How to improve sleeping bag warmth?

Dromsky

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I had the same problem this year, I am sleeping in a EE revelation 20* quilt on a BA Qcore sl. Got down to 18* one night, pretty cold. It seems the quilt doesn't cover the whole pad leaving the corners exposed, and felt like I was continually exchanging hot and cold air in the pad. I was also sleeping on a cot leading to air circulation under the pad, any suggestions?
 

Smash

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I have a 2go systems bivy that is reflective and can use on the outside of the bag to help trap more heat in. It's made out of tyvek so it breaths and doesn't build up condensation. It is also great to have in a day bag as an emergency shelter.
 

ljalberta

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I had the same problem this year, I am sleeping in a EE revelation 20* quilt on a BA Qcore sl. Got down to 18* one night, pretty cold. It seems the quilt doesn't cover the whole pad leaving the corners exposed, and felt like I was continually exchanging hot and cold air in the pad. I was also sleeping on a cot leading to air circulation under the pad, any suggestions?


I had a 20* quilt, but ended up exchanging it for a 10* for those nights near 20. Just to clarify though, are you wrapping the quilt underneath you pad, or are you tucking the quilt underneath you body, between you and the pad? I found wrapping the quilt under the pad was not nearly as warm as wrapping the quilt around my body directly on top of the pad. I could then cinch the quilt down nicely around my neck and minimized drafts.
 

Dromsky

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I had a 20* quilt, but ended up exchanging it for a 10* for those nights near 20. Just to clarify though, are you wrapping the quilt underneath you pad, or are you tucking the quilt underneath you body, between you and the pad? I found wrapping the quilt under the pad was not nearly as warm as wrapping the quilt around my body directly on top of the pad. I could then cinch the quilt down nicely around my neck and minimized drafts.
I was wrapping the quilt around my body, but not beneath me, works great in warmer temps.
 

mcseal2

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I find that packing a pair of heavy merino Thorlo wool socks helps me sleep well at the limits of what my bag can handle. I pack one pair of those just for sleeping plus a couple pairs of the Darn Tough merino socks I like to hunt in. I hang the socks I wear hunting in the top of the tipi to dry while I'm keeping my feet warm and dry in the bag with the heavy ones.
 

mtwarden

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it only makes sense to augment your sleeping system with clothing/gear you're already carrying anyways

but you don't want to try and push your sleep system too far- this could be a very miserable endeavor; I try to carry an appropriate bag(s)/quilt(s) for expected temps and when it gets colder than expected- I guarantee that you won't have to spend too many nights out in the mountains for this to happen- this is when that puffy jacket/pants, balaclava, etc really earn their keep :)
 

pods8 (Rugged Stitching)

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Not that simple. Some people can't afford a $600 bag. Also, if I'm going to be carrying a woobie anyways for glassing/still hunting then why not use it to augment a sleeping bag?

What I was getting when I brought up WM earlier is look at the big picture and see if it pencils out for a given person. Yes they are expensive but it might removed the need for numerous pieces of gear and also be lighter overall, etc. Some folks have 0 and 35+ deg bags (which is a cost unless going cheap/heavy/bulky). For me a 10F WM bag that weighs 2lb covers all that territory, unless I was trying to limit wear/tear I don't have a need for a 35-45deg bag. Its just a consideration. Yeah if you are a person who uses a woobie while glassing roll that into your sleep system for sure. I use puffys (pants and jackets) while glassing and use them in my system whether it be a pillow, augmenting the draft collar, etc. I haven't needed to wear them yet in my bag but certainly would do so when it dips below 0.
 
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A few things I have done to stretch my 32* bag into colder temps:
- Sea to Summit liner. I dont know which model, but it's a thin, silk weight bag liner that really seems to help stay warm
- I'll place the next days socks and clothes inside the bag with my, usually by my feet
- I drap my puffy jacket over me like a blanket, either on top of the bag, or inside the bag with me.

All those things seem to help. Although the better solution is a bag of proper rating for the conditions, these can all be done for basically no money (except for the bag liner, which is inexpensive).

I should also add, make sure your pad is good to go. Those amazon specials are inexpensive and great for summer, but basically garbage when you need to insulate yourself from the frozen ground. Thermarest NeoAir has worked well for me. If it's extremely frozen I'll place a closed cell foam pad underneath it as well.
 
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RockChucker30

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Hey, I've got a Mont-bell 37 degree mummy bag. I'm considering buying a quilt to place inside it to increase the warmth. Has anyone tried this? What would you advise? Thanks!

I hate being cold, and I hate complicated solutions to a simple problem. Get a warmer bag.
 

Owenst7

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Not that simple. Some people can't afford a $600 bag. Also, if I'm going to be carrying a woobie anyways for glassing/still hunting then why not use it to augment a sleeping bag?

I guess I'd need to "believe" in the woobie for it to work. They don't contribute any more insulation to a sleep system than a fleece blanket of the same thickness in my experience. MAYBE 5-10 degrees. They're also quite a bit heavier.

