RE: [Philmont]: sleeping bag rating for Philmont

As an instructor for the OKPIK winter camping program here in Denver, there
are a few keys to staying warm in your sleeping bag:

1. Complete dryness. Before you go to bed, change into dry sleeping
clothes. Don't stay in clothes you have sweated in all day long (even
underwear). It is better to have NO clothes on than to have damp clothes
on inside your sleeping bag. Dampness can be imperceptible, even though
you think they are dry, clothes can still be damp. On a cool night, change
for good measure.

2. Make sure you have a stocking cap available IN your sleeping bag. The
biggest heat loser is your head. The first thing we instruct participants
who are "cold" is to put their hat on.

3. Don't pull your sleeping bag over your head and breathe inside. You
can easily respirate a pint of water into your sleeping bag during the
night. This creates dampness and spoils key #1, complete dryness. A
related issue is to make sure your tent is adequately vented. If your tent
is not vented, respirated water can condense on the tent and drip onto your
sleeping bag.

4. Stay hydrated. Your body needs water and fuel (food) to generate heat.
On a cool night, a light snack and long drink of water before bed will help
you stay warm. Even better, a long drink of warm or hot water. Fire up
the stove, get everyone to have a hot drink before they head to bed. It
will pay dividends on a chilly night.

5. Use a ground pad. The ground is cold and laying directly on it can
lead to heat being wicked out of your body. If you don't have a ground
pad, use excess clothing, rain gear, etc, around your shoulders and hips to
get distance between that cold ground and your warm body. This is
especially important to OKPIK participants where they are sleeping directly
on the snow!

6. Know your own physiology. If you chill easily, then plan for that. If
you don't easily chill, then less preparation is necessary.

All that being said, I am very warm-blooded. I passed it on to my kids as
well <g>. Although, my wife is the opposite, so I am familiar with the
"I'm cold" refrain. At Philmont, my daughter (also an OKPIK youth
instructor) and I both had 30 degree bags. Neither of us was EVER cold,
even at Mt Phillips camp after a terrible rain/hailstorm right before bed.

We tell participants that their sleeping bag MUST be under 4 lbs,
preferably 3 lbs or less. For us, weight is more the stress than "degrees"
although we suggest nothing lower than a 40 degree bag...... Also, we
suggest fiberfill as that material can be more versatile than down bags,
but I have a down bag and LOVE it. I'm just more careful with it around
water situations. YIS. Mike ('76, '02, '04 and '07).

                                                                                                           
                      "Phil Brown"
                      <Phil@eisnc.com> To: Multiple recipients of list philmont
                      Sent by: <philmont@troop47.com>
                      owner-philmont@tr cc:
                      oop47.com Subject: RE: [Philmont]: sleeping bag rating for Philmont
                                                                                                           
                                                                                                           
                      03/10/2006 07:33
                      AM
                      Please respond to
                      philmont
                                                                                                           
                                                                                                           

I have always carried a 20 degree bag. I have been on treks from the
last week of June to mid July. There was only one night on 3 treks that
I zipped it all the way up and that was a cold night at Copper Park. If
your bag is too warm, you can always open the zipper, but if it is not
warm enough you can be miserable.

Phil Brown

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As you gather around this virtual campfire with fellow
Scouts and Scouters, do your best to be trustworthy,
loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient,
cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.
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Received on Fri Mar 10 15:30:34 2006