That night at Big Bend changed how I pack gear

I was on a 4 day solo trip in Big Bend last winter and a cold front dropped temps to 28 degrees. My sleeping bag was rated for 40 and I froze my butt off - had to hike out a day early because I couldn't sleep. Has anyone else learned the hard way about temp ratings being too optimistic?

3 comments

3 Comments

king.stella15d ago

Did you have a bivy or tent fly that could've helped trap some of that warmth, or were you just out in the open with the bag?

nancy52415d ago

Big Bend got me too, actually. That same cold front hit me a few years back and I learned the hard way that those ratings are more like "you won't die" than "you'll be comfortable." What really helped me was getting a cheap foam pad to put under my regular pad - that ground cold just sucks the warmth right out of you. Also started bringing a Nalgene bottle with hot water wrapped in a sock (you know, the old trick) to stuff in my bag at night. Made a huge difference for maybe 10 bucks total.

paulschmidt13d ago

Ain't that the TRUTH about temp ratings? I had a similar thing happen to me in the Sierra Nevada - my bag was supposedly good to 30 degrees but at 25 I was shivering all night and barely slept at all. I ended up wearing every piece of clothing I had, even my rain jacket, just to try to keep some heat in. You really gotta add a solid 15 to 20 degrees to whatever the bag says if you want to actually be comfortable, not just survive. The hot water bottle trick you mentioned is gold - I learned that from a old timer and now I always boil water before bed and stuff it in a Nalgene inside my bag. Plus I started bringing a little space blanket to lay over my sleeping bag on SUPER cold nights, it reflects your body heat back and actually makes a big difference for being so light.