Open invitation arctic meet 2017

[bopdude]

What are peoples sleep systems ? I'm struggling with a mat choice, I know the Exped down mats are good but no way can I afford one, at the moment I'm looking at underside will be a cheap foam mat to stop punctures, an inflatable airbed, 6" depth, on top of that will be a double size wool blanket reflective pad and then the sleeping bags inside a Gortex bivvy bag, do you think that will do, anything you would change ?

 

[Dave]

What are peoples sleep systems ? I'm struggling with a mat choice, I know the Exped down mats are good but no way can I afford one, at the moment I'm looking at underside will be a cheap foam mat to stop punctures, an inflatable airbed, 6" depth, on top of that will be a double size wool blanket reflective pad and then the sleeping bags inside a Gortex bivvy bag, do you think that will do, anything you would change ?

If youve got a bag rated to -50 Al, you dont want to put it in a goretex bivy bag. Get as thick a Closed Cell foam mat as possible.

I have -30 Wiggys bag, with a hood. I'd only put the jerven bag over it, if I was cold. Some sleeping bag socks, and a woolpower balaclava. Boxers, and Maybe a thin merino top.

If you put your bivvy bag over your sleeping bag, it will add some warmth, but you'll get frost build up faster in your bag. Which isnt a problem if you have a stove to dry out your bag. You can just hang your bivvy bag on a line outside, and whack off the frost. And it takes about an hour to get rid of the frost each morning from your bag in a hot tent. But your bag will breathe better without the bivvy bag, meaning slower accumulation of frost in your bag.

Im also taking an exped LXW which is super comfy.

I will use the jerven bag as a mat, under me. Or maybe wrap the exped in the jerven and sleep on that. And a tarp under that on the snow. depends how cold it is.

So far, Chris, you, I and Ash, have confirmed train tickets, dont know about Pete and Dewi?

 

[Imagedude]

What are peoples sleep systems ? I'm struggling with a mat choice, I know the Exped down mats are good but no way can I afford one, at the moment I'm looking at underside will be a cheap foam mat to stop punctures, an inflatable airbed, 6" depth, on top of that will be a double size wool blanket reflective pad and then the sleeping bags inside a Gortex bivvy bag, do you think that will do, anything you would change ?

A standard air bed will draw heat from your body even if on a foam mat. The only airbeds suitable for cold weather are the thermarest neoair four season mats...

 

[bopdude]

A standard air bed will draw heat from your body even if on a foam mat. The only airbeds suitable for cold weather are the thermarest neoair four season mats...

Thanks for that, thought I might have got away with it, back to searching, thanks for the info

 

[SGL70]

Place the foam on top?....no need to worry about punctures if sleeping on snow

 

[dewi]

I was considering taking a cot bed, laying a foam mat on it... worst case scenario, get some spruce branches to stuff under the cot for insulation.

Not having slept in -50 before, be worth knowing what works.

 

[bopdude]

So, for all those that are looking in on this thread, and there are a lot of views. An outline of the updated travel plans.

We will be flying out from Birmingham International to Kiruna in Sweden, the original plan was Lulea but as things progressed in the planning stages it was settled on Kiruna.

We'll be staying in Kiruna on the first night to get supplies and kit sorted out, we're then getting the train down to Gallivare where we will be coached to the Stora National Park.

After the park we'll be heading to Porjus to catch the coach to Jokkmokk where we'll camp on a site for 4 nights and take in the Saami market before catching the coach back to Kiruna for the flight home.

Speaking for myself, I'm excited to be doing this trip, it will be hard but well worth it
Edit Gallivare should have been Porjus after the park, thanks Dave for keeping me right, Dewi, are you up with all these changes, nothing getting shipped to Greger now etc hostel, train, minibus ?

 

[Dave]

You need a bag rated to at least -30. You can get good surplus ones. If you get goose down and it gets wet youre in trouble.


