View Full Version : Sleeping bag + temperature question
Chrysalis14
09-26-2014, 02:26
I haven't been able to find an answer yet, but I'm wondering why, when I have a 20 degree down bag, that I still freeze even when the temp outside is well above 40 -45 degrees? I'm considering getting a bag liner to add warmth but how can a bag claim to have that temperature rating if it doesn't work?
I haven't been able to find an answer yet, but I'm wondering why, when I have a 20 degree down bag, that I still freeze even when the temp outside is well above 40 -45 degrees? I'm considering getting a bag liner to add warmth but how can a bag claim to have that temperature rating if it doesn't work?
I presume you have a mattress pad of some sort, under the bag?
rocketsocks
09-26-2014, 05:41
Are eating something before bed...your bag can only preserve the heat it has to work with. I like Walkers short bread cookies before bed, 31% butter if you can find them, not real great for the heart, but mighty tasty and fuels the furnace.
PD230SOI
09-26-2014, 05:50
Temp ratings assume you are in a tent and on a pad. I find the pad more important than the tent.
are you wearing lots of clothes and cutting off circulation?
are you swimming in the bag and unable to heat it up?
is it a bag by a known company?
rocketsocks
09-26-2014, 06:13
Are eating something before bed...your bag can only preserve the heat it has to work with. I like Walkers short bread cookies before bed, 31% butter if you can find them, not real great for the heart, but mighty tasty and fuels the furnace.Hiked with a young lady once who used to live in Alaska, and she said they used to eat bear fat before retiring, keep ya warm all night long.
garlic08
09-26-2014, 08:50
Look for an "EN 13537" rating. If it doesn't say those magic words, it may be a guess at best, marketing hype at worst. Good tips above about bag fit, clothing constriction, diet, and health.
saltysack
09-26-2014, 08:55
Wearing good wool socks?
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Is your bag too big for you, like one poster said can you swim in it if so it could be that you got so much extra space that your body heat can't warm it. I like my sleeping bag a little snug still be able to turn over, which a bag liner will definitely help but if your bag is too big you will still be cold.
illabelle
09-26-2014, 10:48
Husband got me a liner - one o' those silk things. I used it a couple times, but it's a bit of a pain because it twists around when I turn over.
My bag is rated 15*, but I still shiver a while. Simplest thing for me is bringing my down jacket and fleece vest into the bag with me. I don't wear them. I zip up the vest and slide my lower legs into it. I use the jacket like an extra blanket over the upper half of my body.
Husband also got me some down booties. They work great at getting my feet warmed up.
One other thing, you are changing into dry clothes to sleep, right? I know some folks say they dry their sweat-damp clothes by sleeping in them. Well, good for them, but if you're cold you need dry clothes.
Tuckahoe
09-26-2014, 11:26
Look for an "EN 13537" rating. If it doesn't say those magic words, it may be a guess at best, marketing hype at worst. Good tips above about bag fit, clothing constriction, diet, and health.
+1 this!
And here is a link to the Wikipedia page explaining the rating -- http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/EN_13537
There are just so many variables, but using a pad of some sort for insulation. The bag can be too big or too small. Cheap down bags can have low fill power down and or a high feather content. Also men and women have a different comfort level, and many bags are not just guessed at for temperature ratings, but they are rated for men.
There may also be nothing wrong with the bag and that you may sleep colder.
rating/clothing/digestion/pad/shelter/bag quality
You could try doing some exercise before bed too. Push ups or jumping jacks...:banana
Another Kevin
09-26-2014, 17:14
Alas, a good many ladies need EN 'comfort' rating, while most manufacturers advertise 'lower limit'. So a '20°' bag for the gentlemen may be a 35° bag for the ladies. I know, it's no fair at all that the ladies tend to sleep colder, but it appears to be a physiologic fact. A lot of long, skinny guys sleep cold, too. (I don't have that problem, I run more on the round side.)
But if you're that far off on the temperature rating, I'd speculate that you're either using an inadequate pad, not getting out of the wind, or not wearing a hat to bed.
WeShallSee
09-26-2014, 17:22
Everything already said is great. Also, remember to wear a hat. A good portion of heat lost, goes right out our heads.
saltysack
09-26-2014, 17:26
Everything already said is great. Also, remember to wear a hat. A good portion of heat lost, goes right out our heads.
Good socks and hat made huge difference for me...turtle fur is a really warm cheap hat I really like it
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rocketsocks
09-26-2014, 22:31
rating/clothing/digestion/pad/shelter/bag quality
You could try doing some exercise before bed too. Push ups or jumping jacks...:banana
Seriously, great point. I've done sit ups to generate some quick heat in the bag...works fantastic, just don't sweet to much, a little humidity in your bag can be a good thing...to much is a bad thing.
Not to get myself in too much trouble, but I bet the young lady would keep ya warm also!
