A Better Night's Rest

After failing to achieve a decent night's sleep, I am about to give moto-camping one last shot.

In the past couple of years I "upgraded" my tent to a Big Agnes four man tent (which I find nice and roomy, but significantly colder than my two man version of the same tent), upgraded to an Exped Downmat 9 (largest size they make) and a 20 degree down "mummy" bag from Western Mountaineering in the 6'6" version (Alpinlite: http://www.westernmountaineering.com...s&ContentId=28.)

So, having dropped over a grand on the above and not sleeping well at all, I have somewhat reluctantly decided to give it one more shot.

Figure the tent, while cold, is not the problem and I'll keep that.

I think my problem is a too-constricted mummy bag that makes rolling from one side to the other a chore and twists the bag around me so that I spend all night rearranging the bag. The bag also moves around on the pad a lot...so again, I spend all night re-positioning the bag on the pad.

I am interested in a roomier bag with an "imbedded" sleeping pad. I know of two companies that make a sleeping bag/pad comb in which the pad slides into a sleeve in the bag...Big Agnes and Nemo.

I am a Big Agnes fan, but have never tried their "one-sided" sleeping bags. Still, they have oversized bags and insulated pads that imbed...so, I'd be open to a BA solution.

The Nemo products I am interested in is the Strato Loft 25..http://www.nemoequipment.com/product/?p=Strato+Loft+25 and the Cosmo Insulated pad..http://www.nemoequipment.com/product...o+Insulated+XL

Anyone have any hands on experience with these? I should mention that most of my camping will be in the southern Appalchians during fall and spring, so temps can easily fall to the 20's. Warm/hot weather camping is of little interest to me.

Thanks in advance for your help.

To fight the cold, get a small tarp with foil on one side.

Put it under your thremarest foil side up and you will be toasty warm.

If it's really cold use 2 foil tarps, one on top foil side down.

You are now a sandwich that stays warm as it reflects the body heat back to you.

Never sleep with your cloths on.


Speaking from experience!

I was ready to quit camping. Problems were similar - twisting and turning in a snug bag and sliding off the Thermarest all the time. Voni got me the Big Agnes mattress and bag combo. The difference was night and day and I like camping again.

Our solution

My husband is also a bigger man and had the same issues with sleeping bags. So we attach our thermarest together, took a set of double bed sheets attached(sewed) top sheet to bottom fitted sheet along the bottom and elastic bed garters on each corner and make it like a regular bed with the sleeping bag open like a duvet. Solved the problem of getting twisted in the sleeping bag, and the option of just a top sheet on warmer nights.

Perhaps you could do the same with single/twin sheets.

Just our solution to a similar problem

PGlaves said:

I was ready to quit camping. Problems were similar - twisting and turning in a snug bag and sliding off the Thermarest all the time. Voni got me the Big Agnes mattress and bag combo. The difference was night and day and I like camping again.

Click to expand...

This is what I was looking for. Which BA bag/pad? What temps have you camped in? Notice any cold air intrusion where the bag insulation ends and the pad begins?

Ditto what Mr. Glaves said. Purchased BA Encampment 15 three years ago and it was a huge improvement over my old bag with Thermarest self-inflating pads. I slept poorly on any ground that wasn't perfectly level...kept slipping off. The Encampment 15 came with a 20" wide pocket for the sleeping pad. I use BA insulated aircore pad with excellent results for comfort, warmth, and no failures. BA does make a 25" width pad as well, so if you're 6ft 6" maybe the 25" option would be more roomy. I was on the edge at 5 11", 215lbs.

The bonus is that my insulated aircore pad rolls up into a MUCH smaller package than my Thermarests.

Good luck!

I have the BA squared off down bag, I think Lost Ranger, not sure. It is -15 rated. BA pad as well. THey make a triangle that expands the bag as well. I slept at Copper Mountain down to the 20's quite nicely. Again, sleep in your chonies, put a hat and/or socks as needed. half hour before getting up, bring clothes into bag to warm them up...

The BA combination is great. I also bought a folding cot. Byer of Maine has a great folding cot. The extra bulk is well worth the extra comfort at night.

...just saw your question on temps. I've camped down to 30f and stayed warm.

Big Agnes on the way!!!

Pulled the trigger on a Big Agnes bag...bought the Summit Park which is a down bag rated to 15F. Will attempt to use my Exped Downmat 9 with it (I'm told that the Exped will fit the BA bag. So, we'll see. Thanks for all your helpful suggestions.

If the bag is still too cold, try a Gortex bag cover.

The problem I have getting to sleep when camping, is worrying that old Ursus will come snuffling around.

Diann and I usually travel together, we each have a bike so gear storage isn't a problem.

We have a large tent (10 X 10), a double air mattress and two rectangular sleeping bags that we unfold and use one as the bottom bag, and one as the top bag, not zipped together.

Works great, even down at freezing temperatures...............Rod.

I'm not commenting on cold weather camping, but I have gone to using a cot with or without my thermarest on top. I find it comfortable with out the thermarest, but if I'm camped several days, and I have room I'll haul both cot and pad. I use a Go Cot. I like being a little off the ground. Makes getting up easier for my getting old bones.
http://campingcot.com/

When riding solo I have a colman single size air bed,used this set-up for years until I got my bunkhouse trailer with a nice 6 inch foam matress and now I even have a mini air conditioner which requires electricity,my bag is a cabelas 40" x 90" ,lots of room good to 20 F.always shed your cloths sleeping.