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Sleep System Advice (Couples)


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  • #3556326
    John Papini
    BPL Member

    @jpapini

    Hello,

    When I hiked the PCT in 2016, I had a 32 degree Montbell Downhugger, 200 gsm merino bottoms (6.14 oz), and Montbell Superior Down Pants (8.4 oz). I sleep on a NeoAir XLite. In retrospect, would have brought a warmer bag.

    I’m planning for a thru hike in 2019 with my partner and my plan is to get a 10 or 20 degree EE accomplice and either a women’s Neoair for her (with straps) or a couples pad like the Synmat. In any case, on account of the lower rating bag and sharing of body heat, I was planning to lose the down pants. I like having them around camp, but I’d rather save the 8oz if I can be warm enough sleeping with the 10 or 20 degree quilt.

    I just found on Goosefeet Gear a pair of cuben fiber down pants that weigh only FIVE OUNCES. I have a lighter pair of 150 gsm merino leggings at 5.14 oz, so it would only be four extra ounces to bring the down pants if I switch from 200 gsm merino to 150. My thinking is that we could definitely go with the 20 (vs. 10) if we’re brining down pants also.

    My questions are these:

    1. Can anyone recommend a pair of sleeping tights lighter than 5.14 oz so I can further justify purchasing cuben down pants?  Please no recommendation for boxers — I hike in shorts, and so if it gets cold, I’d like to be able to use my sleeping tights underneath to hike in a pinch.
    2. Any thoughts on the two neo airs vs. a synmat or other couples pad? I had a 25″ wide neoair that I cut down to my knees — I like to keep my feet elevated during a hike and don’t find propping my legs on my bag to be uncomfortable – so it’s pretty light.
    3. Is 20 degrees a good pick for the Accomplice even if I don’t bring down pants and stick to my 200 leggings, 150 top, and puffy when needed?
      1. Anyone have anything bad to say about the accomplice and suggest instead a different brand?
    4. I’ve never slept with a quilt before. Will my buff and the hood of my puffy be adequate head protection (my mummy bag had a hood) or should I buy a dedicated hat or balaclava?
      1. Does anyone have any issues using a quilt and using a shortened pad? Will I still be able to effectively wrap my lower half that sticks out over the pad?
    5. Finally, is using a pair of down pants for use in a couples set-up counterproductive, because we won’t be able to share body heat in the same way as we would if we were both wearing leggings?

    Thank you, community, for sharing your experience and helping me dial in my 2019 kit.

    Woodstock

    #3556332
    Jim C
    BPL Member

    @jimothy

    Locale: Georgia, USA

    I can’t answer every question, but I will say that the combination of a Synmat HL Duo and an Accomplice has served my wife and I well. We’ve never done a thru hike, together or alone, but on trips of up to a week, we’ve really liked this combination. Having no gap in the middle is a huge benefit of a double width pad.

    This may not be enough warmth for you, but on cold nights, I’ll sleep in my Montbell Dynamo pants. They add a small amount of warmth (though surely not as much as down pants), weigh under three ounces, and are breathable enough that I don’t feel clammy at night. Like you, I prefer to hike in shorts, so the wind pants also serve as my in-camp pants so I don’t get chilled. And they’re nice to have on if I have to get up in the middle of the night. Not a lot of extra warmth, but not a lot of extra weight, either.

    #3556360
    Elliott Wolin
    BPL Member

    @ewolin

    Locale: Hampton Roads, Virginia

    To answer some of your questions:

    My wife and I have used short neoair pads into the teens under our quilt, we place our backpacks and rain gear below our feet.

    Buff and hoodie work well down to mid-40s for so for us in our quilt, below that we wear hats, and sometimes thin balaclavas, or both.  Below freezing we may stuff extra clothing, e.g. puffy vest, around our shoulders.  I just made a two-person bivy and the one time we used it in the teens it did a great job of blocking drafts around our shoulders (along with hats and vests around our shoulders).

    #3556390
    Edward John M
    BPL Member

    @moondog55

    Perhaps the best solution is Roger Caffins? An extra wide couples overquilt. Such a quilt needs full length pads tho as they utilise a pocket sleeve at the bottom to hold the quilt in place.

    I don’t speak from experience tho, I walk solo

    #3556394
    David Thomas
    BPL Member

    @davidinkenai

    Locale: North Woods. Far North.

    I’ve never (almost never) tightened my sleeping bag neck down to a nose/mouth hole, so I use the same head-gear with a sleeping bag or a quilt: the hood of a puffy hoodie if I’m wearing that, otherwise a fleece beanie.  One cheap source of head coverings that give better ear and neck coverage than most are hard-hat liners for cold-weather use.  Here’s one that sells for <$10:

    I should get myself a Buff.  I know they’re very versatile and light.  Everyone else in the family has one.  Even the dog:

    #3556581
    AK Granola
    BPL Member

    @granolagirlak

    Why in the world, would a dog wear a buff?! Other than being adorable that way.

    #3557386
    John Papini
    BPL Member

    @jpapini

    Thanks for all of this helpful info!

    I’m looking into my different quilt options, and although I was originally considering the EE accomplice, I’m now also considering the Nunatek Dual Arc UL couples.

    In any case, I’m trying to figure out sizing and hoping folks with couples quilts can advise. What width footbox do you use, and is it adequate? We are both side sleepers and tend to spoon, but we also flop around a lot at night. The “backpacking” suggestion by Nunatek is 20″ but they can do up to 30″. For the top, the range is 78″ to 88″. Unfortunately I can’t compare sizing to EE because they list the circumference rather than the width.

    Can anybody speak from personal experience about widths of the top and bottom of their couples quilt?

    FWIW, Nunatek’s “medium” is a 70″ length and their “large” is a 74″ length. I’m 5’11 and will ask to split the difference at 72″. This is also the length of the EE regular. I’m 5’11, but because I sleep on my side, I presume this will be adequate.

    Thanks for your help on sizing!

    #3557392
    Edward John M
    BPL Member

    @moondog55

    Nunatak made the sleeve to fit my solo overquilt 26 inches wide, I would say get it sized to fit whichever mattress combination you normally use, but with the thought in mind that rectangular mats would seem to work best when coupled and that overquilts are [ in my limited experience] better bigger than you would think. Mine is usable over a super sized deep winter sleeping bag. The biggest sizes on their website in both length and width, my solo overquilt is almost big enough for a couple.

    Go bigger; if in doubt, much bigger

    #3557957
    Russell Biser
    BPL Member

    @rbiser

    Nunatak’s couple’s systems are awesome. Ours is sized to fit two 25×77 neoairs.

    #3557958
    Russell Biser
    BPL Member

    @rbiser

    I think the orange quilt on the right used in their website promo is ours. It is Apex synthetic insulated to use above freezing alone or on top/around our 20* down bags in very cold weather to manage condensation and boost temps:

     

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