Tricks to Keeping Warm in your Sleeping Bag

Pre Sleep Routine

• Eat food before bed

  • Don't go to bed on empty stomach

  • Breakdown of foods creates heat

• Go for walk before bed to warm up body

  • If you can't do this (pouring rain), then beat insides of bag until you warm up

• Pee before bed

  • You will feel warmer

  • You will sleep longer before having to pee

  • If you used your pee bottle, empty it before bed

• Brush teeth - have gear ready

Prep Sleeping Bag

• Allow bag to expand and loft before use

• Wear bag for a bit in shelter to warm it up before use

• If you are using down and have continuous baffles - shake bag and adjust down as needed

Wear Extra Clothing

• Head

  • Hat

• Neck

  • Buff

• Feet

  • Clean, thick socks or insulated booties

  • Don't wear dirty, nasty socks - won't be as warm and will set you up for fungal infections

  • Smartwool Mountaineering Socks work great

• Body

  • Clean wool or synthetic thermal underwear

  • Note that TOO much extra clothing can compress bag from inside and reduce bag's insulation 

• Use fleece jacket as pillow

• NO COTTON 

  • It will make you colder

  • Better to sleep naked

Extra Insulation

• Insulate Over bag

  • This adds layer of insulation and captures moisture to help keep main bag drier

  • Overbag - ideally synthetic

  • Overquilt

  • Lay puffy jacket over feet

    • Do NOT lay heavy fabric or blanket over bag, which will compress bag

• Insulate Inside Bag

  • Use fleece liner

    • ALPS Mountaineering Brushed Polyester Sleeping Bag Liner

    • Sea to Summit Thermolite Reactor Sleeping Bag Liner

  • Use puffy liner such as military poncho liner

  • Use Vapor Barrier liner such as HotSac VBL INSIDE bag

    • Do NOT use OVER bag as this will get bag wet and make it colder 

    • Use only in severely cold environments

      • Reflects back heat

      • Reduces heat loss via evaporative cooling

      • Keeps bag dry and protects insulation

      • Expect body to get and stay wet

• Insulate Ground

  • Use 2 sleeping pads

  • Consider upgrading pad(s) to something with a better R value

  • If you have extra shorties (short foam pads) - place under torso

• If bag is too long, fold over extra length under feet to reduce space in bag and add a little insulation under feet

Add Heat

• Add hot water to bottle

• Seal bottle and check twice

• Place bottle in waterproof bag - in case of leak

• Place bottle(s) in sleeping bag

• Some have use hot stones - but this is dangerous and problematic 

After Sleep

• Turn bag inside out and allow to dry out

• If sunny out, dry in sun

At Home 

• Don't store bag in compression sac

• Allow bag to loft