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  1. #21
    Registered User misprof's Avatar
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    I don't normally get chilled while hiking but at camp and especially at night. The suggestions about changing your clothes is great. I pull by vest in my bag with me to keep my thighs warm. I also do some quick excercises right before climbing in, not enough to sweat but enough to get the blood moving. Also tents,tarps are way warmer than an empty shelter.

  2. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by 1azarus View Post
    this idea is from glenn at gossamer gear. he suggests you get a really oversized rain jacket and wear your sleeping bag under it -- with the hood over your head and the bag wrapped around you. not a fashion statement, but sure does make use of all that down, and avoids the need to carry a big puffy jacket. i have done this for years, to the great entertainment of those that see me. just make sure the jacket is quite large. the added advantage is that the larger jacket is less like a sauna when you need to wear it without the sleeping bag stuffing... i suggest you try this at home or at a store first! there is some skill in the wrapping...
    You also wear JRB sleeves with your bag, right? I seem to recall seeing you dressed like that in Harriman. (Wow, it got chilly that night, by downstate standards. I almost thought I was back up here.)
    I always know where I am. I'm right here.

  3. #23

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    Great suggestions so far! I am a cold sleeper and have circulatory issues, so definitely something I deal with on a regular basis.

    My #1 (in addition to warm, dry clothes) is a hot water bottle. You need a Nalgene so it won't melt (don't ask me how I know, lol). This will keep you toasty warm for most of the night. When you are thirsty in the middle of the night, you will have nice warm water to drink!
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  4. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by Demeter View Post
    Great suggestions so far! I am a cold sleeper and have circulatory issues, so definitely something I deal with on a regular basis.

    My #1 (in addition to warm, dry clothes) is a hot water bottle. You need a Nalgene so it won't melt (don't ask me how I know, lol). This will keep you toasty warm for most of the night. When you are thirsty in the middle of the night, you will have nice warm water to drink!
    I have heard this before. How do you use the hot water bottle? Is it essentially a foot warmer?
    "Too often I would hear men boast of the miles covered that day, rarely of what they had seen." Louis L’Amour

  5. #25

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    Quote Originally Posted by Furlough View Post
    I have heard this before. How do you use the hot water bottle? Is it essentially a foot warmer?
    Fill the bottle with hot water at bedtime. You can even put it in your bag before you get in so it'll be nice and toasty! I put it at my feet, but have also slept with two water bottles (the video I did of Seneca Creek was -5*f).

    Last week, my daughter tucked hers into her pants and stayed that way all night :-)
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  6. #26
    Registered User Just Bill's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Just_Jill View Post
    Help! I can't get warm!... Mostly while in camp but sometimes while hiking.... I need some tips/tricks and gear ideas (without bringing my entire closet) from other "always cold" ladies.
    Howdy Jill! Illabelle- do we have to climb a hill now?


    Well- without knowing your body type exactly- I'll generalize a bit-
    Women in general have less mass period, but especially outside their core. But there's lot's a blood flying around out there and nothing to hold the heat in, so unlike fella's who can pile on torso insulation, gals generally have to go with a whole body approach. (which also works well for weight saving speedy fellas actually). Gents are more like a fireplace- one source to warm the house. Gals are much more like a radiant water system- turn up the boiler all you want- it takes along time to bring all the pipes up to temp.

    My first layer is undies, skirt, and merino top.
    The top is typically long sleeve in all but summer- long sleeves can get pulled up and down as temps change- short sleeves never grow.
    The very next thing that goes on is a hat, then a windshell.
    Hats are easy to add or remove as trail conditions change- weigh nothing- and you need one in camp anyway. For hikers in general who get blood pooling in hands while moving- a light pair of gloves is another no weight or bulk addition. Same with proper socks. Keep in mind- PERCEPTION of warmth is often just as valuable as actual warmth; if your hands, ears, toes or nose is cold- well you feel cold.

    Windshells cut, well, wind- which is a huge source of heat loss through many mechanisms (Convection, radiation, evaporation). They also create a microclimate of humid air that keeps you a hair warmer than simply wearing a second shirt. They weigh little, are easy to put on off even while walking, and with light DWR will shed a 1/2 hour of rain. I strongly agree with the oversized shell trick- so much so that I size my quilt specifically to wear it. I own a L for summer and XL for three season temps.

    For the whole body approach- scale up from there-
    Find your "base" temp in your base layers that you like.
    That likely involves a Merino 1 or Cap 2 layer on your top, and may even require a light pair of tights/long undies.
    So when it's a bit cooler- slide your base up a "weight" of material, Merino 2 or Cap 3.
    Use multiple light layers, rather than one monster piece. But ensure layers don't bind, size up if needed in outer layers.

