Date: Fri, 15 Dec 2000 13:43:20 +0000
Reply-To: "Dave C." <vinniethe85vanagon@MAC.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: "Dave C." <vinniethe85vanagon@MAC.COM>
Subject: Re: Cold Weather Camping Question (Dave's disertation on cold
weather issues)
In-Reply-To: <B635107BDBB4D311A58A00508B91A2E26F6049@NTS1>
Content-type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"
on 12/14/2000 7:43 PM, Joe Gawzner at joeg@ZEEMEDICALINC.COM wrote:
> For those of you who have taken your Vanagon camping in the colder climes,
> what sort of sleeping bag have you used when camping overnight in 10 - 32
> degree situations? I know I read on the list that the poptop should remain
> down or insulate it as some have written about. And I know that I can use a
> heater - either one of those from that website or a small one (I have a
> Coleman cat heater for the AM, but do not want to use it all night if a bag
> will do). I figure that with the protection from the basic elements in the
> van, I could use a 25 degree bag no problem, but would hate to be wrong!!!
> Thanks,
> Joe Gawzner
> 90 Syncro Westy Subaru Conversion
I spent 3.5 years training specialty outdoor retail staff members of a large
regional chain on most aspects of outdoor gear. I'm now founder and
president of GearKnowledgeWorks!, a firm producing a line of training videos
for specialty outdoor retailers.
We personally use his-n-hers Mountain Hardwear Tioga sleeping bags. They are
550 fill power down, rated -5š F and we bought them left and right zip to
facilitate tandem sleeping arrangements which is nice and toasty as well.
One list member has a saying "The power of tw0"!
Several years ago we experienced about -11š F in Vinnie while in valleys of
the Green Mtns during December in Vermont. The poptop was down and we used
two Marmot down sleeping bags, one rated at -5š and the other +10š. The
hardest part was getting out in the morning to get dressed in regular
clothes!
Regarding cold weather camping/sleeping:
Sleeping bag temperature ratings are not yet standardized in the outdoor
industry. There are a number of "assumptions" that go with those ratings.
My suggestion is to think of the coldest temps you would want to be sleeping
in the van and buy a bag 10š lower than that temp.
Mummy bags are the warmest bags from a bag shape standpoint. They aren't
the most roomy, but then again I've never had the urge to lay spread eagle
when it's really cold. Humans (unconsciously) assume more energy efficient
shapes when cold to conserve heat. That's why we ball our hands up if they
are cold for example. Shape plays an important role in heat retention. Try
several models for comfort and space as different mfgrs cut bags on
different patterns.
The bag should have a contoured hood (with a draw cord around the face) to
retain precious heat lost through the skull. We are estimated to lose 40-60%
of heat through the top of our head. We gotta keep that computer in our
skull warm to work apparently and there is little insulation on our heads.
So, Grandma was right; hands cold? put on a hat. Wear a fleece or wool hat
while sleeping to increase comfort.
Fuel your personal heat furnace with plenty of food before bedding down.
When it's cold don't worry about fat content. Fat has 9 calories per gram
compared to carbs at 7 calories /g I think. Go for the stuff that will kill
you in regular life and eat well! Hard to generate heat without fuel. That's
a common mistake with a lot of folks.
Drink lots of water prior to bed. Resign yourself to a midnight pitstop.
You will sleep better for it. Dehydration causes the blood to thicken making
it harder for your heart to push the blood around your body. Resulting in
you sleeping colder.
Stay away from alcohol. It doesn't help you stay warm when it's cold.
Dress in a base layer (next to skin) of synthetic or wool fiber. This wicks
moisture we generate away from your skin. Staying warm is 32 times harder
when damp. Stay dry as you can, even while sleeping.
Layer up even in your bag to extend the range of your "normal" bag if
necessary. One can fill the excess spaces in your bag with unused clothing
to reduce the amount of energy required to maintain temp.
Down is still the most efficient/compressible insulator used and also has
the longest lifespan. Most synthetics in use rely on a heat set crimp on a
polyester fiber to achieve loft. Over time (regardless of use) that crimp
relaxes and your once 20š F bag evolves into a 40š F bag. There is nothing
one can do to stop this phenomenon totally other than storing the bag
properly to ensure max lifespan. Down will absorb more moisture and loft
(and thus heat retention qualities) will be lost. I've never had a problem
with this in the van during cold temps though. For mostly humid or maritime
conditions I would go with the synthetic for faster dry times. Not to
mention polyesters are hydrophobic (hate water). FYI-"fill power" refers to
the amount of cubic inches an ounce of down will fill. The higher the
number, the better the down and more costly the bag. Our Tiogas are standard
550 fill. Next step up commonly is 650, next again would be 775 fill power
(these bags are really expensive but oh so incredibly warm)
Comfort wise down sleeps better than synthetics because of it's better
breathability. Many people report that synthetics tend to feel "sweatier"
than down bags.
High tech face fabrics help to calm heat lost through the fabrics
themselves. I have a video tape from W.L. Gore demonstrating the benefit of
Dryloft® fabric used in sleeping bags. When one looks at a thermograph
comparison of a bag made of regular nylon face fabric and a fabric like say
Dryloft®, one sees a great deal of heat "pushed" through the fabric as the
test subject moves about while sleeping. Meanwhile the subject with the
Dryloft® face fabric maintains much more heat inside the bag. But these bags
cost upward of $500.00. Not for most folks.
Cheers,
Dave C.
Williamsburg, VA
zzzzzzzzz__
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'85 GL Westy (His)
'91 Cabriolet (Hers)
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