Sweating in down sleeping bag?

[Juan_ID]

I tried a few different searches and couldn’t find anything so thought I’d post up. Does anyone else have a hard time staying comfortable in a down bag? I had used a cheap bag for a couple years and never slept great. I recently upgraded to a Nemo 15* bag and am having the same problems. I seem to get hot and sweaty then cold when I unzip my bag making it super hard to get comfortable and get good rest. I have tried sleeping in thin long johns and a light hoody, down to a t-shirt and underwear with and without socks and it just seems I can’t get comfy. It almost seems like it’s caused by the sleeping bag material that makes me sweaty and muggy feeling I’m unsure how to fix it. Anyone else had troubles like this and what seemed to help? Thanks

 

[back country]

I had similar issues when I had a 5* down quilt. I ended up selling the quilt and replacing it with a Kifaru 20* slick bag, mainly due to the fact that I was planning to use it in AK quite a bit and didn’t want to have to worry about it getting wet. But I think the main thing that helped solve the issue of getting so hot was two fold: I decided to go with a slightly high temp rated bag AND I sprung for the wide version of the slick bag. Having a wider bag seemed to help me a lot in terms of not getting so muggy. The quilt I’d been using was not a wide version.


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[Juan_ID]

I had similar issues when I had a 5* down quilt. I ended up selling the quilt and replacing it with a Kifaru 20* slick bag, mainly due to the fact that I was planning to use it in AK quite a bit and didn’t want to have to worry about it getting wet. But I think the main thing that helped solve the issue of getting so hot was two fold: I decided to go with a slightly high temp rated bag AND I sprung for the wide version of the slick bag. Having a wider bag seemed to help me a lot in terms of not getting so muggy. The quilt I’d been using was not a wide version.


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The bag I have seems to provide plenty of room given my size, I can spread out pretty well in it. That’s one of the reasons I upgraded from my old one, it was a lot more restrictive.

 

[Nick Muche]

I have the 20 degree First Lite edition from Nemo and haven't had any issues, it's syntheitic though. I always sleep in merino top and bottom OR all of my clothes, depending on if I want to dry them out or not. When I go to bed a little damp from sweat or rain, it will be quite clammy in the bag for about an hour, after that it's smooth sailing.

 

[20DYNAMITE07]

Maybe try a quilt? I find them easier to regulate my temperature, but that may or may not be the same case for you.

Or, if quilts aren't your bag (sorry) you might want to check out the Sierra Designs Backcountry Bed. They get great reviews and have a lot of venting options.

https://sierradesigns.com/backcountry-bed-700-20-degree/

 

[Mike 338]

Same thing happened to me in my own bed last night. I doubt it's worth the expense of a new bag though. I'd just unzip the bag and wear a pair of sweats and a fleece shirt. More duds on my bod and less covers. Science.

 

[5MilesBack]

That's what down does for me. But a quilt is a heck of a lot better in that regard because the down is only on top of me and can vent it easily. I tried a down pillow one time.........it was sopping wet with sweat within minutes. No bueno.

 

[White Mamba]

Try unzipping it and using it as a quilt

 

[wind gypsy]

Sounds like you're just using too much bag or haven't found the best way to vent it yet. That said, I thought Nemo bags were pretty feature rich with ways to vent? Are you unzipping before you're all wet with sweat?

I use down and synthetic bags of multiple manufacturers and haven't noticed a difference between one causing me to get "clammy". Sounds like you need to play with ways to vent a bit more and try to avoid getting really hot.

 

[lchavez]

Don’t know if weight is a concern for you, but my favorite all time heavy use setup is the old military bag system. Has a thick winter bag, a light summer bag, a bivy and it all fits in a single sack. On very cold nights they are designed to double up. It’s served me well in all weather. The extra bag can also serve as a pillow. Think I paid $50.00 for the whole set.

At the end of a season, I wash the whole mess and it’s ready to go for the next.

