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REI Lightweight Fleece Bag Liner
Lightweight Fleece Bag Liner

How can I ramp up the warmth in a sleeping bag?

My 12-year-old daughter gets very cold at night when we’re camping. We are backpackers and tend to camp just under treeline between May and October. She currently uses a junior polyfill bag with an inflatable pad and some good long underwear. What could we do to keep her warm and give us a peaceful night’s sleep? Lori Lakewood, Colorado

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REI Lightweight Fleece Bag Liner

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Well, part of it is due to simple biology. Twelve-year-old girls aren’t all that big, so she has less thermal mass to begin with.

REI Lightweight Fleece Bag Liner

REI Lightweight Fleece Bag Liner Lightweight Fleece Bag Liner

But there are things you can do to make sure she stays warm. Good-quality long underwear is essential. I like wool. The 200 Oasis Crewe ($65) is an excellent piece. Also, make sure she has warm socks, light gloves, and a snug warm hat. At bedtime, brew up some hot chocolate—that will put something warm in her stomach, along with some calories.

I think the sleeping bag is okay. You could add a liner to it, such as the Lightweight Fleece Bag Liner ($45). That extends the comfort range by ten degrees or so. Then, fix her mattress. If she has a true air mattress, then she has almost no insulation under her, just cold air. So do one of two things. Either swap it out for an insulating pad ( DownMat, which is a down-filled air mattress, $130). Or, throw a light foam insulating pad over the air mattress. ’ Therm-A-Rest Z-Lite ($29) would do nicely, adding several R of insulation values.

A plain ol’ hot water bottle also can do miracles.

Good luck!

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