Free: Contests & Raffles.
Lots of great comments and info.One thing to add is make sure you store and wash your bag properly. Store bags hung up in a closet, usually inside out. Keeping bags in their stuff sack and even their storage bag compresses the insulation and ruins the loft stealing your insulation rating.
How do you fit in your bag. You need some....not to much....but some dead space that allows for loft and air to heat up. If the bag is to tight and you are flatten down the loft you loose a ton of R value. If it is too big your body heat cannot heat the dead space. Air is a wonderful insulator inside these bags. I slept with a quilt and Xped down mat in the Idaho back country and was hot.....like had to stick my legs out at times to cool off.
Quote from: jrebel on October 29, 2019, 08:20:23 PMHow do you fit in your bag. You need some....not to much....but some dead space that allows for loft and air to heat up. If the bag is to tight and you are flatten down the loft you loose a ton of R value. If it is too big your body heat cannot heat the dead space. Air is a wonderful insulator inside these bags. I slept with a quilt and Xped down mat in the Idaho back country and was hot.....like had to stick my legs out at times to cool off. I have to have that dead space, my feet constantly move. I can't do mummy bags, never could stand the straight jacket feel of them. I like extra wide bags that I can put my clothes in for the next day so they are nice and warm when I need to put them on. If 30 degrees or above, I am usually sleeping in just my boxers because I sleep so hot. When it gets In the twenties I put some long underwear or fleece pajamas and a beeny or do-rag on. If it gets real cold I will put on a hoodie. Besides between my constant flip flopping from side to side I would strangle myself with a mummy bag.
I have a Kuiu 0 deg mummy bag. A thermo rest r 5.7 pad. At 10 deg I had heavy Sitka thermals , hat, gloves, smartwool socks. And. I was still not comfortable. Going to wash my bag and see if that helps. I was out 4 days and things were covered in a layer of ice on the outside but I should have been able to get comfortable.... Any ideas ... thinking of putting a thin closed chill pad under my thermo rest. I dunno.
The easiest and most effective thing for staying warm is to tweak your own body chemistry. Eat as much red meat as possible, you know the meat sweats? That is because it’s incredibly energy dense and your body creates heat when it has an excessive amount of readily burned fuel. Most common backpacking food is the exact opposite of steak, sure it’s light weight but it’s nutritional value is also ultra light. Supplement Iodine and stop drinking fluoridated water. Being healthy keeps you warm, not to say gear isn’t important but start with your body first.
A hooch mate to keep you warm.
