Sleeping bag for winter

[stumpyfsr]

Hello, bikepackers!
 I need a little help with sleeping bag for winter bikepacking, specifically in Minnesota/Wisconsin area. I have a Marmot Photon 40+ dawn bag and REI Halo 25+ bag. The question is if combining these two bags will dramatically improve temperature rating and if so, what limit could it be? Simply don't want to invest in another bag, like Neversummer or similar.
Also I use a 3-season tent and a self-inflating sleeping pad (REI Treker 1.75), which also help with insulation a little.
Never camped in winter before but I'm used to cold while skiing all day long.
Any input appreciated.

[Colorado Cool Breeze]

I winter camp in Colorado and use 20 degree down sleeping bag and add winter clothing to increase my sleep systems rating.
A nice down coat with hood and insulated over pants. These can be worn around camp as well.
Been using this system for the last 3 years.

[stumpyfsr]

Thank You, Colorado Cool Breeze, for reply. Will post report after completion.

[sfuller]

A silk inner liner made my 40F down bag warmer on a 28F camp in a single wall Nemo bivy last weekend. I had a reflective sunscreen between my bag and my old air filled thermarest. Combined with a hat, and some other merino clothes I was perfectly comfortable all night (even a bit warm).

[stumpyfsr]

Thanks, Sfuller. I'm usually carry emergency (reflective) blanket but never used myself. Also, when on fishing trip to Boundary Waters, I gave it to my friend (he had summer bag) and that changed his comfort level in a better way.
I'm sceptical about my REI bag after I felt cold in Utah last year only a little below freezing. Will follow your advice, guys, and pack dawn clothing with me... Just in case

[JayP]

combining bags works, but nothing compares to real down loft in a real temperature rated bag for the temperature that your bike packing in. i have compromised, geeked out on all different combos of sleeping systems - bottom line is there is always compromise...the question when trying to put together a "layering system" is what, where and how are you willing to compromise and what are your goals and how long are you out for.

i love going light and compromising when goal driven and racing.

i hate the above when i am casual touring/exploring.

i use love ALL my Montbell sleeping bags, the spiral stretch is sick!

-JayP

[stumpyfsr]

Thank You, JayP. Absolutely agree on compromising.
And yes, proper equipment always better then improvising. Still, gotta try with what I have and see how it works.

[Colorado Cool Breeze]

I'm sceptical about my REI bag after I felt cold in Utah last year only a little below freezing.
Will follow your advice, guys, and pack down clothing with me... Just in case

I'd recommend your over pants be polartec or something that still insulates when wet and they are a lot cheaper.

[stumpyfsr]

I'd recommend your over pants be polartec or something that still insulates when wet and they are a lot cheaper.

Thank You. Then I'll be fine with my Patagonia base layers and balaclava.

[Eric]

Just a note, Colorado is a bit warmer than the OP's location in winter. Get a good winter rated pad and try what you mention. Adding the puff pants & down jacket helps a lot and is a heck of a lot cheaper than a nice -20 to -40 down bag.
Fleece pants are quite bulky and if you are only using them for sleeping it's a loose / loose for warmth, weight and compressibility.

[stumpyfsr]

Thanks. I don't like fleece in general - it builds so much static, that I can't touch any metal without a spark
Guess, my skiing clothing will help me not to just survive but to enjoy winter in the woods.

[Colorado Cool Breeze]

Just a note, Colorado is a bit warmer than the OP's location in winter. Get a good winter rated pad and try what you mention. Adding the puff pants & down jacket helps a lot and is a heck of a lot cheaper than a nice -20 to -40 down bag.
Fleece pants are quite bulky and if you are only using them for sleeping it's a loose / loose for warmth, weight and compressibility.

Good point Eric.
My recommendation was not for all possible temperatures that a MN/WI or even CO winter could throw at him.
stumpyfsr,
sorry if I mislead you to believe that polartec over pants and a down jacket would allow you to survive a -30F night.

[stumpyfsr]

Good point Eric.
My recommendation was not for all possible temperatures that a MN/WI or even CO winter could throw at him.
stumpyfsr,
sorry if I mislead you to believe that polartec over pants and a down jacket would allow you to survive a -30F night.

Actually, I knew about that difference. Minnesota with higher humidity could be very cold. I wouldn't even start this topic if I was going to camp with anybody else. Usually I camp by myself and trying to minimize chances of any mistake.
Thank you, everyone who replied, for valuable info.

