Warm Up Before Getting Into Bag

Sun., Sept. 3, 2000

What can I do to keep warm while sleeping? I have a North Face mummy sleeping bag rated to 20 degrees. I recently bought a polypropylene liner from REI and have yet to try it out.

Dave Gall, Littleton, Colo.

Gear Guy: Lots of possible reasons why you find yourself a little chilly at night, Dave. First and foremost, it could be you. Some people have higher metabolisms than others, and are better able to keep warm at night.

Eating a snack, a chocolate bar or something similar can raise your comfortable temperature range by 3-4 degrees.

Also, a little light exercise - a brisk walk or jumping jacks - before hopping into the bag will help. Wear long underwear, of course, and the heavier the better. And, make sure you’ve got an adequate insulate pad - a lot of cold can seep up from the ground.

That said, it could be the bag. I’ve always found North Face bags to be reasonably conservative in their temperature ratings, but if it’s an older down bag or a synthetic bag that’s three or four years old, it may have lost some loft and warmth.

You may need to spring for a new one. And if you do, I’d suggest something more in the 10 to 15 degree range - in a down bag, something like Western Mountaineering’s Antelope (10 degrees, $320); in a synthetic, Mountain Hardwear’s 2nd Dimension (15 degrees; $175).

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