sleeping bag and quilt combination question

Glad you mentioned the whole system in your post, because it's more than just the bag that matters. I had the BAIAC pad and I'd say the 15F claims are somewhat exaggerated. I consider myself a warm sleeper, and I could feel the cold of the ground through the pad when the temps dipped to the high 20s. My wife, who is definitely a cold sleeper, uses a DownMat UL7 in conjunction with a slender and short 20F bag for 3 season use to help keep her warm. I can't comment on any of the bags / quilts you're discussing, but I would say that, even if your wife has a similar frame to you, she'll likely need more insulation to keep her equally warm.

Hi Stuart, thank you for the reply, and i suspect you are correct that the rating for the BAIAC pad is a bit optimistic. I've actually been looking at possibly investing in one of the down filled Exped mats in the near future, especially for my wife. Both for the warmth and more so for the durability (? they seem very well made and durable at least).

I will say though, that i was out a couple nights not too long ago, when it got down to around 19/20 and with all my clothing on, plus a down jacket, with the BAIAC mat and that 30 degree bag, i was fairly comfortable. One night i was sleeping in a AT shelter, which has a very open front, and it was fairly windy at times and so my face and head were sometimes cold, but my core was warm–then again, i was on raised wood that time. The other time was on the ground with my Tyvek tent.

Anyways, with a warmer air mat, say the Downmat 7, what approx. temp range does anyone think she could go to with warm clothing and the combination of being in the 30 degree mummy bag, me spooning, and having the quilt over the top of us both? Is my 25 degrees hope, too optimistic?

Rather than buying new inflatable pads ( a big investment), I would just buy some light 1/8 or 1/4 inch pads to put underneath them. This should make them plenty warm and not add much weight (around 3 oz.). I do this anyways to protect them from punctures.

Hi Michael,

Thanks for the suggestion. I already do that sometimes myself. If i go on anything more than an overnight trip, i bring a 1/8 CCF pad with me for backup in general, and to use if it's unusually cold. My wife doesn't tend to come out too much when it's below freezing, but i'm trying to encourage her more–partly by making her more comfortable when she does come.

RE: looking into the Exped mats. I'm not actually looking to completely replace our BAIAC pad. My situation is a little more complex in that i've slowly but surely been trying to build up a cheaper "for use now" gear system, and a more durable and better quality long term gear system for any major depressive times that might arise in the U.S. as seems to be possible, if not probable, . My feeling is, gold and what not is going to be less valuable during such times than say good survival, hiking, and camping gear and food, seeds, and knowledge of how to live with the land.

Some of the exped pads, seem to be some of the most durable and well built ones i've so far looked into. So if the time comes, i will switch completely over to these.