Comparing sleeping bags can be pretty difficult. Manufacturers quote a variety of numbers and measurements and prices vary dramatically. It can be hard to sort through it all and make a good decision.
I’ll talk about a few important quantifiable considerations, and leave the qualitative decisions to you.
Fit is a qualitative factor that should be considered carefully for example. For example, a snug fitting bag will have less space to heat and keep warm, will likely be lighter weight, but many people may feel constricted and uncomfortable.
Three of the main quantitative measures for down sleeping bags include the weight, the down, and the price. I’ll cover those.
Fill Power
Fill power is an important concept when discussing down sleeping bags. Fill power is a measure for the quality of down. It is expressed in cubic inches per ounce of down. High quality down fills more volume per ounce than low quality down. This means for a given volume of sleeping bag loft, higher quality down will weigh less. An important consideration.
What I’ve done to compare the sleeping bags is to multiply the weight of down fill (in ounces) by the fill power of down used. This gives a standard “volume” of down that can be used to compare straight across. Simply looking at weight of fill can mislead you.
Bags Included in the List
I included bags rated from –15F to –25F. I also stuck with “regular” length bags, although two bags stood out as a bit strange to me. The Montbell bag only fits to 5’10”, and the Mountain Hardwear bag fits to 6’6” in the regular size. All of the other bags have a 6’0” fit for regular. Keep this in mind when comparing the bags. If you are larger or smaller, perhaps one of these bags would be a better match for your needs.
Table Data
I’ve used the stoplight system of red, yellow, and green to highlight the low, middle, and best three in each category respectively. So, the heaviest three bags will be red, the three most expensive will be red, and the three with the least fill volume will be red.
I also calculated the mean and standard deviation for each of the three columns.
The Table
|
Sleeping Bag |
Weight |
Fill Volume |
Price |
| Feathered Friends Peregrine | 62 | 31790 | 684 |
| Feathered Friends Ptarmigan | 59 | 31025 | 654 |
| Kelty Foraker | 66 | 28500 | 449.95 |
| Marmot Col EQ | 68 | 30400 | 619 |
| Montbell UL SS Down Hugger Exp | 55 | 30400 | 529 |
| Mountain Hardwear Wraight SL | 72 | 28800 | 610 |
| The North Face Solar Flare | 66 | 28000 | 499 |
| Western Mountaineering Puma GWS | 60 | 31450 | 740 |
| Western Mountaineering Puma MF | 55 | 30600 | 640 |
|
AVERAGE |
63 |
30107 |
603 |
|
SD |
6 |
1352 |
93 |
All information is from the manufacturers.
I personally own the Marmot Col EQ and reviewed it. I’m quite happy with it, despite it being one of the heavier bags on the list. It is quite warm and has several features I like.
I hope this chart helps you pick a cold weather bag. Let me know if you liked it, and would like to see a similar compilation for bags in another temperature range.
Tags: extreme cold weather, Feathered Friends, Marmot, Montbell, sleeping bags, Western Mountaineering
Sleeping pad manufacturers have been quoting R-values for their pads lately. This is a major step up from quoting nothing for a warmth spec. However, until there is a similar system for rating sleeping bags, and then a system for comparing sleep systems, there will still be a lot of trial and error in choosing your gear.
For sleeping pads, what I wanted to do was compare how warm (the R-value) with the weight of the sleeping pad. This way, the most efficient pad could be chosen.
However, one thing I quickly realized was that dimensions were different for the sleeping pads. There are short pads, long pads, wide pads, and mummy tapered pads. This means an objective comparison of weight is useless without considering how the pad measures.
For this reason, I chose to exclude any mummy tapered pads, as I did not want to calculate their area without physically possessing them to perform measurements. I focused on “regular” sized pads to get them as similar as possible, and then calculated the surface area. This was necessary even with the regular sized pads, as the Exped mats were 2” shorter than the other mats, potentially giving them an unfair weight advantage.
Simple division gives us a measurement of how much each square inch of surface area weighs. Another round of division gives us a measure of the warmth of each surface area per weight unit.
