The other potential reason would be compression of the down from the inside, basically taking up too much volume inside the bag and compressing the loft.
That's what I use. Great pad, taken it down to just below zero.
So is it a bottomless bag as the sleeping pad fits inside the sleeve? Or does the bag have a bottom and a sleeve?
Copy. If I'm understanding your issue correctly, I think I've had that happen to me also. Sometimes my pad will be cold to the touch especially if I am not laying on a portion of the pad and then move and start laying on that portion. I most notice this when the temps get really cold. I sleep on my back, so unlike a side sleeper, my heat is dispersed along the top of the pad to make more of the pad be warm. But what I did to mitigate feeling the cold pad is sleep with my clothes on and usually unless its really cold, I will just unzip the bag completely. In my experience when I move around and touch new portions of the pad my clothes will help it not feel as cold until my body heat warms it up and having the zipper unzipped allows me to regulate the overall temp in the bag really well.
How do you like the Mystic, I just ordered one and then found this thread... was planning on pairing with a klymit insulated static v, suppose to have 4.4 r value but I'm a bit nervous what it actually is
sectionhiker.com
There are lots of other ways to add insulation value. Find a pad that has some insulation and you sleep well on. Then at some point if you get cold on it, simply add some things to mitigate that. That will get you much farther than finding a pad that has higher insulation but is uncomfortable to you because then you sleep like crap. Now, obviously you'll sleep like crap if you get cold, but that is why I'm discussing adding insulation. You can take a piece of roof insulation foil and add it to your sleep system. This will add minimal weight, but provide a reflective barrier to help bounce your own body heat back into your system.
You guys need to go to the link I posted a couple of posts above and look at the new R value ratings. Klymits were never going to do well in the new testing methodology because of their baffle design. They are counting on your sleeping bag lofting into those voids for insulation value, the new test just measures heat loss. They are a poor choice for quilt users or BA bags with no bottom insulation. They're comfortable, but they aren't in the same class as other pads per the new testing methods.
Thank you for the tip. Never tried a quilt but been getting more and more interested in it. How cold would you say that setup holds up? I'm a pretty warm sleeper and usually settle on a baselayer of merino.
I believe a quality, warm pad is just as important as the quilt or bag (if not more important). I would recommend an Xtherm or Exped downmat. If your pad isn’t warm, you could have the warmest quilt or sleeping bag but you’ll still get cold. My quilt is a 20° with 850 fill (I live and hunt Arizona). The temp ratings on Enlightened Equipment quilts are pretty accurate. Make sure to get a quilt in “wide”. The beauty of quilts is you can buy them for lower temps, and on warmer nights you can more easily vent the heat. If you are getting down to 0° at night I would go with a 0° quilt. Maybe even have them overstuff it.
Thank you.
