without a fire, sleep ok, 20F get thru the night, by exercising or by using the 1/4 lb UCO candle-lantern (beeswax only) includes 1 lb, 50 yds of 2" mesh 6 ft wide gillnet-hammock, the lead line replaced with paracord. I can always tie rocks to the paracord if I need for the net to feed me. We all know that a mylar bag causes horrific levels of condensation, within an hour or so of getting into the bag. I found a way to stop that and to also stop the clamminess and the loss to conduction to the ground. What I use is a 1/4 lb, $20 SOL 2 person Emergency bivvy, and inside of it, I use half of a wally's 12x8 ft absorbent painter's drop cloth (1/2 lb(, made into a 3x8 ft bag. I put full length zippers into all 4 of my bags. The other two bags are also 3x8 ft in size and are 1/4 lb each bugnet bags. If it's cold, I stuff them with dry debris, lay upon one and pull the other one over me, like a blanket. I can wear all of the bags like a poncho, if need be.
Sometimes, I add 2 lbs of "extra" clothing, in the form of a pair of longjohns, 2 oz of wool/blend socks, one spare pair of polyethylene socks (other than what I wear) and a set of Russian winter foot wraps, a large beanie, a neck gaiter, leather gloves and glove liners. This buys me another 10F degrees of warmth. The dropcloth bag has an 18" wide "window" around the zipper, made of clear PEVA shower curtain, so that I can convert my shelter/bag into a Korchanski supershelter, using the radiant heat of a fire or the sun. Naturally,you can also use a discrete Dakota fire pit to heat water or rocks and take them into the sleeping gear with you, which is good for about another 10F degrees, for 2-3 hours. The greenhouse effect is worth 40F degrees diff between dawn and noon, if he sun is bright. That lets me sleep from 11 am to 5pm, using a sedative, sleep mask and ear plugs. Naturally, the bugnet bag offers complete enclosure as I walk and the 2 of them zip together, enclosing me and my hammock. Since all of the bags can be laid out flat, the SOL bivvy can be a rain/sun tarp over the hammock, or my bugnet bag full of debris. If the weather hasn't been consistently, all day below freezing for at least a week, the debris bags have to be smoked-out well before using them, or you'll get bitten by fleas, lice, ticks, spiders, even centipedes on occasion.
