This article refers to the long version of the sleeping bag, which apart from the length should normally not differ from the regular or X-long version.
For 2008, The North Face has given its 3-season synthetic sleeping bag, the Cat’s Meow, a proper upgrade. At the same weight as the previous model, the Climashield Prism fill is meant to make the sleeping bag a little warmer and also shrinks its packed size. We were able to test how well it all works in practice on a trip in March.
Details of The North Face Cat’s Meow sleeping bag
Temperature ratings
- Fill material: Climashield Prism
- Fill weight: 780 g (regular: 710 g / X-long: 870 g)
- Outer material: Firestorm Fabric (57% polyester, 43% polyamide)
- Lining: Silky Nylon Taffetta 100% Nylon
- Packed volume: 9.7 l (regular: 8.9 l / X-long 10.6 l)
- Body length: up to 198 cm (regular: up to 183 cm / X-long: up to 205 cm)
- Shoulder width: 82 cm (regular: 78 cm / X-long: 85 cm)
- Knee width: 73 cm (regular: 72cm/ X-long: 75 cm)
- Foot width: 54 cm (regular: 52 cm / X-long: 56 cm)
- Weight: 1,290 g (regular: 1,200 g / X-long: 1,415 g)
First impressions of The North Face Cat’s Meow sleeping bag
The full compression sack looks relatively bulky, which is understandable, though, considering that I only have a light summer sleeping bag to compare it with and that this sleeping bag is designed for quite different temperatures.
After unpacking the sleeping bag, the question arose as to how on earth you would ever get it back into the compression sack. After practising once or twice this shouldn’t be a problem any more, but it is still a bit of an effort.
I also weighed the sleeping bag including the compression sack and came to 1,370 g.
Field experience with The North Face Cat’s Meow
The sleeping bag had to prove itself for a week – at the end of March in Italy, with daytime temperatures of up to 14 °C that dropped to -4 °C at night. So basically exactly the range in which the sleeping bag should feel at home.
Did it keep its promise? In my view, yes. I was never cold on any night. However, I also bought the sleeping bag a little too long, which gave me the option of crawling in completely at lower temperatures and closing everything up.
Things that bothered me about the sleeping bag were the zip, which snagged once or twice so badly that it really took me a while to get it moving again. That is very unpleasant, especially when it is cold. It is important that the sleeping bag doesn’t touch the tent wall and that you have a sleeping pad that also insulates. Otherwise you will have a problem with the sleeping bag, as you can really feel the warmth escaping as soon as the fill is compressed. At least that was my subjective impression.
Where to buy
The 2008 version of the sleeping bag is available at Globetrotter for €159 – 179 (as of March 2008), while the previous version is currently available there for around €90.
>> Link to Globetrotter
