Thread: Mid-winter sleeping systems

At @kukuwai's suggestion, lets hear your setups for tenting midwinter in the snow. I'm talking walk in, so it's what you can carry in along with the rest of your gear. Light weigh and effective is the aim.

I’ve just ordered the Peax Solitude 4 tipi, just waiting for the stove to come back in stock. 1.5kg for tipi and same for stove. Just need to camp near where some firewood is.

I use one of those dirt cheap survival sheets under my mat then I have my thermal blanket - dont camp in winter without it - its a type that used in old folks homes - under patients don't let moisture thru - light as - on top of sleeping mat then fold over the top of sleeping bag- comfy as - but that thin survival sheet under the mat does give a good degree of insulation from cold coming up thru from the ground - both the blanket and survival sheet take up no room and are light as - only down side is those survival sheets dont last but they are cheap

Kifaru 6 man tipi and fastfold 1kg titanium tent stove
A palace for 3 people so weight shares out nicely

Helinox one cot and a closed cell foam or inflatable mattress on it to insulate the bottom of your sleeping bag

Luxury

Goondie 2 tent, winter inner, 30D outer.
ID Downmat 7, western mountaineering Apache bag. Down pants and top.

10x8 Siltarp for extra coverage if rain forecast.


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I should have mentioned, fire wood is not available in some/most places I camp so a portable fire is not going to be of use.

Pictures of gear too please

My 4-season Black Diamond mountaineering tent has just died after 15 years, so also reading with interest.

In terms of sleep systems, I have the Thermarest Neoair Xtherm and a warm down sleeping bag with one of those Sea to Summit Thermo reactor liners. I also carry a lightweight foam pad (can even cut this down to 3/4 length). Nothing worse than an inflatable mat deflating on you in the snow. I will stuff any spare dry layers inside my sleeping bag for added insulation and I used my boots as my pillow. I get cold feet/knees so I will wrap my hard shell around the bag (feet in the hood, arms wrapped around the bag). Anything damp that needs drying goes on top of the bag, not inside (especially for multiday trips).

I make sure I go to bed warm. To help with this I often have hot water from melting snow in my Nalgene (yes, I said Nalgene ) and I shove this in my down jacket and later my sleeping bag. I will usually have this wrapped in a fleece and by my thighs to help keep me warm through the night. Lastly, sugary snacks at hand if I wake up cold.

You probably know a lot of this already.

I'm no help.

Heres my set up - 3 season macpac tent, kathmandu sleeping bag and exped sleeping mat. Nearly frozen to dealth Shot a nice chamios though.

Originally Posted by cb14

I'm no help.

Heres my set up - 3 season macpac tent, kathmandu sleeping bag and exped sleeping mat. Nearly frozen to dealth Shot a nice chamios though.

Attachment 282239

Looks a lot like my camp

The Xmid solid 2 is 1.5 kg after adding extra guylines, tie out points poles and 10pegs. That weight makes it as bomb proof as it can be but I'm yet to test it in anything worse than 2ish degrees.

Combined with xtherm and neve gear quilt that will get me through a north island winter. For the next tahr ballot I'll run the same set up but with a -10 bag and the quilt as a back up / extra. Pretty sweet set up.

I also have an x-mid2 solid. Sleeping bag is Macpac dragonfly 600, thermarest neoair pad. Sleep in merino beanie, thermal top and bottom and socks. Doing the hood and neck muffler right up keeps toasty warm.

Originally Posted by SPEARONZ

Attachment 282260

The Xmid solid 2 is 1.5 kg after adding extra guylines, tie out points poles and 10pegs. That weight makes it as bomb proof as it can be but I'm yet to test it in anything worse than 2ish degrees.

Combined with xtherm and neve gear quilt that will get me through a north island winter. For the next tahr ballot I'll run the same set up but with a -10 bag and the quilt as a back up / extra. Pretty sweet set up.

I used my x mid solid in the on our tahr ballet last year it is an awesome tent and super light.

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I'm looking hard at a quilt and better mat. I have a Thermarest Neoair but it's narrow, noisy and hardly the pinnacle of comfort for those other than a corpse. It does work well and doesn't deflate so it's not the mat at fault just the ambition of the slleper to be about 15kg lighter and 15 years younger would help. I think a wider mat with a decent quilt might fix that. Another bugbear of mine was a shit pillow, or the lack of. I did buy a Sea to Summit pillow to try get a decent kip which I hope to trial soon. Looking along Kiwi Ultralight range for the quilt. There's a nice quilt on the for sale here, but a little too warm for me.

Originally Posted by kiwijames

I'm looking hard at a quilt and better mat. I have a Thermarest Neoair but it's narrow, noisy and hardly the pinnacle of comfort for those other than a corpse. It does work well and doesn't deflate so it's not the mat at fault just the ambition of the slleper to be about 15kg lighter and 15 years younger would help. I think a wider mat with a decent quilt might fix that. Another bugbear of mine was a shit pillow, or the lack of. I did buy a Sea to Summit pillow to try get a decent kip which I hope to trial soon. Looking along Kiwi Ultralight range for the quilt. There's a nice quilt on the for sale here, but a little too warm for me.

I'm wondering about going this way too, I saw a teenager using a rather good looking pillow from Mountain Warehouse, was quick to deflate into itself too.