I then sorted on the weight/area/R measure to put the most efficient pad at the top of the chart. This is the most objective way to evaluate sleeping pads. Subjective measures like comfort, or additional desired features are up to you, the reader, to determine for yourself.
If you want to see the full version of the spreadsheet, click here for it in PDF format.
|
Sleeping Pad |
Weight/Area/R |
Cost |
| Exped Downmat 9 |
0.00323 |
$160.00 |
| Thermarest Ridgerest Regular |
0.00374 |
$24.95 |
| Exped Downmat 7 |
0.00386 |
$150.00 |
| Thermarest NeoAir Regular |
0.00389 |
$149.95 |
|
Big Agnes Insulated Air Core |
0.00407 |
$79.95 |
|
Thermarest Prolite Plus Regular |
0.00439 |
$99.95 |
|
Thermarest Z-lite Regular |
0.00442 |
$39.95 |
|
Big Agnes Two Track 2” |
0.00449 |
$82.95 |
|
Exped Synmat 7 |
0.00458 |
$100.00 |
|
Thermarest Prolite Regular |
0.00505 |
$99.95 |
|
Big Agnes Dual Core |
0.00528 |
$99.95 |
|
Exped ComfortFoam 7 |
0.00685 |
$85.00 |
|
Big Agnes Sleeping Giant |
0.00853 |
$64.95 |
|
Big Agnes Clearview Air Pad |
0.01042 |
$49.95 |
|
Big Agnes Air Core |
0.01528 |
$49.95 |
One of the surprises was just how efficiently warm the Ridgerest pad turned out. It is second only to the Downmat 9 and it is more efficient than the Downmat 7! That is truly impressive. I know I’ll be keeping a Ridgerest around for any times I need to go really light but don’t need the absolute warmth of my Downmat 9.
Full disclosure: all measurements are from manufacturers web sites, and costs were either MSRP as per the manufacturer, or the price listed at the REI website. if an MSRP was not listed on the manufacturer web site.
I have an Exped Downmat 9 and reviewed it here.
I hope this little chart helps you make decisions regarding sleeping pads. I’d appreciate any thoughts, questions, or feedback in the comments section.
You can find an updated chart I made with more sleeping pads and information here.
Tags: Big Agnes, Downmat, Exped, R-value, sleeping mat, sleeping pad, Synmat, Thermarest
Wind layers are a vital piece in my layering system. In cold weather, rain isn’t a concern, but wind can cause rapid heat loss. Preventing this with a very light breathable layer is critical. I wear my wind layer right over the top of my base layer. That way as I add insulation, I don’t need to switch garments around or size my wind layer to be huge to fit over additional layers.
I prefer a vest for my wind layer because I’m more concerned with protecting my torso from heat loss. My arms do just fine without extra wind protection. The sleeveless design also allows venting from the armpits without the weight of pit zips. My preference for vests greatly limits the options, most manufacturers produce wind jackets. I’m not very good at sewing, so I hesitate to buy a jacket and cut off the sleeves.
The Driclime vest from Marmot is a well thought out wind layer. Not only does it help block wind, but it has a little bit of insulation. The key is, they only put the insulation where it matters. When wearing a pack, the back is very insulated by the backpack. Extra insulation there is a waste. Marmot chose to leave the back panel free of insulation. This saves some weight and keeps the insulation where it matters.
No insulation on the back where a pack provides all the insulation you need. . . great design.
Overall, this is my favorite cold weather wind layer. Once the temperatures are below freezing, I live in a base layer shirt and my Driclime vest, rarely taking it off.
Tags: clothing, cold, Driclime, layering, Marmot, vest, wind layer
Choosing baselayers has become a tricky process with the increasing availability of high quality wool and an increasing range of synthetics. Both choices have pros and cons. Here is what I’ve found personally.
Synthetic
Synthetic baselayers are incredibly efficient at moisture transport. They don’t absorb the moisture which means they dry rapidly, although, they can dry too rapidly, inducing a chilly feeling in windy conditions.
