Posted: 10/17/2017 8:36:15 AM EDT
[#4]
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Is that a -20 bag, EN rated? If so, that's a "useful" standard, but each person is unique, so definitely test. And it's really more a survival rating, not a comfort rating. I have a -20 mountainsmith bag down that I tested in my yard in single digits during the polar vortex a few years ago. I slept on my two pads (a thermarest ridgerest roll and a inflatable Stoic). The thermarest is 5/8 waffle, which compresses under weight to about 3/8 to 1/2 depending on weight point. My stoic is a winter pad, almost 2 inches thick. I had my bag liner in the bag, but it is just to keep dirt off the bag, not warm fleece one which can add 5 degrees. I slept with in mid weight synthetic upper/lower and balaclava. I was fine and probably comfortable down to 0, maybe low negative singles. But I'm pretty sure -20 would been cold (but survivable).
A small 1 man tent has less air to heat. Is it a 4 season or a 3 season. A 4 season is better sealed, so keeps cold air out since there are no vents or fully closable mesh vents. a 3 season allows air flow. a 4 season is also meant to deal with blowing snow and winter snow/ice better. The fabric is stronger and the poles are stouter to deal with the weight of snow ice. I have a 3 season tent for all seasons as I don't do true mountaineering conditions. My warmth is from my sleep gear. a 4 season will have a ice/water buildup from the breath condensation which a 3 season's airflow helps mitigate.
I pack everything, but my longest winter camp was 4 nights. I split gear load, carrying tent and foot/cook stuff with my buddy. Solo, I've got 3 days, but the pack is heavy. I don't own a sled, but that would be easier. Winter camp, I prefer real food, and since refrigeration isn't an issue, I like to pack in eggs, steaks, chops, chicken, rice, potatos, so it gets heavy. Flame spit cooked lunch and dinner. Breakfast is generally cooked over stove in vestibule still in my bag. Water is really heavy as well. If I did dehydrated/freeze dried backpacker food, I could probably go 5 days if there was a water source nearby.
Just for reference, I have a 62l pack which during spring, summer, fall I can get carry my base gear and food for a week(longest non stop trip, I've done, purified water on the trip). During winter, 3 days solo is max. Everything is just bigger, fatter, heavier. My -20 down bag is probably 5 pounds with stuff sack vice 3.25 for other seasons. So that 62l doesn't go far. I don't go longer to justify an 80+l pack and for winteri would probably buy a sled and use a lighter day pack.
Anyway, have fun, cool to cold camping is glorious. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quote History Quoted:
Quoted:
Mainly I'm looking for info on sleeping gear.
I have a slumberjack bag thats rated to -20 and thats about it at the moment.
I plan on testing that out with my current therma-rest pad and 1 man tent in my back yard this winter to see how that combo does. If it works out and I dont freeze I'll probably try a overnight in a state forest to further "beta test" that bag and tent combo.
What do you like for a ground pad? I could see my light weight thermarest being a little thin for the job, but having not used it for anything but spring/summer/fall I really dont know.
Also, do you use a sled/pulk at all? or just a backpack? I would assume that a sled would only come into play on longer outings when you would be hauling more gear. Is that a -20 bag, EN rated? If so, that's a "useful" standard, but each person is unique, so definitely test. And it's really more a survival rating, not a comfort rating. I have a -20 mountainsmith bag down that I tested in my yard in single digits during the polar vortex a few years ago. I slept on my two pads (a thermarest ridgerest roll and a inflatable Stoic). The thermarest is 5/8 waffle, which compresses under weight to about 3/8 to 1/2 depending on weight point. My stoic is a winter pad, almost 2 inches thick. I had my bag liner in the bag, but it is just to keep dirt off the bag, not warm fleece one which can add 5 degrees. I slept with in mid weight synthetic upper/lower and balaclava. I was fine and probably comfortable down to 0, maybe low negative singles. But I'm pretty sure -20 would been cold (but survivable).
A small 1 man tent has less air to heat. Is it a 4 season or a 3 season. A 4 season is better sealed, so keeps cold air out since there are no vents or fully closable mesh vents. a 3 season allows air flow. a 4 season is also meant to deal with blowing snow and winter snow/ice better. The fabric is stronger and the poles are stouter to deal with the weight of snow ice. I have a 3 season tent for all seasons as I don't do true mountaineering conditions. My warmth is from my sleep gear. a 4 season will have a ice/water buildup from the breath condensation which a 3 season's airflow helps mitigate.
I pack everything, but my longest winter camp was 4 nights. I split gear load, carrying tent and foot/cook stuff with my buddy. Solo, I've got 3 days, but the pack is heavy. I don't own a sled, but that would be easier. Winter camp, I prefer real food, and since refrigeration isn't an issue, I like to pack in eggs, steaks, chops, chicken, rice, potatos, so it gets heavy. Flame spit cooked lunch and dinner. Breakfast is generally cooked over stove in vestibule still in my bag. Water is really heavy as well. If I did dehydrated/freeze dried backpacker food, I could probably go 5 days if there was a water source nearby.
Just for reference, I have a 62l pack which during spring, summer, fall I can get carry my base gear and food for a week(longest non stop trip, I've done, purified water on the trip). During winter, 3 days solo is max. Everything is just bigger, fatter, heavier. My -20 down bag is probably 5 pounds with stuff sack vice 3.25 for other seasons. So that 62l doesn't go far. I don't go longer to justify an 80+l pack and for winteri would probably buy a sled and use a lighter day pack.
Anyway, have fun, cool to cold camping is glorious. I have no idea if Slumberjack bags are EN rated or not, Ill have to look into it. Its a pretty heavy bag, the couple times I've used it early spring in MN when the nights were still in the low 30's it was almost too warm. Definitely planning on testing it.
What should I be looking at for a sleeping pad? Just stack a ridgerest or two on my thermarest and call it good?
I'm good for packs for simple 1 or two nighters at this point. I kinda figured on needing a larger one for a ~week in the BWCA or SNF as my 40L is just enough for a week up there with a separate pack in the canoe for food.
My tent is a 3 season 2 man tent, Mountain Hardware Drifter2.
Fantastic tent in the summer. Its all screen with the fly off so on clear summer nights its like sleeping in the open without the bugs.
Definitely not 4 season, but ill test it out and see how it does. I'm kinda tempted to look at something like a seekoutside with a stove for a longer trip, but thats down the road a bit.
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