coupling sleeping bags- cold weather camping, yeah or nay?

[Mike M]

is this advantageous for winter camping? (basically should I be looking for an opposite zip from my winter bag for my wife?)

I sleep a little on the warm end, my wife probably a little on the cool end, if it makes any difference

tia

[James holden]

yea … body heat …. think mitts v gloves

eskimos do it, climbers do it (cause they love to spoon each other)

look for an opposite and same size/length zipper …. try it out in a store first if you can

if you ever need to spoon with another (male) climber … wearing make up and pink lycra climbing tights work as well

http://www.andy-kirkpatrick.com/articles/view/spooning

http://www.patagonia.com/us/patagonia.go?assetid=50207

[Mike M]

would draft collars still work when zipped together- or would that be secondary to having two bodies?

just thinking out loud, we'd need to insure our pads were secured together (a couple of thin elastic bands???)

I'm going to have to agree w/ Scott DeCapio on the manspoon thing, there's worse ways to go than hypothermia :)

[Bob Gross]

"just thinking out loud, we'd need to insure our pads were secured together (a couple of thin elastic bands???)"

I needed to join two sleeping pads, but only for one night out in the snow, so I did not invest in anything. I just used a few pieces of duct tape to butt the two together and hold them. It wasn't elegant, but it got the job done.

–B.G.–

[James holden]

depends on the bags mike …

best thing to do is to take yr bag into rei and try coupling all the other bags … some will fit the way you want, others wont … try the womens bags as they are often smaller than the mens

for the pad … just tape some velcro flaps to join both pads

id say the warmth advantage outweights any lost features … note that you may not be warmer as women will likely suck the warmth out of you, which aint necessarily a bad thing

oh and remember a bag for her should be en-rated for her … comfort for women is usually 5-10C above the en lower limit for men …. ex. if you have a hydrogen, youll want to get her a helium …

[Mark Verber]

+1 couples spooning under a quilt.

Not has as good a luck with mated sleeping bags because we ended up with drafts due to the bags not sealing as well, and the empty spaces that sort of worked like a bellows when we moved.

—Mark

[James Marco]

Yes.
My partner and I do it all the time. You can easily drop a temperature range of a bag by sharing body heat. It will add about 10F to the warmth. She tends to be a bit too warm (older female thing,) soo, we twist the bags around so the zipper is more on her side and she can ventilate as needed without waking me up.

Joining pads at the top is not all that great. Try the upper 1/4 and lower 1/3-1/2 positions for joining them.

[Mike M]

thanks gents for the tips :)

I guess my concern is what Mark voiced, that w/ two bags zipped you might have some drafts

I think I will try and get an opposite zipped bag- we can try it and if we find it too drafty, we can just go back using them as normal

I've got a Lithium (only offered in left zip), but they (Marmot) do have a Couloir that is offered in both left/right- it's also rated slightly warmer (little more down, slightly different shell)

[Jeffs Eleven]

It works for me and my wife. The shapes of the bags together makes a big pocket with a lot of dead space. If you can control the drafts you'll be OK.

I keep my pads together like this- velcro- like eric said

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=31757&skip_to_post=269612#269612

I put a strip on our shoulders and one on our hips because thats where your weight will be, trying to push the pads apart as you snuggle.

I've even thought of putting a strip of silk or fleece or something across the chin area of the connected bags that will work like the top of the sheet when your in bed- killing drafts.
bad description- ok- 3' x 1' strip of silk (like a scarf) to act as a draft collar that hangs from the the top seam across the face of your bag

[Rod Lawlor]

A LW down jacket stuffed in around your shoulders should take care of any drafts.

Just remember to stand well clear when you get out in the morning…… 2x bodies = 2x farts

[James Marco]

There is always that issue….I never blame her, of course…
(I may have to sleep alone, if I do….)

[John Devitt]

LOL!

[Roger Caffin]

We tried that, didn't work. Too many drafts, the combined bag tended to migrate over one person, it got tangled …

Instead we have two summer quilts and snuggle up if cold, and in winter we often use the same two summer quilts and put a wide quilt over the top of the summer quilts.

Cheers

[K. S.]

Those of us that are climbers can use double length runners to keep two Neo's next to each other. You may need to tie a overhand knot to tighten them up a little. WM bags zip together well and you can zip different temp ratings together also. My wife and I have yet to attempt sleeping with them zipped together but the velcro tabs still let you seal off around the shoulders.

[Elliott Wolin]

For years we've just used two lengths of 1/2" or so nylon tape sewn in a loop. They weigh next to nothing and they hold our Thermarest pads together quite well. One at the shoulder, the other at the hip. Some use three loops, but we find two is fine.

[Roger Caffin]

Hi Elliott

> we've just used two lengths of 1/2" or so nylon tape sewn in a loop.
I use loops of 1" wide silnylon.

Cheers

[Brad Groves]

Works well to a point. A warmer bag for the colder sleeper is handy… if only they made quilts like that for the bed at home! No real down side to matching zipper; if it's deep cold & you're getting too many drafts, unzip the coupled bags & use them as singles.

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