Tried out my sleeping bag in cold weather

[kentucky yeti]

Or a wide mouth 2 litre nalgene jar with a screw on lid that both you and the old lady can use.

My wife- camping in the mountains without a Walmart, a car, or our camper LOL Never happen!

As I aged,, and was able to afford better equipment,, I also got various things for my creature comforts when camping. Of course,, what I carry depends upon HOW I'm carrying things.
Nowadays,, I have no problem with the idea of camping out. But my age is such that carrying stuff on my back for long distances has tempered how much of that I want to do anymore. So now I prefer to use mechanized transports, or maybe a canoe or such to transport my gear for my camping style.

Where we go now is basically a dry camp- tiny creeks that barely get your feet wet. I could haul my Polaris out there, park the truck and trailer at the bottom of the mountain, and haul stuff that way- but that engine noise kinda cheapens it for us

I'm sure I'm the odd one here... been a long time since I camped out... last time it was up on Cold Mountain in N.C. and it dropped down to 5 degrees.... I had just crossed a thigh deep creek and ended up stripping naked in the snow and sleet coming down to put on dry clothes before getting into the tent and my sleeping bag.

I stripped down one time to cross a huge beaver pond. I held my clothes against my chest. As soon as I got to the other side, I used my t-shirt to dry off, and put my clothes on as fast as my aching fingers and shivering body allowed! Blume, we get to have some good memories (since we survived).

I was stationed at the U.S. Army Cold Regions Test Center at Fort Greely, AK for a year. We tested things there (obviously), including sleeping bags and sleep systems. No sleeping bag/system that we tested performed as advertised at extreme cold, including the big name stuff. By extreme cold, I mean down to -40F. I have absolutely zero desire to ever repeat any of those exploits.

From what I read on our MSS bags, it says that you may survive (not be comfortable but be alive and only half frozen with some frostbite in the toe area) at -30* if you have adequate rated clothing in addition to the bag. For me, that would be 2-3 shirts and a really HEAVY coat. I barely can get inside and zip it up with one shirt on, so just mark me as frozen in those temps!

 

[BearBiologist]

Wife and I worked a Stand Down event here in town a couple of years ago. We were allowed to each pick one item for ourselves and I got to pick a second one because I am a vet. They had NEW, in the package MSS systems packed to the wall!!! We got two and I got an extra bivvy cover. They didn't want to pack the excess stuff up, so I also got 2 wool blankets and two duffle bags.

All for spending about4-5 hours visiting and counseling the vets and handing out long underwear (our table!)!

 

[kentucky yeti]

Wife and I worked a Stand Down event here in town a couple of years ago. We were allowed to each pick one item for ourselves and I got to pick a second one because I am a vet. They had NEW, in the package MSS systems packed to the wall!!! We got two and I got an extra bivvy cover. They didn't want to pack the excess stuff up, so I also got 2 wool blankets and two duffle bags.

All for spending about4-5 hours visiting and counseling the vets and handing out long underwear (our table!)!

Nice. Those MSS are pricey used, and really pricey new. And the wool blankets are a nice addition.

 

[WAYNO]

In my Army days, the bags we had, although called down, were really just poultry feathers. And they worked incredibly well.

Countless nights, after we froze all day, when we'd crawl into the sack, I'd actually warm up.

 

[BearBiologist]

In my Army days, the bags we had, although called down, were really just poultry feathers. And they worked incredibly well.

Countless nights, after we froze all day, when we'd crawl into the sack, I'd actually warm up.

Never used one in cold weather=worst was Ft Ord in the winter=chilly but not freezing! The wool blankets make good seat covers for the dog and stay in the back of my 4Runner!

 

[Hankus]

I spent a winter in Korea. No more sleeping out in the cold for me, thank you.

Bob Wright

I did five tours in Korea and more than once we were out sleeping on the ground up near the DMZ with those old OG fart sacks. COLD, even with a wool blanket or poncho liner! After my first tour there I was stationed at Fort Ord with 7th ID(LT). Army Test Command gave us the new modular sleep system with GoreTex outer shells for evaluation. I managed to keep mine when I left, and still have it to this day.

 

[WendyZXZ]

A Duke's Mayonnaise jar can be your best friend in the middle of the night in that situation.

I refuse to squat over a jar, I want at least a coffee can or bucket!

 

[BearBiologist]

Slightly off-color but humorous story:

One New Year's weekend, my brother-in-law, myself and another buddy went goose hunting along the Colorado River. We hunted quail w/o a dog and then checked in with the guide. We hunted all day and went to dinner. It was well after dark (after we got dinner). He had a good-sized travel trailer he loaned us and we crashed. And FROZE. Well, we had to visit the bushes several times each during the night. The next morning, we got up early to load the car and head for home. If you've ever been to the lower Colorado by Blythe, you know it is all sandy soil. Well, we got up and saw that we were smack in the middle of a trailer camp. The rest rooms were about 50 yards away. Everywhere around the trailer there were large blocks of yellow ice! We packed and headed out of Dodge!!

