Winter sleeping pads/ system

Does anyone have experience with the new Nemo Tensor Extreme Conditions Sleeping Pad  has a claimed 8.5R value and seems to be the most packable and lightest. Also feel free to dump winter sleeping gear recs 

I don’t have that actual pad but did a lot of research on it when considering a new pad this year and most people are saying that their copy often weighs more than the stated weights. So if you’re making the decision on weight alone keep that in mind. I know a lot of folks also had issues with durability out of the old tensors so it seems like the tried and true pad is still the thermarest Xtherm. I have one and have used it for years without issue, but will probably buy the new Xtherm for the updated valve and lighter/similar weight for more warmth. 

As far as bags go, you won’t be able to beat feathered friends or western mountaineering in terms of quality and weight. Best to try and find one second hand in good shape to save some cash. Lots of other bags out there, but they won’t be quite as nice. 

I have the Thermarest Xtherm and have zero complaints. Very light, very comfortable, and very warm.
I have a few different sleeping bags/ liner combos, but my I have enjoyed my thermarest quilt (20deg) combined with a 50deg down summer bag. That combo seems to work pretty well for me down to well below freezing. It’s also absurdly light and packable. I have a bishops pass (mountain hardware) 0 deg bag that I am not a huge fan of. I use it when it’s really cold, and each time I wish I had spent the extra dough for a lighter/bigger bag.
But if you don’t have big hips and don’t mind it being a hair on the heavier side, it could be a good solution.  

im hunting a new light pad myself but have switched my thinking to a 50 degree down bag with a thermarest extreme liner, foam pad on the ground, then whatever air mattress i go with, the bag with liner and then a down quilt on top of that and maybe throw some hand warmers in if its real cold

this is going to be my huntington ravine setup for mt washington ice in february and i think itll be fine but any thoughts would be welcome

I've been using a double quilt system for subzero F camping for years. I have a 20F down EE quilt and a 50F synthetic EE quilt for the top. In just underwear this is good (for me) down to 0F and if colder I wear more layers, puffies, etc. Quality quilts are always going to be lighter than sleeping bags. The cons are no attached hood, harder to sit up in bag, harder to get in (no zip),and longer initial set up. But you can save pounds. I've been using a cheapo klymit R4.5 and a foam pad. I'll eventually upgrade the air pad to something higher R. The benefit of the synthetic outer bag is it brings the dew point into the synthetic. This keeps your down moisture free. A couple of nights it doesn't matter, but if you camp for 3 or more, you may want to consider it. 

same with the klymit. not the best but it works

jake you should look at a cheap down balaclava theyre great

I’ve got the tensor extreme, TL;DR get a xtherm if you don’t get a deal. I’m very happy considering that Nemo had a bigger than normal pro discount when they released it— if the xtherm didn’t exist I’d have no reservations recommending it.  mountainproject.com/forum/t…

ETA: a super high r-value pad isn’t critical— I’ve done most of my winter stuff stacking a ridgerest and a self inflating pad, and I’ve only found that insufficient when sleeping on bare rock or frozen dirt. Snow itself is fairly insulating.

Thanks Dave. I've been thinking about those. I use a fleece balaclava and a hat. Will usually spread my jacket over my pillow and then wear that hood too. I toss and turn a bunch so I feel the lack of connected hood all the time, but still worth it to me to save the weight and have a more variable system to meet the conditions without being overkill. 

Coldest I ever slept out was on lake ice, with an overnight low of -5°F. Thin shell "hoop" bivvy with two layered down BA sleeping bags (rated 15F / 30F). Underneath, I had an Xterm and one of those silvered accordion-fold CCF pads below it... Fell asleep listening to the little sounds from down under the ice -- slept all night, snug & warm as a kitten.

I don't know if it matters, but I usually lay the CCF pad directly down on the ground, and tuck the Xtherm into the pad sleeve on my innermost sleeping bag. I've also done it with the CCF pad inside the bivvy -- both seem to work OK.

I've done the same thing in a lot of Winter conditions... I once woke up with about a foot of fresh powder piled on top of me -- at Joshua Tree, of all places. Good sleep tho.

If it's really cold, try putting your closed cell foam pan on top of your inflatable of choice.

I found this to be noticeably warmer than sleeping directly on the inflatable.

yukonjack wrote:

If it's really cold, try putting your closed cell foam pan on top of your inflatable of choice.

I found this to be noticeably warmer than sleeping directly on the inflatable.

Ever tried it with the inflatable on top of the CCF pad? I always do it that way, but I have no idea which is warmer/more comfortable. I gotta remember to try it your way, next time, and see if I like it any better.

Ryan Lynch wrote:

Ever tried it with the inflatable on top of the CCF pad? I always do it that way, but I have no idea which is warmer/more comfortable. I gotta remember to try it your way, next time, and see if I like it any better.

Yeah. I've tried a little bit of everything over time.

This is all subjective, as I'm not pulling data from thermocouples, but using the Xtherm inflatable pads in the cold they always seemed to be subject to convective heat loss when I was sleeping directly on them. The cold ambient air sucks any heat I leaked into the pad out the sides, even if it's less out the bottom where the pad is.

As cold is the absence of heat, it made sense to me to try to keep heat in, vs. keep cold out. So, I literally flipped the stack over; inflatable on the bottom, then the foam - with the shiny heat-reflector side facing up (I'm, sleeping on snow at this point so any value of the foam as a puncture-protector does not apply here).

My perception is warmer sleep.

The bonus for me, with a somewhat larger frame, is in my rig the foam pad is wider/longer than the Xtherm, so I also found it a more stable setup in restless sleep.

Currently, if I'm taking both CCF and inflatable, I'm always sleeping directly on the foam. I use a couple of sized elastic cord loops (which double as keepers for the foam pad) wrapped around the layers to keep everything together.

It may be worth a try if you've got a multi-day cold camp.

Caribou hides.