Staying Warm

I personally use the following sleep system:

MontBell SS #3 – 30 degree bag
Upper Base layer IBEX wool qtr zip
Lower Base layer IBEX wool pant
MontBell UL Down Inner parka
MontBell UL Down Inner pant
Therm-a-rest Neo Air Regular

This works well for me. I had the small neo air but my feet being on the ground was a real warmth drainer. Now I have a system that paired up for most specific temps carries me through the night.

I've gotten this same question from people for 30 years now. First thing: clothing. This does not mean that you have to have heavy clothing, but you do have to have the right layers on. Typically this means very thin layers close to the skin, and then gradually, layer by layer, they get thicker toward the outside. Then you need some top layer shell garment that holds all of your heat in. You'll probably need only the first one or two layers when you are in your sleeping bag. Second thing: Before you crawl into your sleeping bag, eat some warm food. That will keep you going all night. Third thing: sleeping pad. Lots of people use a good sleeping bag that they've fluffed up, but they put it on a thin mattress that does not insulate enough. Fourth thing: shelter. If you have your shelter properly sited and properly vented, it will keep the cold wind off, yet it will allow your personal condensation to vent away. Fifth thing: share your shelter with a friend who does not snore.
–B.G.–

It depends on the sleeping bag and what you put under it (just as important as the sleeping bag!). My Western Mountaineering Ultralight has taken me to 18*F even though it's rated 20*F and I'm a COLD sleeper. WM is known for being conservative in their sleeping bag ratings. Secret–vapor barrier clothing (actually my silnylon rain jacket and pants) over a base layer and extra clothing over that, plus extra thick CCF pad underneath. Plus a fleece balaclava. One of the big items is the draft collar on the Ultralight. Snug that up tight after the inevitable middle-of-the-night trips outdoors, and I warm up really fast! I must admit, if I were going to be out in temps any lower than 15*F, I would definitely want a warmer sleeping bag. A lot of folks on this forum seem fine with a 30*F bag plus extra clothing, or with a NeoAir plus a 1/8" CCF pad at those temperatures. Not me! (I also notice that a lot of them are male, and it's a fact that most men need less insulation than most women!)

What kind of sleeping bag do you have? With a lot of sleeping bags, the temperature ratings of all but the very expensive high-end bags are purely fictional–if your 0* bag is one of those, it's probably really a 20-25* bag. What kind of pad do you use underneath? If, like me, you use a 2.5" thick insulated air pad, you're going to need an extra CCF foam pad with it, like 3/8", when the temp. gets down to the mid-20's F. That's true with a Thermarest, too (at least the one I used to have before it "got too thin" as I aged!).

A dog is a great help. There have been nights when I wanted three of them!

And finally, what Bob said! In addition, some brisk calisthenics or a brisk walk to get your metabolism revved up just before you get into the sleeping bag will give you more body heat to warm up the bag.

I had the same problem until I started using a Big Agnes Insulated Mattress. 21 oz is worth it to me to sleep warm. They have twice the warmth rating of a thermarest even though they weigh less than some of them.

Just to add to the above good advice is to point out that women, in general, need a warmer sleeping environment than men. A lot of the posts you see of folks using 30F sleeping bags are from young, hot running, men. And I would like to repeat and emphasize Mary's advice about using VBL. It really boosts your warmth for not much extra weight, and keeps your sleeping bag clean and dry from internal moisture.

I find that the small things make a huge difference to how warm I feel at night. For me, simply adding small ankle socks to my sleep system just about does it. I also have a microfleece hat for those chillier nights. Also, just to stress what someone above said– what is underneath you is just as important as what is over you, i.e. your pad.

FWIW, my sleep system consists of the following:

-Feathered Friend Swift (+20 degree bag)
-Ridgerest
-Ankle socks
-Capilene 3 top (Switch to Capilene 4 in colder temps)

The above is usally fine for most of the three-season here in Colorado, but I also carry a combination of the following depending on the trip: a microfleece hat, fleece gloves, Montbell Inner down jacket, Capilene 3 bottoms and a Marmot Ion windshirt, Montbell Down Inner bottoms combined with my tarp and bivy and I can sleep comfortably into the mid teens– with a better insulated pad I could probably bring the temp into the lower teens– but to be honest, when it gets to these kind of temps on a consistant basis then it is usually getting to winter and my gear changes to more adaquate insulation.

