How cold is too cold?

[Irrelevant]

some thought on your set up:
1. sleeping bags loose loft over the years. Down faster than Synthetic. Especially if when stored off-season you have them in their StuffSack. so that 30F bag from 5-10 years ago may now be closer to 40F, and that 0F is more like 10-15F. materials break down, no way around it. If you have the space, best thing to do when not using your sleeping bags is to hang them up so they can fully loft up. Also make sure you wash your bags occasionally, typically when i start seeing lots of grease marks around the hood area/feet from your body, that means Down is now clumpy and oily, it once again wont Loft up to its full potential. there are plenty of special Down wash products and i highly recommend you use them. it may breathe some life into your old bags. but ultimately if they are 7+ years old, accept the fact that they are no longer the temp rating they once were when new. Also: were those EN ratings or just a temp rating listed by manufacturer? entry price point bags typically dont get EN/ISO rating, so those may not even truly be 30F & 0F as you thought.

2. doubling up on sleeping bags works, but not to a full 100% extend you may be thinking. especially since you said your bags are tight and tough to slide inside each other. When doubled up your Inner bag now CANNOT fully LOFT up because it's being restricted/squeezes on the outside by your other bag, and when Down/Synthetic is not lofted to its full potential, once again it is not providing you with its full Temp rating benefit. **(think of it like wearing a DOWN Jacket under a fitted first layer, it wont loft and therefore wont fully work to its pottential)

3. If you still decide to go the Double up route, i would suggest trying to put your 0F on the outside instead of inside, at least it'll have room to Loft Up.

4. Sleeping Pads - if you're that cold of sleeper perhaps you do need 2 pads, but i will say that technology has come a long way, and as others have stated: a THermarest XTherm *(their 4 season R.value of 7ish) should be more than enough. people take these to sleep on snow and they're OK.

again: LOng Term storage in a stuff sack *(especially if you live in a humid environment) is probably the worst thing you can do for your sleeping bag. Most quality DOWN Bags often come with Storage Sack *(big MESH bag, similar in size to a Deer Game Bag) that allows it to breeze and has just enough room for DOWN to loft up somewhat and not be compressed like it would in a stuff sack.

hope this helps.

Wow thanks for all the recommendations. I simply use the two bag system because that's what I have. At some point I'll upgrade but for now I just deal with it. The 30 bag is from 20 years ago and definitely isn't a 30 anymore. However, I have an even older 30 from the 80s, and it still has enough loft to be useful for summer. So I know that the temp reduction allows over time. I store all my bags in there storage bags, it's not quite as good as hung up, but I simply don't have the space to hang. And I currently use two pads, z lite and BA insulted q core deluxe, combined in at like 5-6 R, but I can tell i need more. Living in WA, extreme temps really aren't something I have to deal with that often, so that kind of gear never floats to the top of the "buy" list.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

Wow thanks for all the recommendations. I simply use the two bag system because that's what I have. At some point I'll upgrade but for now I just deal with it. The 30 bag is from 20 years ago and definitely isn't a 30 anymore. However, I have an even older 30 from the 80s, and it still has enough loft to be useful for summer. So I know that the temp reduction allows over time. I store all my bags in there storage bags, it's not quite as good as hung up, but I simply don't have the space to hang. And I currently use two pads, z lite and BA insulted q core deluxe, combined in at like 5-6 R, but I can tell i need more. Living in WA, extreme temps really aren't something I have to deal with that often, so that kind of gear never floats to the top of the "buy" list.

Yeah, that’s where I’m at... I have a 15 degree bag that’s my all around and for winter I just double bag with my old 20 degree synthetic. Sure I could get a -5 bag... but I’m cheap and have yet to winter camp far enough from the car that the weight is an issue.

Good reminder on the cleaning @BrokenChicken need to wash mine.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

Whenever I backpack when it's really cold I remember why I dislike backpacking when it's really cold. I used to be more excited about it, getting old and soft I expect. If my kids get wound up about winter camping someday I will take them, winter camping in Florida.

 

[Irrelevant]

Whenever I backpack when it's really cold I remember why I dislike backpacking when it's really cold. I used to be more excited about it, getting old and soft I expect. If my kids get wound up about winter camping someday I will take them, winter camping in Florida.

I agree. Every trip I get like 8 hrs in and realize how much more work it is, and there's not even any critters to look at/ for

 

[Deleted member 16014]

I think of it as a very valuable thing to have done, and be able to do now and again.

