Quilt on top to boost sleeping bag?

[Drew]

Only a week until my partner and I head off to Peru, and under two weeks until we should be hiking the Ausangate Circuit!

I was hoping to get a gear list up on here for a gear check, but not sure I'll get time for that. One thing I've been unable to decide on (having been pondering it for ages) is whether our sleeping bags are up to the job. I pretty much decided a while ago that they'd be fine, with warm liners, plenty of layers and Nalgene hot water bottles if required. But I keep having doubts...

Most things I've read have led me to expect overnight temps between 0 and -10C.

My sleeping bag is rated -11 comfort (and is only a few years old), but I'm a bit of a cold sleeper (my body just seems to get cold after too long lying still, almost regardless of what I'm sleeping in - I need 3am pushups!). My partner's bag is rated to -8 (it's a women's specific bag, and is closer to 10 years old), but she's a warmer sleeper. We have Klymit Ultralight Insulated mats that are R 4.4 rated (will probably also rent cheap, think CCF mats in Peru). We have Sea to Summit Thermolite Reactor Plus liners (benefits greatly exaggerated but they still add a bit of warmth). Tent has a solid inner. Nights will be long!

The obvious answer is to just rent warmer bags in Cusco! However from what I've read it sounds like rental bags are almost all very heavy synthetic bags (for ease of regular washing), likely to weigh 2kg or more. Most people have mules to carry them. We'll carry our own packs, so super heavy bags are not an appealing option.

An idea I've been contemplating is taking my Enlightened Equipment quilt (rated to 1 celsius) to supplement our sleeping bags? I'm thinking we'd open it up completely and lay it over the top of both of our sleeping bags. It might add a good amount of insulation for only 500gm or so. Thoughts? Sound worthwhile? It probably won't fully cover us both but would go close to it (maybe we'll test it). It's so light that I don't think it would compress the down of the bags underneath it.

Thanks for any ideas/suggestions.

[Moondog55]

Is it wide enough to cover both bags? so mainly the cold sleeper will benefit, Personally I'd be taking it if you are at all worried.
You are aware of the insulation compression issues so I assume your sleeping layers don't reduce the bags loft.
Remember that midnite snack

[Franco]

Do you wear warm but loose clothing inside the SB ?

[Drew]

Is it wide enough to cover both bags? so mainly the cold sleeper will benefit, Personally I'd be taking it if you are at all worried.
You are aware of the insulation compression issues so I assume your sleeping layers don't reduce the bags loft.
Remember that midnite snack

I just gave it a quick try and it's not really wide enough to fully cover both bags. But it could be used sideways and would completely cover the both of our core areas. Or, it could be used by just one person (presumably my partner whose sleeping bag isn't as warm), attached with straps the way the quilt is normally used. I think that would really boost the insulation (without compressing it). One issue with using it over both of us might be that the slippery shell fabric might slide off each time we roll over.

I've never tried the midnight snack for warmth. I've never been cold enough to do it I guess - I just lie there being a bit cold for the last couple of hours before dawn and don't do anything about it, except maybe adding a layer.

Do you wear warm but loose clothing inside the SB ?

In cool conditions I normally wear merino long johns and long sleeve base layer top. And socks and beanie. I sometimes put on a light fleece too. On this trip I might be adding fleece pants and down jacket if things get really cold - I imagine though I'll start feeling a bit squeezed for space in the sleeping bag with all that on though!

Of course I will also look at what's available for hire. If there are decent looking warmer bags for rent that weigh around 1.5 kg then we'll get them.

[Franco]

" I imagine though I'll start feeling a bit squeezed for space in the sleeping bag with all that on though!'
you could always try it at home... (for fit)
It is easy to lose heat by turning inside the SB particularly when there is empty space in there. If you reduce the air space it might work better.
Of course it does not work well if it is too tight either.

[Gadgetgeek]

I think you will probably be fine with what you have. Even a small snack just fires your body back up, and you'll be able to go back to sleep. The EN rating is only for 4 hours of sleep at a time, so getting in a few crunches will warm you back up and then its back to snooze-ville. I don't think you will get through every night without waking up a bit chilly, but without spending more, either cash or weight, not much more to do. That said, I've had good luck adding a quilt over a bag, and its worked for me, but its hard to get the whole thing to stick together, as you figured, slippery fabric and all that.