I have tried kifaru, down bags and quilts. I have a $500 dollar canvas bag in the shed that I used to use on elk hunts.

Nothing has been as functional, inexpensive or as comfortable as the Military setup.

It gets used about 2-3 times a month and I’ve had it for about three years now.

 

[jspradley]

When it's not cold enough for my 15deg down bag I unzip it and use it as a blanket and that seems to work really well. Slept perfectly in high 40s this week, got a little too warm a few times and just lifted the edge to vent it.

 

[dutch_henry]

Three thoughts on my part: 1) down bags sleep way warmer than synthetic, even at the same temp rating. If you're coming over from cheap synthetic bags, it might be that you have more bag than you think you do. 2) Can you do more to vent your shelter? Might help to get in cooler, dryer air. 3) Downproof fabrics do have to have a really tight weave. That fabric plus dwr-treated down might be reducing moisture exchange.

WM's solution, above, plus a sleep sack would be pretty luxurious if you can afford an extra 5 or 6 ounces. Another is to vent the footbox, assuming there's a 2-way zipper.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

This is why i use a zero degree EE quilt for everything, can vent it for any temps. Can't sleep if i'm too hot or too cold.

 

[kyleeisenhardt]

I have the same trouble


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[HonkeyMcGee88]

Don’t know if weight is a concern for you, but my favorite all time heavy use setup is the old military bag system. Has a thick winter bag, a light summer bag, a bivy and it all fits in a single sack. On very cold nights they are designed to double up. It’s served me well in all weather. The extra bag can also serve as a pillow. Think I paid $50.00 for the whole set.

At the end of a season, I wash the whole mess and it’s ready to go for the next.

I have tried kifaru, down bags and quilts. I have a $500 dollar canvas bag in the shed that I used to use on elk hunts.

Nothing has been as functional, inexpensive or as comfortable as the Military setup.

It gets used about 2-3 times a month and I’ve had it for about three years now.

I have a couple of the old military bags and while I love how comfy they are it's just too bulky for me to consider putting in my pack for any kinda of lengthy trip.

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[HonkeyMcGee88]

I found myself having the same problem in a way. I wouldnt get cold but even unzipping the top half of my bag would keep everything below my waste hot amd sweaty.

My plan is to try out a Back Country Bodybag. More venting, more room, same weight as my current slick bag

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[Eltigreblanco]

Don’t know if weight is a concern for you, but my favorite all time heavy use setup is the old military bag system. Has a thick winter bag, a light summer bag, a bivy and it all fits in a single sack. On very cold nights they are designed to double up. It’s served me well in all weather. The extra bag can also serve as a pillow. Think I paid $50.00 for the whole set.

At the end of a season, I wash the whole mess and it’s ready to go for the next.

I have tried kifaru, down bags and quilts. I have a $500 dollar canvas bag in the shed that I used to use on elk hunts.

Nothing has been as functional, inexpensive or as comfortable as the Military setup.

It gets used about 2-3 times a month and I’ve had it for about three years now.

I have this same system and never been cold in it. I just wish it packed down smaller

 

[Hart6065]

Has anyone checked out The North Face One Bag? It seems pretty versatile.

 

[lchavez]

One more consideration...If backpacking, and weight matters, try a lower rated bag. And use your clothing for extra warmth when it get cold.

I usually freshen up in evenings and put on fresh First Lite Under layers before I hit the sack.

I can’t stand covering my head with bag so I use my FL head gear and even FL wool gloves in colder weather.

 

[Seaskihunt]

This is why i use a zero degree EE quilt for everything, can vent it for any temps. Can't sleep if i'm too hot or too cold.

My 0° EE quilt has been so damn versatile for this exact reason.
Winter camping last season, it hit -10° F.
Quilt, XTherm pad, base layer top and bottom. Slept like a baby.
Summer camping can get a little toasty but it's super easy to kick half the quilt off or just use a sea to summit liner.