[pct-l] Sleeping bag advice

[Paul Magnanti]

The rating of a bag is just one factor in keeping you warm.

With a 45F temp and a 20 deg bag you should not have been cold (even if you are a cold sleeper).


As others mentioned there are several factors that can come into play.


Some questions to ponder:

What kind of pad were you using?  How long was it? Did any part of your body fall off the pad?

Were you wearing a warm hat to bed? 

Was your clothing damp when worn to bed? 

Were you properly hydrated and fed before going to bed?

What was your camp site like? (In a meadow? On an exposed ridge? In a covered and forested area? By a creek? On bare and hard packed dirt?)

Did you have the bag properly zipped up or were you out of the bag? 

(Many people new to backpacking don't like to fully zip themselves up in a mummy bag)

 
I don't think there is a magic bullet per se;  it is probably a combo of different factors based on experience. 
As others mentioned, a new bag may not be the answer if some of the factors of above (or more) come into play.




----------------------------
Paul "Mags" Magnanti
http://www.pmags.com
http://www.twitter.com/pmagsco
http://www.facebook.com/pmags
-------------------------------
The true harvest of my life is intangible.... a little stardust 
caught, a portion of the rainbow I have clutched
--Thoreau