmth to weight ratio yet packs to a minuscule size in its supplied compression sack.

However to decide whether the Shavano 32 is the best sleeping bag for you there are a number of aspects to consider when choosing a sleeping bag like warmth, shape, compression size, fabric quality and so on. It literally pays to ask yourself a few questions to save your money before buying something that is unsuitable for your purpose or lacking value.

In this review, we are going to discuss the Hike & Byke Shavano 32 sleeping bag, its many features, and give you an overview of the sleeping bag that might be your next purchase for your backpacking trip. Plus, we will review a few other sleeping bags so you can compare the Shavano 32 to what else is on the market right now. Let us check out all that the Shavano 32 has to offer!

Review

Packaging

The packaging is light in weight, as the sleeping bag only weighs 1.9 pounds. It will ship in a box that weighs 2.2 pounds and come packed down to save space in the box. Once you open your sleeping bag, it will fit a person who is about 6 feet tall. You get to choose from 5 colors, which are Light Blue, Black, Maroon, Blue, and Red. Plus, you can choose from 2 sizes, Regular or Long.

We are reviewing the regular version, so the longer version will weigh slightly more due to added material for length. The dimensions of the two sizes are as follows:

• Regular Size: 78 inch length, 28 inch shoulder width, 22 inch hip width, 11 inch toe box
• Long Size: 87 inches length, 32 inch shoulder width, 26.2 hip width, 14 in

In the packaging, you will find the sleeping bag, as well as the stuff compression sac.

Compression Sac

It is also supplied with a compression sac also manufactured in 400T 20 Ripstop nylon like the sleeping bag itself.  It is therefore not waterproof, only hydrophobic. Because the down compresses so well, there are also side tabs that can be tightened to make the sleeping bag even smaller for stowing in a back pack.

However, you would be best to heed the storage recommendations to store the bag opened out on a larger sac, hanging up or laid out flat. There are tabs on the feet area that are suitable to hook it up.

Durability and Design

This sleeping bag is designed in a mummy shape to conform closer to body contours. This mummy shape keeps the air closer to the body inside therefore easier to insulate from cooler air temperatures. The Shavano 32 has a wide shoulder area to offer spacious room for arms and torso. The feet area is designed with a less usual box shape so that your feet are less constricted.

The elastic draw cord closes around the back of the neck and face with an easily adjustable toggle to keep the Shavano 32 fitting snugly in colder temperatures. The other aspect that affects insulation is the construction method which in the case of the Shavano 32 is slightly rounded horizontal box baffles. These horizontal baffles make sure the down stays in the area of the box, without shifting top to bottom or front to back.

The fabric used inside and out is 400T 20 Ripstop nylon in a variety of colors. This nylon fabric is extremely lightweight but a stronger thread is woven into the fabric at intervals to give extra strength and resist tearing. The density of the weave also means that the fabric is naturally water resistant, although, not completely waterproof and also keeps the feathers and down from poking through.

Insulation

For the insulation, Hyke and Byke has chosen quality 550 duck down. The 90/10 ratio of the Shavano 32 represents the percentage of down/feather in the blend which means better insulation properties for comparable weights.

Hyke and Byke undertakes to follow animal welfare guidelines for the supply of duck down and feathers. The duck down they use, is a by-product of the egg and meat industry and not taken from live animals.

Ease of Assembly and Use

It is simple to get this sleeping bag ready for use. There is no assembly required, but you will want to take the sleeping bag out of the stuff sac and air it out before you take it on your backpacking trip. Using it is simple, as you just unzip it, slide in, and zip it up! Using this sleeping bag is so simple, you can do it in the dark!

Manufacturer Recommendations

Once you get your bag home it is best to remove the sleeping bag from any stuff sac to let it aerate to its full capacity. This applies especially for down bags as they rely on those microscopic air spaces to provide the best performance. This applies when you are on a hike too; shake out your bag and give it as much time as possible to achieve maximum loft before sleeping.

When it comes to cleaning, it is best to spot clean on a regular basis rather than regular washing. Air them out after use before storage. Store bags in large sacs rather than compression sacs; a clean pillow case or net laundry bag are good choices. Or even better hang them in a wardrobe or lay them flat somewhere like under a bed.

If you do need to wash your bag, follow the manufacturer’s recommendations. Remember that down requires natural oils for loft and durability so avoid harsh detergents or dry cleaning solvents.

Value for the Money

People have been flocking to this sleeping bag because of the great value for the money. At under $100, you really cannot beat the price for all of the great features you get. Basically, you get twice the filling, more warmth, and less weight, for one low price! Plus, you can choose from one of 5 colors!

Overview

The Hyke and Byke Shavano 32 is already a winner with backpackers who declare it extremely light, easy to pack and warm enough for summer hiking and backpacking. Some have tested it to its lower recommended limits and found it acceptable. 78% of reviewers give the Shavano 32 5 Stars on Amazon, 16% 4 Stars, with 3% giving it 2 and 3 Stars.

Those most critical, did not seem to understand how the temperature standards were rated and expected other features that would only be available, if at all, in much more expensive models.

This sleeping bag is designed to be warm enough for above freezing temperatures, comfortable, and allow you to cinch yourself to get the maximum amount of heat inside. This sleeping bag certainly has a lot to offer, and for such a low price it is definitely worth a try, especially if you cannot afford the more pricey sleeping bags that are mummy shaped and filled with down comforting.

While this sleeping bag is padded, you can always consider a sleeping pad for maximum comfort as you sleep. Sleeping on the hard ground is not the most comfortable option. You can find sleeping pads made for mummy sleeping bags online or in some stores. Now, we move on to the Pros and Cons section of the Overview, so we can cover the good and the not so good aspects of this sleeping bag.

This is a great summer sleeping bag, especially for those backpacking and hiking. It wins on a number of features that include warmth to weight ratio, compression ability, quality fittings and general overall attractiveness.

With its ultralight weight, you can easily carry an extra layer of warm clothes or a super comfy insulation mat to add to warmth capabilities in unexpected colder weather. This sleeping bag is great value for money and fits the bill perfectly.