Synthetic baselayers retain their shape, no matter how wet and abused they get. No amount of rough handling or days of wear seem to change a synthetic baselayer.
Synthetic baselayers (well, most all synthetics really) can trap odors and get really smelly after a few days of use. On solo trips, this really doesn’t matter, but when sharing a tent with a partner. . .
Wool
Despite the itchy association I have due to cheap woolen garments from my childhood, wool baselayers are very comfortable. The wool used in baselayers is high quality, and much like a quality business suit, the wool is soft and luxurious feeling, rather than rough and scratchy.
However, wool, like most natural fibers, holds moisture. It gets heavy when wet, and can be very slow to dry. However, I often find wool still feels comfortable even when wet.
Wool stretches and loses shape. When wool gets wet, this happens quite quickly, in my experience. The areas I notice it first are in the knees and elbows, where lots of motion tends to stretch out the garments. I prefer a snug fit to my baselayers so that they wick the moisture off of my skin rapidly. As wool loses shape, it becomes less efficient at wicking moisture. However, washing and dry the wool seems to restore the original shape.
Wool doesn’t absorb odors as easily as synthetics. This is a huge positive when you want to smell somewhat presentable.
What do I use and when?
For single day outings, such as a hike or a day of climbing, I prefer the comfort and odor free properties of wool. I prefer something like Icebreaker Bodyfit 200. This is a good general weight for cold weather activities, and is quite comfortable.
If I’ll be out more than one day, for backpacking, mountaineering, etc, I switch to synthetics. I like to go lightweight, and wet wool is not light. I don’t carry spare baselayers to change into when one set gets wet, so synthetics rule on long trips.
For my legs, I really like Patagonia Capilene 2. For my torso, I like a light baselayer with a zipneck so that I can adjust according to the conditions, like the Marmot Lightweight Zip Neck.
Final thought
For climbing use, I strongly recommend choosing lighter colors for baselayers. It can be brutally sunny at altitude, or on a glacier, and having a light color to reflect that sunlight can help keep you cooler. Dark colors can feel very hot very fast under those conditions. Grey is a good color as it is light enough to feel cool, yet dark enough to not easily show how dirty it really is.
Tags: baselayer, capilene, icebreaker, Marmot, Patagonia, synthetic, wool
If you are a intimidated by sharpening your knives on a whetstone, here is a simple way to make it easy to keep your blades sharp without messing them up.
Prepare your whetstone with some water or oil. Personally, I like to use WD-40 on my whetstone. It flows away easily, carrying all the bits of metal. It is also very easy to spray some more WD-40 on it to clean it off.
Take a black permanent marker and color the honed portion of your blade. Now pass the blade on the whetstone like usual. Look at the blade and you can easily verify whether or not you are holding the knife at the original angle because you will see where the black marker has been worn off. Adjust the angle if need be and take another pass on the whetstone. Check and adjust, check and adjust.
Keep this up until all the black is worn off and the edge is honed nice and smooth.
Tags: knife, sharpening
Los Glaciares is the Argentine national park in Patagonia. If you are going to climb Fitzroy, Cerro Torre, or any of the other amazing peaks, this is the park. It is a fantastic place, and once you are there, you will never want to leave.
Trail to Lago Sucia
Getting There
When you arrive in Argentina, you’ll land at EZE (Ezeiza International Airport) in Buenos Aires. Aerolineas Argentinas and LAN are the only airlines I know of that fly from Buenos Aires to El Calafate, although I did recently read an article that flights to El Calafate would increase, so perhaps there are more options now.
Unfortunately, you won’t be flying out of EZE to El Calafate. . . you must take a taxi or other transport to the domestic airport: Jorge Newbery (AEP). I paid in the range of 100 Argentine pesos for a taxi.
First stop – El Calafate
Arriving in El Calafate, you’ll be in a small airport, and there are bus services set up to take passengers in to town to the bus station. I would strongly recommend spending some time in El Calafate, if for no other reason than to purchase the bulk of your food. Perito Moreno Glaciar is also available as a quick trip from El Calafate. Once you arrive in El Chalten, food is available, but not nearly as much, nor the variety available in El Calafate. From the bus station in town, you can pick up any number of busses that will take you to El Chalten. It is a beautiful drive, but also a good chance to catch up on sleep.
