Each year, we here at Sierra Designs have the opportunity to add new gear to our existing offering of tents, bags, packs, and apparel. Years of designing, prototyping, and revising goes into each new piece before we’re confident it’s ready to be released in the wild – and if you’ve ever wondered what the method is to the madness, you’re in luck. We sat down with Andrew Day and David Kaufmann, the two masterminds behind the Nitro Quilt 20/35, Clearwing 2/3 Tent, Meteor 4 Tent, and Synthesis 20/35/50 sleeping bags to talk to them about why they decided to make each piece, and why they think it’s awesome.
Why did we make it? “We made it to have the first 4 person tent in our current line, and decided to have it in one of our most popular styles. We also wanted to have a tent that has a gargantuan amount of livable space. 4 people can very comfortably co exist in this tent, and maybe a few dogs for good measure.” – David Kauffmann (DK), Product Manager
Why is it awesome? “It’s a 6lbs 4 person backpacking tent. That’s about 1.5lbs per person, which breaks down to a great ratio. It’s definitely something that you can backpack with – if you’re a 4 person crew, for example, it would be lighter overall for one person to carry this tent than it would be for two people to carry two 2 person tents. That said, it’s also great for car camping with the crew.” – Andrew Day (AD), Sr. Product Director
Why did we make it? “We wanted to make a super-simple lightweight tent that also had maximum livable space. We didn’t sacrifice anything for this tent, and it’s one of the best values out there.” – AD
Why is it awesome? “The packability of this tent is phenomenal. It’s also extremely easy to set up, and it’s freestanding, so it’s perfect for someone just starting out on the trail. But to be honest, it’s one of our favorite tents in the line, and we feel the value alone makes it a great piece.” – DK
Synthesis 20/35/50 Sleeping Bag
Why did we make it? “We wanted to add a truly back-packable synthetic mummy bag to the line that will allow people to get great gear at a great value.” -DK
Why is it awesome? “Synthetic insulation can handle some of the elements of the backcountry better than down, but we didn’t sacrifice weight or features to make it happen. As a result, this durable and versatile sleeping bag, which comes in at 20, 35, and 50 degree options, provides a great entry point to the Sierra Designs bag line.” – AD
Why did we make it? “The Nitro Quilt is our older Backcountry Quilt on a diet. We wanted to slim down both the weight and the size while upscaling spec for a piece that’s better suited for the true, ultralight through hiking enthusiast.” – AD
Why is it awesome? “This quilt is fantastic for the seasoned explorer because we moved from 700 to 800Fill DriDown, and we went to 15D Nylon Ripstop from 20D Nylon Ripstop. In addition, our Hide-Away Hood allows Sierra Designs to provide a true EN rating for the temperature, something rare to find in a quilt.” -DK
Have a question that hasn’t been answered? Feel free to hit us up! We always love talking gear, and who knows, maybe you’ll be the mastermind behind our next big thing…
