Warm nights sleep - Tips?

[Kristien]

Has anyone got any good tips for a good warm nights sleep this weekend?

it will be cold, down to minus 2, so i will be staying in a tent and sleeping bag, and although my sleeping bag is a very good eurohike one that is supposed to be good to minus 5, it was still very chilly at night when i went to snowdonia in september!

So has anyone got any good tips for keeping the bag warm all night? and what to wear/not to wear inside?

Thanks

 

[benp1]

Wear clothes including warm socks.

Get warm before you get in the bag, don't get it cold, it will take you a while to heat it up. just jog on the spot etc.

If you have dry clothes stick them on and wear a hat. Make sure you use a good mat as well

You could even use a liner if you're really worried about it.

Its nicer to wake up hot and have to take something off than vice versa

 

[andyn]

is that a -5 comfort temperature or extreme? Not sure i'd trust the ratings on eurohike bags either. So i'd be dubious about your sleeping bag for below freezing temps.

As with any time of the year you need a good mat under you so you are insulated from the ground which will otherwise happily conduct all your heat out of you.

The sleeping bag isn't warm, it traps warmth - so make sure you are warm before you get in it, but not sweaty.

Eat slow releasing energy before bed, so things like nuts. Fats rather than sugars.

Socks off, they will often be damp from the days efforts and will use your warmth to dry them. Some people like to put clean ones on, but i find they stay warmer bare.

The rest is personal experiance.

 

[Tiley]

The mat - be it Karrimat-type or Thermarest - is essential. Unless it is bitingly cold, I wouldn't wear too many clothes as they can restrict circulation. Snug down all the toggles you have on the bag - especially the ones around your neck and shoulders - to let the still air do its job of insulating you and, perhaps most important of all, wear a warm hat.

If you're in a tent, sharing it with someone else can also give you a warm night. It can have a down side though, especially if they snore...

 

[crazyclimber]

If you're not going ultralight try using two sleeping mats - 1 closed cell foam and 1 inflatable thermarest. I find it makes a big difference to both comfort and warmth in the winter. Also, like has been pointed out, get into the sleeping bag warm. All the bag does is trap the heat you're already generating not create warmth itself. Star jumps are good... though you do perhaps look a crazy fool nothing new I hear you say! Just don't go so far as to start sweating mind or you'll get cold later.
Other ideas may be to have something to eat before you go to bed, hot drink perhaps (though not so much you need to get up in the night), I also sometimes wear two pairs of socks since my feet get cold. Others carry insulated bootie bags.
Hope they help some!

 

[Cobweb]

Hot water bottle? They are quite light and keep you toasty. specially if you get cold feet like me!

 

[Ogri the trog]

Not much I can add after that lot,
if you're going to wear socks, ensure that they do not restrict blood-flow to your feet by having a tight elasticated top. Same with any other clothing you wear - if it restricts in any way, then you are likely to get cold extremities.
Being well fed and hydrated is a good move as there will be sustenance during the night and a means to move it around your body.
If you are suffering, even mildly, with a cold, it becomes likely that you'll breathe through your mouth during the night - increasing the moisture inside your tent/bag etc - and this moisture or dampness will make itself known by wicking your body heat away in short order; so take medication to clear a blocked nose if you are.
If you take a flask and a drinks bottle, you have the option of a hot-water-bottle (and a warm refill) during the night and still maintain the ability to make a warm brew as you wake.

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[robadams]

Sleeping ratings are a difficult thing to get to grips with. The general rule is that the rating is based on the owner sleeping inside a tent, on a roll mat or similar insulation from the ground and wearing thermal underwear. This means that if the air temp is going to be -5c then the actual temp inside your tent is expected to be about 0c so if sleeping outside in -5c then you probably need a bag rated -10c.
Don't wear too many clothes inside a sleeping bag, the bags work on the principle of the insulation holding a warm layer of air around you but if you are wearing too many clothes then you can't warm up the surrounding layer of insulation.Wear a hat.
I fill a nalgene bottle with hot water and leave it in my bag for a while before getting in, lovely, but make sure the seal is good or it could be a problem.
Roll mats are a must, there are lots available for every budget, thermarest are the best and their foam mats are also very good.
As has been said already, close up all the zips and baffles but don't have your face in the bag, your breath will condense and make the bag wet.
Don't get a bag that is too big for you, this will simply cause big pockets of cold air around you, I am only 5'7'' and have a great Rab down bag that came in short so no wasted space and it's cheaper!
Make a fleece liner, buy a cheap blaket from Aldi/Lidl and sew it up. Perfect.
Look after your sleeping bag when not in use, the more it is compressed the less loft in the filling so store loose when not in use. An old pillow case or duvet cover works fine.

I'm sure there will be plenty more tips forthcoming but these have worked for me over the years. Having spent time in snow holes and a winter in the Balkans watching grown men cry from the cold (-27c) because they hadn't prepared their kit I appreciate the value of a good night's sleep.

 

[andy_e]

Hot water bottle? They are quite light and keep you toasty. specially if you get cold feet like me!

Doesn't have to be drinkable to conserve heat - because it starts at more or less 37C, a pee bottle will keep warm all night and you won't lose as much of your body heat from having wasted the "resource". Sounds a bit 'orrible but it works a treat, just make sure your bottle seals well

 

[Toddy]

Can't add anything to all the good advice here except personal experience.

I'm always cold trying to get to sleep, and since I hate getting up to piddle in the night I don't like to drink before bed, so I go with andyn's advice and eat something slow burn instead. Buttered oatcakes usually.

I do wear warm fluffy, non restrictive socks in the bag, and I wear a fleece pull on hat too. If it's really cold I will wear gloves as well. Otherwise it's just long thermal underwear and a loose shirt over the top. (I'm spoiled, only female in an all make household, I've been bought silk for all of this, and it really works, weighs almost nothing too, but the army store or Lidl's stuff works very well.)

