Trial Runs in backyard

[SkeeterPee]

Anyone taking advantage of this cold streak in the east coast to test out your sleeping gear.

Last night it got to 15F and both my 20F bag and my 35F bag with liner was warm enough.

Saturday it is supposed to get to 2F so I will be trying the 20F bag with the liner.

This is a good opportunity to be sure I will be warm enough for worst case scenario when hiking PA in late March.

[Puddlefish]

Low: -16 °F

for overnight Saturday overnight. My only heat is a gravity furnace under the living room floor, so I might testing my new 40 degree down quilt in my bedroom.

[Studlintsean]

I am thinking about testing a 20 Deg and 40 Deg combo on my back deck this weekend. I will report back if I do.

[FarmerChef]

I've already tested my gear out in single digits. The first test in the 20s did not go well but we learned and didn't bat an eyelash when it dropped close to zero. Getting outside in varying conditions is a great way to work out your system and back yard tests means you can always retreat to safety if it doesn't work out like you had hoped.

[The Solemates]

Lows around -15 with windchill here. I'll be in the back 40 here and have less than a mile hike to the house if I feel like bailing.

[rocketsocks]

25 degrees is to cold for my puffy when i'm not moving.
25 degrees is not cold enough for my "mad bomber" hoody, sweat to much.
25 degrees is when it's my turn to bring in the trash cans, according to my son.
25 degrees is to cold to drop a deuce in the back yard, preferring indoor plumbing.
25 degrees is just a number, it's cold regardless.

[Venchka]

25 degrees is to cold for my puffy when i'm not moving.
25 degrees is not cold enough for my "mad bomber" hoody, sweat to much.
25 degrees is when it's my turn to bring in the trash cans, according to my son.
25 degrees is to cold to drop a deuce in the back yard, preferring indoor plumbing.
25 degrees is just a number, it's cold regardless.

25 degrees is not cold. I have seen cold and +25 is not it.
-34. That is cold. I saw that twice. The first time was at Westover AFB skating behind the house. When Mom found out how cold it was she made come in. The second time was in Kazakhstan. I only stayed out long enough to walk about 500 feet to the mess hall for breakfast and another 500 feet to the office.
I think I have seen enough of that.

Wayne


Sent from my AT100 using Tapatalk

[The Cleaner]

25 degrees is to cold for my puffy when i'm not moving.
25 degrees is not cold enough for my "mad bomber" hoody, sweat to much.
25 degrees is when it's my turn to bring in the trash cans, according to my son.
25 degrees is to cold to drop a deuce in the back yard, preferring indoor plumbing.
25 degrees is just a number, it's cold regardless.

Forecast low temps for the Hot Springs NC area call for single digit temps on Saturday night with expected windchill in the mountains of -10* to -20*. According to posts on Trail Journals there is also 1-2' snow drifts above Sam's Gap.There are a few hikers currently staying in Hot Springs waiting for conditions to improve.It's gonna be a long wait.Several inches of more snow is forecast for Sunday night and Monday.I was on the AT up here at Jerry's Cabin shelter in Jan. 85 when my thermometer showed -28*.I stayed close to the inside fireplace and had tarps covering the shelter front.One hiker was really POed about the weather. What kind of idiot hikes in the mountains in Jan-Feb and doesn't expect severe cold. Well apparently some hikers are not too well informed about winter camping in the Southern Appalachians...

[Odd Man Out]

Haven't slept out in the cold but I did test my alcohol stove when it was 5 below zero. Worked great.

[Bronk]

Its good to test a bag to see what is really comfortable. I only have a 30 degree bag but I am comfortable in it down to 5 degrees if I have several layers of clothing.

[Another Kevin]

With my current gear I'm comfortable down to about -10°F. Colder than that would be a bad night.

Wind chill is almost irrelevant for sleeping temperature, since I have a 3½-season tent. The inner tent has sidewalls that come about halfway up, and with the rainfly battened down, it's the next best thing to a double-wall winter tent. Bank snow on the upwind side, stamp out a platform with my snowshoes, and it can be fifteen degrees warmer inside than outside once my body heat has been warming it for an hour or two.

To go much colder I'd need a vapor barrier for the sleeping bag, and I'd have to work out some way to keep condensation from accumulating in the hood. I might even need a heavier bag. My winter bag is a Marmot Never Summer because I just couldn't justify anything more expensive.

In weather like we have this weekend, I don't go. Once in a great while it comes up unforecast, so I try to be prepared at least to survive it, but I do NOT seek it out.