Clothing to add insulation at night

[kayak karl]

Wearing clothing to add insulation at night. Has anyone done this successfully? I carry quilts for the season and have been to -10 in hammock, but always strip down to skivvies. I have found that my clothes, even from pack, are damp and cold. They seem to take longer to warm up.

In cold weather clothing compresses and allow cold from bottom of hammock, but would guess the same with shelter floor.

If you have found extra clothing to help, what did you bring? Was it worth the weight rather then lower degree gear?

TY
KK

[1azarus]

hey there Kayak Karl! I am from the "wear everything you have when it is cold" school. I am willing to put up with a bit of discomfort early in the evening in order to wake up in the morning with only dry clothing. ...so I don't actually bring any extra clothing -- just what i need to stay warm in camp. then i leave everything on and climb into my hammock. yes, that does mean wearing my sometimes damp rain gear and base layer to bed. usually i dry out at least half way while making camp and making dinner. works for me.

[Feral Bill]

I've put a thick down parka over my sleeping bag for extra warmth. It works. My other clothing is part of my pillow.

[Frog]

I had a friend come with us once and he put everything he had on and woke up freezing because he had sweated so much it made it much worse. The only thing I wear in winter is a pair of long johns in a good sleeping bag works well for me.

[bigcranky]

I like to use my down parka inside my bag for extra warmth. I usually drape it over my torso for more coverage than if I wore it. I can push it around as needed. Also, if one carries a down vest, it can be zipped up and worn over the feet and lower legs.

Beyond that, I just wear the appropriate base layers, sometimes a fleece hat if it's really cold.

[minda]

I wear smartwool tights & top. Sometimes, I'll add my down vest. My sleep clothes stay in my sleeping bag instead of going into a clothes bag. I've found they are warmer when they've been in it all day.

[nastynate]

Here is a review that might interest you.
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/reviews/display_reviews?forum_thread_id=85940&cat=Sleeping%20Bags%20%2D%20Quilts%20%26%20Top%20B ags&cid=38

[George]

I use insulated pants and an REI zip off sleeve down jacket with the sleeves over my feet

[Papa D]

I carry seperate sleeping clothes in a dry sack - always stay dry:

in winter: long underwear bottoms and top, I'll add my down jacket and fleece hat (same fleece hat anytime) if it's really cold.
I use down booties when it's super cold. They have thin rubber soles so as long as things are frozen and not wet they make an ok camp shoe if you are careful
I often start out sleeping in them but even at negative 20 degrees, I usually kick them off right before the sandman comes
- - the important thing is the right bag. My Western Bag has an overstuffed footbox

in more seasonal conditions my sleeping clothes are cotton boxers (the one cotton item I carry) and a clean silky t-shirt
I carry a fleece stocking cap year round and will add it for warmth even in summer - remember that even in mid summer
a mountain rainstorm and fog can make things quite chilly

[Malto]

I firmly believe that the best bang for the ounce has to be bread bags or equivalent under your socks, I wear liner socks under them. For under an ounce you have a mini Vapor Barrier Layer VBL and I have found this makes a huge difference in keeping my feet warm. If I need more than I will switch to a full VBL by add my rain pants and shirt. I have yet to find the lower limit with this setup using my upgraded 3 season kit with a full length xtherm instead of my normal short xlite.

[nastynate]

I firmly believe that the best bang for the ounce has to be bread bags or equivalent under your socks, I wear liner socks under them. For under an ounce you have a mini Vapor Barrier Layer VBL and I have found this makes a huge difference in keeping my feet warm. If I need more than I will switch to a full VBL by add my rain pants and shirt. I have yet to find the lower limit with this setup using my upgraded 3 season kit with a full length xtherm instead of my normal short xlite.

What order of layers do you use when you are wearing your rain suit?

[kayak karl]

just saw this (http://sectionhiker.com/is-it-warmer-to-sleeping-naked-in-sleeping-bag/). this guy knows what's the BEST Practice:rolleyes: comments are interesting.

if you are "comfortable" in a bag naked your temp is 98.6 (sake of argument) if you add a base layer which adds 5 degrees (again sake of argument) is your temp 103.6? No it is still 98.6 and you are "comfortable". you are not any "warmer"

[4eyedbuzzard]

just saw this (http://sectionhiker.com/is-it-warmer-to-sleeping-naked-in-sleeping-bag/). this guy knows what's the BEST Practice:rolleyes: comments are interesting.

if you are "comfortable" in a bag naked your temp is 98.6 (sake of argument) if you add a base layer which adds 5 degrees (again sake of argument) is your temp 103.6? No it is still 98.6 and you are "comfortable". you are not any "warmer"

It appears you have found the answer to your own question ;)
I have to agree with a lot of what is in the article. For me, my own "best" is always wearing a lightweight base layer (aka trail pajamas) as long as it isn't still really hot at night - makes it easier to stay warm, keeps my sleeping bag cleaner, prevents/reduces mosquito bites, am not running around buck-naked in the woods in the middle of the night if nature calls, etc.

[kayak karl]

It appears you have found the answer to your own question ;)
I have to agree with a lot of what is in the article. For me, my own "best" is always wearing a lightweight base layer (aka trail pajamas) as long as it isn't still really hot at night - makes it easier to stay warm, keeps my sleeping bag cleaner, prevents/reduces mosquito bites, am not running around buck-naked in the woods in the middle of the night if nature calls, etc.
i hiked Georgia in the winter and temps went from 15-50 in a day. everything was damp and sleeping without it was best for me, but as you said if you ONLY wear it for sleeping it would stay dry. i use a wearable quilt for camp and don't carry the extra clothes. i was asking because i wanted to know if the extra weight would be worth it.

[Odd Man Out]

I always lay out on top of my bag until I get a little chilled, then I crawl into my bag. Sometimes when I go to bed my metabolism is ramped up from hiking or camp chores and I overheat in the bag, and as mentioned above, if you sweat in the bag, you are in trouble. I'm sometimes surprised how long I can lay on top of my bag and still be comfortable. Sometimes I'll fall asleep on top of the bag, wake up cold, and then get into the bag and fall right to sleep again. I think the trick is to not get too cold, as you need enough metabolism to warm up the bag. When I lay on top of my bag, I am mostly cooling the skin surface temp but not long enough to loose much core heat. With the skin chilled, getting in the bag feels warm and comfy, but there is still plenty of core heat to warm things up.

[illabelle]

I like to use my down parka inside my bag for extra warmth. I usually drape it over my torso for more coverage than if I wore it. I can push it around as needed. Also, if one carries a down vest, it can be zipped up and worn over the feet and lower legs.

I'm not using a hammock, but this is what I do also. Down jacket zipped up over my legs, or simply draped over my lower body, and my fleece vest over my arms and chest. If it's extra cold, I steal my husband's jacket ;)