cold legs when camping « Singletrack Forum

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cold legs when camping

16 posts & 15 voices | Started 10 months ago by jools182 | Latest reply from trail_rat

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jools182 - Member

I went camping in April and took a 2 season bag and an thermarest

despite wearing jogging bottoms I didn't get much sleep

I thought I'd invest in a better bag and bought a mountain equipment starlight III which is rated +10 to -12

I was car camping this weekend so took an airbed as well

First night just wearing boxers, socks and a t-shirt my legs below the knee were cold and aching so again not much kip

Thought I'd get a sleeping bag liner to see if that helped, but the second night was pretty much the same

Is a warmer bag going to help me at all, or do i need to do something else?

Posted 10 months ago #
ebygomm - Member

Did you just use the airbed and no thermarest?

Airbeds are really poor at insulating you from the ground.

Posted 10 months ago #
nickname - Member

If you're cold in a bag that's rated to -12 then it's probably something else, and probably not worth investing in another another one.

What tent are you in? My 2 person one seems to lock in a lot of heat, which means I'm rarely cold even in a 2/3 season bag all year. Those with an inner may well keep you warmer.

I would also try some merino leggings.

If you think you're getting cold because of the ground, you could look at a foam roll matt instead of or as well as the thermarest. They are only £5 or so and often perform better.

Posted 10 months ago #
CharlieMungus - Member

Are you sure you're sleeping the right way round in the bag?

Posted 10 months ago #
TheBrick - Member

I always sleep in long wool socks camping unless it's really hot as I get cold feet or some reason. Having warm feet will probably help your entire legs feel better.

Posted 10 months ago #
kimbers - Member

i have some merino leggings tenner from aldi
- i wouldnt contemplate a camping trip without them!

Posted 10 months ago #
bighendo - Member

if your cold, wear more clothing!!
it doesnt matter what sleeping bag you have,
or tent
or mat!!
hell, the only time i sleep in a t shirt is august when the night time temperatures are high
.......

Posted 10 months ago #
wrightyson - Member

Seriously! Don't think it dropped below 12 or 13 deg last night! What temp do you have your house at??

Posted 10 months ago #
Herman Shake - Member

A funny thing about sleeping bags is that they work by trapping air which you warm with bodyheat.

Counter-intuitively it can be warmer in just your underwear in the liner than in longjohns, a base layer and socks. Pulling the drawstring around the hood makes a big difference as does a hot water bottle/running around before you get in/sharing a tent/ puffing up the loft of the bag first etc.

Merino long johns are great kit, synthetic tights (Helly Hansen are a snug fit for slim athletic builds) equally help. I often start in a few layers, warm my body up, remove layers and trap the air with the drawcord.

I really recommend the Mountain Hardwear Lamina sleeping bags (1kgish, for the 0 degree and it packs really small), but if you have a real cold issue then get a down filled bag. But be prepared for "Down Syndrome" (the paranoia of keeping a down bag dry and clean).

Posted 10 months ago #
dyna-ti - Member

I camp a fair bit in winter and am what they call a 'cold sleeper' so heres me tuppence worth.

Airbeds- are no good because all you have is a thick cushion of air being chilled by the ground-result ,you're lying on a block of ice.
Termarests-There are many different types some totally unsuited to winter/autumn camping.Usually the thicker the better but if it has a foam core mores the better[some even use down in their construction]My advice here is to buy a summit series mat,Alpkit make some excellent mats.
Somebody suggested a foam mat below your thermarest.Excellent advice,i do so myself and it does make a difference if the grounds particularly cold.
R-Ratings. 2.5-5 is nothing,1" thick piece of wood has an R rating of 3 and many autumn mats are rated 2.5 so be aware.
Alpkit mats are about £70,though they had a good deal for one of their thicker mats for under £40
Sleeping bag-Down isnt always best,especially in the UK,it more suited to high altitudes where its very cold but a dry cold,not the creeping damp stuff we in the UK have to put up with.
Synthetic is superb these days,with many bags suitable for Scottish winters.Snugpak is about the best in a price/cost/bloody warmth bracket.My advice for a winter/autumn bag would be any of the military grade elite range,loads of features ,well recommended and built to last.Expect to pay about £100
Final note though not really applicable here[but who knows]Ignore the extreme temperature rating,it means nothing,in fact worse than and possibly dangerous.If you bag has a rating of extreme -30c all it means is your corpse wont be frozen solid

A huge help is to make sure you have something hot to eat before bed,a hot drink too

Snugpak elite 5
http://www.militarykit.com/products/snugpak_sleeping_bags/snugpak_sleeping_bag_softie_elite_5.htm

Alpkit
http://www.militarykit.com/products/snugpak_sleeping_bags/snugpak_sleeping_bag_softie_elite_5.htm

Posted 10 months ago #
dyna-ti - Member

OOPS
Alpkit
http://www.alpkit.com/sleeping-mats

Posted 10 months ago #
chaos - Member

A huge help is to make sure you have something hot to eat before bed,a hot drink too

But not coffee. 1) for the obvious reason it'll keep you awake, 2) caffeine constricts your blood vessels leading to colder extremities. (so it applies to feeling cold in the daytime as well)

Posted 10 months ago #
still s8tannorm - Member

The temp rating range of the bag is massive. The +10 value is likely to be the comfort rating. the -12 is the extreme rating ... the bag isn't designed to keep you warm at -12, it's only capable of keeping you alive at those type of temps (alive may include hypothermia).

Posted 10 months ago #
molgrips - Member

Many bags are stuffed less on the bottom than the top. That means that if you turn over to sleep on your side, you need to keep the bag still and turn over inside it - otherwise your bum gets really cold. This also necessitates re-arranging the hood so you don't suffocate. Also, sleeping on your side makes the stuffing flatten a bit as it stretches over your hips, so you often end up with a cold spot on your hips anyway.

The temperature ratings are not as far out as people suggest I reckon. I can sleep down to the minimum temperatures without too much bother, but I am a hot sleeper. Cooler sleepers would need to knock some off, but not the 20 or so degrees that would cause you trouble in the middle of summer.

The +10 value is likely to be the comfort rating. the -12 is the extreme rating

He said +10 to -12 meaning +10 is the warmest it's suitable for and -12 the coldest.

If it was a down bag make sure it's properly dry. If it gets wet then the down clumps up and becomes useless. If you wash it, then you have to really work at drying it out without the down sticking in clumps, because it ends up crap then too.

Posted 10 months ago #
Steve-Austin - Member

The missus was always cold. sorted it with thermarest mat, MHW cotapxi -10 bag, an Ajungilak liner bag, thermal pjs, merino jumper, wooly hat, and the sleeping bag done up at the neck.

Although there are nights she says she was still cold...

Posted 10 months ago #
trail_rat - Member

A quck google suggests that bag has a comfort rating of -1

-12 is the extreme

On an air bed drop that more as an air bed just sucks heat out of you - devil spawn

Since I got my neoair mat ive been able to use my ajunkaluk tundra alot more where as with an air bed id always use my -15 winter bag .

I even felt warmer in my snugpak +5 comfort on bare ground light weight bivying than i did on an airmat !

Posted 10 months ago #