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Saturday 1 June 2013

Mammut Jura Sleeping Bag

What I want from a sleeping bag is to be warm when I'm asleep and pack away compactly when I'm on the move. I am always concerned that regular down, in my usual soggy climate will suffer whilst out on the hills. So I have always opted for a synthetic fill bag. With the advancements in waterproofing down and the use of higher end fabrics for the outers this may change in the future.
The downside to synthetic has always been weight and compression to comparable rated down bags but resilience to the extremes has always been my priority. This Mammut Jura's spec boasts an improvement to the factors I hold dear. It still may be a tad larger when packed than similarly rated down bags but as I stuffed it into my pack it felt as if it was taking up less room, really for me it doesn't matter what the spec is its what it feels like when used and I was happy with the way it packed. 
Once out on the hill and I made my cozy nest for the evening, the red and ginger outer with canary yellow inner stand out like a sore thumb. Was I not in a tent I think I may have attracted a lot of small winged creatures maybe even some aviation! With the comfort temperature set at -5°C I haven't really challenged the rating of this bag but what I will say is from the perspective of a cold sleeper I was more than warm enough in shorts and t-shirt at the lowest temperature of 1°C. The bag is roomy inside and if the temperature drops dramatically this may affect holding onto the internal heat. There is a drawcord that will bring the bag in around the neck and another which, as expected, draws the bag around the face. This will obviously help contain a lot of the heat generated inside. 
The toe box is well shaped and will easily accommodate the biggest of hind paws comfortably. With respect to comfort the "SilkyTX" inner has a really nice feeling to the touch making it very pleasant to sleep in. 

The official spec, below, is impressive and with the pedigree of Ajungilak the quality of this bag is pretty much guaranteed. I will have no problem taking this out again when the temperature dictates.
  • Box construction for more loft, better fit and increased insulation 
  • MTI™ 13 two layer filling combines low weight, compressibility and maximum insulation
  • Performance TX™ outer fabric 
  • SilkyTX™ inner fabric 
  • Seamless construction avoids cold spots and improves insulation 
  • Ergonomic foot for added comfort 
  • Machine washable at 60° 
  • Jura: comfort -5°C, extreme -22°C; weight 1600g, length 195cm; volume 8 litres
When I got the Jura it came along with this little fellow known simply as the Mammut Inflatable Air Pillow. It's a neat little design. When its deflated Mammut compare it to the size of a large matchbox, which is about right.
It's a good size to stuff inside the sleeping bag hood when it's inflated so is ideal. Once you get the desired pressure right it is comfortable to sleep on. The "flutter" valve in the inflating hole makes it easy to keep the right pressure before making it more permanent with the plug. 

These two items are also the most polite pieces of gear I've seen with their little sleep well messages emblazoned onto the tabs. 
My bag weighs a little over the specified weight at 1750g including the stuff sack, which weighs 96g on its own. 

The Mammut Jura is only available at Go Outdoors, as is the rest of the new range of Montana bags and the Air Pillow.