[rcaffin]

We have had great joy from an over-quilt covering the two of us. It shares the warmth.
Check your mats though: many 'cold nights' are due to an inadequate mat leaking lots of heat to the ground.

Cheers
Roger

[Moondog55]

Drew I have a feeling you will be fine but I have a synthetic overbag here you can borrow if the 1100 g weight doesn't bother you

[Drew]

Thanks all.

I'm going to try getting in to the bag with my layers and see how it feels. If I can comfortably wear all those layers I think I'll leave the quilt at home.

And I need to make an effort to do something about being cold (whether it's some sit-ups, eating something, adding more clothes, or doing some star jumps during my nocturnal toilet trip), rather than just lying there being cold!

I think we'll definitely try to rent some CCF mats to eliminate heat loss from our mats. Very little weight penalty for a lot more warmth I think (and cost should be only a few dollars).

Thanks for the offer Moondog. It's very kind of you but I think we'll do without.

I might try to find a little thermometer too so I can actually report back about how cold it really is!

[Moondog55]

As per my PM A twin/double UL bivvy cover top also traps a lot of warmth and increases the size of the warm bubble of air

[andrewa]

Wear a down jkt to bed, and if it doesn't fit inside your sleeping bag, then partially unzip sleeping bag to use as a semi- quilt. Underneath insulation is most important . Makes a huge difference.

A

[Mickl]

There's definitely something to be said for the cheap ccf mats under an air mat and eating a good feed before bed. I have just got back from a trip in the Flinders and as I was really cold on the same trip last year. This year I used a cheap foam mat under my Exped UL7 mat and also made a point of eating some chocolate each night while lying in bed and having a warm drink as well which I normally wouldn't do. I couldn't believe how much warmer I was this time around.
The coldest night got down to around 4 degrees so not freezing by any stretch but def cold enough for me to feel cold... I was in a quilt as well and was surpised when I checked my watch thermometer early one morning to see how warm it was in my quilt as apposed to outside temp....Prob why I was trying to vent the quilt at various times....

[Moondog55]

Oops
I think we may all have forgotten the CostCo down throws here.
Two of these stitched together would make a decent enough topper. Assuming there was enough time to get a couple and run some stitches that is.
It is difficult to have too much insulation under you, the more you have is better is

[Drew]

I think we may all have forgotten the CostCo down throws here.

That would work well Moondog. I wonder if just one would do the trick - at 152cm x 177cm it might cover the two of us well enough.
I think I have a friend with Costco membership.

[Drew]

I was in a quilt as well and was surpised when I checked my watch thermometer early one morning to see how warm it was in my quilt as apposed to outside temp....Prob why I was trying to vent the quilt at various times....

Very toasty in there!

[Moondog55]

I think we may all have forgotten the CostCo down throws here.

That would work well Moondog. I wonder if just one would do the trick - at 152cm x 177cm it might cover the two of us well enough.
I think I have a friend with Costco membership.

2 stitched together would be better; 3000 * 1770, run a cord in a tunnel at one end to gather it and you loose 300mm of length, just tack the opposing corners together or use a big button and a loop of cord
I don't know why I didn't suggest it in the first place because this is what I intendedto for Cecile and I

[Drew]

I'd forgotten about this thread that I started. I did end up taking the quilt on the first of our two hikes in Peru (Ausangate). On the first night I had it out of its bag and ready to pull over us but it wasn't needed - it just got damp from condensation down at the end of the tent. It didn't get as cold as we'd anticipated (coldest night probably around -5) and it stayed in its bag for the rest of the hike. We left it behind for the next hike.
We bought a cheap CCF mat in Cusco which we cut in half to have one short mat each under our other mats.
Trip report for Ausangate is up if anyone's interested: viewtopic.php?f=43&t=26290

[Moondog55]

I was thinking it would have been much colder than that
Nice to get the results back tho