GG 3/8″ thinlight on snow

It wouldn't be warm enough for me. Your insulating layers do you little good when you compress them by laying on them. You could always add another CC foam like a RidgeRest or NiteLite pad enxpensively. On snow, I use a heavy, but warm (R-5.9) and cushy Downmat 7.

I'm not sure if this is what you are doing, but assuming that the snow is 32-degrees isn't very accurate. Ice can be colder than 32-degrees, just like iron can be colder than it's melting point, which is 2800-degrees.

I think this error is propagated because most people know that (at 1 atm) boiling water is never hotter than 212-degrees, because the steam drifts away, and they confuse the boiling and melting points somehow. If this isn't you, just ignore me.

Odds are you will be too cold. The Sierra Club snow camping guide I got last winter recommends at least an inch of foam pad.

Down warmth comes from it's loft, which traps air which keeps you warm. There's not much loft when it's squished underneath you. (why quilt advocaters advocate quilts).

At worst, get another foam torso pad for cheap-ish, and put your Exodus under your legs for additional insulation.

I have a GG 1/8 pad for under my short NeoAir. I slept on snow last weekend. with the 1/8" pad + my Gorrila pack under my legs, in a Summerlite and silk base layer, my legs were cold but not sleeping preventing. Air temps were mid-30s.

But you have to keep your core warm.

The other thing is that Snow is, to my feeling, much harder than ground. The Cascades have the same 'cement' snow that the Sierra's have. I found the Sierra Cement to be really unforgiving compared to sleeping on the ground. It's impossible to ever get it quite level, so I'd want something thicker just for the padding.

Thanks guys, I figured it would be too cold. I just thought snow couldn't be colder than 32 degrees when the nightly low hasn't been below freezing. I do realize that snow is a solid so there is no limit to how cold it can get. I completely forgot my friend I've been going with has like 4 sleep pads. He's going to let me barrow his 4 season prolite. I was planning on getting a neoair when winter comes but can't find any info on if the foam pad is better on top or on the bottom of an inflatable only pad like a neoair.

It would probably be best to put the CC pad on to of the NeoAir. Be aware that the NeoAir is NOT a warm pad, and is not meant for winter use. I am not saying that you can't make it work, but it isn't what it was designed for. If you want a warmer inflatable, check out the Big Agnes Insulated Air Core, or for real warmth, a Exped Downmat.

My wife and I slept on snow a couple of weeks ago on Mt Shasta using the 1/4" version plus a 3/4 Prolite (me) and a BMW Torsolight (her). Both were combinations were just comfortable enough to sleep warmly.

I assume you are talking about snow in the Spring and early summer (like today). To me, that is a very good question. If you camped at 4,000 feet tonight, it would probably get down to the mid 40s (F) or a few degrees above freezing. You would also (probably) be sleeping on snow. The snow you slept on would be melting (from you and the ambient temperature). So, I too am curious as to if it makes any difference whether you sleep on the snow or on the ground? Obviously, as you stated, the snow won't get above freezing. But are there other heat transfer factors going on that would make it even worse?

I planned on trying to sleep directly on the snow with just a 3/8 thinlight at 6800 feet on buckhorn ridge with the option to bail but was surprised to see it was snow free. I think the big difference between sleeping on snow and ground at those temps is that the ground has stored heat possibly delaying a cold nights sleep until morning and snow has stored cold resulting in finding out you have an inadequate pad right away. Coming from the guy who has never slept on snow and only been backpacking 3 times. LOL. Here's my trip report thread.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=21896&skip_to_post=176485#176485