Help me beet the cold (it's not even 'that cold' but for me it seems to be)

Down booties, down mittens, balaclava might help

which neo air mat??  I found that bumping up to a winter pad made ALL the difference for me sleeping in anything colder than 30.  I can’t do the foam pad on or under a smaller R-value inflatable, I really need the high R value pads in and of themselves.

My favorite is the Exped Downmat UL7, but the Exped Winterlite was warm for me, too.

You also may need to look into your calorie intake: food can make a big difference.

Hi Jennifer. NeoAir XLite….I know it’s the lightest version but it also has the heat reflective stuff in there PLUS I use vegetation underneath to stop cold leeching.

Hi Jon, I have LARGE dinners and generally go to bed very quickly after that. I can fall asleep no probs but then a few hours later it all turns to shite as I am cold and shivering

Hat? Check
Dinner? Check
Wind? OK?

Sounds as though your mat is just not good enough (assuming you don’t have some strange medical problem). It is a surpringly common problem.

Rather than hacking your clothing, try using much better insulation for a night or two. Rather than spending a whole lot of money, just get some thick closed cell foam from Clark Rubber or Woolies or somewhere, and adding that under your current mat for a few nights. Sure, it’s bulky, but it’s not too heavy. If it improves things, then you know.

We reviewed a wide range of airmats a little while ago. We like the Exped Synmat UL7 mats very much, and have used them down to -7 C happily with just a (generic) 3 mm CCF foam underlay – partly to protect the mat from damage. We also use an Exped pillow pump to blow them up: that avoids the serious problem of blowing moisture into the mat. The larger one is much better.

Cheers

Xtherm, maybe, instead of Xlite – a big difference for me in terms of sleeping warmth.  Also, I find a down or fiberfill hood/balaclava much warmer than a beanie.

I used to experience something similar.  I was cold in a WM Versalite at 30f all buttoned up.  I purchased it at the same time as an Insulmat Max and couldn’t figure out what the problem was until I switched to an exped downmat and was toasty.  I replaced that with the UL7 syn mat and the cold returned.  The UL7 down mat was swapped in an the problem was resolved.  Unfortunately, after two baffle failures I have switched to an xtherm and couldn’t be happier.  In fact I currently use a Katabatibc Chisos (with 2oz overfill), rated at 40f down into the 20’s with no issues and I attribute much of that to the pad.

I really liked the UL 7 but can’t really say I find the xtherm any more or less comfortable, but it does pack down smaller which I do prefer.  I really think the pad often is overlooked in the warmth equation.

Do you sleep on your back?  That would compress any down you’re wearing.  Mattress would be more important.

Get an xtherm, it makes a huge difference. When I got mine I could finally use my 0 C degree bag at 0 C degrees and be warm.

Is your bag wide enough I wonder, I used a Summer lite and Ultra lite for a while and found I was compresing the down from the inside when I tried to stretch out in while I slept, moving to an alpine lite stopped the issue.

Just a thought.

Trying a foam pad under (or above) your pad is worth a try also.

I used to always be cold under 35*.

All it took was to eat about 1,000 to 1,200 calories right before going to sleep.

Body says warm all night.

A few of you have suggested getting a warmer mat but isn’t insulating from the ground with available vegetation get the same results, and at no extra cost in base weight? I have tried that and not much chop :-(.

I have also tried eating BIG meals at night right before bed. Not good by the time midnight comes….perhaps a high metabolic rate burns through my food?

I shake all the down of the bag from under me so as to employ all of the fill to keep me warm and not be compressed under me. And yes the bag is wide enough, I certainly know it when I roll too far and feel a cold spot!!

Sounds like more insulation from the ground.

What is maybe cutting the sleeping mat down to a smaller unit may help? The body heat will not need to heat as much of a volume of a smaller mat compared to a regular mat?

Have you tried a warmer pad ?

I’m inclined to think it is a pressure, circulation problem.  I find if I lay on my floor, or a camping pad, after a few hours I wake up and my upper back feels cold.  I think it’s due to the too hard surface and posture problems.

I was never able to correct even with multiple pads.  Try sleeping on your pad at home and see if it happens.