    The exception- the camp puffy. Average temp swing in hiker hours is 20*, add to this an average 10* bump while moving and you need to pile 30* on pretty quick.- roughly a heavy fleece, or regular (not UL) down layer. Get one with a hood and hand warmer pockets- Perception of warmth! Something about "bundling up" in a hoodie and stuffing hands in pockets is a psychological bonus no amount of UL mathematics can disprove. My wife will slip on a cheap hooded cotton sweatshirt before taking the $300 top of the line Patagonia jacket I hand her every time.

    THE RACE AGAINST HYPOTHERMIA-
    Lazarus coins this term for the tendency of most of us to wear the bare minimum to sustain life while moving and then "recover" at camp. This is very tricky for women to pull off. Without that big central fireplace to fire up at camp, women are much slower to rewarm if chilled during the day. You see a fella like me wearing a skirt and short sleeves into the 30's because my furnace is running too hot while I hike and I need to vent. Women with warmth issues need to keep to the full body coverage strategy. Even a sport bra in a windshell is a better choice than t shirt if you're on the fence. Keep hats, gloves, scarves etc. in use even when just wearing a light base layer before piling on your camp jacket.

    Eat regularly and if you take a break, keep that camp jacket handy as you will bottom out and take a long time to recover. I highly recommend a jetboil or other easy stove to fire up often and add hot drinks to your mix. A canister of fuel is much lighter than a spare shirt, and when your body falls behind only hot liquid or food will raise the temp on your boiler- piling insulation on an ice cube only makes it stay frozen longer.


    Women need to keep the water in the pipes constant all day, even with the turn up the thermostat approach of climbing in your bag won't help. Metabolism drops rapidly just by laying down to sleep, even more when you fall asleep. Much more so than men, falling asleep chilly and having your boiler reduce down to simmer means you won't every really warm up much. The warming process, if it has fallen behind, should start right away when you hit camp with a hot drink and food. While that water is boiling- get that bag spread out so it lofts to it's max potential before you crawl in.

    Eating a handful of nuts (get your mind out of the gutter) along with a small cup of tea is a big help, so is making sure you are well hydrated. In truly cold weather, pack along some butter, add a pat to your evening tea.

    BIG MEALS- That monster meal we hikers like to eat pulls a lot of blood and warmth away to digest. If you find eating that big meal leaves you chilly afterwards consider spreading meals out, not an expert on it, but I believe women tend to be more affected by this phenomenon by a large margin.


    The water bottle trick
    -
    Perception of warmth- add one to your sleeping bag footbox for that warm toasty feeling.
    Actual warmth- put the bottle (bladder more comfy if you trust it) in between your thighs right on the ol' lovebox. You have a hot water heating system and the main pipes (arteries) run along your inner thighs- putting the bottle there means you are not only warming all the pipes flowing out and in, but also putting some extra warmth in your core and preventing that bottle from cooling off in a few minutes sitting out by your footbox.

    A second bottle works well near the heart if you are so inclined- or in the case of a bladder- across your chest under your chesticles.

    When its really chilly- use a pee bottle- keep the pee in your bag until you need to produce a fresh batch. No sense dumping 98* water out the door when it does a fine job freshening up that now chilly hot water bottle.

  7. #27

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    You can't make this stuff up. Just Bill helping out Just Jill.

  8. #28

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    Get a Little Hottie Just Jill. Or, maybe a couple of Hotties.

    Throw a Little Hottie hand warmer in each jacket/vest pocket you sleep in.

    http://www.levelninesports.com/Littl...FQUR7AodUi8AMw

    Adhere a toe Hottie under each sock.

  9. #29

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    When cold in my sleeping bag/quilt I'll sleep in dry rain pants and rain jacket(put the hood up and cinch it down). Kinda what Lazarus talked about that Glenn Van Peski suggested but not wearing the rain jacket outside around your sleeping bag. That system seems like it would suck if you have to get up during the night. Straight jacket anyone?

    I see many a hiker complaining they are sweating in their apparel yet not taking full advantage of all their venting options. The reverse of that I see some complaining how cold they are yet not taking full advantage of all their available gear to stay warm and/or not fully buttoning/zipping up, velcroing, cinching down hem/hood draw strings, etc to minimize drafts and trap body heat. Be creative. Think outside of the box. Apparel isn't the only way to get warm. Other pieces in your kit can add to warmth. Pieces don't have to be rigidly defined as insulation to add warmth. Stick your feet into your empty backpack for example. Place maps, shoes(pillow), spruce boughs, sleep on a bed of thick pine needles, etc, anything that can add warmth under you. Get out of the wind. Sleep behind and next to a large boulder; they can act as heat sinks during the day if it's sunny and release the heat during the night. Lighting small warming fires next to such objects as a large boulder/rock wall/even a fabric curtain/SOL reflective bivy reflects heat so take advantage of that. Don't sleep in larger depressions/valleys though as they are spots where the cold air tends to settle. Be aware of this if you have a choice of camps. Sleeping next to streams/lakes that are often in canyons/depressions can typically be colder.

