It depends Upon the temperature Btw what temp is there?
It depends Upon the temperature Btw what temp is there?
Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you. - Frank Lloyd Wright
I don't sleep naked while camping- mostly because I don't want my body oils getting on my nice down top quilt. However, I usually try to sleep in as few layers as possible. I have slept in -13°F, and was warm- with only a nice base layer (top & bottom), two pairs of wool socks, and a thin fleece (for about half the night. I actually got too warm, and had to remove it).
To each his own; but this is my experience.
The admonition, "Cotton kills" applies if you are wearing it as main outdoor clothing and it gets wet. But as rweb82 said, there are body oils and such that make their way into the sleeping bag or top quilt. My words are, "It's easier to wash pajamas than it is the clean a sleeping bag (especially down)." And at the end of a hard day, it feels real good to put on a pair of soft, clean, cotton, pj's and climb into the hammock. I also wear light socks and a balaclava. So I wear "outdoor gear" when doing outdoor stuff. But at sleep time, I don't have a problem with cotton.
I sleep outside several days a week, all seasons, and the comfort difference between lightly clothed vs heavily clothed is more apparent. The lighter pj's give me more freedom of movement inside a warm cocoon. Heavier clothes bind/restrict more. But in the cold part of winter (near single digits) I might add a very light down jacket.
Last edited by cougarmeat; 05-10-2018 at 21:52.
No need to feel sorry for me — I'm carrying a 20 lb pack when others are carrying 40-50-60 lbs, and I'm perfectly warm and comfortable sleeping in my down parka and down pants to supplement my 20 deg TQ. (I use a 0deg Incubator UQ when it's really cold.)
For car camping or for going a short distance into the woods, weight is not much of a concern. If you're carrying it many miles on your back, it matters, and the direct link between pack weight and enjoyment of the outdoors becomes ever more obvious.
Five Basic Principles of Going Lighter (not me... the great Cam Honan of OZ)
“If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking.” ~ Gen. George S Patton
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