Sleeping bags for a cold sleeper

I'm looking for some sleeping bag advice for a bag to use for typical east coast spring/fall weather - worst case down into the twenties. My issue is that I'm a very cold sleeper. I got a Big Agnes synthetic 0F degree bag and combined it with a pretty warm sleeping pad and it's nowhere near good enough - if it's in the mid 40's or less I am pretty unhappy. I tried adding a very warm base layer and a sleeping bag liner and it's still not good enough. Even when sleeping on a heavy futon pad in the back of my truck.

Did I get a crap sleeping bag? Or am I expecting too much from the temperature rating? The Big Agnes bag was pretty cheap, but I figured even a crappy 0 degree bag would work when it's in the mid 30's. Do I just need to get a $400 bag? Or a -20F bag?

2 sleeping bags is the way to go for cold weather car camping. The outer one can be worn open, as a quilt, or you can zip they both closed for mega-warmth. For the out bag, maybe just get a cheap Cabela's (or similar) rectangular bag (lots of space for the inner bag, without being to cramped or compressing the insulation).

If you are willing to go outside "the box" I got a quilt from these guys several years ago:
store.enlightenedequipment.com

I am super happy with my revelation quilt.

Regardless of the material... temperature ratings on the EN scale are done in the same way. Most people prefer down because it sleeps much more comfortably. How tall are you? If the bag has lots of dead space it will have lots of extra air that your body needs to heat up before it works right. Make sure you get a bag sized correctly for you. I would consider a 0 degree down bag or something similar, but I can't imagine that you would really need something that warm. Do you know the specific bag you have?? Head to a local store and check out there inventory. Big agnes really makes some good stuff... also check out marmot and nemo two of my favorite bag companies.

My wife is a "cold sleeper". Our bags are nothing to write home about but we do have that odd difference. She will be freezing while I am laying on top of the bag because it is to hot. So our solution was a simple pair of sweat pants and jersey. Yea about $12 all told. Comfortable to sleep in and provides just enough extra insulation to keep her happy in cold sleeping conditions.

KISS rule applied.

The 4 piece mil-spec bags are great for cold weather camping. Stuff sack, synthetic bags, green outer patrol bag rated to 30 and the black inner bag rated from 10 to -30. Combined they rate anywhere from -10 to -50 with a light body insulation layer. Also comes with a Gor-Tex bivy for stealth woodsy camping all while staying high and dry. If you look on craigslist they can be found for under a hundy to two hundred. They're a bit heavy, but if weight is not an option give em a thought.

It may not be your sleeping bag.

Try eating fats before bed (nuts, pepperoni, anything drenched in olive oil) and staying well hydrated.

What clothing are you wearing to bed? Wear some warm fleece layers, along with a hat.

Heat up some water, and take a Nalgene bottle of hot water to bed with you.

If that doesn't work, get a high quality down bag, like the Marmot Lithium.

Toss in a sleeping bag liner too, they add some more warmth. I also like them because you wash the sleeping bag liner rather than having to wash the sleeping bag. They keep body oils and other stuff out of the down and inside of the bag. A lot of times I end up with my sleeping bag all the way open and just use the liner. I like the silk ones, great warmth, super light, but a little more pricey. They typically will add 5 - 10 more degrees to your bag depending on the weight.

If it's cold, being insulated from the ground is important. You might want to look at the R value of your sleeping pad. You can add a simple foam one under your air mattress. You generally know this though, when you're freezing from the ground only.

Among the other good tips here, you can also "stuff" your sleeping bag with clothes that you're not wearing.

If it's really cold, before I get in my sleeping bag, I might do 5 - 10 burpees to generate some body heat.

I agree with the others, I am not a big fan of synthetic bags.

John...

REI moved to European Norm (EN) sleeping bag ratings, as there's no standard in the States. That being said, I returned one of their older zero degree bags b/c it was nowhere close to comfortable at that rating from the start. Hopefully things have improved since.

As was mentioned, add more layers. Also, a vest will help a lot. I am assuming that you wear a hat- a balaclava is best.

Look into a VBL. If you do use a VBL, wear only one layer. You will get soaked but will be toasty (wet). Without a VBL, you are slowly and constantly loosing heat (and water) by evaporation. A VBL also keeps your down bag dry and cleaner. The major disadvantage of a VBL is that when you get up in the morning, you have to quickly get into dry clothes while you are freezing.