  10. #30
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    Howdy Jill! Illabelle- do we have to climb a hill now?
    No JustBill, that was Jack and Jill, not JustBill and JustJill. LOL

  11. #31
    Registered User Just Bill's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by illabelle View Post
    No JustBill, that was Jack and Jill, not JustBill and JustJill. LOL
    Well I assumed that me being a JACKass was enough to make it work.

  12. #32
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    Quote Originally Posted by Another Kevin View Post
    You also wear JRB sleeves with your bag, right? I seem to recall seeing you dressed like that in Harriman. (Wow, it got chilly that night, by downstate standards. I almost thought I was back up here.)
    oh my. it has been so long since real cold weather i forgot about those down sleeves that JRB makes for their wearable quilts. i use them on my legs or arms based upon some system i can't remember. have used them for years.
    Lazarus

  13. #33

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    Just Bill had some good advice. What works for me is to change my clothes when I make camp and break camp, to get rid of the sweat. Yes, it' on polypro and capilene; the only things I didn't change were my balaclava and glove liners, as I didn't have spares (I did use overmits).
    In addition, I would eat dinner in the middle of the day, and change to a dry shirt to stay warm during the water filtering and meal. Taking breaks helps me stay warm hiking, and it's hard to do when the weather is miserable. I have to remind myself to take more frequent, shorter breaks and be sure to stay hydrated and keep eating while hiking. I tend to warm up again quickly when I resume hiking after short breaks.
    Supper could be a quick no-cook meal, with perhaps a cup of mint tea or another hot meal such as ramen. I tried to filter water on a hiking break, so I would warm up again. I rarely melted snow, as the amount of fuel required for this or for making a hot water bottle is incredible.
    When I was having problems waking up cold in the middle of the night I hit on the idea of adding olive oil to supper. Fat right before bed helped me stay warm, but it takes horrible straight. Pemiccan (with doe fat, not just fruits and nuts) would be a more palatable choice if you're not cooking supper.
    Make sure you eat enough and that it has a reasonable glycemic index (not all sugar!).
    In cold weather though you do strike a balance between clothing weight, food weight, and fuel weight; for a while you can burn body fat, but that will disappear and muscle loss will set in. So plan on carrying more weight if you're backpacking in cold weather; with all the lighter gear available today, you should be able to handle some extra to stay warm.

  14. #34

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    I forgot to mention: try to spend as little amount of non-sleeping time in camp as possible. Hike slower and take more breaks. Shorter daylight hours make this hard, but exercise is a great way to stay warm; this is another reason why eating dinner at noon helps. When you are in camp, do things as quickly as you can then into your bag. The same rule applies in the morning; if you're cold, you can always break camp quickly, start hiking and then stop for breakfast after you've warmed up.

  15. #35
    Registered User Just Bill's Avatar
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    On Bati's fine comments-
    One UL trick that works well- The big meal at noon is a great tip, as is moving "dinnertime" up to stay out of camp. Unlike a Gent who can eat like a sow and wallow in the mud until passing out- walking on a few more miles at a very easy pace after cleaning up is a big help.

    Bati- doing this will allow you to dry out your clothes without carrying spares.

    That extra twilight hour of walking at an easy pace does a few things for you-
    Gets your body and digestion on track and warms you back up after a dinner time break.
    Lets your clothing dry under your own body heat- just keep the pace slow enough to avoid sweating.
    Since you're not struggling- you can wash up during dinner- a clean sleeper is a warmer sleeper- but washing up chills you out- which a stroll fixes up.
    Gets you warmed up again prior to bed.

    Most important of all- When all the noisy hikers are in camp, it gets you out at twilight when all the other folks who live in the woods are stirring around and wonders abound.

  16. #36

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    Empty your bladder or eliminate the need to by not having a full bladder when you go to sleep as all that urine can rob your system of cals/energy/warmth to keep warm.

    Do some light jumping jacks Just Jull before tucking in for sleep. The aim is to warm yourself up which will radiate into your sleeping bag not build up a sweat.

  17. #37

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    I try to nab those corner spots in AT lean-tos to get out of the wind. I think those spots are the warmest in AT lean-tos. It's also nice to have a corner to yourself where you have one side to reasonably spread out your gear out of everyone else's way too. Beware those corner spots in AT lean-tos is where the mice usually travel though.

  18. #38
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dogwood View Post
    I try to nab those corner spots in AT lean-tos to get out of the wind. I think those spots are the warmest in AT lean-tos. It's also nice to have a corner to yourself where you have one side to reasonably spread out your gear out of everyone else's way too. Beware those corner spots in AT lean-tos is where the mice usually travel though.
    I avoid lean-tos in cold weather. My tent is much warmer. It has four walls. Unless someone else is volunteering to tend a big fire all night.
    I always know where I am. I'm right here.

  19. #39

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    I just got this- chesticles? LOL.

  20. #40

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    Thanks for the ideas, these seem like some very good ideas.

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