Hiked with a young lady once who used to live in Alaska, and she said they used to eat bear fat before retiring, keep ya warm all night long.
saltysack
09-27-2014, 13:08
Not to get myself in too much trouble, but I bet the young lady would keep ya warm also!
Don't think I'd want to snuggle with a chick who eats bear fat for a bed time snack !!!
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rocketsocks
09-27-2014, 18:11
Not to get myself in too much trouble, but I bet the young lady would keep ya warm also!
She did, with her stories and warm smile...really neat lady she was...cooked a hell of a rabbit to. :)
Another Kevin
09-28-2014, 09:38
She did, with her stories and warm smile...really neat lady she was...cooked a hell of a rabbit to. :)
I wondered if that's who you were talking about! Yeah, neat lady. I wish I could have heard more of her stories, but you know I was busy.
rocketsocks
09-28-2014, 16:03
I wondered if that's who you were talking about! Yeah, neat lady. I wish I could have heard more of her stories, but you know I was busy.yes you were. :)
Snowleopard
09-28-2014, 16:08
Advertisements lie!
Most brands of sleeping bag have really optimistic (advertised) ratings, especially cheap bags. So, your 20 degree bag might be really a 45-50 degree bag. It's also possible that it has lost loft because of improper storage or down loss.
One way to check is to measure the loft (lay bag on the floor and see how high the top of the bag is after fluffing). Compare that to a reputable ($$$) brand (Feathered Friends, Western Mountaineering, etc.) or to a bag that has an EN comfort rating of 20F. A real 20F bag is not thin; if your bag is thinner than a real 20 bag, yours isn't a 20F bag.
Good commentary.............I also find that wearing a balaclava helps a LOT.
Agree on the food before bedtime. My coldest nights I did not eat enough.
saltysack
09-28-2014, 21:26
Advertisements lie!
Most brands of sleeping bag have really optimistic (advertised) ratings, especially cheap bags. So, your 20 degree bag might be really a 45-50 degree bag. It's also possible that it has lost loft because of improper storage or down loss.
One way to check is to measure the loft (lay bag on the floor and see how high the top of the bag is after fluffing). Compare that to a reputable ($$$) brand (Feathered Friends, Western Mountaineering, etc.) or to a bag that has an EN comfort rating of 20F. A real 20F bag is not thin; if your bag is thinner than a real 20 bag, yours isn't a 20F bag.
My first bag was a Coleman exponent 32 deg syn bag that I'd had for years ...not knowing better I kept it crammed in the stuff sack... My first backpacking trip from springer to woody I froze my arse off when temps were upper 30's...I attribute it to improper storage...i now use marmot helium 15 deg bag for colder months along w a JRB Sierra stealth 45 deg quilt....
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Chrysalis14
09-29-2014, 20:19
To answer everyone's questions that I probably should've included in the original post... Yes I had a sleeping pad - Therm-a-rest prolite. It is an insulated pad or so it claims. I was wearing wool socks and dry, fleece, snug but not-too-tight fitting clothing to bed. My bag wasn't "cheap" but I wasn't going to shell out $800 bucks for a bag either. I used the Kelty Dridown SB20. I was going for not only temp rating but weight since I was thru-hiking. The bag claims it has a comfort limit of 31 degrees so I think I should've been fine in the previously mentioned 40 - 45 degree nights. I am no skinny-minny so I believe the bag fit me fine. I wouldn't have wanted it any more snug. A shuttler I talked to said he's heard other hikers mention their bags keep them chilly when they're new. I don't see what that would matter but that's why I'm asking this question. I did put my down jacket around my feet and that helped but still didn't solve the entire issue. I believe I ate plenty at night before bed as well. I will try to do the sit-ups thing and see how that works. Thanks to everyone for their input and advice!
saltysack
09-29-2014, 21:19
Did anyone mention putting boiling water in your nalgene to warm up the bag? Only time I carry a heavy nalgene is during winter hikes when I push the limits of my marmot helium 15 bag..def not a $$$$800.00 bag bought a few years back. $269.00 on sale backcountry.com...I do like the bag but I'm def not warm below 20 without warm bottle and good layering
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All people from Arkansas are destined to be cold sleepers no matter the ratings on their sleeping bag. :rolleyes: NAW!
You didn't say where ya cold. Sometimes, that matters. For me, I had Frost Nip, a precursor to Frost Bite, several times. As a result my extremities get cold easily and take considerable effort to warm back up. Therefore, I find I sleep warmer wearing a merino wool beanie, gloves(usually just light wt nylon running gloves), down or synthetic vest, and sometimes down booties.
Insulation under you when getting close to the bag's lower temp limit is important too.
BTW, assuming you have to drop $800 on even an excellent UL top end 20* down bag is riidiiiculous. Plenty of excellent sub $400 20* sleeping bags are available.