My WM Antelope GWS was only $300 on eBay-pretty much new condition. I've bought a couple other down bags on there. Last one was a Marmot -5F goretex bag for $70.

it only makes sense to augment your sleeping system with clothing/gear you're already carrying anyways

Totally agree with this. If you carry a woobie (I prefer the Costco down quilt) for glassing, great idea to make it dual-purpose. I frequently wear my down jacket to sleep with a couple layers. Makes getting out of bed a lot easier if you're already dressed in warm clothes too.

I'm sure this is subjective to the person, but I'll blow my gear budget on a sleep system over anything else. I recently made friends with a couple guys I met in the middle of a hunt. They both had backpacks that were 2-3 times the cost of my Osprey Aether. One of them was using a ~$100 sleeping bag. On more than one occasion, he told me he was going to bail on the hunt because he was cold. I gave him my WM Antelope to sleep in while I took my spare bag (that $70 used Marmot). That combined with some hot food totally turned his morale around 180 degrees. If I'm tired and cold, I can't hunt effectively and I get stuck in a shitty mood. I can still hunt with a budget backpack, stove, optics, trekking poles, camo (in fact, I didn't wear a single article of camo on this trip!), etc. I'd put boots up there with a sleep system also.
 
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Jon Boy

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Buy a pair of down pants and a down jacket. It will take you down at least another 20 degrees. Its what I had to do before I could afford a good bag. I now never leave with out it.

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Mansfield Outdoors

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If you're having problems with quilts etc. sliding off, try applying "dabs" of silicone adhesive to them. I put many dots or dabs on my sleep pad too and it really helps, prevents the bag sliding off the pad.
 
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Anybody want to pass along some information on where you guys are getting your quilts? Ive used snugpack sleeping bags exclusively and haven't had any problems. But I'm open to new things. I paid a couple hundred bucks for my snugpak elite 1. It's warm enough I've never packed a poncho liner or wooby of any type. I do agree with that idea that nobody can really afford a $600 sleeping bag. Even a 200$ one is a lot to spend.



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ljalberta

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Anybody want to pass along some information on where you guys are getting your quilts?

I have an Enlightened Equipment quilt, however the best budget option at the moment may be the Hammock Gear Econ line (170$ for a regular length/wide 20* quilt). The only thing is HG's widest quilt is 55". My EE is 58" wide which is about perfect for me.
 
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I guess I'd need to "believe" in the woobie for it to work. They don't contribute any more insulation to a sleep system than a fleece blanket of the same thickness in my experience. MAYBE 5-10 degrees. They're also quite a bit heavier.

My WM Antelope GWS was only $300 on eBay-pretty much new condition. I've bought a couple other down bags on there. Last one was a Marmot -5F goretex bag for $70.

I was referring to the Kifaru Woobie and not a USGI poncho liner. I have used it alone for sleeping down to 40-45 degrees, so it adds a descent amount of warmth.

I wish I could find deals like that on WM bags. My size limits which bags I can get to the wide models (badger) and my height requires the 7' (I might be able to make the 6'6" model work). So you don't see that combination used very often.
 

Owenst7

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I was referring to the Kifaru Woobie and not a USGI poncho liner. I have used it alone for sleeping down to 40-45 degrees, so it adds a descent amount of warmth.

I wish I could find deals like that on WM bags. My size limits which bags I can get to the wide models (badger) and my height requires the 7' (I might be able to make the 6'6" model work). So you don't see that combination used very often.

I skip a bag and use a Costco down quilt down to about 45, so I'm guessing the kifaru thing is about the same as I expect it to be. There's no way I would ever sacrifice the weight to carry synthetic insulation. I'm not a very big guy, and I've got to cut weight where I can or I'll blow out a knee or something during a pack out.

The 6'6" bags seem to be more common in my experience. I'd prefer the 6' for my use to save weight, but two of my bags that I got a good deal on are 6'6". I've never seen a 7' bag in person, so that kinda sucks if that's what you need. Kind of like having a size 14 shoe I suppose haha.
 
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I skip a bag and use a Costco down quilt down to about 45, so I'm guessing the kifaru thing is about the same as I expect it to be. There's no way I would ever sacrifice the weight to carry synthetic insulation. I'm not a very big guy, and I've got to cut weight where I can or I'll blow out a knee or something during a pack out.

The 6'6" bags seem to be more common in my experience. I'd prefer the 6' for my use to save weight, but two of my bags that I got a good deal on are 6'6". I've never seen a 7' bag in person, so that kinda sucks if that's what you need. Kind of like having a size 14 shoe I suppose haha.

After my experiences this year I'd never use a down woobie. We had a lot of rain with some hail and a little snow one night. It was so nice to just throw my Kifaru woobie over top of me and stay warm. One night when it was really bad the other guys were a little worried about me because they had all gone back to the truck early due to the weather and I didn't come back till normal time because I was quite comfortable. We'd get back to camp and I'd just hang it up and it'd be dry by the next morning after being thoroughly soaked to the point it wasn't even really keeping me dry anymore but at least I was still warm. DWR only goes so far.

I wish I only had a size 14 foot. I have a size 13 with a 6E width, so finding shoes is also near impossible. It's always great when you go to the specialty stores and still only have 1 option.
 
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