Sea To Summit Spark SPI Review

COMPLETE REVIEW

Sea To Summit manufactures outdoor and travel equipment since 1983. The company is Australian and in addition to sleeping bags it also produces outdoor cookware, hammocks, pillows, insect protection products and more.

Their Spark sleeping bags come in 3 versions, each with its own temperature rating and weight. The heaviest and warmest one is the Spark SP III, with a rating of 25 degrees Fahrenheit. The Spark SP II model has a rating of 35F and the SP I, which is the sleeping bag we’re going to review, has a comfort rating of 46F, being the lightest one but also the least warm.

The SPI is unisex and comes in two sizes: regular and long. It has a silver color with a yellow interior.

Here are the main specifications for the SPI:

• Temperature rating: 46 degrees Fahrenheit (8 degrees Celsius); Comfort rating: 54 degrees Fahrenheit
• Size: regular (fits up to 72 inches); long (up to 79 inches)
• Shoulder girth: regular (57 inches); long (60 inches)
• Weight: regular (12.3 ounces); long (13.8 ounces)
• 850-fill goose down
• Nylon lining; ripstop nylon shell
• 1/3 length side zipper (left)
• Compressed volume: 1.55 liters

The SP1 version is the lightest one, compared to the SPII and SPIII. It has the best weight/warmth ratio and it is also the most affordable one.

It has a mummy shape and quite a narrow cut. While you’ll have no problem fitting inside the SPI without feeling claustrophobic, it isn’t the widest mummy shaped bag you can find.

The SPI comes in silver and yellow and it compresses to the size of a grapefruit, which makes it a great choice for backpackers with a limited space or for those who have to walk a lot by foot and want to keep their backpack as light as possible. The included stuff sack measures 4 X 9 inches and has a volume of 2.5 liters. The SPI uses a 10D nylon shell and a 15D nylon lining fabric, which are really ultralight and contribute to the reduced overall weight of the sleeping bag.

The SPI is mostly a summer sleeping bag but you can also use it in fall, as long as the temperatures don’t get too low. Its temperature rating (46 degrees F) is pretty accurate and if you need to push it to its limits, make sure you’ve got some layers on you, unless you want to struggle with cold. Even the way the bag was designed suggests it is only suited for milder temperatures. There are no draft tube or neck baffle to offer you additional warmth and the ultralight materials are not that efficient either when it comes to warmth. The hood has a minimal fill and doesn’t do such a great job in protecting you from cold, unless it is tightly cinched around your head.

The Spark SPI uses 850 Ultra-Dry goose down which is treated to be water repellent. Real, untreated down is well known to be problematic when it comes to dampness and moisture in general and the treated ultra-dry down inside the SPI is supposed to retain 60% more loft and to absorb approximately 30% less moisture. The down is also antimicrobial and antibacterial and when you purchase the product, you’ll also get an IDFL (International Down Feather Laboratory) inspection certificate that informs you of the exact down fill used in your sleeping bag. The SP1 is also RDS (Responsible Down Standard) certified.

The zipper on the SPI is not the greatest feature of this sleeping bag. It is really short (only 1/3 in length), which makes it annoying to get in and out of the bag. You have to be really careful not to break it or snag it.

The Spark SPI is definitely a great option for people who want a lightweight, compact sleeping bag that compresses to a really small size and is easy to pack and carry around. It is not the warmest bag out there and it is the least warm of the series, compared to the SPII and SPIII. It is more of a summer/fall sleeping bag, but it is made of high quality materials and performs well as long as you use it for what was intended.