[video=youtube;Y81HL8pUxes]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y81HL8pUxes[/video]


http://www.outdoorgb.com/p/snugpak_...kdo0PcS9jnEcn_gBhhAteAE3nPvJfZIxLUxoCcafw_wcB

https://www.raymears.com/Bushcraft_Product/63-Ray-Mears-Arctic-Sleeping-Bag-Canada-Jay/

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Carinthia...15-/252294463193?_trksid=p2141725.m3641.l6368

https://www.surplusandoutdoors.com/modular-sleep-system-genuine-489904.html

 

[Andy BB]

A standard air bed will draw heat from your body even if on a foam mat. The only airbeds suitable for cold weather are the thermarest neoair four season mats...

There are more than that. The Exped range, for example, includes a variety of insulated mats. I, from personal experience, would rate the Exped Downmat 9XL and the Comfort 10 synthetic mat. The 9 & 10 indicate R insulation level (as well as thickness, as it happens!) The "R" rating gives some indicator of insulative ability - worth looking for when comparing mats.

 

[Imagedude]

The Expeds and their ilk are not air beds, they are insulated air beds. The only uninsulated air beds that I know of that have a decent 4 rating are the Neoairs...

 

[bopdude]

Thanks for the info and suggestions, I'll keep looking for a blend of value for money and r value

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[Skookum]

Al, I'm taking 2 closed cell foam pads with a Thermarest Prolite short and Snugpak Antartica sleeping bag. If it get really cold i'll bolster this with my Jerven bag original and a poncho liner. At the moment i'm undecided on whether to take my bivvy bag or not.

Ash

 

[Dave]

Al, I'm taking 2 closed cell foam pads with a Thermarest Prolite short and Snugpak Antartica sleeping bag. If it get really cold i'll bolster this with my Jerven bag original and a poncho liner. At the moment i'm undecided on whether to take my bivvy bag or not.

Ash

Hier mate. I really dont think you need the bivvy bag on top of the unlined jerven. Speak soon!

 

[bopdude]

:aargh4: :Thinkingo too much to take in at the moment, I need to look at my system, bags are not a problem, what I'm proposing sleeping on is, apparently ? ? ? back to the drawing board.

 

[lannyman8]

Take a bivi gents it stops frost on your bag from your breath. And sorry to say Ash the sungpack bags are not great. From my use they are a cold bag and the rating a bit dubious as far as im aware.

You want a comfort rating of -30 the exstreme rating is to just about stay alive. And yes that means getting frost bite. I would say look at the comfort rating of your bag and take off 5-8 deg c. Thats what your comfort rating is probably more like in real life.

Not got my bag yet but did look at a Rab one. Down to save space and weight. Or the Alpkit -44 bag. But think they are out of stock.

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[bopdude]

Yep bivvy is on my list

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[dewi]

I'm officially confused... not hard I know... but I have no idea what to look for with regards to a sleeping system now

 

[bopdude]

Well from the ground up from my thinking and with others intervention, ground sheet / admin area, closed cell mat to protect the mat above then sleeping system inside a bivvy, I'll await to be corrected

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[dewi]

Are the sleeping systems taking into account the stoves we'll have in our tents?

I was given to understand you could achieve an internal temperature of 21 degrees C inside.

I realise that the sleeping system has to account for the worst case scenario, but in the worst case scenario, you'd wear your clothes in your sleeping system. If your clothes will withstand the cold, clothes plus sleeping system will keep you sufficiently warm until you can dry out your clothes in a neighbouring tent.

We're operating as individuals as far as responsibility, but I would hope we're acting as a collective to ensure nobody has an uncomfortable stay?

 

[bopdude]

The hot tents are down to the individual or people staying in them as to whether to run all night, to do that on your own you would need to wake to refuel every so often, I think we're talking about letting the stove burn out so your sleep system / sleeping cloths will have to be up to it, hope I'm right with all that

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