Right now I add a cheap sleeping bag or blanket on top but that doesn't make me any friends if we have 4 people plus gear crammed into a car. As far as getting my heart rate up before bed - I'm usually fine going to sleep. Then I wake up in the middle of the night freezing.

Kai Larson wrote:Try eating fats before bed (nuts, pepperoni, anything drenched in olive oil) and staying well hydrated.

I actually eat a horrifying amount of saturated fat including those sketchy meat snack sticks you find in the grocery store. I guess I can be more disciplined about eating it before bed.

Clothes: I have a Patagonia expedition base layer + hat - it does help.

Bag liner: I use a bag liner - I forget the brand but it claimed to add 20 degrees to the bag rating. On that scale it is completely worthless - it added no meaningful warmth. It is useful for other reasons, though.

Sleeping pad: I tried to get a good R value for my sleeping pad but I've since lost the specs. In any event, even sleeping in a truck bed on a huge futon pad isn't getting it done.

Cocoapuffs 1000 wrote:Right now I add a cheap sleeping bag or blanket on top but that doesn't make me any friends if we have 4 people plus gear crammed into a car. As far as getting my heart rate up before bed - I'm usually fine going to sleep. Then I wake up in the middle of the night freezing. I actually eat a horrifying amount of saturated fat including those sketchy meat snack sticks you find in the grocery store. I guess I can be more disciplined about eating it before bed. Clothes: I have a Patagonia expedition base layer + hat - it does help. Bag liner: I use a bag liner - I forget the brand but it claimed to add 20 degrees to the bag rating. On that scale it is completely worthless - it added no meaningful warmth. It is useful for other reasons, though. Sleeping pad: I tried to get a good R value for my sleeping pad but I've since lost the specs. In any event, even sleeping in a truck bed on a huge futon pad isn't getting it done.

My father in law got a Big Agnes 0 and couldn't stay warm in Lander in the fall. FWIW, I traded him my Marmot Never Summer 0 during the stay in Lander and got to freeze in his place. He had to leave the Never Summer unzipped it was so much warmer.

I also have similar zero degree bag. Temps into the 30s and I froze. My solution was to put a Pendleton camp blanket in it to crawl into. Solved the problem. But stitching on that bag is coming apart, so I just ordered a Butler all season. They look like a great bag rated to minus 20. Since I sleep cold , I should comfortably get into the 20s maybe even the teens. Try a wool blanket if you have one you will not believe the difference.

Chris. T. wrote: 'Synthetic' is your problem! Always use a 'DOWN' sleeping bag. Every synthetic bag (or even jacket) I have used does not keep me warm, regardless of the temperature rating. I just bought a 0 degree Marmot 'Never Summer' bag, and I am very pleased so far. I was quite toasty in 35 degree temps. I am also a 'cold sleeper', but not anymore thanks to my new bag. Bottom line: Synthetic sucks! (It also weighs more and doesn't pack well) Rant completed, carry on.

This is hugely contingent upon where and how you plan on camping.  I would not risk a down bag on long through hikes without a possibility of bailing or in regions where rain showers are always a possibility like the Pacific NW or NE.  While you may have to pay a price in terms of weight and space, it's worth having some insulative capacity if it gets wet, which is not the case with down.  As a rule of thumb, I prefer to use sleeping bags one grade "colder" than the temps I expect.  So, if temps are going to be 35 at night, I'll bring my 0 degree bag to ensure I stay warm.  If they're 0 at night, I'll bring both the 0 and a light quilt or just stay home because I'm a big wimp when it comes to the cold.  Also, using an insulated sleeping pad helps a ton too.

Yea if you're car camping skip the posts about buying a $400 ultralight down quilt. 2 sleeping bags is great, the second bag can even be a walmart special or something cheap. Make sure your sleeping pad/mattress is giving you some insulation.

I'm going to second the two sleeping bag method. I just got my first -25 down bag last winter. Prior to that I was using a 0 deg military surplus mummy bag I got for about $80 at a surplus store stuffed into a cheap walmart square bag I got when I was a kid. With this system I slept out in temps as low as -30.

The sleeping pad is also critical. No matter how thick your bag is, its not going to insulate you from the ground where the filling is squashed. I know you said you have a warm pad, but I'm not sure what that means. I'm a big fan of the cheap thick blue closed cell foam pads. Most of the air-filled pads don't insulate much unless they have down in them. Maybe use a closed cell pad over your inflatable one? Or consider a winter pad with down such as those from exped or klymit. 

So much great advice from the experts.

LOL