Going Long and Hard.

Steve Vai

Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
run the set-up that gives you the best chance to not die - and highest confidence level.

I'd be really happy if that big bag fit and everything was all ready to go. Looks like there will be a compromise in one direction or another. I'm leaning towards trying the Big Agnes bag with a liner to sorta meet in the middle. My bag is pretty warm for it's age, buying something new should be even better right? Or, I go balls deep and only take the big bag and sleep at the Checkpoints but that could end very bad.
 

Juggernaut

Master of the Metaphor
Survival rule: compressed insulation, is NO insulation. It’s air that keeps you warm (alive) not the down/prima-loft. If the system it tight in the bivy the R value is gonna be greatly diminished. A lot of BA bags don’t insulate the bottoms at all, maybe that’s why JP uses it, to save space for the bags insulation to fully expand in the bivy

Edit: down is useless if it gets wet. The newest down is “treated” to better retain its R value when damp. Synthetic insulation works (to some degree) even when wet. But of course it’s heavier and doesn’t pack as well.
 
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Steve Vai

Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
Survival rule: compressed insulation, is NO insulation. It’s air that keeps you warm (alive) not the down/prima-loft. If the system it tight in the bivy the R value is gonna be greatly diminished. A lot of BA bags don’t insulate the bottoms at all, maybe that’s why JP uses it, to save space for the bags insulation to fully expand in the bivy

Edit: down is useless if it gets wet. The newest down is “treated” to better retain its R value when damp. Synthetic insulation works (to some degree) even when wet. But of course it’s heavier and doesn’t pack as well.

I feel like this is why my current Marmot isn't doing all that it can. I bought it second hand from Rob May so it's been well-used and is very compressed. Not to mention has a hole or 3 that have been Gorilla Taped. I'm pretty confident a new -20 bag will be warmer than this old one. We're a Big Agnes Dealer at the shop so I can EP one for a fairly minimal investment and test both set-ups. I'll need a new -20 bag for the shorter races anyways so it won't go to waste.
 

rick81721

Lothar
I feel like this is why my current Marmot isn't doing all that it can. I bought it second hand from Rob May so it's been well-used and is very compressed. Not to mention has a hole or 3 that have been Gorilla Taped. I'm pretty confident a new -20 bag will be warmer than this old one. We're a Big Agnes Dealer at the shop so I can EP one for a fairly minimal investment and test both set-ups. I'll need a new -20 bag for the shorter races anyways so it won't go to waste.

Don't you need a -57 bag??
 

Juggernaut

Master of the Metaphor
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Steve Vai

Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
Just to think about something else, I'm pretty sure I'll need to use my Thermarest Pad if I go the Big Agnes UL route. The Big Agnes Foam Pad technically only goes down to freezing while the Thermarest is the warmest on the market. I'll have to see how it all fits I guess? Hopefully it actually gets cold so I'll have a chance to test some of this stuff.
 

rick81721

Lothar
Just to think about something else, I'm pretty sure I'll need to use my Thermarest Pad if I go the Big Agnes UL route. The Big Agnes Foam Pad technically only goes down to freezing while the Thermarest is the warmest on the market. I'll have to see how it all fits I guess? Hopefully it actually gets cold so I'll have a chance to test some of this stuff.

Camp out thurs night - record cold coming
 

Juggernaut

Master of the Metaphor
Camp out thurs night - record cold coming


That’s not a bad idea. I have a 15 (that’s positive 15) degree BA mummy bag in excellent condition I could drop it off at the shop if you wanted to see how the system functions. Presumably the actual temp would be in line with the bags rating so it’s really the rest of it you’d be testing. Let me know.
 

rick81721

Lothar
Just to think about something else, I'm pretty sure I'll need to use my Thermarest Pad if I go the Big Agnes UL route. The Big Agnes Foam Pad technically only goes down to freezing while the Thermarest is the warmest on the market. I'll have to see how it all fits I guess? Hopefully it actually gets cold so I'll have a chance to test some of this stuff.

Stop over in Seattle for a real test:

https://www.adventure-journal.com/2018/04/man-spends-night-therm-rests-freezer/
 
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