Pulse

I just bought a Nemo bag based on thread comments a few days ago. It’s a hybrid shape with more room around the hips for side sleepers. It just came today. It’s PERFECT.

Just got back from a winter ascent and camp of a local 4000m peak and I learned I needed some gear improvements. This trip was intended to find me and my climbing partner’s weak spots with our winter mountaineering equipment before we ascend 2-4 6000m peaks in Bolivia in march. # Camping/Sleeping: As far as sleeping goes, it was 20 degrees Fahrenheit with a real feel of 6° (wind) and I was using a 20° Nemo bag which obviously was not warm enough. I wasn’t cold per se but definitely uncomfortable all night which made for horrible sleep. So I need a dedicated winter bag. Other than that, my legs were really the only cold part that night. I had on some lightweight merino base layers and soft shell pants. 1. **What temp would you recommend for a winter and or 6000m+ bag? -15,-20,-40?** Think Denali, Aconcogua, other 6000ers or CO winter ascents. I won’t be doing any 8000m peaks anytime soon so I’ll get a different bag for that when it comes around. **2. For legs, would you rather use a heavyweight base layer, a mid layer, or both?** Since my legs definitely needed more warmth that night, I was looking for a mid layer (think merino sweats) for sleeping when I thought why not just get a heavyweight base layer? My normal layering system for cold is: lightweight base layer, soft shell pants, hard shell for emergency. This works great in the cold but I feel there is something missing when I’m sleeping. HW base layer would work nice but be too bulky when moving maybe vs I could bring merino sweatpants and lightweight base layer and take off the sweatpants for the ascent. # Ascent: Other than those things, I felt pretty warm moving during our ascent the next day despite the 70mph gusts and real feel well into the negative zone. I did notice that my toes were completely numb at certain points. I could probably use thicker socks but it was UL ski socks for me that day! I currently use some mammut kento pro GTX high boots since they’re the only boots I have that support semi-auto crampons. They’re warm but I definitely push their limits in that cold. Otherwise, my fingers were only cold cause I kept pulling them out of my mitts, so I’ll get really nice liners (300gsm wool). **1. Do I really need double boots for 6000m peaks or would something like a Scarpa Mont Blanc work well?** My mammuts are definitely more of a Matterhorn style boot and aren’t too warm so even a Mont Blanc would probably be a huge upgrade but I would rather not get frostbite. These are very expensive though every step up in warmth (MB to phantoms). **2. What socks do you guys use for super cold ascents or winter ascents?** Right now I only use ultra lightweight ski socks but obviously that isn’t the best idea. I’m partial to Darn tough and Smartwool.

I’ve been backpacking with my Nemo 30 for about 4 years and I LOVE it. I’m a side sleeper and I toss and turn a lot and I find that it gives me (5’ 0”) plenty of room to move around without getting cold. On warmer nights, I just open the zip and get enough airflow to not overheat. It’s lightweight and packs down super well with the provided compressive bag. Generally speaking, I run warm, and have comfortably used this bag in temps well into the low 30s with wool base layers and not felt cold

The older I get the thicker the sleeping pad... Where I live, I need 3 distinct sleeping bags - warm weather (Big Agnes), shoulder seasons/early winter (Nemo), and extreme winter (Big Agnes - takes up the whole backpack!) I have an REI half dome tent - big enough for weekend camping, small enough that I could backpack with it if I'm not using a hammock. I also have several Coleman Sun Domes as lenders, and my boys each have a Kelty when they don't hammock. For front country camping, a nice comfy camp chair is worth its weight... consider a lightweight backpacking chair as an addition or alternative. You can enjoy a lightweight camping chair in camp, but hard to take an XXL rocking camp chair backpacking... Consider hammocking, too, but that's a whole additional rabbit hole to travel down.

This. I hate mummy bags. I move too much in my sleep. My Nemo takes up a bit more space in my pack but it is so comfortable and a good night’s sleep, where I can fully roll around in my bag, is worth it. I will never go back to a mummy bag.