A liner bag will make all the difference as will insulation padding of some sort beneath you, (remember you can build this up with bracken, heather, whatever's available too, you don't need to carry it in), and throw your jacket over the top as well.

I take the point (s ) about hot water bottles but admit I prefer those little hand warmers that click into action. I take two or three into the bag with me and find that if I come awake really cold, click one nad it's enough to get me warm enough to sleep again. Put it between your wrists or kness or at your tummy and the warmth seeps in.

Too warm? well it's all layered and it can easily peel off even when half asleep.

This all sounds a real guddle, but you'd prepare your clothing for a hike, why not prepare your clothing for the coldest part of the jaunt? A bad night's sleep can spoil an otherwise brilliant couple of days out.

Hope you have a very good time.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[DoctorSpoon]

I have a fleece sleeping bag liner that works a treat when it's cold and I find a hat also makes the world of difference. (However the best solution of them all is sleeping in the van - if it's really cold you just have to sit up in bed and spark up the gas cooker for a bit )

 

[Warrigal]

Yep so the only other thing I can think of is Let your bag loft before you get in it. Unfurl it at least 20min before you get in.
There are water activated heat packs we got few through the disposals systems but we can't get them anymore.

The box on the left is the package, the middle is the sealed foil package the right is the heat bag it's self.
Below and basicly out of shot is the cover.
You open the foil bag make sure the bag has no lumps ( bash it with the butt of your knife) in it add a couple tables spoons of water ( You can see in the top left hand of the bag the angled fold the water goes in.Shove it down in the bottom of your bag.In ten min or so it starts pumping out heat to hot rest on bare skin for to long ( it won't burn you though) to turn it off take it out of the bag and expose it to cold air from memory it was good for 20 hrs or so.
http://www.sprucemtsurplus.com/011005/000_0184.jpg
Carl

 

[gregorach]

The only thing I'd add to all that is that the difference between the socks / baselayers you've been wearing all day and a fresh, dry set is huge. Do not wear the clothes you've been in all day.

 

[steven andrews]

Kristien, you might need to upgrade your sleeping bag to one that is warmer.

In the meantime, use a good insulating sleeping mat, sleep in dry insulating clothes and wear a warm hat.

 

[dommyracer]

Sleeping ratings are a difficult thing to get to grips with. The general rule is that the rating is based on the owner sleeping inside a tent,

That shouldn't be the case.

With regard to temperature ratings, the European Standard EN 13537 Standard describes the limits as such:-

the upper limit is the highest temperature at which a 'standard' adult man is able to have a comfortable night's sleep without excess sweating.

the comfort rating is based on a 'standard' adult woman having a comfortable night's sleep.

the lower limit is based on the lowest temperature at which a 'standard' adult man is deemed to be able to have a comfortable night's sleep.

the extreme rating is a survival only rating for a 'standard' adult woman. This is an extreme survival rating only and it is not advisable to rely on this rating for general use.

The 'temperature' referred to is the air temperature directly outside of the sleeping bag - it doesn't assume you are in a tent.

So even if it was -40 outside, if you were inside a heated tent that was heated to 0 degrees, you would be fine in a bag with a comfort rating of 0

Obviously all the other comments about sleeping mats are totally correct, more heat is lost through direct contact than through the air

 

[sandbender]

eat something slow burn instead. Buttered oatcakes usually.

I'd second Toddy's thoughts on eating buttered oatcakes, especially if they're the British Army ration pack oatcakes

I have a really thick woolen jumper from Norway, and on really cold nights I have pulled it over the bottom of my sleeping bag which has helped.

 

[shep]

All the above is good advice. The socks-off thing is news to me and this is the second time I've heard it this week. I'll try that next time.

The only thing I'd add on the food front is lots of it. Plenty to eat AND drink will have a marked effect on your cold tolerance. The types of food mentioned above sounds great. Anything you can see your teeth marks in after you've bitten into it probably is fatty enough and stodgy enough to see you through the night (ok not if it's just chocolate)

A scarf or buff around your neck is also a good idea as your neck communicates with the outside cold air as does your head. Both lose a lot of heat.

Silk liners are very light and a surprisingly helpful addition to your sleeping bag setup.

You can tweak your setup if you pay attention to where the cold-spots are. Eg. If the bits you're lying on feel the coldest, get a thicker mat.

I think sleeping bags are an area with a loaded market where low cost always means a compromise somewhere; be it pack weight or warmth. If you're getting into year-round camping it might be time to upgrade.

 

[BIG_emu]

Similar to warrigal I use some rechargeable hand warmers to warm my sleeping bag. stick them in your sleeping bag 1/2 an hour before you go to bed and move them around every so often.

Ben

 

[robadams]

That shouldn't be the case.

With regard to temperature ratings, the European Standard EN 13537 Standard describes the limits as such:-


Dommyracer has added more meat to my comments.
I didn't want to get into too much detail but these ratings are a good guide when choosing a bag. The problem is that not many of us are standard, I tend to sleep warm but I know lots of people that get quite cold at night. Trail Magazine regularly runs kit reviews and they highlight the difference between claimed ratings and the experience of the users.
I understand the survival rating to mean that a person will live but is at risk of frostbite if using the bag at that rating or below so they are a good guide but it depends on whether you are a warm or cold sleeper.

 

[tyfy]

Similar to warrigal I use some rechargeable hand warmers to warm my sleeping bag. stick them in your sleeping bag 1/2 an hour before you go to bed and move them around every so often.

Ben

I use a SIGG bottle in a sock or similar. Fill it about 1/2 full of hot water and you have a reasonable hot water bottle.