Arriving in El Chalten
The bus I used dropped us off at the very large Rancho Grande hostel. This is nice, because the trailhead to Fitzroy is a quick walk up the street from the hostel. The downside is that you must walk all the way back to where the road comes into El Chalten to the Ranger Station to get your climbing permit first, and to get the trailhead to Cerro Torre. Rancho Grande had rooms at about 30 pesos when I was there. This is a great place to meet climbers, have some beer, watch TV, etc.
Campamento Rio Blanco has running water!
Across the street from Rancho Grande are some little markets where you can pick up some more food, chocolate, empanadas, and importantly, boxes of wine for the trip up to the base camp. From the road, when looking at these tiendas, you’ll see a little road/path to the right. If you go up there, there is a place where you can tent camp for just a few pesos per night. There is running water, bathrooms, and showers, plus a wind shelter with tables and benches for cooking.
If you follow San Martin street away from the trailhead, towards the entrance to the town (and the Ranger Station), you’ll eventually come to a bigger grocery store just before the corner where San Martin ends. This is a good place to get any fruits and veggies you want, as well as dried sausages and salami (look for the dried chorizo, it is amazing) There is also an outfitter around the corner to the right. This outfitter was the only location I could find with white gas (bencina blanca) and kerosene (queroseno). The shop also had nice individual packets of various foods and condiments. There are fuel stations if you are willing to use auto gas or diesel in your stove.
Also on San Martin are some bakeries where you can buy “facturas” (this confused me greatly at first, as factura is Spanish for bill or receipt, but in Argentina, they are a type of pastry too). Stock up on facturas and empanadas just before you head up to base camp. You’ll appreciate those things (and that important box of delicious malbec wine) while waiting out the weather in camp.
There was an ATM in El Chalten when I was there. It is located closer to the entrance to the town, on the way to the Ranger Station. However, it was the only ATM I found.
Campamento Rio Blanco – Fitzroy’s base camp for climbers
Inside the cabin at Campamento Rio Blanco
As you walk up San Martin, towards the mountains, you’ll arrive at the trailhead to the various campgrounds and Fitzroy. From that spot, it is about 3 or 3.5 hours walk on the trail to get to Rio Blanco for climbers, or if you are just trekking, maybe 2.5 to 3 hours to get to the trekking camp. Of course, that time is only for the first time you make the hike. . . I kept stopping to take photos which slowed me down considerably. Subsequent journeys back to town for more wine and facturas usually only take 2 or 2.5 hours each way. It is a beautiful hike.
The camp is quite nice, with some latrines, a little cabin for cooking, eating, and waiting out storms, and a small stream nearby with potable water. We were all drinking directly from the stream with no ill effects. There was a sign up indicating that the water was potable, so check before you drink.
On the trail near the camp is a 3 sided shelter for trekkers to stop and rest or have lunch. Near that shelter is a nice spot of grass that gets some sun. This is a good place to relax and dry gear on days that are too windy to do much of anything.
During the briefing at the Ranger Station, they indicated to me that camping outside of the designated camps was prohibited. However, climbers could bivy on the approach of their climbs. In addition, climbers were asked to pack out their waste from Paso Superior. Please respect these rules and keep Patagonia beautiful.
It doesn't get much better than this - Fitzroy on the right.
Getting Home
I used Aerolineas Argentinas. They require a telephone check in 72 hours before the flight. There are several telephone shops, some with internet, available along San Martin for this purpose. I ran into extremely long wait times on hold for Aerolineas, and had to return to a telephone shop about 3 times before I finally was able to speak to a customer service representative.
