Sea to Summit Thermolite or New Sleeping Bag

[Aushiker]

Spent another cold night in my current setup (4.0 C at 7:00 AM as measured by my Garmin Edge 1030 GPS). I am a cold sleeper nowadays (joys of losing a lot of weight I guess). Anyway, my current setup and how I slept last night is:

Sleeping Bag: Mont Bell Ultralight Super Spiral Down Hugger #3 Comfort rating 4 C (EN)
Sleeping Mat: Sea to Summit Ultralight Insulated Sleeping Mat R3.1
Liner: Sea to Summit Reactor 8C
Tent: Tarptent Double Rainbow

Wore:

Icebreaker Men's BODYFIT200 Base Layer
Icebreaker Men's BODYFIT260 Base Layer
Icebreaker Men's BODYFIT260 Apex Leggings
Mont-Bell Plasma 1000 Down Jacket

Woke up a few times during the night as I was cold, including at midnight when I checked the temperature and it was 8 C, so you could say I am a cold sleeper

Typical Winter Camping here in WA sees the temperatures getting down to around 0 C at night in the outback


Options:

[1] Can I get away with adding a "warmer" Sea to Summit Thermolite Reactor or am I kidding myself?
[2] Face up to a new sleeping bag. I do a lot of bikepacking so pack downsize is critical as is the weight [hence excludes quilts as an option]. I am thinking a Sea to Summit Spark SP111 with a comfort rating of -2 C [$520] or a Therm-a-Rest Hyperion - 6C comfort rating [EN] [$567] or maybe a Sea to Summit Spark SPIV at -8C comfort rating [EN] [$630].

Thoughts?

[LG]

There's not much worse than spending a cold night with a bag not quite up to the task, I've always found the temperature ratings given to be 'optimistic' for the way I sleep. I'd suggest you're better off with a new bag rather than trying to make up the increased insulation with liners, and something rated into the minus's or at least 450g of good quality down, preferably more depending what you can fit.

Sea to summit make good gear, I also really like the Mont and One Planet gear as well, and good company ethos, but if you buy either of these the quality will be similar. One Planet bags are made in Australia.

I have an older gore 'dryloft' shell on my bag and find it excellent when humid and dewy in the tent, keeps the down a little dryer and thus adds warmth, but a compromise with weight.

[RonK]

It's difficult to find a balance. I've used -9 C rated Marmot Helium and several times have woken during the night in a lather of sweat - even when the temp is around zero. I think it would be fair to say I'm a warm sleeper. For the past several years I have been using a -1 rated Marmot Hydrogen. Even so I often use the Hydrogen as quilt rather than get in and zip up. Marmot bags are hard to beat for low weight and packability.
However I must say that I've experienced several cold nights since I switched from a Hilleberg Soulo to a Tarptent Protrail. I'm seriously considering a return to a double-skin tent.

[Aushiker]

A small update with some initial changes.

[1] I have decided to replace my Sea to Summit Ultralight Insulated mat with a Thermarest NeoAir XLite

In the process, I save a claimed 140 grams, I go from an R-value of 3.1 to 4.2 and the packed size stays the same and as a bonus, my son gets a better sleeping pad

[2] I will get a new down jacket, a Montane Anti-Freeze or similar. This will cost me 395 grams over my current jacket, a Mont-Bell Plasma 1000 Down Jacket and some pack space.

[3] This is still up in the air but I have shortlisted a Katabatic Gear Alsek -7 C quilt. That will save me about 100 grams, provide a lot more warmth (going from a 4 C bag to -7 C quilt) and the packed size is 15 x 30 so marginally bigger than my existing bag at 14 cm x 28 cm

[rifraf]

A small update with some initial changes.

[1] I have decided to replace my Sea to Summit Ultralight Insulated mat with a Thermarest NeoAir XLite

In the process, I save a claimed 140 grams, I go from an R-value of 3.1 to 4.2 and the packed size stays the same and as a bonus, my son gets a better sleeping pad

[2] I will get a new down jacket, a Montane Anti-Freeze or similar. This will cost me 395 grams over my current jacket, a Mont-Bell Plasma 1000 Down Jacket and some pack space.

[3] This is still up in the air but I have shortlisted a Katabatic Gear Alsek -7 C quilt. That will save me about 100 grams, provide a lot more warmth (going from a 4 C bag to -7 C quilt) and the packed size is 15 x 30 so marginally bigger than my existing bag at 14 cm x 28 cm

Well the logic of [1] works fine for me, though instead of the expense of 2 and 3, I wonder if the purchase of a puffer vest would have boosted your current bag enough to be toasty.

