Black Wolf Zambezie Sleeping Bag Review
Purchasing a sleeping bag is a crucial part of your camping gear shopping list. Choose the wrong one, and you could be in for a miserable night camping.
We review the Zambezie Hooded Sleeping Bag (though there are variations on the Zambezie including Jumbo Hooded, Camper and Jumbo Camper), a purchase made by us based on the excellent reputation (and previous purchases) of Black Wolf.
So how did it perform?
Is this the sleeping bag for you?
(and if you are not sure exactly what to look for in a sleeping bag, here are tips to help you choose a sleeping bag)
Materials
The Zambezie is has a shell of polyester, and a lining of flannel.
The all-important filling is Powerloft 4 (and I had to look this up to find out what Powerloft actually is.....and this is taken from Black Wolf's own website: POWERLOFT 4 fibres have four holes through the centre allowing more air to be trapped and allowing them to be more compressible than regular Powerloft. Powerloft 4 is used in the warmer of our General bags.
I do like flannel lining - it feels warm when you get in and in a winter bag, that's a good feeling.
It comes with a draft flap, and anti-bite zip guard. We have the hooded version with a cord to pull it closed.
What we thought of the Zambezie
When you are looking at a sleeping bag you have to check out the rating. Will this sleeping bag suit you for the conditions you plan to camp in? It's one of the most important factors in sleeping bag choice!!
The Zambezie Hooded is rated to -8C which means that should the temperature get that low, you should stay warm as long as you are in a good shelter and insulated from the ground.
We find that many sleeping bags we have tried, ratings are very inaccurate or unreliable. We work on the basis that if you want a bag that is rated to say 0 degrees, purchase a bag that says its good for -10 degrees; and if this is the case, with the Zambezie, -8 degree rating, should mean it is only good for temperatures around 2 degrees.
But we learned that important fact, the hard way........
This bag did not keep me warm when the mercury went below zero.
We estimate the temp was around -4 degrees or so when we tested this bag in the Flinders Ranges in the middle of winter, and I had one of the longest, coldest nights of my life in this bag!!!
Yes, we had good insulation underneath us (Black Wolf Self Inflating Mats), and in a very good tent (Black Wolf Turbo), but I was so cold the first night, my husband thought it was just me and not the sleeping bag! So the next night, he slept in the Zambezie, and he is a warm sleeper, so he was fairly confident the bag would do the job. But he was cold as well.
We were so disbelieving of the temperature rating, that upon our return home we checked and double checked that it was actually meant to be good in -8 degrees.
So, in the middle of winter - I wouldn't take this bag. It's a bag for milder conditions.
If you want a sleeping bag for when the temps are above 5 degrees, then this bag would be suitable. A sleeping liner will add extra warmth if you are concerned about performance at that temperature. We have continued to use this bag in any season but winter, and my daughter finds it adequately warm and comfortable on those less-chilly nights.
The Zambezie Hooded is rated to -8C which means that should the temperature get that low, you should stay warm as long as you are in a good shelter and insulated from the ground.
We find that many sleeping bags we have tried, ratings are very inaccurate or unreliable. We work on the basis that if you want a bag that is rated to say 0 degrees, purchase a bag that says its good for -10 degrees; and if this is the case, with the Zambezie, -8 degree rating, should mean it is only good for temperatures around 2 degrees.
But we learned that important fact, the hard way........
This bag did not keep me warm when the mercury went below zero.
We estimate the temp was around -4 degrees or so when we tested this bag in the Flinders Ranges in the middle of winter, and I had one of the longest, coldest nights of my life in this bag!!!
Yes, we had good insulation underneath us (Black Wolf Self Inflating Mats), and in a very good tent (Black Wolf Turbo), but I was so cold the first night, my husband thought it was just me and not the sleeping bag! So the next night, he slept in the Zambezie, and he is a warm sleeper, so he was fairly confident the bag would do the job. But he was cold as well.
We were so disbelieving of the temperature rating, that upon our return home we checked and double checked that it was actually meant to be good in -8 degrees.
So, in the middle of winter - I wouldn't take this bag. It's a bag for milder conditions.
If you want a sleeping bag for when the temps are above 5 degrees, then this bag would be suitable. A sleeping liner will add extra warmth if you are concerned about performance at that temperature. We have continued to use this bag in any season but winter, and my daughter finds it adequately warm and comfortable on those less-chilly nights.
Weight
1.6kg, so definitely for those who don't have to carry their bag too far!
Price
Very reasonably priced between $70-100.
Available at most major camping stores.
Overall Verdict
This bag is a good entry level sleeping bag, for campers who don't want to spend a lot of money on their sleeping bag, but want a reasonably warm and comfortable bag. But if you are heading out to camp in cold climates, I would recommend doing some research and finding a more appropriate winter sleeping bag.
Just one last thing - its not a lot of fun trying to get the Zambezie back into the carry bag. In fact, its a time consuming, and frustrating experience. The carry bag is way too small for a quick pack up of the sleeping bag. When it comes to rolling it back up and getting it back into the bag, we toss a coin, and the loser has to do it!
Two sleeping bags that we use and recommend for cold and wintery nights are:
Marmot Plasma
Western Mountaineering Alpinlite
Further help
Want to find out more key information? Then read on, and these stories could help:
How to choose a sleeping bag
How to care for a sleeping bag
How to choose a self inflating mattress
How to choose a sleeping bag
How to care for a sleeping bag
How to choose a self inflating mattress