Why am I cold in a 20F bag?

[Outdoor_Fool]

I remembered a couple of other things last night regarding this. A full belly when you go to sleep and being well hydrated allow you to sleep warmer also.

 

[Venchka]

My bag does have continuous baffles so I will try fluffing more down to my butt side. Pad was great no cold at all radiating up to me.

Try placing the down vest/jacket (don't recall exactly what you had) on top of the sleeping bag over the cold spot.
Good luck.

Wayne

 

[JackBurns]

Which fleece liner did you get? I started looking at them online last night.

I bought two from LLBean a few years ago for my kids. (Cabin Fleece Sleeping Bag.)
They are not what you would take backpacking but with the jeep it's easy. One of those inside my bag works really works for me. I slept without a tent and stayed warm when the water in the wash basin froze.

I experimented and I definitely need to wear long johns and socks to stay warm.

 

[Melissa]

I think the key to keeping warm is experimentation. Everyone is different, and it took me a lot of years and a lot of cold nights to get any kind of system in place for keeping my cold ass warm at night. Here are some of the many things I do to keep warm (those of you who don't live your life borderline hypothermic may laugh, but this is really what it takes for me to be warm and happy):

-Forget the temperature rating on your bag. My go-to is now a -15f bag, and I don't go to a lighter bag unless I am certain nighttime temperatures will be at least in the forties. I spent way too many years freezing my ass off in bags that "should" have been warm enough. If a 0 degree bag is what you need to be warm when it's 32 degrees, then that's what you need.

-Don't underestimate the power of mummification. Whenever I'm too cold, I hunker down and get my whole head into the hood of my bag. My bag has a draft collar I use to really keep all the cold air out and trap my own warmth into the bag with me. Try lots of different bags until you find one you can be comfy in this way--it really makes a huge difference.

-Remove all your day hiking clothes, especially bra and undies, and make sure those areas are warm and dry before you go to bed. Probably doesn't need saying, but soggy underlayers from sweating during the day make for clammy skin and chilly nights. Use chemical warmers as needed to get the problem areas back up to temp (for me, that means chest and rear end).

-Layer and hyperheat before climbing in. My cold weather nighttime layering system is like an onion (again, experiment--learning that I need two layers on my legs at night was huge for me), and I pregame by literally running around camp/doing jumping jacks while wearing all my clothes until I am so warm I think I might die. Then I climb into my bag toasty warm and de-layer/vent heat as needed. This serves me far better than getting straight in after sitting around at camp and spending half the night just a little too cold to really sleep. If you wake up in the middle of the night cold, try sleeping bag aerobics until you're warm again.

-Warm liquids. Either drink 'em, or put them into a bottle in the bag with you.

 

[kimbur96]

Update. My overnight in Priest river it got down into the high thirties and i was warm enough. I did a couple of things different: apparently my butt gets cold from sitting in the chair before i go to bed at night soI am starting out cold. I did my best to warm my rear end before bed. I bought a liner that is supposed to add up to 15F to your bag. And this is going to sound crazy but I put some wool socks over my cheeks in my long underwear and I think that did the most! Maybe i need some wool underwear for sleeping? I'll keep experimenting. Thanks for all the info and advice.

 

[Upgrayedd]

Tips to stay warm while sleeping.

- Eat fats/protein before you go to sleep.

- Wear socks. If you have poor circulation and/or the socks are too tight you'll have decreased circulation and cold feet. To fix this wear looser fitting socks.

- If you use a down bag make sure you fluff it up for a minute before sleeping in it. The down gets compressed in your stuff sack and won't insulate you as well.

- Warm up a nalgene bottle with boiling water and pop it at the bottom of your bag.

- Sleep in a bag that has as little dead air space as possible. This also means not using a bag that you don't fit in. Side sleepers can push up against the walls of a bag and compress the insulation resulting in cold spots. I recommend Montbell spiral bags for side sleepers, especially for women. They seem to really work well.

- Wear a beanie.

- Some people just sleep warm or cold. The EN ratings are good for comparing bags but what works for each individual is going to be trial and error.

 

[regehr]

being well hydrated allow you to sleep warmer also.

True but how many times has each of us gone to bed well hydrated and then been there at 2 and 3 and 4 and 5:00 trying to decide whether it's possible to survive until morning vs pee in the cold??

 

[kimbur96]

True but how many times has each of us gone to bed well hydrated and then been there at 2 and 3 and 4 and 5:00 trying to decide whether it's possible to survive until morning vs pee in the cold??

Absolutely!!! The scariest part of my solo overnight in bear country was the midnight potty run!!

 

[Kevin Timm]

I have one bag, that is a little small in the hips for me. I get cold in the hips / rump if I side sleep due to compressing the down and it moving off the sides of my hips and down. If I stay on my back all is fine. If I loose a few pounds it is usually fine as well. Gain a few pounds, and side sleep is chilly. It would probably be mostly resolved with a little bit of overfill to help stabilize the baffle.

I know some folks advocate, as small a bag as possible for thermal efficiency. I think a bag is more consistent with a little extra girth / or down for side sleepers. Side sleepers also seem harder on pads as well. Sort of goes with the territory.

FF does make nice bags though.

 

[LarryBoy]

Sleeping warm tips, continued:

- campsite selection can make a big difference. stay out of ravines, gullies, and low spots, as the coldest air will tend to pool in those locations at night. Same is doubly true for anywhere where there's water. It may be pretty and nice to camp by that stream, but you're gonna sleep colder. High spots can also be problematic if it's windy. Try to find an in-between spot
- camp under a tree; it'll keep you a couple degrees warmer
- avoid camping on damp ground if possible; it'll suck the heat right out of your pad
- scary-robber-ski-masks are very effective in keeping your head and neck warm (inside the hood of your bag of course). Plus if you have long hair, they keep you from tangling your mane in your sleeping bag zipper.
- if your feet get cold at night, try putting them inside your backpack. You might as well do something with that thing while you sleep!
- if your feet get REALLY cold at night, put them inside your plastic pack liner (trash compactor bag, if you happen to use that system). It'll act as a vapor barrier liner and keep them warm all night long. It'll feel kinda nasty and clammy and is only recommended if you're really cold, but it's definitely effective.
- I've found cheese to be the best thing to eat before sleeping because it's basically 100% fat. plus it's delicious. Although, if you consistently eat cheese before bed, you're gonna need to air out your sleeping bag a little more often for reasons I won't get into here!

 

[MVS]

In circumstances where it is possible, sleeping naked is just more natural and fun. Does this mean I'm a pervert?

 

[Pringles]

Maybe, since you are only cold in one spot, rather than haul a full fleece liner, just make/get some fleece shorts. I assume that would weigh less, and keep the problem area warm. Just a thought.