I want to ad my 2 cents worth. I am in Alaska and find myself camping in the course of trying to find bears, sheep, and moose on occasion. I have camped when the thermometer has reached into the single digits. Sir, what you need to do is invest in A Wiggy's sleeping bag system. I am in no way connected to, nor trying to advertise for them, but I can tell you those bags will save your life. No BS. They somehow wick sweat, or even moisture from a jump in a lake away from you while you are in the sleeping bag. it is truly amazing and they work. I will NEVER sleep in any other sleeping bag, even if I am deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, this is the bag that will go with me even though the AF issues a pretty good sleep system. They are on the web at www.wiggys.com
Truly outstanding product. I invite you to just look them up and read some info that is on their website. However, what you had on the ground for your backside was fine.

I agree that it sounds like you need to upgrade to a better sleeping bag. Everything else sounds pretty good. The air mattress won't insulate, but the closed cell pad should have taken care of that. With a better bag you wouldn't have needed the blanket, either. A wind/waterproof bivy bag will help a lot, too.

One tip we use snow camping in the Sierras is to put a hot water bottle in the foot of the sleeping bag. You have to melt snow for water, anyway, so the last time you melt a pot of snow at night, heat it until it's warm (NOT HOT!). Pour it into your Nalgene bottle, seal it in a 1 gallon ziplock baggie, then another, then put it inside your sleeping bag all the way at the foot. It'll keep you warm for hours. Just don't let it leak.

Kevin B.

MMULLINS,

I have a brother up in Fairbanks, Alaska who swears by Wiggly's bags. They seem overkill for Texas though. Saturday night here was pretty much as cold as it gets. Last winter we had frost three times and that was a big deal. <img src="/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

I swung by Academy Sports (local Outdoorsy store chain) over lunch and looked at bags. The problem was they were all too short. I'm 6'5", and 72" mummy bag just doesn't fit. The main reason I bought the bag I have now was that it's 90" long (outside measurement, inside length maybe 86"). I shove my clothes down in the bottom of it so they'll be somewhat warm in the morning.

What I'd really like to do is find a liner or cover for this bag to up it's warmth even if this involves sewing something myself (well, actually DW would do the sewing, I would supply the dinner at a nice resturant as payment <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />).

-Blast

Watch the next meteor shower from a beach in Hawaii?

I was going to suggest the head cover and hot water bottle at your feet, but those already mentioned.

Maybe the fleece blanket inside the sleeping bag instead of on top.

I can also envision a Blast burito, with Blast rolled up in a wool blanket, inside a bivy bag, on top of a foam pad, on ground high enough for fog not to roll down onto you, with a wool cap and foot warmer. Just got your face showing out of the bivy puka watching the stars.

Some suggestions below for a "proper" liner...however I found some fleece zippered sleeping bags at Walmart for $8.00 that would fit the bill nicely as an add-on to the inside of your sleeping bag (claims to make your sleeping bag's rating temperature drop another 15 degrees). Also just look for a "long" sleeping bag since you are tall. If you do get a different sleeping bag, make sure to get a poly-bag instead of a down bag because of the "moisture" factor. Best of luck from Oklahoma...

P.s. That foam pad is one area where you shouldn't skimp if your going to camp/sleep in the outdoors very often. I balked at the prices of thermarest until my best friend (ice/rock climber and tri-athlete) let me borrow his for a weekend. I ordered one the following monday.

examples:

Liner:
http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductD...vcat=REI_SEARCH

Long Sleeping Bag:
http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductD...MPING_HIKING_LD

Nothing but down filled bags has ever worked for me. Always keep me warm. One needs to make sure they are DRY though, otherwise they are of no use.

Aloha just reminded me: cold air flows just like water down slopes, and settles in the lowest point. Try not to be sleeping there.

Sue

You just described the bag I had throughout Boy Scouts. <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

Mmm, I wonder if DW would let me drag the couch out back for the next stellar show...

-Blast

Try a trash bag. Sometimes something as simple as pulling a trash bag up on to your sleeping bag from the bottom will give you an extra margin of warmth if you're cold. I wouldn't do it on a regular basis because the bag won't breathe. I would use it only as a measure when you find the sleeping bag isn't quite cutting it and you need to warm up a few degrees more.

This is especially useful if you're group camping and someone discovers their sleeping gear isn't keeping them warm enough. A simple trash bag can often boost the warmth of their bag enough to help them make it through night.

Regards,

Tom

Rather than leap to what I do I'll offer a book that explains why you get cold and how to prevent it. Knowing the WHY is very important - and that's part of what these forums are all about.

COLD COMFORT by Glenn Randall. It's not a new book but 20 years ago it revolutionized my ability to stay warm while camping here in Colorado.
Talks about the fact that our bodies transpire moisture thru the skin which then affects our insulation layers. Different insulating materials and techniques can be applied to handle each situation (heavy activity vs no activity)


Unimogbert