Another thing to keep in mind is flexibility. Things go wrong, schedules change, etc. Keep a positive attitude. Aerolineas changed my flights both going and returning from El Chalten, but they did take care of me and paid all my expenses (taxi, hotel, dinner) to spend the night in Buenos Aires. Being friendly goes a long way. Even though I speak Spanish, Aerolineas used English speaking staff, and they called the taxi company and the hotel, and had everything pre-arranged. All I had to do was wake up, get dressed and walk down to the lobby of the hotel where the taxi was already waiting for me. I enjoyed my free night in Buenos Aires, it is one of my favorite cities.
Anything else?
Please feel free to leave any questions in the comments section. Patagonia is a very special place, and I hope this little guide helps you get there and enjoy it!
Tags: Argentina, Cerro Torre, climbing, El Calafate, El Chalten, Fitzroy, Los Glaciares, Patagonia, Poincenot, Rio Blanco, trekking
It is no surprise that I enjoy the cold, and so it is no surprise that I’ve spent a lot of time in some cold places. I’ve learned a lot of things about how to sleep comfortably in the cold. Here is what I do.
Prepared for a cold night in the Andes
I take a good look at the historical temperature and weather data. This helps me to select equipment. The first piece of equipment most of us think about for our sleep system is the sleeping bag.
Sleeping Bag
One of the rules of thumb I hear often is to use a sleeping bag rated to 10F degrees lower than the coldest temperature you expect to see. Personally, I find this is pretty bad advice for three reasons.
First, on a longer trip, there are going to be warm days and cold days. There is nothing worse than sweating all night in a bag because unzipping the bag leaves you too chilled, but the bag is too heavy for the temperatures you are seeing that night. This is very easy to experience in sub zero temperatures. A bag rated for –40F is going to feel really warm in -20F conditions, but –20F is really cold if you aren’t wrapped up in that sleeping bag.
Second, there is no reason not to utilize the insulation you are packing for the day. Those layers of clothes are effective insulation during the day and at night. In addition, I’m not a fan of stripping down out of my layers in sub-zero temperatures and getting dressed again in the morning. It just isn’t comfortable and can be pretty dangerous to expose yourself to serious cold. Sleeping in my clothes is standard.
Finally, there are a few other things you can use to increase your insulation when the temperatures plunge lower. First, I’ll throw my belay jacket over the top of my sleeping bag. I’ll wear a balaclava to sleep. A sleeping pad and proper shelter from the wind can help dramatically as well. A sturdy water bottle filled with hot water can also help warm things up in the bag. Use this method with caution as a leak could be disastrous.
This is why I usually select a bag that is rated to temperatures 10 to 20F above the temperatures I’m expecting. I like a –20F bag for anything down to –40F or so. Similarly, a 20F bag is just fine down to 0F. By taking a bag rated that way, I get some weight savings, which is always important.
An important point to keep in mind is to never pull your face inside your sleeping bag. You exhale large quantities of moisture which will penetrate the insulation in your bag and cause cold spots and problems. Don’t do it.
Sleeping Pad
The ground is generally a far better conductor of heat than the air. It is vitally important to have good insulation between your body and the ground. Your sleeping bag isn’t enough, because your body compresses the bag where you lay on it, and prevents it from holding nice warm air in the insulation.
I have used foam pads as my sleeping pads extensively. I’ll still use foam in very warm weather. Closed cell foam is a great pad material. I strongly recommend carrying at least a small square to sit on in the winter. This could be the back pad/frame of a daypack or summit pack.
There are now much better choices for extreme cold weather. Various inflatable pads offer much better protection from cold ground. Just like your fluffy down sleeping bag holds warm air close to you, an inflatable pad holds warm air close to you. These can be insulated with synthetic materials, foam, or down.
My long time favorite is the Thermarest pad. I have one that is about 15 years old, and it still works great. I’ve upgraded to a down filled air mat, in hopes that the greater ground insulation allows me to push my sleep system to even colder temperatures.
Shelter
A good shelter is a necessity to protect from the wind and any snow / ice getting blown around. I’ll sleep under the stars in hot weather, but in extreme cold, the consequences of not having shelter are substantially more severe. I’ve used a variety of shelters, from tarps, to snow caves, to tents. They are all good options and I’ll continue to use all of those options. However, I do have a preference for tents for a few reasons.
