Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Cold night in tent

Normally for cold weather camping I use a big tent in which I installed a small wood burning heater. I sleep on a cot inside a cheap Wal-Mart sleeping bag and sleep warm and cozy no matter the outside temp. However, yesterday I used my Timberline 4, an 1/1/2" Therma-a-Rest pad, and a 10* Wenzel high-dollar sleeping bag. I like to have frozen my axx off in spite of piling on two--count 'em, two--wool blankets. The outside temp was only 36*. At 4 am I had all I could take and came home. What happened? Did the ground cold come under the blankets?

Are you saying you were or weren't on a cot? Cots definitely can make a guy cold!

Personally, I'm not a big fan of any sleeping pad with air in it for cold weather (not that 36* is cold )... I've never found any thickness Thermarest comfortable under a down bag when temps dip. Put a closed cell foam pad over your inflatable.

Option two, you were tired and worn out and the above conspired to make you colder than you normally would feel.

Three, your bag sucks? I have no idea, just saying because you spent a lot on a bag doesn't make it good... I have no idea what sort of bag Wentzel makes BTW, just pointing out a possibility.

Option four, all of the above!

Option five, living in hot, humid LA doesn't help a guy deal with cold metabolism-wise!

No, I was on the tent floor last night. Between me and the ground were: the sleeping bag, the pad, which was comfortable, by the way, and the tent floor. With two wool blankets on top, I should have been warm and cozy in 36*. I wasn't.

A pad that's comfortable doesn't make it warm...

We use thermarest pro lite 4 pads, for early season, its down to mid teens.... put a survival tarp down then the mats, then out down bags. So far so good. But of course 0 degree good bags.

I'd bet the cold got you from underneath for sure. Personally I'd be putting a closed cell down also if I was expecting the above.

I've done it down to 5 degree actual temp in the tent in an old military ECWCS bag, on a normal thermarest pad.

Jeff

Closed cell pad for cold weather camping. I'd agree that 36 is not cold by northern standards, but you not used to our temps.

Keep in mind that the more weight you put on top of your sleeping bag the more your take away from the loft, and likely the warmth of your bag.

Get a large sized closed cell pad. Use a good sleeping bag rated, in your case 20-30 degrees below your expected temp setting, don't overdress in the bag and try that.

Ditto on adding closed cell foam to your Prolite for cold weather. Ideally above and below. Try a Ridgerest (you can get a pretty big one) below and some Thinlight from Gossamer Gear above. If you're going to use the blankets use them inside the bag (probably not too comfortable with wool). As NH hunter noted, you are losing loft when you put something like that on top of your bag. Sounds like you're not backpacking so you could put the Wenzel inside the Wal-Mart and bump the rating quite a bit.

I haven't done a lot of cold weather camping, so I've always felt toasty on a cot. Coldest I've been camping was around 30�F, and a 20�F bag did great without a pad. But I also wore a head sock and loose sweats in the bag. But since I've been looking to make a few backpacking camps, I'm forgoing the weight and bulk of the cot and taking an inflatable mat. First few test camps I may take a 3/8" closed cell sheet to go over it, but I'm going to try it with out it first.

I've gotten a lot from reading these forums, so I might as well try and give a wee bit back. The degree symbol can be typed by hitting Ctrl-Alt-248. There are other extended ASCII character codes to get it other than this, but this one works for me.

I was truck camping. This was a test run of a 4-wheeler camping trip I want to do in December--when it's even colder. You guys sharing your knowledge has helped a bunch. Obviously, I used the wrong equipment.

The Thermarest site says my mattress is for "Summer camping." My Wenger sleeping bag has been discontinued, but as it cost only $30 new it ain't much of a sleeping bag.

So it's back to the drawing board.

My vote goes to Big Agnes with the Dual-Core pad. Never cold and always comftorble. Being cold sucks!

Cheat and toss one of those small chemical handwarmers inside the bag with you. Have another close at hand in case you need more heat in the bag. It's an adaptation from an old trick I learned from winter backpacking back in the 1970's: Boil a pot of water just before lights out, pour a quart of that HOT water into a well-sealed water bottle, and toss it down into the foot of my mummy bag. Nice... Toasty feet all night. Warm bag all night. Never leaked - have been doing this for 30 years or so now, most every winter.

Also - yes - thick closed-cell foam pad or two - the ground can get real cold. I need to replace my sleeping bag and am looking at those Big Agness jobs myself - they look pretty good.

Regards, Guy

Another thought, try adding one of the wool blankets under your bag, and over the top of your pad. That will at least tell you if it is a bag/pad problem. JMHO

I suddenly remembered that I have one of those military 3-part sleeping systems--two inner bags and a bivy. As my truck is still loaded, I'm headed back to the woods after lunch/nap. I think I'll spread a wool blanket on the tent floor, put the Thermarest summer pad on top of it, then put the military surplus bag on top of all. I'll use just the two inner bags.

Stay tuned for the results. . . . At least my campsite is only 15 minutes away.

telling that, the bastages what they won't do to rip a man off for thutty dollas!

be glad it's discontinued.

ime, for cold weather camping you're probably gonna have to drop a couple of more dimes to get a bag that keeps you toasty at freezing temps or below that.

you don't have to break the bank, there are serviceable bags for around $100

or you can go high dollar and get something really nice.

either way, no reason to freeze, you just gotta have the correct equipment.

lots of good threads about sleep bags, maybe do a search function.

If you have a true 3-part military sleep system you are going to make your berries perspire. Good luck.

Jeez, if $30 is "high-dollar" I guess we just might be in a depression

I've camped here in Rhode Island, year round, in my little Sierra Designs Meteor Lite tent, and those cute green Eureka Timberland green Boy Scout jobbies. I never used more than a closed cell foam pad and a minus 30 bag. Now, you'd think that that minus 30 is a bit extreme, but I believe it makes all the difference. I've spent many a night below freezing, cozy and warm. It's nice to get a tall bag that you have space after your feet, and that you can pull over your head and draw tight. I would highly recommend a tall -30 bag and a full length closed cell foam pad.

There is definately a difference in the quality of various sleeping bags. I've been out under the stars in 20 deg temps with just a down bag and foam sleeping pad, and I was toasty.

I've also found my current synthetic bag that is rated to 20F isn't as warm as it used to be as the insulation as broken down over the years.

I've since upgraded to a lighter winter bag setup for backpacking purposes. However, if you are just fourwheeling or truck camping and weight is not an issue I've used this bag at -17*F this past winter on a Big Agnes insulated aircore. I granted I had a base layer on and a fleece hat, but I did find it very true to its rating and for $70 bucks it doesn't break the bank. I only use it when fourwheeler or snowmachine camping though cause its not exactly a light weight but it'll keep ya warm no doubt and plenty roomy.

http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___80625