Marie goes camping

We went camping in October.

My sleeping bag is rated 22F survival, 30F comfort. I’m a cold sleeper.

The temperatures dropped below 30F. Here’s how I stayed comfortable.

1. A sleeping bag liner.

A liner is basically sheets for your bag. It keeps your bag clean and you don’t need to wash the bag as often. The liners also add 5-15F extra warmth.

My liner is Nemo Tracer. I have a Nemo sleeping bag so it was an easy choice. So far so good, it definitely made my sleep warmer, and also I liked the feeling of “real sheets” better than the bag material.

2. Beanie and gloves.

I showed my beanie into my backpack literally last minute. It was particularly useful for sleeping. With the hoods of my sleeping bag and liner on, I was still shivering. The beanie solved that problem.

I also took a pair of very simple $3 gloves from Target, and I’m glad I did.

3. Merino wool socks. 2 pairs.

I’m becoming a merino wool fan! My socks kept me warm overnight, and 2 pairs means extra insulation!

4. Thermal underwear.

I thought I’d just sleep in pjs… hahaha.

I’m so glad I picked a set of thermal underwear (long sleeved T-shirt and pants). I wore them under my fleece and leggings, and they made such a difference!

I’m planning to invest in a set of merino wool thermal underwear (did I mention I’m a fan?), but for now I picked a $30 polyester set from Amazon, and it works.

5. Use a yoga mat under your sleeping pad.

In summer, we used yoga mats as sleeping pads. With the temperatures dropping, I bought two decent sleeping pads (Insulated Klymit Static V, R-value 4.4 (manufacturer) or 1.9 (ASTM). Read more about different R-value ratings here).

I slept on my Klymit pad just fine, but my bf added a yoga mat underneath it for extra warmth and it made a difference.

Stay warm!