I feel the cold in my neck/shoulders if I'm going to be cold so those are the areas I'd concentrate on achieving some relief.
You may feel it in other areas where a vest wouldn't work.

The vest can also be worn around camp, even over the top of your current puffer jacket (perhaps).

I'm still pretty happy with my Macpac bag with 400g of 800+ loft with the addition of some long johns in most conditions where/when I tour.

The thing I like about the puffer vest idea, I plagiarised from somewhere, is that one is much easier to wash than a sleeping bag.
My sleeping bag is once again overdue for a hand wash but the battle I'm facing is a lack of bath-tub in my current abode.

Ignore me as obviously I'm a tight-wad with the moolah, and shouldn't ruin your retail therapy......

[Stovepipe]

I have a similar setup: thermarest xlite (but the older 3.2 version) and a katabatic flex 30f. Find it gloriously luxurious. The flex compacts well enough to fit 2 of them (my partners and mine) in my topeak front roll handle bag. Otherwise yes, oneplanet gear seems very good. The katabatic came in marginally cheaper even w shipping though

[Aushiker]

I have a similar setup: thermarest xlite (but the older 3.2 version) and a katabatic flex 30f. Find it gloriously luxurious. The flex compacts well enough to fit 2 of them (my partners and mine) in my topeak front roll handle bag. Otherwise yes, oneplanet gear seems very good. The katabatic came in marginally cheaper even w shipping though

Thanks for the feedback on the Katabatic. All my reading about the Alesk has been very positive too and I emailed them yesterday seeking their advice and if they could possibly meet a rather tight delivery deadline I have (September) and they responded this morning and were very helpful.

I am going to go with the Katabatic Alesk with an extra 2 oz of overfill I think but will look at the Flex now you have mentioned it.

[Aushiker]

The thing I like about the puffer vest idea, I plagiarised from somewhere, is that one is much easier to wash than a sleeping bag.
My sleeping bag is once again overdue for a hand wash but the battle I'm facing is a lack of bath-tub in my current abode.

Thanks for the suggestion. I have been wearing a Mont-Bell Plasma 1000 Down Jacket but it does not do the job hence the reason for the upgrade to higher fill hooded jacket. I don't think a vest would work for me, but hopefully, the new jacket with the other changes will see me good.

[baabaa]

Hmm not good when you get cold and worse still when you then get colder again as it gets colder at 4 am then 5 then....
The IB 260 stuff is quite chunky as a base layer and a really warm product so hard to better that for weight vs... output.

re tents and bags I guess that have you seen https://www.naturehike.com/ seems so well priced for pretty good quality.

I am a solid with month and wilderness equipment gear as it has been good to me in the long run, but like you I am finding my mont bag is now a little cool in winter. (The bag is still good but quite old. FWIW when I had at the zips repaired in the Mont shop in Canberra shop last year, they showed it to Andrew who is the Montgomery and owner behind Mont, he thought he has stuffed and sewn it up himself. When he asked what I used it for and how I maintained ( which is very harsh and, I just don't other than a silk liner) he was really puffed up brand proud + very chuffed that it was still so functional ,so the zip job was done dirt cheap).
Shame none of this gear is still made in Aust anymore (ie WE was made in Freo) but I think I will go another mont bag, Would like WE tent ( 2nd arrow) but just don't need something that will last 30 odd years... so the nature hike stuff is so tempting.

Would a bivy bag over your sleep bag but still in a tent be an option during the chilly months?

[Aushiker]

Would a bivy bag over your sleep bag but still in a tent be an option during the chilly months?

In other circumstances that could be an option but space on the bike is at a premium so really need to consider options that minimise space usage.

[Stovepipe]

^I also have a naturehike cloud up 2. had it since 2015 and have thrashed it. Got it when naturehike was new for $40. One of my best investments. It's held up great other than zippers starting to get stiff. 1. 7kg. Fits perfect in gfs front roll bag, while I have the quilts in mine. Mats and clothes in saddle bags.

Re: katabatic - I got the flex 30f because I heard it felt like a warmer rating than that. I've only got it down to ~1 or 2c but was still toasty with a uniqlo heat tech top and bottoms. Had to unclip it and peel it off I was so hot. I no longer sleep in socks with it. Huge quilt convert overall.