Advice on sleeping bag and sleep pad upgrade

[Smokey12]

I am planning a backpacking trip in Colorado for the 2nd deer season at 7,000 to 10k ft. I am using a floorless tipi with a stove. My sleeping bag is a 2012 mountain hardware synthetic 0 degree bag. It weighs around 3 lbs 9 oz. I know I need a new sleep pad for winter camping. I am upgrading to a thermarest xtherm. Should I upgrade my sleeping bag or run what I have? I am thinking the hot tent will be more than warm enough to use what I have. I have backpacked many times with a regular tent into the 30-40s with a one man tent , same bag and r value 1 sleep pad. Thanks for any advice.

 

[WRM]

Upgrade to ditch some weight. Try a quilt--you'll be plenty warm on the xtherm, particularly with a hot tent. I like the EE Enigma 10 degree.

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

You are good to go with what you have. You could always upgrade to a good zero degree down bag and shave some weight/add some warmth.

A word of advice, unless you want to be up all night stoking it, take enough bag for the weather without consideration of stove. Stove is for drying out and knocking chill off.

 

[Smokey12]

Thanks for the advice. I used a stove one time in an alaknak tent and it was a pain waking up every 2 to 3 hours. This time it will be with two others hopefully a better experience.

 

[crazydocB]

I am planning a backpacking trip in Colorado for the 2nd deer season at 7,000 to 10k ft. I am using a floorless tipi with a stove. My sleeping bag is a 2012 mountain hardware synthetic 0 degree bag. It weighs around 3 lbs 9 oz. I know I need a new sleep pad for winter camping. I am upgrading to a thermarest xtherm. Should I upgrade my sleeping bag or run what I have? I am thinking the hot tent will be more than warm enough to use what I have. I have backpacked many times with a regular tent into the 30-40s with a one man tent , same bag and r value 1 sleep pad. Thanks for any advice.

Last year we hit some really bad weather for 2nd rifle in the park range at 8500ft. Temps were around -15° for three straight mornings, with 20in of snow falling the first day. Whatever you bring, be prepared to deal with adverse conditions.

 

[sneaky]

Thanks for the advice. I used a stove one time in an alaknak tent and it was a pain waking up every 2 to 3 hours. This time it will be with two others hopefully a better experience.

If YOU stoke the fire once, they'll expect you to take care of it. Synthetic loses a lot of loft and warmth over the years, degrades a lot faster than down. It's your money, but I'd get a new bag that's capable of handling the temps when the fire goes out. Those titanium stoves don't hold heat at all. They're a before you go to sleep, and when you wake up kind of deal.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[Mike Islander]

A word of advice, unless you want to be up all night stoking it, take enough bag for the weather without consideration of stove. Stove is for drying out and knocking chill off.

I personally don't even think about stoking the fire in my Redcliff all night. Too much lost sleep and firewood processing, even if the other guys are supposed to do it. Get a bag that will keep you warm without the fire. Use the stove to warm up in the mornings and to warm up and dry out your stuff in the evenings.

 

[Bambistew]

I used to have problems and use the silicone trick. It works pretty well but if you do both sides it's stupid loud squeaking on the tent bottom. I switched to a neoair, no silicone or slipping and sliding since.

 

[sheephunt]

EE quilt and Xtherm Max

 

[Bushmaster07]

I personally don't even think about stoking the fire in my Redcliff all night. Too much lost sleep and firewood processing, even if the other guys are supposed to do it. Get a bag that will keep you warm without the fire. Use the stove to warm up in the mornings and to warm up and dry out your stuff in the evenings.

This is good to now

 

[Jimss]

The weather during 2nd season in Colo can be anything from a blizzard to 80 degrees. I hunt Wyo and Colo on a regular basis and you are taking a gamble backpack hunting in November! A stove sounds good on the outside but the last thing I want to do after a super long day of hunting is gather firewood and stoke a fire all night. A lot of guys don't seem to think it's a big deal but I don't like smelling like a smoke stack!

If it were me, I would keep things as simple as possible. A backpack hunt in November is anything but simple! I would definitely try it out during the summer to get a feel for what you are up against for gear, food, water, etc. Believe me, the learning curve is gigantic!

You can always wear layers in your bag if it's too cold. I've had good luck with Neoair plus a 0 degree bag in August through early October. You may want 2 x 0 degree bags in Nov! I used 2 x 0 degree bags this past 2nd season plus several layers of clothes and was camped in the back of my topper. I was warm, dry, and out of the elements.

 

[Mike Islander]

Hot tent won't keep you warm when you are asleep. Use stove in the morning and evening. Use a bag/pad appropriate to the weather for sleeping.

 

[Smokey12]

Back from the hunt stove was nice but wood was wet from weather so lighting the stove was a pain. Bought a 0 degree down bag and an exped pad. Both purchases were well worth it.

 

[Mike Islander]

Back from the hunt stove was nice but wood was wet from weather so lighting the stove was a pain. Bought a 0 degree down bag and an exped pad. Both purchases were well worth it.

Very nice. Did you bring any firestarters, like wax or vasoline-dipped cotton balls, waxed rope, etc? I dissolve pin resin in alcohol and soak it into flat cotton wafers. Dry them in the sun and you get dry cotton chips that take instant flame and burn hot for several minutes. That way you don't need to make firesticks or shavings.

 

[Smokey12]

Yes we had the winter pyro putty. It snowed the night before we packed in so the wood was wet. Also, the cold temps didn’t dry out the wood. Probably just a fluke thing but it was difficult. I ended up using my Soto stove as a blow torch…

 

[robby denning]

A word of advice, unless you want to be up all night stoking it, take enough bag for the weather without consideration of stove. Stove is for drying out and knocking chill off.

agreed. "hot tent" doesn't mean "hot tent all night". You still need a great bag. and as other posters have said, you can shave some weight, especially if you go with down.

do let us know which 0* bag you decided on.

 

[robby denning]

Yes we had the winter pyro putty. It snowed the night before we packed in so the wood was wet. Also, the cold temps didn’t dry out the wood. Probably just a fluke thing but it was difficult. I ended up using my Soto stove as a blow torch…

yip, pyro putty (or the equivalent) will light damp wood, but it can't make damp wood produce BTUs.

been there myself.

 

[Smokey12]

My sleeping bag was a mountain hardwear bag. On the heavier side but no complaints.

 

[Mike Islander]

Yes we had the winter pyro putty. It snowed the night before we packed in so the wood was wet. Also, the cold temps didn’t dry out the wood. Probably just a fluke thing but it was difficult. I ended up using my Soto stove as a blow torch…

Inside freshly wet wood is dry wood. We split out the dry and use that to get a good fire going. Wet wood then goes on, under, near the stove to dry out. Always slit out a pile of dry to start the morning fire.

 

[Jimss]

I still say forget having to gather wood, light fire, and keep the fire stoked. A simple solution to a warm tent would be to use a small propane stove. It would likely warm a small tent in a matter of minutes and is as easy to light as flicking a bic! A stove also has the benefit of being used for cooking.