Sierra Designs Zissou Lite & Sawyer Push Filter: First Look

A couple of weeks ago I took some items back to REI, taking advantage of their 100% satisfaction guarantee.  This allowed me to replace some gear I have been wanting to upgrade for a while.
In the field my SteriPen turned out not to be a great option.  It drained batteries on my Yellowstone trip and my back ups weren't lithium (must have lithium batteries to work a SteriPen).  Admittadly it may have been defective  most reviews of the unit are good and note that the batteries last for multiple days with many uses.  I also want to stray from using water bottles on long trips, and a SteriPen won't really work in a bladder.  So, my solution was the Sawyer Squeeze Filter.  (I am going to note here that the SteriPen is a water purification unit, meaning it kills bacteria and viruses, and the Sawyer filter only filters bacteria).

The Sawyer Squeeze Filter is a smaller, lighter (3oz.) option.  It comes with bags that you fill up with water and then roll up, forcing the water through the filter and into your water container.  It also screw to most plastic water bottles and has adapters that allow you to create an inline filter right in your bladder tube (more on this in a later post).  One of the best parts about the filter is that it is rated to last for 1 million gallons, when back filtered on a regular basis.  That is a lot of use out of a little piece of gear at a not very expensive price.  With it's size I will probably carry this filter on day hikes and not bother carrying more water than I need.  The efficiency of the filter and its small size allow it to go in any of my packs.

My second piece of gear is a new sleeping bag.  I chose the new Sierra Designs Zissou 30 Lite.  This is my first down bag.  I chose down because in general it is lighter and compresses better than synthetic substitutes.  My former bag was the REI Zenith 0 (no longer made or sold).  This new bag is almost 2 lbs lighter and compresses to less than half the size of the old bag.  So the upgrade in size and weight are substantial.  The real reason I chose this bag was for its new innovative down treatment that Sierra Designs calls DriDown.  You can visit their website for the specifics, but DriDown basically means the down has been treated with a water resistant coating.  So in the moist environments of the Northwest I will stay warm if it rains or snows and I get a little water on my bag.
My first impression of the bag is that it is going to be great.  Just trying it on in the living room I started to get over heated after only 30 seconds.  If I need to use it in below freezing weather I plan on buying a bag liner to at extra warmth.  The shell is made of a very soft nylon.  It almost feels like silk against the skin.  I also like the fit.  There is plenty of room in the knees, hips, and shoulders to roll around and get comfortable in any position.  The mummy hood also tightens up perfectly around the eyes and mouth.  My last bag tightened over my mouth and I always had a cold damp lip on my bag when I woke up.
It is my hope that both these new pieces of kit will treat me well for many years to come.  I'll be sure to let you know how they perform in the field.