what's up with my big agnes??

[lilygrrrl1]

hey all!

just got back from gear testing ((and trail days)) in VA. ((good times, good times)) :banana

anyway...i was met with a bit of a problem with my big agnes sleep system...
namely -- i got really chilled in the middle of the night! :-?

i had gone to bed warm... i was wearing clothing and usually socks...and still woke mid morning chilled?!? am i such a hot tamale...that i was sweating from the air mattress?? or am i not eatting enough?!? or what?? :confused:

i appreciate your comments and suggestions!
~~ krinkles ~~

[Blue Jay]

Yes, I also want to know why Big Agnes is making you cold. :-?

[eyahiker]

Me too....


Aren't these a WHOLE LOT more roomy than the conventional bag? Perhaps that is one of the culprits:-?

[lilygrrrl1]

some people think i'm just heating up..and cooling off from perspiration during the night ((which could very well be true)).

i'm gonna try wearing less clothing...and leave the bag partially unzipped for better ventilation. we'll see how that works... :-?

hike on!
krinkles

[gravityman]

some people think i'm just heating up..and cooling off from perspiration during the night ((which could very well be true)).

i'm gonna try wearing less clothing...and leave the bag partially unzipped for better ventilation. we'll see how that works... :-?

hike on!
krinkles

Not so crazy about that explination. Sounds like a bit of a reach. I certainly have felt plenty warm on some nights, even sweated. Never woke up chilled. But give what you suggested a try. Can't hurt.

What is the matress below you? And what is that matress on? Heat loss thru the ground is a major player if the bag above you is plenty warm. If you continue to sleep cold, try putting a good insolator between you and the ground... cheap blue foam pad under existing pad maybe? At least to test the theory.

Gravity man

[pdhoffman]

I have a Big Agnes Horse Thief bag with the matching mummy air mattress. It is rated for 35 degrees F. I used it on the AT for four months last year.

When I tested it out in the back yard, before leaving, on the two nights that it got to 35 degrees here in Corpus Christi, TX. it worked fine - just. However, one night in Maine in a shelter at that temperature, I was chilled from the mattress side. The topside was fine. i.e., the bag is good to 35, but the mattress was the weak point.

I think that the explanation is that, on a shelter floor, the cold air can get to the bottom side. Whereas, on the ground, the ground temperature is warmer than the air temperature.

I used a Thermarest under the air mattress for the rest of the trip. Felt like the princess and the pea on top of that stack. Had to be careful not to roll off in the night, or the fall would cause grevious injury. :)

Big Agnes now has an air mattress with Primeloft insulation inside. I got one and believe it or not, it is a couple of ounces lighter than the original.

Pete Hoffman
"Old Corpus"

[lilygrrrl1]

i chilled on both the shelter floors...and ground. :(
i'll have to do more investigation regarding the whole insulated mattress thing...maybe i do need more between me and the ground/floor. :-?

thanks for all your comments...and suggestions!!
krinkles

[Grimace]

Not too familiar with the bag. I like the insulation explantion.

Is the sleeping bag roomy for you? Is there a lot of space by your feet or around your bady that is loose? You can get cold trying to warm up that extra space.

Some bags allow you to restribute the filling (down?) to your liking. For example i can shake my WM Ultralite around to redistribute the down to the underside or to the top depending on conditions. Maybe too much of your filling is clumped in one place.