20ﾟ weather means 20 or 0ﾟ bag?

[J.flanagan]

I'm looking into a 3rd season rifle hunt for elk in Colorado over the next couple years. Looks like the yearly average temperatures for that time of year are 20 to 50ﾟF. I've not done much backpacking and I've done 0 hunting in colder weather.. Should I be looking at a 20 degree sleeping bag and an r3 sleeping pad or should I be looking at something that's rated for significantly lower than the expected average temperatures? Should I go to a 0 or negative 15 bag and a pad with R4?

 

[BRTreedogs]

Most bags the number listed is a survival rating, not a comfort rating. So yes you would want a lower rating and a good r value pad. 4.5 or higher preferably.

Far as how hot or cold you sleep that will take some trial and error. I've found i sleep much colder after hunting hard all day then I do at home. Adding some olive oil packets to my dinner adds some fat to help.

Going with a western mountaineering, feathered friends or SG chillkoot bags are known to be closer to a realistic rating.

Personally we are running the chillkoot 15 but most of my backpacking is in sept and I don't want to carry the extra weight. To circumvent that if I do end up late season backpacking I plan to sleep in my puffy coat/pants and have a small down blanket from Costco.

 

[MuleyFever]

Look for a bag with a comfort rating in your expected temp range. The number you see on the description is rarely, if ever, the comfort rating.

 

[2rocky]

I sleep hot and I tend to like a bag rated 20 deg colder than the expected temp low. I can usually sleep with the zipper open to cool myself some. With all that, my 0 degree Bag gets the call most often in the fall even if temperatures never get below freezing. My 30 degree down bag is a summer only bag when weight and compression are most important factors.

 

[Runningwater]

Definitely get an insulated pad, and for me I'd have my WM Antelope which is a 5 degree bag. If weight isn't a huge concern I'd definitely have a bag rated between 0 and 10. You can always take a beanie off your head or unzip a bit if your cold. If you bring a 20 you can manage wearing your puffy to bed. Especially if you've put in a long hard/cold day out hunting, you'll appreciate erring on the side of a little too much bag.

 

[Loper]

Most bags the number listed is a survival rating, not a comfort rating. So yes you would want a lower rating and a good r value pad. 4.5 or higher preferably.

Far as how hot or cold you sleep that will take some trial and error. I've found i sleep much colder after hunting hard all day then I do at home. Adding some olive oil packets to my dinner adds some fat to help.

Going with a western mountaineering, feathered friends or SG chillkoot bags are known to be closer to a realistic rating.

Personally we are running the chillkoot 15 but most of my backpacking is in sept and I don't want to carry the extra weight. To circumvent that if I do end up late season backpacking I plan to sleep in my puffy coat/pants and have a small down blanket from Costco.

Being from Florida I’m not used to cold weather, much less sleeping in it. I bought a 0 degree quilt from El Coyote and an XTherm pad with a 6.9 R value for the temps you are describing. Last year I was perfectly comfortable sleeping in mid to high 20 degree temps, while my buddies (also from FL) were chilly at night with their 20 degree bags. I added a bit more weight with this set up, but it was well worth the comfort and restful nights.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

For me, 20 degree weather means having a sleeping bag that's rated to about 25 degrees.

 

[J.flanagan]

Kind of along the same lines as I'm thinking through this... what's an acceptable weight and packed size for a sleeping bag? Seems like 3 lbs or so and 12liters?

 

[Mykolaivka887]

Yeah, a 3 lbs, 20 degree synthetic bag, is very attainable.

 

[Holmes]

I use a bag that is rated 10F *above* the expected low temperature. So a 20F overnight low would mean a 30F rated bag. I assume I'll be sleeping in all my clothes, including puffy pants and jacket, but excluding my rain gear.
I use a Xtherm mat with R 6.9 usually. For winter trips or when sleeping on glaciers I use an Exped with R9.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

I sleep in long johns. The human body rests colder when fully dressed.

 

[Fred]

I have learned your Pad being insulated is really a noticed part of sleeping warm no matter what you have for a sleeping bag. I have the Thermarest Neoair XTHERM and LOVE it. The down in your bag that you are laying on becomes smashed/compressed and really can't do it job. Get the Body warmers and use a couple if you need them. They are the larger hand warmer and cheap heat.

 

[sawsington]

I use a bag that is rated 10F *above* the expected low temperature. So a 20F overnight low would mean a 30F rated bag. I assume I'll be sleeping in all my clothes, including puffy pants and jacket, but excluding my rain gear.
I use a Xtherm mat with R 6.9 usually. For winter trips or when sleeping on glaciers I use an Exped with R9.

You Alaska people are a different breed. I do the opposite and go 10-20F below the low. I have a -20*F survival-rated bag that I was comfortable, but not warm, at -10F.

 

[cornfedkiller]

The human body rests colder when fully dressed.

What do you mean? You'll be warmer if you sleep without long johns?

I have a -20*F survival-rated bag that I was comfortable, but not warm, at -10F.

What do you mean by survival-rated? Most bags are rated with a Comfort Rating, a Limit Rating, and an Extreme Rating. Comfort is what the average cold sleeper would be comfortable, Limit is what the average warm sleeper would be fine, and Extreme is where you could prevent hypothermia. For example, the SG 15 degree bag has a comfort rating of 21, limit of 8, and extreme of -29. If you are saying the bag you were using had an extreme rating of -20, you were doing pretty good to be comfortable at -10!

 

[Matt5266]

Starting off I have done many nights in cold weather in all different types of bags and tents but take this for what it's worth. Lessons I personally have learned.

I sleep hot, that being said I always opt for a bag I know I'll be warm enough in. Sleeping in the back country is hard enough, but being cold all night will make it worse and ultimately your hunt will suffer from a crappy nights sleep. If I expected lows of about 20f i would take a 0 degree bag. It's easier to unzip a little to vent than try to get warmer when your cold. Most bag ratings are survival or low comfort ratings and those are also based usually off of a warm pad with a high R rating. Get a warm comfortable pad ( I use a xtherm) and get a lower temp bag than you expect to need. You might pack a little more weight but you will have a better sleep which is well worth it for me.

I also have found that inflatable pillows make your head colder and I dont find them as comfortable, so I pack a thermarest compression pillow, way better in my opinion. Get compression sacks for your gear as the lower temp equipment takes up for room but this helps.

Also I pack dedicated sleep wear that is only for sleeping. Merino socks, beanie, and base layers. If you wear the gear you hunt/hike in you might think its completely dry but there is still some moisture inside and it will make you colder at night, plus putting on that sleep gear just feels good after hiking all day. Just my 2 cents

 

[*zap*]

Bring a bag and pad so you can sleep in base layers....light base layers. Why sleep in bulky clothes, it makes no sense at all.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

You Alaska people are a different breed. I do the opposite and go 10-20F below the low. I have a -20*F survival-rated bag that I was comfortable, but not warm, at -10F.

Yeah, I don't even zip my 20 degree bag till the outside air temperature dips around zero degrees Fahrenheit. I typically just unzip it all the way and lay it over me like a blanket.

 

[*zap*]

I also use a warm bag as a quilt if possible.....

 

[Banded_spooney]

I use a -20 bag if the temp is below 45. Of course that’s in a wall tent so weight isn’t an issue.

It’s always easier to dump heat than to try and warm up or bundle up.

 

[5MilesBack]

I've done some November hunts where the thermometer showed -25 one year, and it stuck and froze at -15 another year so have no idea how low it got. So just know that it "can" get COLD on those Nov hunts.