What about the hole in your sleeping bag?

[Vi+]

This is more properly a winter question, since it isn’t a problem during balmier summer weather, but it remains a pertinent question for many hikers.

When ambient temperatures become cold, the hole you breathe through, after you zip up your sleeping bag, is an annoying source of cold air. [The hole, in reality, allows heat you’ve generated to escape from within your sleeping bag, making you colder.]

Sleeping bags rated for cold weather usually include hoods. Some hoods can be cinched top, bottom, or both. You cinch the hood by pulling a cord from within the hood into the sleeping bag. Pulling one cord shortens the gap between the back of your neck and the inside bottom of the bag. Pulling a second cord shortens the gap between your throat and the inside top of the bag. Reducing the gap(s) restricts the circulation of air free to escape from your sleeping bag through the breathing hole.

Cinching the hood produces a constricted feeling which I find unpleasant. My usual technique, unless it’s very cold, is to NOT cinch my sleeping bag. If I awaken feeling cold, I cinch my bag and warm up fairly quickly.

A second method, alone or in conjunction with cinching the hood, is to wear a bandana or scarf about my neck. Silk and wool are more effective than cotton.

A third method is to keep something over my nose throughout the night; let's say a scarf. Exhaled breath warms the scarf. Warmth from the scarf is transferred to fresh air as it’s inhaled.

The second and third methods used together may be more effective than only cinching the hood.

[Just Jeff]

My answer may be a little different since I use a hammock. I usually use a JRB quilt w/o a hood, so I wear a balaclava when it gets cold. I pull the balaclava up over my nose and mouth as I get cooler.

I use a PeaPod with a pad and quilt in teens and lower. I put my head through the PeaPod's velcro, and the quilt helps to seal the gap. I just made a separate hood for the PeaPod (http://www.tothewoods.net/HomemadeGearPeaPodHood.html) to seal that hole but I haven't had it in the field yet.

[hikerjohnd]

Some cold weather bags have a collar or draft tube around the neck area to help with heat loss around the neck. My 15* Kelty has one... As a tummy sleeper, I use the hood draped over my head and find it traps heat just fine.


Cinching the hood produces a constricted feeling which I find unpleasant.

Amen - I hate the claustrophobic feeling I get when I am all snugged up in the bag...

[bigcranky]

A draft collar works well to keep warm air inside the bag, even with the hood loose. I usually find, even in fairly cold weather, that my face stays warm as long as the rest of me is warm. So I can snug the hood down just a little and I'm fine. That said, I sleep like a blast furnace. My lovely wife gets cold when the temps hit the low 70s, and she wears a balaclava and a fleece top and bottom inside the sleeping bag pretty much any time the nighttime temps get below 50. Yes, her nose gets cold; not sure how to fix it.

[rpettit]

I just lay a shirt on my face. Been down to the high teens like that, no problem. Warms the air I breathe also. You can double or triple the layer over your face for more or less insulation, venting is easy by lifting the shirt up a bit.

[LIhikers]

I roll onto my side while I leave the sleepingbag in a position as if I were on my back. That way I'm breathing into the bag to warm it up but fresh air still gets in through the face opening in the bag. If it's below 20F I'll put on a hat and wear a turtleneck shirt.

[Seeker]

a bandana tied over your face works too... haven't done it in about 20 years, since i don't ''do'' cold anymore, but it worked fine in scouts and in the army. not really a point to it though, unless it's below about 10* or 15*F... i noticed that even at those temps, if i was out in them long enough, you got used to it and didn't need the rag anymore after awhile.

[Spock]

I agree about the bandanna. I use a silk one - cowboy style. It gets wet eventually, but acts as a heat exchanger and can dry later. I use a balaclava with a quilt and just put the bandanna on like bandit.

[Spock]

I agree about the bandanna. I use a silk one, cowboy style. I put it on before pulling on the balaclava (I use a quilt) and wear it over my nose like a bandit. It gets wet eventually, but works like a heat exchanger. It hangs on the pack to dry during the day.

[dla]

First, most cold-weather bags have draft collars and/or chest collars. Although they are very confining, they do prevent drafts.

Second, when sleeping with a quilt in cold weather, I am dressed. This includes heavy hat, balaclava, gloves, coat, etc. This reduces the shock of the inevitable drafts from tossing and turning.

Last, in a single-wall tent, I believe one should try breathing through a scarf, which will reduce the moisture freezing/dripping on the tent walls and it will reduce the dry throat from moisture loss.

Just my opinion based on my limited (15*f) cold weather experience.