Snow shelters are slow to build. They take a lot of time, and can be difficult in certain snow conditions. This takes a lot of time each day if you are moving from camp to camp. However, they are warm and really weatherproof. You can get away with a much lighter sleeping bag if you use good snow shelters. They are a great option for base-camps.
Tarps are fast and light, but don’t protect like a tent or snow shelter. They can be used to make faster snow shelters, like a trench shelter with the tarp over the top. I like tarps quite a bit because of this versatility and light weight. However, in general, a tarp will offer the least protection from brutal wind and wind driven snow that is often seen at altitude.
Tents are more weatherproof than tarps, and faster than snow shelters. They are the middle ground. I prefer a very light and simple single wall tent for the bulk of cold weather situations. I prefer to size the tent as small as possible so that my body heat is able to warm the interior quite a bit. The key is to have lots of guy line available. This allows you to anchor the tent securely even in harsh conditions.
A very light tarp is handy to have even with a tent or snow shelter because it allows you to have a protected kitchen / dining area. Cutting the wind not only keeps you warmer, but can help increase the efficiency of your cooking system. The weight of the tarp can easily pay for itself with a decreased fuel load. You can also hang clothes to dry under a tarp, allowing them to get lots of good airflow, but not get hit with falling snow.
Clothing
When I was a child, I heard that in the winter, it was best to sleep naked or in underwear only. I’m not sure how or why that rumor developed, but it is ridiculous. I wear clothes to sleep. In extreme cold, it isn’t very pleasant to wake up in the morning and put on cold, frozen-stiff clothes. That means I keep my clothes in my sleeping bag at night anyway. So, rather than wasting that insulation value by padding the foot of my sleeping bag, I keep the clothes on and wear them to sleep. The key is not to overstuff my sleeping bag though. This means I don’t wear my belay jacket into the sleeping bag because it is too big and the insulation ends up compressed. Instead, I drape it over the top of my sleeping bag, over the chest area to add a bit more insulation where it matters.
I have an old habit of putting any wind shell layers between my sleeping bag and sleeping pad. In the past, before I had a thick, high insulating value sleeping pad and a sleeping bag with a waterproof breathable shell, I’d often find frost between my bag and pad. I’d put my shell between my sleeping bag and sleeping pad to prevent the possibility of them freezing together during the night. I haven’t experienced the frost issues anymore, but I still often tuck my wind shells under my sleeping bag to keep them warm.
Finally, the same clothing practices that keep you warm on the move will keep you warm in your sleeping bag. A nice dry pair of thick socks works wonders for keeping the feet comfortable. I’ll usually have my wool hat and my balaclava tucked in the hood of my sleeping bag. If I get cold, particularly as the night goes on and gets colder, I can layer my hats to hold in the heat, and the balaclava prevents the temptation to bury my face in the sleeping bag and ruin the down insulation.
Some things I haven’t tried but have seen others use to good effect are insulated booties. Several brands make these, and they are basically down or synthetic insulated booties that are worn into the sleeping bag and inside the tent. I haven’t really felt the need, as I don’t seem to get cold feet. But it is something to keep in mind.
Miscellaneous
One of the key things I’ve noticed over the years is the difference between being warm and feeling warm. Using this system, I am warm and safe. The first few nights in extreme cold, especially if I’ve just come from a very hot climate, can really be rough. I feel cold. But I’m just fine, I am warm and safe. I simply need to acclimate to the cold, the same way I need to acclimate to altitude. That is a key point to remember.
Wrap-up
So, what does my extreme cold weather sleep kit look like now?
Bibler Eldorado tent (see my review here)
Exped Downmat 9 (see my review here)
Marmot Col EQ –20F sleeping bag (see my review here)
Patagonia DAS Parka
Patagonia Micro Puff pants
Outdoor Research balaclava
Wool hat
Tags: belay jacket, Bibler, Col, Downmat 9, Eldorado, Exped, extreme cold weather, Marmot, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, snow shelter, tent
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