My hammock and underquilt took care of it.

Not sure what the R value of forest duff is, but it’s still going to be cold.  You need insulation from the ground.  Get a warmer mat.

Have you tried hot water bottle, it does wonders to kick the chill out and keep you warm all night. When its particularly cold the chill can come back early in the morning, I tend to just wake up then, stir up the fire and get the coffee going, and warm up in the process.

Comes at no extra weight if you use your drinking bottle for the purpose, and next morning you have ready sterilised water for hiking :)

a missing detail is hydration. Eating enough – ok. But if you are one of those who stops drinking earlier in the evening, you may be dehydrated, which leads to poor circulation and being cold.

Thyroid issues or other metabolic problems can be an issue.

I use a down quilt and an Exped Synmat 7, or a Q Core, or an underquilt on the hammock. I’ve used in the not distant past the original NeoAir which was supposed to be underrated, and a Thermarest Evolite that I’m about to sell — R value of 2.1. None of those things left me cold. Night temps range into the mid 20s, for me, average 35-45F, but the only cold nights I’ve had, I knew I was more dehydrated that I should have been, because I still struggle with drinking enough during the day while hiking. I drink tea, cocoa, water right up until bedtime — except for those few nights I was cold at night. I managed to not drink enough that evening.

Nobody who has listened to the advice to keep drinking, and get up and pee if you have to, has regretted that. Getting up to pee even when it’s freezing cold does not chill me – it warms me up. It’s exercise. Getting back in I’m always warmer than when I got out.

Thanks guys for the advice given, much appreciated!!

Lori, I have never been told about hydration in the afternoon but I will also try this out :-). I have worked out a system to be VERY well hydrated during the day by having a large amount of water pre take-off in the morning. This may make me stop and have a pee more often than normal in the first couple hours of the hike but is a miniscule inconvenience compared to saving ‘about’ a litre of water ‘during’ my day’s hike!!

The longer I’m out hiking, the warmer I get.

I live at the beach in So. California and have never seen morning windshield frost on my car.  Like you, I have a problem adapting to cooler temps when out hiking, mostly because my body isn’t use to it. What I try to do before hikes where I know it will be cooler is wear fewer and lighter clothes when I’m out and about the week or so before the hike. I find if I start adjusting to the cold, I tend to do better and the process is quicker while on the trail.

There was at least one thread back a ways

You can acclimatize to cold and then require less insulation

Sleep in a cold room for some nights ahead of time

Take cold showers before

And Justin may chime in about that guy : )

some folks simply run cold … thats a fact of life …

a down sweater and a light fleece down to freezing? … my favorite climbing partner would be shivering her azzz off …

beyond what others have said about ground insulation, hydration and nutrition …

sometimes you simply need a BIGGAH down POOFAY !!!!

god is one the side of more down … thats all there is to it

;)

Mik,

your kit (WM Ultralite/thermal u/w/puffy jacket…) would take me down to at least -10 c EXCEPT for the mat. (I have done -7 with something similar inside the WM Summerlite)

Your mat is rated just over R3 , that is what I use down to around +5c, so in a way your top layer is about twice as warm (or more) than your mat.

Hi Franco,

I do have a NeoAir Xtherm that I tried last night up in the rainforest (cool, wet ground) and what do you know we had a drop in temp overnight too lol. I had both Xtherm and Xlite in the tent (had my son with me) and I definitely felt the Xlite colder(!!) no doubt about it. Trouble is my Xtherm is a Large and it’s way too much pad for me. I will advertise it for a swap to a regular or smaller.

Ps;you helped me decide a couple years ago on which model of TarpTent to buy as my mind was set on a TT but I just could not decide on the model. You recommended the Rainbow and I have NEVER looked back!! Awesome tent. Had it in all but snow conditions and it has been great. The only thing I should have got done is get you to seam seal it as my seam sealing is too thick and yours you can’t even tell it is even done.

Cheers

Hi Mik

Thanks for your comments.

I don’t do seam sealing for TT any longer simply because the double shipping (from TT to me and me to the customer) was not economically viable but there are a few at TT USA that do a better job than I do.

I would think long and hard before giving away a large X therm. A good night sleep is gold.