[pct-l] Keeping warm at night

[pmags at yahoo.com (Paul Magnanti)]

In this thread I've noticed a common theme: is a
sleeping bag warm enough?

Though overall temperature rating of a bag is very
important, in my experience I find that most people
who are cold at night could do a few things to stay
warmer.

First something I am sure most of us are aware of:
WEAR A HAT! A fleece/wool hat worn to bed will keep
much of the needed heat from escaping. I've seen
several statistics on the amount of heat that escapes
from your head, all are different. But all agree on
one point, a significant amount of heat escapes from
your head.

If you sleep really cold and/or expect to be in cold
areas that push the envelope of your bag may, I also
suggest wearing a balaclava to bed with your hat?
For 1.5 oz (an exp. wt polypro one I bought at Sierra
Trading Post), you can carry this additional hat that
will provide more warmth than an additional jacket or
a heavier bag.  Please do not eat the hat. You may
find some baclava in the Stehekin bakery. :-)

Another component to keeping warm at night is your
sleeping pad. The lightweight foam mattresses that
many of use (myself included) are great for saving
weight and doing double duty as stays on the frameless
rucksacks. However, foam pads can become compressed
with time. If you have been using your foam pad for a
while prior to your extended stay on the PCT, you may
want to replace it prior to hitting Kennedy Meadows
and the colder and higher elevation High Sierra. 
The same logic applies if you find yourself in
Washington in September like many thru-hikers.

I find that  Z-Rest/Ridge Rest lasts about 1000 miles
before it is too flat. A flat pad is not only less
comfortable, but also mean less insulation between the
cold robbing ground and yourself. There is a reason
why many people who winter backpack use TWO pads...

On the same train of thought if you have a down bag,
you may want to move to the down in the baffles to the
top of the bag. Down underneath gets crushed, no loft.
Might as well move the feathers above you to provide
more loft where it is needed, keep you warm at night.

Before going to bed at night, make sure you are well
hydrated. A dehydrated body does not metabolize food
as efficiently as a hydrated one. Less efficient
metabolism means you do not generate as much heat
which means you get cold at night! Be sure to eat
enough food so you DO have something to metabolize
before going to bed. 

You may also want to have some kind of sugary snack
(cookies, candy, etc.) in your bag with you to eat at
night. That may give your body the quick boost it
needs to stay warm. You may or may not want to use
this trick in black bear country.

Another trick is to do some short but vigrous
exercises for 5 minutes (jumping jacks, push-ups,
etc.)
Your body will generate lots of heat quickly and will
continue to do so as you are in your bag...warming it
up that much more quickly. The idea of doing exercise
at the end of long hiking day seems odd, but if you
sleep warmly and well, the little bit of exercise will
help you immensley.

Finally, if you REALLY get cold at night there is the
winterbackpacking trick of making a hot water bottle.
Put some very hot (not boiling) water into your
bottle. Make sure it is capped tightly. Put it into
your bag. You will stay warm and have a non-frozen
water bottle in the morning. Be sure you have enough
fuel for both making dinner and heating your hot water
bottle.

For what it is worth, I've used my 20F down bag (775
fill) in all the conditions you see on a PCT thru-hike
and even on the divide in Colorado in October at 13k
feet and stayed warm (if pushing the envelope in the
Colorado October trip).


Hope this helps. Again, many times for people who find
their sleeping bag to cold may want to try some of the
basics before getting a heavier bag. In my opinion
these little tips can make your sleeping experience
much more enjoyable without the need to get a warmer
bag for most people in three-season backpacking. 








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The true harvest of my life is intangible.... a little stardust caught, a portion of the rainbow I have clutched
--Thoreau