There have been many so-called Elephant Foot,sleeping bags in the market over the years. We’ve even mentioned a few of these designs which are essentially, the bottom half of the bag, with the top half being a level 7-style insulated belay parka. The idea with an Elephant Foot is to reduce weight and bulk and is often used for mountaineering. Oftentimes, these bags ride mid-abdomen and use elastic or shoulder straps, to stay in place. Additionally, the bottom is often closed with shock cord so the wearer can open it up and walk around in it.
The Hybrid is insulated with 850-fill-power Traceable Down, so it’s no slouch when it comes to keeping the cold at bay. It’s also going to be quite packable, although maybe not the best choice in cold/wet conditions. The shell is Pertex Quantum, an underutilized fabric here in the US which is highly wind and water resistant.
In the case of the Hybrid, it incorporates a torso fashioned from a single layer of windproof 1.2oz, 15D 100% nylon ripstop fabric with a DWR finish. It features a waist level drawstring as well as drawstrings at the hood along with a half-zip front opening to reduce bulk. The single layer torso works with the parka beneath to shed weather and trap heat.
Earlier, I mentioned that many of the half-bags on the market have an open bottom, but the Hybrid incorporates a footbed designed to acoid cold spots.
I really like the design of the Hybrid, but as it was designed for civilian mountaineering, the Viking Blue color scheme leaves a bit to be desired for tactical use, despite the cool color name. Maybe it will catch the eye of a military customer and we’ll see it in Alpha Green.
Made in China, it weighs just 490 g (17.3 oz). The Hybrid from Patagonia is offered in Short, Regular and Long lengths.
www.patagonia.com/product/hybrid-sleeping-bag-regular
