Kinda cold in my bag

[MADMAX]

I have a Cabela’s Alaska guide mummy bag rated to -20
Never been cold in it

   Unless you stick your head out and brain freezes.

That’s a very true statement I remember back in the day when we used to use sterno to warm up in the morning in the back of the canopy up in the Nile in 2 feet of snow wasn’t fun but you do learn to wear a watch cap at night

[Rock7]

Look into what you wear going to sleep. I have spent a few winters in AK in the Army and guys who wore lots of clothes in their bags froze at night because they sweat.  silk weight long-johns, dry socks, and a beanie cap is all you need.

[Magnum_Willys]

Yep stocking cap at night is a given to keep your toes warm. 

[ctwiggs1]

Look into what you wear going to sleep. I have spent a few winters in AK in the Army and guys who wore lots of clothes in their bags froze at night because they sweat.  silk weight long-johns, dry socks, and a beanie cap is all you need.

[Vek]

I use a MH ultralamina 15 for warm/wet, and a phantom 15 for cold/dry.  I sleep pretty cold...around freezing I'll have my shell jacket draped over the bag, over my legs.  Might even drape the puffy over as well.  Weight the sleeves down with boots or gear to keep it on top.  Purists will whine that the bag shell will wet out, but that's not caused me problems.  If temps stay down in the teens and single digits, the climashield blanket goes with.  it weighs a pound and a half, and gets me down to zero with no drama.  A big part of sleeping in cold is managing the temperature of air infiltration around your head.  With a blanket over the top, you can arrange a somewhat warmed space around your big baghole instead of brisk air. 

I consider it foolish to backpack in cold temps with just an inflatable pad to sleep on.  I bring either a 3/4 ridgerest, 3/4 z-rest or full length closed cell black foam to put on top of my inflatable.  That has worked best for me.  Sheep in Alaska...that was a 3/4 ridgerest only show, which sucks, but you get used to it. 

There are certainly better bags out there, but these have worked for me.  The phantom 15 has a full draft collar around neck/shoulders with a drawstring, and that is a MANDATORY ITEM to prevent massive heat loss through bellowing and infiltration. 

[Utah]

Sea to Summit silk liner will get you another 9 degrees.  But it will cost you 4 ounces.   

[huntnnw]

0 issues with my Klymit inflatable into the teens and my 0 deg bag, wearing only my base layers to bed.

[OltHunter]

excellent thread...

My that has been covered, but will reiterate:

My rule of thumb - Take the bags temperature rating to start:

Add 10 degrees to for a true comfort level rating - full baselayer, socks, and hat fully enclosed, draft collar fully closed up.  So a 0 degree bag is a 10 degree bag.

Add 10 degrees if you are a woman (no experience with this as i'm not one - just word of mouth). 

Add 10 degrees if you are a cold sleeper.  Your 0 degree bag is now a 20 degree bag.

That is your baseline to choose your bag rating based on the temperatures you are facing and how much extra weight you want/need to pack in to hit that temperature. 

Now it's a game of weight vs cost vs down vs synthetic, i won't get into that. 

But to get back to the OP's issue - your bag is really not a 0 degree bag, it's not the bag or company's fault.  If you are cold in 10 degrees - you will have to supplement as a sub 10 degree bag is not the most viable on a pack in trip.

My best advice is to get a puffy coat and pant set.  Puffy coat, everyone should have.  Pants are a good thing to have too as they can serve 2 purposes in the field and at night.

#2 is closed cell foam pad that you can fold up relatively small, which can server as a glassing pad too.

I'm not sure the viability of packing in 2 bags, or heavy wool blankets.

But that's the equation - how much weight do you want to sacrifice for a good nights sleep?  Puffy coat and pants are an easy one for me at least.

[Utah]

Look into what you wear going to sleep. I have spent a few winters in AK in the Army and guys who wore lots of clothes in their bags froze at night because they sweat.  silk weight long-johns, dry socks, and a beanie cap is all you need.

Yup,  a nice warm meal in your belly and at least half of a Thermerest Ridge rest. 

[Magnum_Willys]

Puffy coat and pants is low weight insurance for cold nights or unexpected s
Night outs or cold fronts. 

[dreadi]

Some people are just going to be cold when they sleep. Me, I get hot.
When it’s in the teens outside, I’m inside a western mountaineering bag that I bought in 2006, on a thermarest pad, in just a long sleeve shirt and boxers.

I like that hot water bottle tip. That’s old school.

[444Marlin]

Some people are just going to be cold when they sleep. Me, I get hot.
When it’s in the teens outside, I’m inside a western mountaineering bag that I bought in 2006, on a thermarest pad, in just a long sleeve shirt and boxers.

I like that hot water bottle tip. That’s old school.

I have a Western Mountaineering bag that's about 20 years old.  10 degree.  THE BEST BAG EVER.  And still as warm as the day I bought it.  My Feather Friends 20 degree is not as good...probably because of the lack of the draft collar.

I second the hot bottle.
I'm skeptical of the newer entries to the market on sleeping bags and packs.  I just don't think they have the experience like some of the outfits where the designers have more experience of sleeping outside than most of us.

[M_ray]

Getting out of a nice warm bag because you have to pee sucks!

Also a good reason to not drink beer in camp and get some sophistication with some Irish!

 

It’s the reason I drink whisky straight ... don’t need any nonsense filling me up! Whisk gets straight to the point with no waste and you’ll sleep all night without getting up!

[444Marlin]

Getting out of a nice warm bag because you have to pee sucks!

Also a good reason to not drink beer in camp and get some sophistication with some Irish!

 

It’s the reason I drink whisky straight ... don’t need any nonsense filling me up! Whisk gets straight to the point with no waste and you’ll sleep all night without getting up!

Past a certain age, it doesn't matter what I drink.  I'm almost thinking about borrowing my kid's pull-ups.

[Alchase]

I see a business opportunity, selling camo Depends and xxx size camo pull-ups!!