Bag and pad for girlfriend

[cfdjay]

Hey guys. My girlfriend is expressing interest in going on some low impact hunt/camp adventures with me. I want her to have a positive experience. Comfort and warmth will be a much bigger deal to her than it is to me. Any recommendations for bags and pads? What have your ladies (or if any ladies read this) liked or disliked?

 

[fngTony]

Most bags are rated for men, add 10 degrees for a woman's comfort rating, same for pads. My wife uses a klymit vlite insulated. Packs very small and r value of 4. Her bag is a kelty cosmic down 20 (mens rated so really a 30 for her which can be a bit cold).

Have her try some pads and bags at a store.

 

[camping1601]

My wife uses and loves the Big Agnes system.

 

[Akicita]

My wife runs the Nemo Rhumba 15 for room and comfort with the Big Agnes Q-Core SL wide pad. She also packs the Nemo Fillo pillow and layers with fleece when temps get lower. She is eyeing up the Nemo Tango Solo system this year for more room and less weight. . . It's a little lighter on insulation but she doesn't seem concerned as she has grown to like my hot tents and insist they get packed for all her outings she shares with me.

She is hardcore outdoorsy but she wont go anywhere without her coffee and PackEm camp shoes. I've learned to keep her happy, is to keep her dry and fed - My wife is happiest when I do not set high expectations for roles, duties and responsibilities she is not willing or experienced to take on when in the back country. We are celebrating 32 years of not killing each other this April so I hope this helps.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

My wife, and daughters, typically use a Big Agnes Q Core SL wide pad or an older Big Agnes Insulated Air Core wide rectangular pad. Sleeping bags are obviously rated for the temps we expect, but usually are Western Mountaineering if they decide on down insulation, or Kifaru if they are wanting synthetic insulation. We have found that the bags and pads perform just fine for them to there intended temp ratings.

 

[ianpadron]

My GF uses an REI 15° bag and a Thermarest XTherm pad. Havent heard a peep out of her with that system, she used to get cold ALL THE TIME until she upgraded.

Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk

 

[chuckeglenn]

When my fiancée comes with me, we use a big agnes saddle mountain sl 15. It's a double wide mummy with sleeves to hold your sleeping pads in place. Gets really warm when you get to share body heat. Just make sure you have the same sleeping pad to make for a level bed.

 

[ljalberta]

Aside from being a colder sleeper than me, my wife also has a harder time sleeping on thin pads. She's tried the thermarest Z-lite, trail-lite, pro-lite plus, and xtherm. She is significantly more comfortable on the xtherm than the others due to the extra depth of the pad, let alone the additional warmth it adds. If you can, take her to a store where you can lay out some pads for her to get an idea on comfort wise, or get ahold of some to test at home or on a shorter trip. She may be like my wife and need a thicker pad, but she may also find a thinner pad to be completely equal.

 

[MuleyFever]

Make sure you get her a wide pad. If its going to be cold spend the money and get her a XTherm. Women get cold much easier than men. For the bag get her a good Women's bag with the proper rating for the temps you will be in. If you get her a mens or unisex bag bump it up 10 degrees.

 

[oldgoat]

Yeah, Big Agnes is your friend for comfort. My wife has arthritis in her hips bad and I believe she was the inspiration for the fairy tale about the Princess and the Pea, and she can sleep comfortably on the ground!

 

[Jauwater]

Hmm, when it comes to muscle/fat ratio women tend to have a higher body fat then men, and this actually allows women to retain their core temperature better then men. Men tend to have more muscle mass. The muscle helping transfer the heat to our extremities. Body fat works as an insulator as to where muscle transfers heat. A good bag, and pad with a good R value is the base for anybody. With the handful of girlfriends I been through over the last few years I've found if I put them in a similar or same setup as me, stick some gloves on their hands, and the Wild Things booties. I've never heard a complaint from any of them as far as being cold.

Sent from my SM-S975L using Tapatalk

 

[ianpadron]

exactly. women getting cold is not a matter of insulation at all, but rather a matter of metabolism and heat transfer.

 

[oldgoat]

Did you guys just figure all this out?

 

[Jauwater]

The differences in the metabolic rate in men, and women has to due with body muscle/fat content. A body with more muscle will burn through calories faster then a body with fat. Muscle to fat ratio is the main/key difference in our bodies when talking about metabolic rate. Women aren't always colder. You could have a guy at camp 75 lbs over weight, and a women with lean muscle, and a lowered body fat content then she will have a faster metabolism then he. Other things come into play, but that's the main difference. Not trying to start a discussion within this gentlemen thread. Giving out my information, and he can do the research on it himself to give some perspective.

Sent from my SM-S975L using Tapatalk

 

[MuleyFever]

Why do women's bodies run colder than men's?

 

[Jauwater]

Why do women's bodies run colder than men's?

Not where I learned it, but he nailed it. It's not so much male/female as it is fat and muscle. As stated, other things contribute to it. But a man, and woman with the same build, and muscle to fat content will regulate temperatures closely to the same. The body fat insulates the core, but lack of muscle is what keeps the heat from transferring to their extremities ( as explained in the link ). That being the reason I keep booties, and extra gloves for my women friends. Anyway, read that article, take a good look at your woman, and your own mass to determine what might be right for her through your experiences for what has worked for you. If that makes sense.

Sent from my SM-S975L using Tapatalk

 

[MuleyFever]

But the vast majority of the time the women with you will get colder than you because of her build so I would say the above advice is valid. I don't know many people whose wives are of similar build to them.

 

[Jauwater]

The point I'm making is not to judge what to purchase her off the premise she's absolutely gonna be colder. I would think understanding why a women "might" get colder would do someone better then just assuming women will be colder. We dont know the size of his women nor is it our business. So if he understands why she "might" get colder he could make a educated purchase on what her body type needs. We aren't talking about women in general anyway, we were talking about his women. That's why I went into detail about it. All other points posted are valid, and I'm not saying anyone is wrong. Just spewing the facts....

Sent from my SM-S975L using Tapatalk

 

[cfdjay]

Great info guys. I have plenty to go with thanks to your suggestions. Now on to find somewhere she can try some of these out. Much appreciated.

 

[micus]

I was able to try out a ton of pads a couple weeks ago in store. Comfort wise nothing even came close to the Big Agnes. Their Double Z is where its at. It was also super quiet compared to the thermarests which crinkle a lot.

Big Agnes : Air Chamber : Insulated Double Z