:confused: Question about cold sleepers and winter camping

[BeechGirl]

Is it possible as a very cold sleeper to do winter camping? Yes I am female (most cold sleepers are right?). I have no problems staying warm while backpacking in to a site, but as soon as I stop moving my temp. keeps dropping. I wear thick long underwear to sleep and a hat, gloves, neck warmer and wool sweater. I stay hydrated and snack before bed. Up until I switched toy new HG quilts I would freeze if the temps. we're in the 40s. I have a 0* UQ and a 20* TQ now. Previous to this I used a 15* down bag and doubled up on my pads (tenting - before I found hammocking and my beloved WBBB). I was invited to go winter backpacking but am worried i will freeze. Can I double up on UQ and or TQ, should I just get a 0* TQ. Any insights or help would be greatly appreciated.

[The Tree Frog]

First, underquilt is more important than top quilt. So good start with what you have.

Second, unless it is actually freezing out, I prefer sleeping in synthetic long johns and allow my heat to fill the airspace between me and my quilts or bag. I don't like to over dress for sleep.

Third, boil water before sleep and fill a Nalgene bottle with the hot water. Put the Nalgene in a wool sock and toss it in you hammock under the quilts. Instant heater in the form of a hot water bottle. You will be amazed. It stays warm through the night.

Last option is to buy another warmer quilt, but yes...you can stack quilts or sleeping bags successfully. I slept very warm with two under quilts and actually put one down sleeping bag in another. One was a 40 degree and the other was a 15-20 degree bag. It was 15F outside but I was warm and it was fluffy. Very nice.

One more thing...try these options out at home before going to the mountains and freezing!

Good luck!

[goobie]

Great advice Tree Frog. Not much else to add.

I used to get cold above the temp rating of my quilts. That is, until I took a chance and wore LESS to sleep. I had been wearing a compression base layer and a fleece layer, same as during the day. Once I got rid of that and switched to a loose fitting fleece layer I slept like a baby.

Water bottles are the ticket when it gets real cold. I've had the best luck tucking a pair of them under my arms, after warming the hammock/quilts with one.

[lubbockhammockguy]

As frog said, try it out at home before hitting the winter trails.

[The Tree Frog]

Also, change your clothes before bed. You may not know it, but your day clothes will retain moisture and will not keep you as warm as clean dry clothes and socks will.

[silentorpheus]

Great advice Tree Frog. Not much else to add.

I used to get cold above the temp rating of my quilts. That is, until I took a chance and wore LESS to sleep. I had been wearing a compression base layer and a fleece layer, same as during the day. Once I got rid of that and switched to a loose fitting fleece layer I slept like a baby.

Waste bottles are the ticket when it gets real cold. I've had the best luck tucking a pair of them under my arms, after warming the hammock/quilts with one.

^^ This ^^

I spent a longer period of time than I'd like to admit getting into my hammock in low temps (I do a lot of winter camping) and not being freezing, but not feeling like my 0˚ quilts were working well enough. I'd go to bed with 1 to 2 base layers plus shell pants on, spend a fair amount of time feeling a little chilled on my underside, getting up and fiddling with the adjustments, and eventually just sucking it up and falling asleep hoping that I didn't wake up freezing. I never did, and always woke up toasty warm. I even went as far as to stack 2 0˚ under quilts, and still had the same issue. Eventually after reading a bunch I tried removing all my shell layers, and only sleeping in base layers (and if it was real cold, maybe a down vest), and it was a whole different experience. I think in very cold weather the extra layers of clothing keep your body heat from radiating into the quilts properly, and it just takes a lot longer for the whole sleep system to get warm and stay warm. It's somewhat counter intuitive, but less is more in this situation.

And they're also correct, a nalgene filled with warm water, in a sock, put into your top quilt 15-20 minutes before you hit the hammock pre-warms everything. Once you get it, tuck it between your legs so that it's against your femoral artery, and it does wonders to increase your core temp. The added bonus is that in very cold weather, you'll wake up and the water will still be slightly warm - and then you can use that to heat up to make coffee and breakfast, and it'll take less time and fuel to get it boiling. Just make sure to fill the nalgene all the way - airspace is not your friend. The heat from the water can cause the air to expand, and that can pop the lid and cause boiling water to leak out all over you and your hammock and quilts (not likely, but possible - better safe than sorry).

As always, I'd suggest trying this kind of thing out in a somewhat safe environment before you trust it in a situation where it really matters. Every person and body is different, so you'll have to find what works best for your body, and miles into a backpacking trip is not the best place to find out that it doesn't work for you.

Good luck!

[SpitballJedi]

My ex-wife was a super cold sleeper and hated camping in the fall for that reason. Once it gets down to about 55-60, she was ready to bundle. Once the air gets down to a certain temperature, you just don't generate enough body heat to keep warm and layers only help to the extent you can generate enough heat to insulate.

As suggested, a fresh thin layer close to your skin helps preserve body heat.

Also, making sure your UQ is fitted properly against your body is key. I've recently learned my UQ wasn't as affective because I was doing it kind of wrong. Apparently, down quilts works best when it reflects the heat back at you as apposed having pockets to trap warm air between you and the quilt and I was leaving mine too loose. I wrongly was afraid if it was too tight, I would be compressing the down and render it useless.

But, what I learned is, the inside and outside layers of many UQ, including HG's, are cut so the inside is smaller. Because of this, you have to pull the quilt extremely tight before it will compress the down. I pulled the UQ suspension tight enough that it lifted my hammock in almost a straight horizontal line. When I felt underneath while laying in it, the down was still fluffy and the outer fabric was still loose, but I could feel the UQ pulled against me and could feel the heat reflecting. (Thx Shug)

[silentorpheus]

The other suggestion I'd offer is to make sure you have a small sit pad or two. An inflatable thermarest sit pad, one of the inexpensive light sit pads that Dutch sells, or even just a 2 foot piece of reflectix all work. They weigh next to nothing, can be packed against the edges of your pack and they'll help provide structure and shape to your pack, and they're invaluable. I personally always bring a inflatable and a piece of reflectix. The inflatable gets inflated halfway (so it's still a little soft) and goes in the footbox of my topquilt, under my heels - I get cold feet even in chilly temps, and this is essential for me. The reflectix goes on the ground next to my hammock, and if I experience a cold spot, all I have to do is reach out, grab the sit pad, and tuck it under me wherever I feel chilly.

[goobie]

Once you get in, tuck it between your legs so that it's against your femoral artery, and it does wonders to increase your core temp.

I tried that for a couple winters, never seemed to work for me. Last year, at below 0 temps, I tucked the bottles under my arms. What a difference!!

Point is, try different options until you find what works for YOU.

[SilvrSurfr]

I've been wearing less and less the last couple of years, though I have to say dumping socks or booties was my major breakthrough in staying warm. I perspire so much in the foot area that any moisture stays close to the skin and can't evaporate quickly, and my feet get cold. When I wear nothing on the feet, the moisture dissipates into the quilts so quickly that I never get cold.

I'm still not sold on hot water bottles. I've tried them a couple of times and just didn't notice much of a boost.