Anyone got cold weather camping tips?

[shane]

And when I compare the EN13537 to the Shane is a softy standard, I have to adjust by about 5-8 degrees C. I think I should eat more pies when visiting the UK this winter

[takeonafrica]

Would it work having two sleeping bags - one for when it's cold and a second additional lighter one for when it's really cold?
Basically, if it is the end of winter and the temperatures are going to rise, you'll have a bag that will be good when it gets warmer too?

(Sorry Shane - as you know I'm particularly interested in this thread, so hope you don't me butting in with occasional qu's and comments)

[boblo]

PHD do Combi bags for that very reason. Many £££'s though it is very good kit

[Graham O]

Would it work having two sleeping bags - one for when it's cold and a second additional lighter one for when it's really cold?
Basically, if it is the end of winter and the temperatures are going to rise, you'll have a bag that will be good when it gets warmer too?

Just putting any two sleeping bags together will not give the result you are looking for. Unless they are correctly sized, they will both be compressed by the other bag which will reduce the insulation. Very much a case of 1 + 1 not equalling 2. Putting a mummy style bag inside one of the cheap rectangular ones works quite well. Or cut up an old duvet and shape it to fit over your main bag. Put thin material underneath where it is compressed anyway and get a smaller packed size. If the seasons change as you are touring, it's cheap enough to throw away.

[Dudley Manlove]

Couple of Germans that toured lapland in Winter:

http://translate.google.de/translate?hl ... ke-nord.de

[Graham O]

Looking at them riding on ice and snow, I wonder if a pulk wouldn't be better than a wheeled trailer? I wonder if anyone has tried it?

[Dudley Manlove]

I did a week in Finland a couple of years back, on a MTB with some ice spiker tyres and stopping in hotels/hostels. So with a warm bed every night not at all the same thing you are planning.

The only advice I have that I think is relevant. Is there is a trade off between light and cold. If you are going to do a winter trip, if you can hold it off as late as possible (March?) then you will get significantly more daylight. Obviously at some point spring comes and stuff starts to thaw, then you have the problem of getting rained on (and miss out on using iceroads! )

[takeonafrica]

Looking at them riding on ice and snow, I wonder if a pulk wouldn't be better than a wheeled trailer? I wonder if anyone has tried it?

I had been wondering about that: http://www.tim.hi-ho.ne.jp/andow/siberia/
This guy is Japanese and they are known to be a little crazy, but even so - doesn't seem such a silly idea! Perhaps not so good on rough ground though...

[Vorpal]

In Norway, they sell some things like pulks for pulling behind bicycles. They also sell conversion kits for standard wheeled trailers, trailers with frames that take wheels or skis, trailers with skis only, and pulks that are designed to be pulled by either a skier or a cyclist.

[shane]

Thar be forums for that, too... http://www.wintertrekking.com/ Have fun!

@Helen, I read alot of this site yesterday, lots and lots of good tips, well worth sitting down for, those boys know their stuff Thanks "Vorpal"

[takeonafrica]

@Helen, I read alot of this site yesterday, lots and lots of good tips, well worth sitting down for, those boys know their stuff Thanks "Vorpal"

Yes, I read a lot of that yesterday too!
(My writing however is going through a cold spell right now )

[shane]

A day on the beach for me tomorrow and hope that the waves from the Indian ocean wash inspiration over me . If not I'll write at work next year

[RickH]

A couple of recommendations for reading:-

Firstly Rob Lillwall's "Cycling Home From Siberia" which included winter in Siberia

and then a couple that are not cycling but involve travel (or not) but are, by my reckoning, a good read.

Rosie Swale Pope's "Just a Little Run around the World" - a 5 year 20,000 mile trip on foot pulling all her gear with her including winter in Alaska.
&
Ranulph Fiennes' autobiography "Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know" - includes exploration in both polar regions.

Rick

[alpgirl]

Mountain Equipment do a good waterproof down bag. I think it's called dryline or something.
Make sure you have some hostelry every so often so you can go in and warm up infront of a roaring Fire!!!!!!!!

[HPFlashman]

From http://www.nordiccab.no/menu/nettbutikk/pulk-og-helarspakker/helarspakke-4-i-1, only in Norwegian. Its the so called "Whole year package". The pulk variant is meant crosscountry skiing, not cyckling.

Not any commercial ties to the company other than that my brother have been oogling it...