PDA

View Full Version : Restless Sleeper



Ercoupe
10-29-2013, 06:04
I have a nice 10 Degree Feathered Friends Bag, that I have taken to 5 degrees on a neoair with a Z-lite sol. During some nights, I toss and roll around and eventually get colder even on 30 degree nights. What I find happening, is the dow is being pushed to the sides of the bag by my movement. Has anyone experienced this and would the answer be a verticle baffle bag.

Weather-man
11-05-2013, 06:26
I have a nice 10 Degree Feathered Friends Bag, that I have taken to 5 degrees on a neoair with a Z-lite sol. During some nights, I toss and roll around and eventually get colder even on 30 degree nights. What I find happening, is the dow is being pushed to the sides of the bag by my movement. Has anyone experienced this and would the answer be a verticle baffle bag.

When you ask "is the down being pushed to the sides.." are you referring to the down being compressed by your movement or the down actually being shifted in the baffles? If I had to take a guess I'd say that perhaps when you toss and turn you're expelling the warmed, internal air and causing cold air to rush in.

Is the bag fully zipped? Being that it's a FF I'm assuming it has a down collar and zip baffle...

What are your sleeping clothes? I've used a quilt or a bag in a quilt config for years but always dress fairly warm for sleeping. I do get some cold air leakage but it's never been a proble.

Dr. Professor
11-05-2013, 23:46
I have a nice 10 Degree Feathered Friends Bag, that I have taken to 5 degrees on a neoair with a Z-lite sol. During some nights, I toss and roll around and eventually get colder even on 30 degree nights. What I find happening, is the dow is being pushed to the sides of the bag by my movement. Has anyone experienced this and would the answer be a verticle baffle bag.

I have an Enlightened Equipment Revelation 20 degree quilt which I love. I got the widest tallest quilt they make because like you I toss and turn a ton. In my hammock, my position changes are limited, and this is a non-issue. Using a ground shelter and pad, I find that over the period of two to three nights my insulation will shift to the sides and feet. I also attribute this to tossing and turning. At least with my quilt, I find this issue to be completely resolved by fluffing the quilt by the sides and bottom keeping the upper central aspect of the quilt down durning the fluffing process. I find that doing this each night before using my quilt allows insulation to shift back to the center of the bag. On the JMT, I was warm and toasty in the lower twenties at 11,000 ft.

Ercoupe
11-06-2013, 08:09
Most nights I have no problems usually venting, even into the lower 20,s. I sleep in the hiking clothes adding clean socks at night. Using a fleece hat and face warmer to keep my head out of my bag.

When I do get cold, I do have the bag closed up. And I have added a down jacket in the night to sleep warmly. But the bag loft does decrease from 3 inch to 1 inch on those nights, I toss, roll over and turn. I must be moving it as I sleep. Some FF and WM -0 bags have side blocks to stop the mitigation of down, way to warm for a shoulder season bag. The Plasma has flow controal gates of some sort, I had wondered if these help keep the down on top of the body core.

Quilts intrigue me, what do you use as a pad?

Drybones
11-06-2013, 10:02
I have the same problem of being a restless sleeper. Every time you move you are moving from a warmed spot to a cold one and causing warm air to leave the bag and cold to come in. I'm toasty warm as long as I remain still but get cold when I toss around. The only solution for me is to hike a 20+ day, I'm so tired at the end of the day I dont toss nearly as much...more miles hiked = better sleep at night.

Nooga
01-01-2014, 12:58
I'm a restless sleeper as well and find that during the night, the down shifts to the side and I get cold. I'm considering the EE Engima. It seems to me that the baffle design will eliminate the down shifting issue.

Ercoupe
01-01-2014, 20:56
I believe you are right, keeping the down on top, and a one lbs weight saving, over my present bag. A little leary of quilts, but as it is nearly all my down is fluffed to the top of the bag, leaving a little below the zipper, so other than the head issue the quilt might work.

Papa D
01-01-2014, 21:21
I'm not really sure what might be going on with your bag but remember that manufacturer's ratings are a survival rating and not a comfort rating. In the winter (and I backpack a lot in the very cold), I carry a -10 Western Bag that I have had overstuffed so it's probably -12 or so. Would I be comfortable at -12 - NO, PROBABLY NOT. Have I camped at -12, YES - with hot water bottles, a liner, and still a little restless. Am I comfortable at 10 to 20 degrees above zero - yes, absolutely - for me, this is the ideal temperature to be in a -10 bag. So, I spot myself about 15 degrees. Maybe you should consider this. Here are some other suggestions for good night's sleep in the woods:

This is general but it takes a few nights out to get used to being comfortable in the woods
Pee before you go to sleep and if you need to go, get up and go. Your body uses heat to warm urine that you could just expel
I stretch a bit at night before bed - try to do this if you have time - a little meditation doesn't hurt either.
If I do a very big mile day, sometimes I have to let my heart rate drop a bit to sleep - breathing and meditation help this
A shot of spiced rum or port wine of a little nip of something you like can help to relax you. Too much is not recommended and thins your blood too much but experiment with this.
Sleeping in Colorado just became a little easier. Experiment with this.
I love listening to my I-pod shuffle as I go to sleep. You might try this.
A benedryl capsule is also helpful in some folks for sleep
Get checked for sleep apnea - I don't have this or know much about it but it involves snoring and not having enough oxygen when you sleep - seems bad.

Good luck with this.

Ercoupe
01-02-2014, 07:22
All good suggestions Papa D.
I make it a point now to fluff the bag down on top. Wear my puffy to bed.
I believe that some of the problem I have comes from moisture. Namely after a day of rain and no chance to air the bag.
Being restless I mostly attribute to aching knees and feet.
Meds definitely help, but leave me spaced the next day. I try to avoid them.

Still learning.