Sleeping in tights?

Works a treat. As near as I can tell, the primary difference between tights and long johns is the presence of a fly…

> I worried that the compression will squeeze the blood from my legs keeping me cold
There are two sorts of longs: ordinary thermals, and so-called 'compression' tights. Ordinary thermals are fine for sleeping in – good in winter.

The whole 'compression' clothing area is a scam, despite the glossy ads and glowing endorsements. It's based on marketing spin and one bit of extremely mis-used research aimed at people with serious medical problems. Restrict the flow of blood in your legs AT ALL, and you will have cold legs. Big scam.

You will also find several old threads about this at BPL if you search.

Cheers

They are fine for sleeping in as long as they aren't too tight and compressing your legs. You want a nice snug, next to skin fit. You don't want them to feel like they squeezing your legs or supporting your leg muscles. I have some golite tights that were once labeled as "compression tights" but they aren't compressive, just a next to skin fit. Someone with thicker legs than me might find them compressive.
What model of winter tights are they?

As far as sleeping in them, yes it works well.
But if you get them wet, you don't want to bring them into your bag wet.
Also I find that if it's cold enough to be wearing the tights all day long, they end up getting sweaty, dirty, or muddy and I don't want to bring them into my sleeping bag.
In colder weather I carry an extra pair of long underwear that I change into at night.
For most 3 season stuff I carry a pair of running tights for day use and sleeping use.

the word 'tight' is a relative term… like big and small… how big? how small?
Obviously if they are too 'tight' they will restrict blood flow and your legs will be colder than if they were not so tight. So, not likely you will get a quantitative answer here… you'll have to try them and see…

In general tights will have more spandex in them which makes them heavier than some long johns with less spandex… also, a higher percentage of spandex seems to make items take longer to dry.

Billy

Wear 'em if you got 'em! UL canon law says that you should be wearing everything possible for sleep in order to stretch the range of your sleep system. Properly done, you can carry a lighter bag/quilt and make full multiple-use of your clothing. If you think about it, your sleep insulation is just another form of clothing. The "separate sleep clothing" thing is totally a city affect and costly in terms of cash, weight and pack volume.

Tights vary a lot in fit, as well as your own sizing and there are many models out there. I agree with Roger on the scam. You sure don't have to wear them so tight that it slows circulation.

Tights can be about the same as a base layer, sans fly, but most have a smooth outer surface. From there, you get all kinds of features like windproof front panels (for bikers and runners), various thickness and weights, ankle zips, pockets, and padding for bikers. Watch the sizing on any offered by a bike clothing manufacturer— some run a size small for US sizing. I'm thinking that good tights can fill the niche of soft shell pants. The manufacturers should lean to 360° wind-proofing and good DWR for hikers.

I see a lot of hikers who do the tights-with-shorts-on-top combo. Nerdy, but modest and the shorts take the beating when sitting, etc. Swap them out as the temperature rises. I got a deal on a basic pair of Under Armour tights and I'm keeping an eye out for cross-country oriented ones by Craft or SportHill.

There are several BPL articles on tights for backpacking: http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/backpacking-tights-tougas-part-1.html#.VIYLF2e9bCA

Hey Justin, The tights are Craft. I just got them on STP they are the ones labeled winter. The tights are definitely snug but not uncomfortable but I'm no string bean so there is some compression. I may just bring my cap 3 for sleeping as a backup on this trip just incase they don't work out. The temps will be below freezing so I don't want to take the chance of freezing.

Disregard. Don't want to get caught up in a debate.

and for the most part, if i'm wearing soft shell pants over them they don't come off either. and for clarification purposes, my tights are close fitting, but are not a compression garment.

Kurt, I would bring both and experiment. Try both while in your sleeping bag and see if there is any real difference in warmth.
And if the cap 3 long underwear is looser than skin tight, you can probably layer them over each other for extra warmth.

So after two night in the cold sleeping in my Craft running tights I have decided that they where too tight. I now have bought some stretch fleece pants by Marmot http://marmot.com/products/details/stretch-fleece-pant and I love them. They are not compressive in any way but fit close to the body. I had only one night so far in the cold and as comfy as PJs in my own bed. I have not need them for warmth as a mid layer while hiking during the day as of yet.

… and cape and boots. I fly so much that I've been gaining weight so my doc told me to start walking more.