The job of a down bag is to keep your top and sides warm, insulating you from the cold air. It will not keep you warm underneath; that is the job of your sleeping pad, hence all the commentary here. Get a good pad and you'll certainly stay warm in such mild temperatures as are under discussion here.

For real cold (well below zero C) I add a thin closed-cell pad to my usual thermarest. This is a better weight, bulk and warmth combination than a fat thermarest.

enjoy,

Mark

markharf thanks for the advice, will def look at thermarest or copies.

Tim thanks for the links, I missed your one on adv site, cheers :thumbup1:


Cheers
Geordie

I just bagged up my summer gear. Therma-rest 3/4 mat and Softie 3 summer bag.

http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/b...h/DSC00347.jpg

http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/b...h/DSC00349.jpg

As you can see it's rated down to 0c. I've been below that in it but you do have to wear everything you've got! It's comfortable at around freezing though. I'm no hero I've got a -15c bag too and usually use two mats as well when it's cold.

I've spent times in the bottom of a trench too, cold as a grave!

RE getting cold during the day and warming up in your sleeping bag at night.

Test it at home first but when out in winter I take a metal water bottle, Sigg is a good make, boil some water, put lid on, let it cool for a couple of minutes and put into the bag as a hot water bottle. Wont leak as the water cools it causes a partial vacuum in the bottle. Also gives you water not frozen in the morning to use.

And just in case anyone's not aware... sleeping bags and thermarests should be stored uncompressed and only put into stuffsacks before they are to be transported.

Tim

thermarests dont work for me because i cant sleep on my back and i weigh 140kg, my hips dont like being a ground spike. thats why i use an air bed.

I bagged them up for the photo, they're now relaxing in the front room waiting for the spring!

Thermarest copies
 

Years ago on a Kayaking/Landrover fixing trip to Iceland, most people had Thermarests while one mate had a Sunnacamp copy. Over the 4 weeks it slowly came unglued with a slow creaking noise, turning from a flat object into a perfectly round sausage, despite his best duct-tape repair attempts. It kept us all enourmously amused.

As an aside I think silk liners are worth about a season in terms of sleeping bags (but then I took a Karrimat to Iceland so don't trust my judgement)

Is the floor in your conservatory made from Stone or Concrete, either will suck heat out faster than having your airbed in a tent on dirt.

i keep my bags in the loft in old pillow cases, keeps them clean while not compressing them.

Hi
I keep my bag uncompressed in the cupboard when not in use.

My conservatory floor has laminate wood with fibre board under it.

So the weak link must be the air bed. Ive got a fleece liner Im going to try next (when another cold night is forcasted)

Cheers for all the replys

Cheers
Geordie

Hi,
Just spent another weekend out in -15 centigrades on a winter motorcycle rally. Like it's been said: The air bed sucks the heat out of you, whether it sits on concrete, mud, dirt or on your tent floor. This is one of the times when air does NOT insulate - on the contrary. You can use the air bed for comfort, but you must then add some insulation on top of it. Personally I use a NATO army folding bed, put a thermarest-like mattress on it and add reindeer skin on top of that again. Keeps me warm and comfy in any temperature (my sleeping bag is rated at -35 centigrades). I use a sidecar, so I can transport it all. But the basic is a warm sleeping bag and a top-rated insulating mattress. Oh, and use a wool cap to keep you even warmer.

Thanks Indu

Ive got a NATO camp cot in my garage but its too big for the bike.

Heres the thing with thermarest, ive got 2 disc's in my lower back which are on their way out ! So getting a comfortable sleep is a big thing for me.

I was wondering, who uses a cot type bed with a thermarest ? whats the pack size ?


Cheers
Geordie

What you CAN do is to use this one:

http://www.mammut.ch/images/D-Lux_pu....eps_Zoom.jpeg

- - Mammut

It's a down filled, insulated air mattress that is inflateable to 7,5-10 cm thickness, which should be sufficient for high comfort and warmth. According to the producer Mammut it's 65% smaller than conventional self-filling air mattresses of same size when packed. That should vouch for transportability, insulation and comfort I think.

I use a steel framed camp bed. they cost about £10 ( 9.99 from Argos)
the heat loss is nearly always greatest from the floor because the insulation is compressed and there is little air to insulate. My cure is to take a big sheepskin fleece. I sit on it during the day, and lie on it at night. Is also usefull for an afternoon siesta. I just drop it on the deat and rest it againstthe bag on the dual seat as a kind of back rest. held in place with a bungee rubber or two.