Day and night insulation for the other three seasons (when daytime temperatures might be at least below freezing) can make for complicated calculations as far as extended outings are concerned. On paper an adequately warm quilt or sleeping, augmented down to the lowest probable temperature with insulated clothing, is the best option, and an easy one to calculate, once you've accumulated enough experience to judge claimed insulation values against your own needs. A hypothetical, generic, athletic male backpacker who finds EN ratings accurate can get a ~24 oz, 20 degree quilt, take it down to 10F with a 12 oz hooded jacket, and declare mission accomplished. A hypothetical female hiker in order to do the same task may need another 10 oz of insulation for a three day November trip in the snowy lower mountains.
On day three, things get more complicated. Condensation gets your sleeping bag wet, despite best efforts to stay away from the tent walls, and achieve proper ventilation. That puffy coat endures a similar treatment, as sweat is inevitable for even the most careful hikers, especially given that big vapor barrier vest called a backpack. Sunny lunch breaks are a good time to lay out your bag and parka for drying, but eventually a day without sun, and often with rain or snow, will come. Even worse, that night is the coldest yet, 15 degrees of functional warmth have been sucked out of your sleeping system, and sleep comes poorly in fits interrupted by shivering.
A range of different techniques can help address these issues. One is to add a backpackable wood stove to your kit. Being able to dry socks and insulation during a sleet storm is pretty fun. This approach won't be for everyone, as it comes with its own attendant challenges and skills. Using items of vapor barrier clothing can also work, but these are less useful in conditions which are not consistently cold (say, below 20F). Some people just don't find vapor barriers workable under any circumstances, too.
A third approach, and one I've come to enjoy, is to shake up your insulation regime with a wilderness serape.
ARTICLE OUTLINE
- Introduction
- The Wilderness Serape
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# PHOTOS: 2
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Concerning the Wilderness Serape
If someone is interested in this concept there are some "tactical brands" trying to improve the classic "poncho liner" as hill people gear, kifaru (woobie),snugpak (poncho liner) and others…..
But there is a small brand with incredible designers (782 gear)they designed real UL "tactical gear" (smokin series) .. they produce one under 10oz poncho liner with hood…. the smoke kloke …
Very similiar to the JRB Sierra Sieries of quilts… The current models of the original JRB No Sniveller quilt, cica 2004.
Nice concept.
Pan
As John so modestly mentioned, the Jack-R-Better folks have had this concept for the last 10 years using down. Their line of quilts offering a Velcro head hole work great. Yes it lacks the advantages of the synthetic insulation mentioned above, but it is a lighter system. Your sleeping quilt is your coat is your Serape.
The HPG Wilderness Serape is far more versatile than the No Sniveller so they're only slightly comparable items in my opinion. Zippered edges, cinch cord for hitching it up around the waist, and full hood on the HPG. That being said, JRB deserves much praise for popularizing the DIY woobie mod design and introducing it to the UL crowd many years ago.
I have a Therm-a-Rest Tech Blanket that can fill the same niche. It has a drawstring to form a foot box and snaps to mate it with a sleeping pad to use as a quilt.
It is compact but too heavy when compared with UL quilt desings. With lighter cloth and higher quality fill, it would make a good summer quilt or cold season supplement. I would definitely add a head hole to allow use as summer camp insulation.
It works very well as a warm weather top quilt in a hammock.
RE: JRB vs. HPG
HPG “slightly comparable item … Zippered edges, cinch cord for hitching it up around the waist, and full hood”
FWIW – in addition to being much lighter, the JRB has the advantage of being modular in that it can be fitted with a full hood and it can be fitted with arms, and it is easy to have a waist tie … so, the JRB may be more comparable than what a first glance would indicate … just saying ;-)
BPL review of the JRB Hood
Photo of the waist tie from the JRB website:
Tony's photos very clearly show that if you want to dress up as a giant turtle in the back country then JRB quilts are the gold standard:).
The serape concept is just like the cape rain gear/shelter combo. It is not a fashion statement, but it makes sense to use your sleep insulation in camp rather than carry another pound of insulation to keep you warm for the relatively short period of camp time until you are ready to sleep.
Nessmuk had a blanket bag of mackinac wool in the 1800's. Poncho liners have been around since Vietnam. Clint Eastwood, the epitome of wild, helped sell a lot of Sears ponchos (as far as I know no relation to Nessmuk) back in the day.
Clint Eastwood, the epitome of wild…
…and apparently for $320 it can still be yours…
http://hollywoodprop.com/spaghettiponchos.htm
Very interesting article. In particular having a synthetic top quilt really makes sense to me for certain tough conditions and then using it to supplement a lighter jacket is smart.
I wore my JRB quilt a few times, before I decided it was much too narrow for me and handed it on the my youngest boy. Most of the time I like to have a synthetic jacket with me, so a wearable down quilt wasn't that useful for me personally.
JRB vs Chenault Serape
JRB has great products … great enough for me to make an MYOG sniveler knockoff (albeit with synthetic insulation)
But as a serape alternative?
Consider that you'll be using the work horse of your sleep system as outerwear … in marginal conditions.
Consider that down is less damp/wet weather tolerant than synthetic
Consider than the JRB sniveler offers 2.5 inches of down insulation … much more insulation than the Chenault Serape … much more than most would want to have at even moderate activity unless you are talking weather much colder than the quilt would handle as a sleep system … even if augmented by clothing (unless you are packing down pants and parka)
Consider that all the sniveler photos I've seen are in fair weather
Consider that Dave (and others) are not one to stay home just because weather is far from ideal.
Consider Dave's suggested use of "going to get water on a cold morning" … I won't be squatting at the edge of an icy stream with a down quilt dangling.
Two great ideas … but suitable for different applications.
Integral Designs had a similar design for years:
http://www.fellfab.com/military/poncho-liner-blanket/
has anyone hereabouts actually tried using the Mountain Laurel Designs “Spirit” quilt-with-headhole? i used to use a wool blanket under a pvc poncho on the redwood coast…fine down to freezing if i slept in my clothes (which in the 70’s was still jeans and an army fatigue shirt.
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