 

[Dinkshooter]

Based on my Inreach message to Oak that particular morning “that” was too cold, not sure what the temp was though. I was fine in the tent/bag but I nearly froze my hands off just getting up and getting ready to go.

 

[DouglasR]

You old timers don’t have any fight left in you!
You’ve got me thinking about leaving the skis at home on my next trip and just trying to do a cool backpacking/snowshoeing adventure.

This is still my ultimate goal!
#shootforthemoon lol

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

You old timers don’t have any fight left in you!
You’ve got me thinking about leaving the skis at home on my next trip and just trying to do a cool backpacking/snowshoeing adventure.

This is still my ultimate goal!
#shootforthemoon lol
View attachment 170973

Yeah... I don't think there are any sheep on Meru so I'm out

 

[DouglasR]

Yeah... I don't think there are any sheep on Meru so I'm out

Ok, sleeping in a portaledge on meru might be a stretch, but winter backpacking/camping intrigues me.

In my mind there’s just something inherently cool about walking around the mountains in the middle of winter on 3’ of snow with everything you more or less need to survive and be relatively comfortable in a backpack.

My work schedule’s pretty flexible in the winter.
Illinois sucks in the winter.
Gives me a reason to get out of the house and enjoy our public lands

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

Ok, sleeping in a portaledge on meru might be a stretch, but winter backpacking/camping intrigues me.

In my mind there’s just something inherently cool about walking around the mountains in the middle of winter on 3’ of snow with everything you more or less need to survive and be relatively comfortable in a backpack.

My work schedule’s pretty flexible in the winter.
Illinois sucks in the winter.
Gives me a reason to get out of the house and enjoy our public lands

Well if you got that kinda unbridled enthusiasm you might as well put it to some good use.

There are a handful of elk, bison, moose, etc hunts in the winter. When I draw you can come along and pack for me.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

Plenty of goats in Hyalite, but not allowed to bring them home in January. Also temporarily pausing these activities while kids are young.

 

[DouglasR]

Well if you got that kinda unbridled enthusiasm you might as well put it to some good use.

There are a handful of elk, bison, moose, etc hunts in the winter. When I draw you can come along and pack for me.

Yeah well, I’m not holding my breath, Wllm.
you big tease

 

[DouglasR]

Plenty of goats in Hyalite, but not allowed to bring them home in January. Also temporarily pausing these activities while kids are young.


View attachment 171000

For lack of a better term.
that’s so badass .

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

For lack of a better term.
that’s so badass .

My Brain:

"Hi guys, I XYZ guy, just moved to CO. What kinda XYZ gear do I need for backpack hunting?"

Me

Snowy

XYZ guy

 

[Sasquatchewan]

The rating on the sleeping bag is the temp you'll essentially survive in. You'd probably be up all night trying to keep warm.

A good sleeping pad makes all the difference, you want to get off the ground. I've slept in tents at -40C (pretty sure that's also -40F), double down sleeping bags, Gore-Tex bivvy, mattress and small Coleman stove kept me warm and toasty for 11 days.

 

[Sasquatchewan]

Forgot to mention, you can add a good bivvy bag and lightweight fleece liner to raise your set up's temp!

Whenever you get a chance to let your sleeping bag open to dry, do it.

 

[reesej]

I was hoping to have a hot tent from Springbar for the Montana rifle opener Oct. 24 but it looks like they won’t have any in stock. Planning on a 4ish night hunt Friday through Monday night.

How cold is too cold to stay in a 3-season tent (Kelty Salida 2) and a 20 degree bag? Looks like lows will be in the mid 20’s. I was thinking 30 would be about the lowest as my experience sleeping bag ratings are consistently about 10 degrees colder than what I consider comfortable. Will I be warm enough with a couple wool blankets on top of my sleeping bag?

a lot depends upon YOU. are you conditioned to the cold? that's worth 10F degrees of sleeping comfort. If you add knowing to exercise a bit (dont sweat) have a hot meal and hot drink and take a leak before turning in, that' helps (for a few hours, at least). 2 wool blankets and a 20F bag, and clothing suitable for hunting in such weather, inside of a tent, youl'll be plenty warm. If need be, heat some water or hot rocks and put the warm items below your feet in your bag. Lay on the blankets catty corner, fold them around you and tie the ends with bow knots, so they cant come off as you toss and turn.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=dave+canterbury+wool+blanket+use