[ddelong02]

I winter camp in Colorado and use 20 degree down sleeping bag and add winter clothing to increase my sleep systems rating.
A nice down coat with hood and insulated over pants. These can be worn around camp as well.
Been using this system for the last 3 years.



Is that a winter cycling helmet? It looks as though the ears are padded. I just did a quick Google and found nothing. What brand is that?

[stumpyfsr]

Is that a winter cycling helmet? It looks as though the ears are padded. I just did a quick Google and found nothing. What brand is that?

It looks pretty similar to my skiing helmet, which I sometimes use for biking singletrack too. You can find those at any ski retailer.

[Colorado Cool Breeze]

Is that a winter cycling helmet? It looks as though the ears are padded. I just did a quick Google and found nothing. What brand is that?

''Hi ddelong02, welcome to the forum.
Check out Protec Ace Helmets.
The inside has a removable washable insulated brain cap as well as padded ear flaps.
It's great for winter riding. I also add a thin balaclava to keep the chin and neck warm.
You can also buy ski goggles to fit these helmets which offer much more eye and face protection in the cold wind than sun glasses.

hth

Never be afraid to look outside the sport of biking for better gear.

[Damnitman]

I've been looking at experimenting with something, well not completely different...but not conventional...
I have been looking at combining...
one of these-http://www.nunatakusa.com/site07/other_bags/raku.htm
with one of these-http://www.exped.com/exped/web/exped_homepage_na.nsf
and then one of these-http://www.hilleberg.com/home/products/bivanorak/bivanorak.php

...problem is I don't have $1000 for the overstuffed -20 Raku...

Kickstarter anyone?

[Colorado Cool Breeze]

I've been looking at experimenting with something, well not completely different...but not conventional...
I have been looking at combining...
one of these-http://www.nunatakusa.com/site07/other_bags/raku.htm
with one of these-http://www.exped.com/exped/web/exped_homepage_na.nsf
and then one of these-http://www.hilleberg.com/home/products/bivanorak/bivanorak.php

...problem is I don't have $1000 for the overstuffed -20 Raku...

Kickstarter anyone?

I like your idea. Sounds super warm.
I have one of those bivanorak in green. Never used it.
Just too minimalist for me. I think I'll be selling it in the classified.

[Slim]

Stumpy and others:

+1 on the warm clothes.

• You will need them in camp anyway
• If you are carrying it, why not use it at night, else it's dead weight
• It gives you the flexibility to adpat to varying temps on your trip
• Can you say 'night time pee break?

Even in Minnesota I rarely wear high loft (down, synthetic fill) pants while active. It would have to be very cold and windy at the same time. This depends on how hard you are working too. If you are taking it easy, or not in great shape like me, you will wear them more often than someone in peak shape pushing hard.

For short trips down is usually ok. It is on longer trips that you start accumulating moisture in your insulation from perspiration that problems arise.

I typically use a ~15F bag, combined with powerstretch top and bottom and thick insulated pants and parka and down slippers inside a breathable bivy sack and with thick pads.

Did you say your pad was 1.75" thick? That's probably ok. If it's thinner a good, cheap, addition is a large (25" wide) thin closed cell foam pad. This will add insulation and keep you from touching the ground next to your pad with a knee or hand.

Doubling up on bags or wearing clothes inside only works if there is enough room for the down to loft a bit. If, so, two bags are just as warm as one bag with the same fill, just  heavier.

I also wear my ski helmet for winter biking. If it's very windy a well vented full face(DH) helmet is great too, as it provides windp[rotection for the face without breathing and fogging issues.

[Area54]

I just went though this process with my local outfitter, for AK in Jan/Feb.

I was thinking the same, going with a big bag, but we worked with some of the gear I already had, to finish with a really cool modular system.

System:
OR Alpine bivy
Mont Helium 450
Mont bell spiral down hugger
Mtn Hardwear synth puff pants
Mtn Designs 700 hooded down puff jacket
tech fleece
icebreaker GT 200 base
Exped synmat UL7
Z lite pad

The only thing I needed to buy for this was the Helium bag, had everything else. Ended up with a very packable, modular system, amazed how compact the helium was when packed!

This gave me a main bag I can use around here (instead of only OS when it is in double negatives) so far more versatile in the long term, but YMMV. Double use then of the puff when stopping for meals/water and system redundancy in case of single component failure (water contamination). Admit it does take more time to setup - as opposed to a single bag system like the Exped waterbloc 1200 which I also liked, but I aint made of money - so modular suits me fine.