1. Keep active until ready for bed. A body generating excess heat warms the cold sleeping bag quickly.

2. Make sure your sleeping pad is adequate for the temperature.

Have you tried a 3-season bag? If so, maybe if you describe the conditions and specifics about your shelter, bag, and pad, others might be able to help identify why you were too cold.

Thanks for your advice. I'm a bit embarrassed to admit it, but I usually haul my -20 REI down sleeping bag, and borrow a friends 0 degree bag if it's simply too ridiculous to bring the -20. I have a 1.5 inch insulated inflating somewhat UL sleeping pad. I've only brought an additional closed cell foam pad (those cheap $10 ones) when I'm camping in the snow, but perhaps I should consider bringing it for my 3 season trips as well?
Many years ago I spent a week (in August) in the Sierras with a 20 degree bag and froze the whole trip. I vowed I'd never be cold again, and admittedly I may have gone a bit overboard.

Thanks Lynn and Mary. I've never considered wearing my rain gear. Great idea. And I don't know if it matters but my sleeping pad is an REI Lite Core, rating 3.1.
My tent is a single wall Eureka (yeah, I'm not much of a gear head), but I'll be using a tarptent this summer.

I really appreciate all the responses. Very kind.

Fill a water bottle with boiling water and cuddle up with it in your sleeping bag. I usually carry a nalgene for this. I know nalgene bottles are heavy but the extra six ounces is a concession that I am willing to make for a nice toasty night of sleep in the winter. This always seems to give me the extra warmth I need when the mercury dips.

Rebecca
The mat is a or the problem. An R3.1 mat is not a match for a 0 bag , in fact for me not even for a 20f bag.
Look at the Thermarest ProLite w (R4.6) at least (OK for me down to about 26f with a matching sb ) or something like an Exped DM 7 (R 5.9)
Franco
BTW, Bob and Mary were onto it and before we knew the mat type…

I agree with all the things said above. I find my DriDucks rain gear are worth 5-10 degrees as an added layer. Eating a candy bar a 4:00 am can also help.

+1 Franco. What you have underneath you is just as important as that which is covering you. What kind of temps are you getting cold in anyways Rebecca?

Another vote for Franco’s comments. I use a downmat 7 and aside from being devilishly comfortable it’s also very warm which allows me to use a much lighter quilt.

Head, neck and wrists are the three largest areas of heat loss on the body. I’ve noticed a huge difference in overall warmth when using a neck gaiter or scarf.

I remember another forum member posting about women typically having lower resting heart rates and lower blood pressures when compared to men which makes it harder for them to stay warm but easier to live longer :)

Also, the nice weather here in so-cal may not give your body enough opportunity to adapt to cold weather. I certainly have thin blood.

> Fill a water bottle with boiling water and cuddle up with it in your sleeping bag.
OR:
Feed wife with hot dinner, and cuddle up with her…
Don't laugh: it works very well!

Cheers

Well, I guess I'll need to re-consider my sleeping pad situation. Perhaps pair a Z-lite with my Lite Core, at least until I can upgrade, per Franco's suggestion. And Roy, I'm "blessed" with very low blood pressure, pleases the doctors, but also means I wear sweaters when it's 70 degrees.
Jeffrey: winter camping, it got down to 8 or 10 degrees at night and it took at least two shivering hours to warm up my -20. I was in a standard four season tent. This situation seems to occur in temperatures from 30 degrees on down. But once I'm warm, I pretty much stay warm. So, I've been mighty reluctant to get a different bag.
Thanks!

Not much to add to what has been said, except that I also wear light gloves.
I typically wear lightly insulated (montbell) pants and vest or jacket. That makes it easy to get up in the morning if I'm already wearing warm insulated layers!