Sleep...

[mrakes02]

Looking for opinions on sleeping warmer...while wearing some gear? or sleeping naked? Just curious...

[Lone Wolf]

sleepin' in a tent is best. hammocks, shelters, tarps, not so best

[HiKen2011]

sleepin' in a tent is best. hammocks, shelters, tarps, not so best

That's the bestest adivce right there. And not naked

[mrakes02]

I am referring to sleeping in cold weather, in a tent, in a down bag, etc...so I have heard that sleeping naked will keep you warmer in your bag? True or False?

[HiKen2011]

I am referring to sleeping in cold weather, in a tent, in a down bag, etc...so I have heard that sleeping naked will keep you warmer in your bag? True or False?

FALSE, try it for yourself! The only time one should get naked is if he/she falls in a stream or is totally drenched from rain.

[Slo-go'en]

FALSE, try it for yourself! The only time one should get naked is if he/she falls in a stream or is totally drenched from rain.

Well, that is debatable. Sort of depends on the bag. If it has decent loft, with little or no clothes on, your body heat warms up the air in the bag quicker and if the loft/insulation is adaquate, it will stay that way.

I sleep with just my t-shirt and shorts and if I need more insulation, I pile it on top of me, not on me. If the bag is really marginal for the temps, maybe I'll put on my long johns too, though just socks is often enough.

[Camping Dave]

Looking for opinions on sleeping warmer...while wearing some gear? or sleeping naked? Just curious...

Naked in a silk bag liner, inside a Western Mountaineering Badger (awesome awesome bag), on a cheap blue ccf pad on a thermarest prolite, in a tent, and been warm and cozy at temps down to -4. Sometimes I put on a hat to pull down over my face and keep the tip of my nose warm.

If you have to wear your clothes to keep warm then your bag is inadequate for the conditions. It's false economy to carry extra clothing because you want to save 2oz of sleeping bag.

[Raul Perez]

I sleep better just wearing my base layer (clean ones) and having a full belly before bed. I tried sleeping with clothes on and it took longer (in my experience) to get warm in the bag.

Your mileage may vary.

[Croft]

On nights colder than the rating on my bag, I wear my wool base layer and socks, and climb into my bag with my Nalgene filled with a liter of boiling hot water. Kept me toasty all night. If my feet get cold. I zip my jacket around the foot of my bag on the outside.

[mrakes02]

Thanks for all the replies,I'll probably just stick with socks and baselayer

[stonedflea]

If you have to wear your clothes to keep warm then your bag is inadequate for the conditions. It's false economy to carry extra clothing because you want to save 2oz of sleeping bag.

i know you really shouldn't skimp on a bag, but if carrying an extra jacket and an extra pair of socks attains the same results and keeps me from spending an extra $200 on a slightly better bag, i'd say it's worth it.

[snifur]

when the temps go below my bag rating and i feel the chills starting i take my poncho and wrap it around my bag. just try out a few ideas on cold nights behind your house until you find what works for you. everyone sleeps different.

[swjohnsey]

When you get cold get up and fluff up your bag. It will improve its insulating qualities and also get your blood circulating a bit. My feet get cold first so I carry down booties. If it gets really cold put on everything, hat, gloves, booties, fleece tops and bottoms, Precip tops and bottoms.

A little suffering bulds character.

[Camping Dave]

i know you really shouldn't skimp on a bag, but if carrying an extra jacket and an extra pair of socks attains the same results and keeps me from spending an extra $200 on a slightly better bag, i'd say it's worth it.

You don't have to take a $200 hit. If you are thinking about buying a Marmot Hydrogen (30deg 850 fill), buy a Marmot Helium (15deg 850 fill) instead for only $50 and 10oz more. Your jacket and socks most likely cost more, weigh more, and take up more room. Not to mention sleeping nekkid is much more comfortable.

Whether you think a better bag is "worth it" is entirely up to you. Back to the OP's question though, a nekkid sleeper in an adequate bag does better than a clothed sleeper in an inadequate bag in terms of warmth, carry weight, bulk, cost, and comfort.

[Donnie]

I am surprised no one has mentioned eating a calorie dense snack right before going to sleep. For me, it is the single-most effective method of staying warm when the mercury drops. For those extra cold nights, have a second snack within arms reach when you wake up in the middle of the night.

[swjohnsey]

Yep, a Snicker at bedtime.

[scope]

IMO, a little suffering SUX!!

First of all, eat, get your blood going right before getting in, and have a hot water bottle to place between your legs where the femoral artery runs.

Now the idea of wearing no clothes is they insulate to varying degrees (pun not intended), making the bag less efficient. They help to reduce heat radiating away from your body. They also are a barrier to the cold - and here's the key... to the heat contained in the bag. So, if you're naked, your body heat radiates more efficiently to warm the bag, and your skin is more warmed by that heat contained in the bag if there is no clothing barrier.

Makes total technical sense to me... but I've still been too chicken to try it, partially because I know I'm going to have to get up to pee. I think if you cinch up your bag real good, then take your clothes off and leave them inside the bag, should work fine, especially with the hot water bottle. But if you have to get up to pee, you lose all that heat.

[Sickmont]

A load of Rumpleminze does it for me before bed

[Mr Boston]

To keep my feet toasty and warm I usually like to warm my wool socks on the wood stove. When that is not an option I put on my down slippers.

These are what I carry.
http://goosefeet.webs.com/products.htm

I think REI sells some too.

[JohnG10]

I think the "sleep naked" advise is a hold over from decades past - and only part of the saying.

The whole advise was "put on a dry set of clothes when you go to bed - or sleep naked (if you don't have any).

The advise made sense before we had all these poly base layers. You'd be noticeably warmer sleeping naked (and dry) than in clothes you'd worn for several hours sitting around in camp since the clothing would absorb your imperceptible perpiration, and that water required a significant amount of calories to heat up and keep heated. Even wool holds a fair amount of moisture (it just migrates away from your skin).

In general:

Wearing a layer of clothes forms a micro climate that heats up faster, and keeps the hotter air closer to your skin all night. Thicker layers (ie: fleece jacket) work even better, but weigh more and take up much more space than a warmer sleeping bag. (But you may be carrying them anyway to wear in camp).

Cinch the hood on your sleeping bag shut so you are breathing out of the 4" hole. It's lot's warmer than leaving the hood uncinched (even if you wear a hat).

A high fat snack (nuts etc) will keep you from waking up cold at 2am. Not high sugar - it digests too quickly.

Also, don't wear too tight of layers on your legs or tight socks when sleeping. If you impair your circulation, you'll get cold feet.

Have fun.

[kayak karl]

A load of Rumpleminze does it for me before bed
good way to die in the winter woods.

[4Bears]

Along with the above advice from Johng10 be sure and empty your bladder right before bedtime as your body will spend more energy keeping pee warm than some other parts of the body.

[kayak karl]

FALSE, try it for yourself! The only time one should get naked is if he/she falls in a stream or is totally drenched from rain.
hes right. for example, in the smokies at single digits it was warmer naked!

[HiKen2011]

hes right. for example, in the smokies at single digits it was warmer naked!

Perhaps I'm using the wrong sleeping system? I've tried it both ways and always am warmer in a base layer, sox, etc.:-?

[kayak karl]

Perhaps I'm using the wrong sleeping system? I've tried it both ways and always am warmer in a base layer, sox, etc.:-?
always wore socks :)
i was in a hammock, JRB Mt Washington UQ and JRB The Rocky Mountain Sniveller TQ. i found that if my clothes were dry and stored why mess with that. i would sleep on top of that days clothes and dry them. worked down to -5 degrees and for 60 days.