Sleeping bag too roomy/cold – Mods?

[Sarah W]

I have a Feathered Friends 20 degree sleeping bag (women’s) sized for up to 5’3″ with dimensions 54″ / 56″ / 38″.  It is the smallest/shortest bag I could find, and it does seem to be  warmer than other 20 degree bags I have had.  I am 5’2″ 125lbs, and it is the only bag that my feet don’t freeze in – I assume this is because there is not a lot of extra space at the bottom.

However, I feel that it might be too spacious to really keep me warm closer to the limit.  For example, I can easily draw one of my knees up to my chest to adjust my socks.  The widest part of my body around my hips/bum is about 36″ circumference, so there is a lot of extra space.

When I sleep it in during colder temps,  parts of the inside are always cold.  If I am laying on my back and then move my leg or arm over inside of the bag, then that new space is cold.  It is as if my body never fully warms the air inside of the bag.   I can liken it to an ill fitting wetsuit when movement in the water causes inundation of cold water, except that in this case it is not new air getting into the bag.

Does it seem reasonable to think that the roomy nature of the bag contributes to my coldness?

I am thinking of trying some modifications to make it smaller/warmer.  Also, I sleep on my sides and back, and when I am mummified I take the bag with me as I roll over so that my face doesn’t get turned into the hood.  I have thought about:

• External straps from the sides to cinch the back of the bag tighter, but this seems like a back sleeping solution since it will likely compress the down.
• Sewing a tuck on the inside of the bag – basically, I think I can pinch together the internal fabric of the top and bottom panels,  essentially moving the side seam (non zipper side)  to make the internal girth smaller.  Of course, there is a baffle between the bottom/top panels and also horizontal baffles.  It is hard to picture how the tuck would affect the baffles or cause any compression.  The tuck would basically create a channel between the original seam and the new seam that I sewed.

Any thoughts?

-Sarah

[Stephen M]

You could put some down clothing on the bag to fill space.

[Sarah W]

Yeah – all the extra clothing that I have goes in the bag to take up space.  I lay the down sweater over me,  but then it is cold between the jacket and the inside of the bag, so if I move at all the cold air gets me again.

[Ken Thompson]

You cinch the hood closed? What pad are you using?

[Sarah W]

I cinch the hood tightly so that only my nose/mouth are out.  The hood closes very tightly.  There is no draft collar on the neck, so I usually snake 1 of my extra layers (maybe an R1, or Atom Light) around my neck as a thick draft collar to make sure no air escapes.  The area around my neck always seems warm, it is more around my core and legs that is cold.

I use the Neo-Air XLite (backpacking) or a 2.5″ REI brand pad (car-camping).

[Valerie E]

Like Ken (KT), I’m thinking that this might be a sleeping pad issue (or a metabolic issue).  I also have a FF women’s 20F bag (long length), and I find it toasty-warm 98% of the time, even into the mid-20Fs. I pair it with a Synmat UL, which is enough R-value for me (probably you’d need a warmer option).

Occasionally, I just *can’t get warm* for a while, but I suspect that’s a case of not having eaten enough combined with being overexerted.  Usually that feeling passes within about 30 minutes.

[Sarah W]

Hmm, the NeoAir Xlite has an R-Value of 3.9 and the REI Camp Pad is 5.8.  When I’m car-camping, it would usually mean that I have eaten well and probably have extra clothes in the bag, and I have this problem even car camping.

Are you able to bend your knees up to your chest inside your FF bag?  Basically, it is large enough for me to slide my legs inside the bag into the fetal position, and not bending the entire bag.  Both legs bent is snug, one leg is easy – so I can bring a foot up and adjust my socks.

In general I am not a cold person in life, and my (male) mate often complains that I am too hot for spooning when we sleep.   I don’t  feel like I am a cold sleeper, but maybe I am looking for a problem with my gear when it is actually me.  It comes from a lifetime of trying to find packs to fit a 14″ torso, AT boots for size 5 foot, etc.

[Ken Thompson]

How’s your caloric intake before bed too? You’re small, but not tiny.

[Sarah W]

Haha – I agree! Small, but not tiny – so why do gear companies overlook the under 5’4″ crowd so much? There are lots of women my size :)

I feel this way in my sleeping bag in a wide range of situations, where I wouldn’t necessarily be over exerted and underfed.  I also want to stress that this is the warmest bag I have had, and I attribute that to the length being more appropriate, but it seems like I don’t warm up the inside of it. In my older 20 degree bags I could not go below 40, which I felt was due to the vast interior space, especially at the feet.

A few weeks ago I skied the Hotlum-Wintun on Mt. Shasta.  Before bed at highcamp (10400′)  I ate a 640 calorie Mountain House, a package of Ramen noodles, drank hot tang, and nibbled some chocolate.  That is more than 1000 calories, and included fat and protein.  It was below freezing, but didn’t seem that frigid because I left the tent in the night for the bathroom and it wasn’t bad outside in my tights and cap 4 top.

 

[Valerie E]

I’m 5’5″, 130-135 lbs — so fairly similar height:weight ratio to you.  Yes, I can (barely) get both legs up inside my FF; one leg up is easy (and comfy — that’s how I often sleep).  I assume you’re wearing a hat?  I sleep in long johns (powerstretch bottoms and merino top) and a fleece hat.  I also find that my degree of warmness varies throughout the night — sometimes I feel too hot, and have to unzip a bit; other times I feel a bit cold and cinch the drawstring a bit tighter.

If you want an ultra-narrow bag, try Z-packs in the “regular” width, but note that you’ll need a 0F or 10F bag to equal the proportion of down fill that FF uses.  And make sure that you order it long enough, or you’ll be cold.

Maybe you need a FF 10F FF (or a 0F) to camp in the 20Fs…Maybe you’re just not as warm a sleeper as you believe yourself to be! :^)

[Sarah W]

Perhaps you are right and it is just my body because it does sound like your FF bag fits you similarly, and that you don’t have the feeling of cold air washing over you from parts of your bag where you are not.

My mom who is quite waif-ish (5’5″ 105lb) and is always cold in waking hours when I am not has a Go-lite sleeping bag.  It has a very slim profile in the lower body, she cannot reach a foot at all while it is zipped.  Anyway, I went on a backpacking trip with my parents recently and she was fine, I was cold.  That was one of the events that made me wonder if the roomier cut of the FF contributed.  I should have asked to switch bags with her!

And yes, a fleece hat and wool socks.  I sleep in long underwear bottoms and top.

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