 

[steveodtw]

Slightly off-color but humorous story:

One New Year's weekend, my brother-in-law, myself and another buddy went goose hunting along the Colorado River. We hunted quail w/o a dog and then checked in with the guide. We hunted all day and went to dinner. It was well after dark (after we got dinner). He had a good-sized travel trailer he loaned us and we crashed. And FROZE. Well, we had to visit the bushes several times each during the night. The next morning, we got up early to load the car and head for home. If you've ever been to the lower Colorado by Blythe, you know it is all sandy soil. Well, we got up and saw that we were smack in the middle of a trailer camp. The rest rooms were about 50 yards away. Everywhere around the trailer there were large blocks of yellow ice! We packed and headed out of Dodge!!

Yep. Rule No. 1 for newbie winter campers. Don't eat the yellow snow.

 

[steveodtw]

When I was married, planning a family vacation. Recalling happy scouting days, I suggested Let's go camping! My wife said "Outside"?
That's when I learned her idea of roughing it was Holiday Inn!

 

[BearBiologist]

Yep. Rule No. 1 for newbie winter campers. Don't eat the yellow snow.

Or, yellow ice!!!

frank zappa yellow snow - Yahoo Video Search Results

The search engine that helps you find exactly what you're looking for. Find the most relevant information, video, images, and answers from all across the Web.

video.search.yahoo.com

 

[steveodtw]

Or, yellow ice!!!

frank zappa yellow snow - Yahoo Video Search Results

The search engine that helps you find exactly what you're looking for. Find the most relevant information, video, images, and answers from all across the Web.

video.search.yahoo.com

Yeah. It's even worse
when your tongue sticks to the yellow ice!

 

[Hankus]

I did five tours in Korea and more than once we were out sleeping on the ground up near the DMZ with those old OG fart sacks. COLD, even with a wool blanket or poncho liner! After my first tour there I was stationed at Fort Ord with 7th ID(LT). Army Test Command gave us the new modular sleep system with GoreTex outer shells for evaluation. I managed to keep mine when I left, and still have it to this day.

I don't get much call to use my sleeping bag anymore, except when we go into lockdown at the county EOC for a hurricane (I work for the largest Public Safety communications provider in the world and need to be on hand to effect and direct repairs to the radio system during and after the storm). Also, my wife would NEVER sleep on the ground when camping so we have a 35' fifth wheel RV . Anyway I went out to the garage and pulled out my old MSS from its flight bag. The stuff sack is now discolored but the bag needed to be aired out. I opened it up and took a look at the tag. It was made by The North Face and the tag notes the NSN (National Stock Number) as "experimental".

 

[tazbigdog]

Camping while in the Boy Scouts was the coldest I have ever slept outside. 20 below, next to a frozen lake, whose ice was 3 feet thick. Damn

 

[redfernclan]

Camping while in the Boy Scouts was the coldest I have ever slept outside. 20 below, next to a frozen lake, whose ice was 3 feet thick. Damn

Been there done that, only not so cold.
Dig a pit in the snow, cover with tarp using sticks for support. Fresh snow layer on top insulates your "room". Use the old trick of putting the clothes you want tomorrow in the bottom of your bag so there warm in the morning. Also figured out in stead of crouching over a back pack stove to cook breakfast I would scrape out a couple of shelves in the snow for candles. set up my stove while still in the bag, heat up a couple of pop tarts over the flame and then boil some water for hot cocoa and instant oatmeal. Emerge from my room with fresh clothes and a full belly.
It was fun, but never again.......

 

[tazbigdog]

Been there done that, only not so cold.
Dig a pit in the snow, cover with tarp using sticks for support. Fresh snow layer on top insulates your "room". Use the old trick of putting the clothes you want tomorrow in the bottom of your bag so there warm in the morning. Also figured out in stead of crouching over a back pack stove to cook breakfast I would scrape out a couple of shelves in the snow for candles. set up my stove while still in the bag, heat up a couple of pop tarts over the flame and then boil some water for hot cocoa and instant oatmeal. Emerge from my room with fresh clothes and a full belly.
It was fun, but never again.......

Second time I slept outside in the snow, 2 fellow scouts and I built a snow igloo, used a tarp on top and added more snow. Insulated like crazy. Used a small wax candle and it was toasty inside that. 3 feet of snow outside. Lessons learned.

 

[WendyZXZ]

When I was married, planning a family vacation. Recalling happy scouting days, I suggested Let's go camping! My wife said "Outside"?
That's when I learned her idea of roughing it was Holiday Inn!

Both of us here grew up camping out as in really camping outside, tent, sleeping bag, etc. but admit that getting older it is more of a Spring and Fall thing for us. We do have each two bags, one that would probably be described as a three season and one that is for colder like when we have visited Montana. One of the good things was three years ago with the big freeze although we never lost electricity and all we had those just in case. That was an interesting time because some acted like we had what was needed to be comfortable and it was something to convince them that NO there would be no comfortable that what we had was not for comfort if the power was out at 0 degrees, we had what may be not simply dying because the inside of their homes would be colder than their refrigerator while it is running.

 

[Wvfarrier]

For me, there is nothing like being alone or with a friend out in the middle of nowehere. Rain, snow, I dont care.