My wife (who is very new to backpacking) and I (been backpacking since my teens) have started to go on some weekend trips together. Wifie HATES the idea of a mummy bag and will not even entertain the thought of one. I got us a pair of North face Allegheny 40 degree bags. They are rectangular and very comfortable. North Face also makes a Dolomite version that is claimed to be a 20 degree bag.
My question is are we better off staying in our separate bags or would zipping them together add warmth. I would like to pick up a pair of the Dolomite 20 degree bags for slightly colder weather. I figure we could either us both 40 degree bags or both 20 degree bags and even sometimes one of each.

Zip them together. Shared heat is wonderful! Consider using two mummy bags zipped together on one side only as a quilt. You each have a foot box to prevent drafts, share heat, and can wrap the edges around you just as you would at home.

In our experience zipping two bags together is MUCH colder. Every time someone moves warm air is forced out of the bag(s).

If she doesn't want a mummy bag, try the Montbell UL Super Stretch Down Hugger bag. My wife is a side sleeping thrasher who likes to pull her legs up to her chin. The super stretch feature makes it really easy to sleep in, not constricting like a mummy.

Zipping together is fine in mild weather, but it is colder in anything below about 40 degrees. The problem is that you have gaps at the shoulder and head area. This becomes a big heat-loss problem when it is cold. You could fix this if you sew. Modify the top of the bag to have a "draft collar".

Years ago I sewed zip-together mummy bags for my ex-hub and myself for winter mountaineering - it got -40 degrees F at night! It was basically two independent mummy bags with independent hoods and the zip-together part was only at the side from chest to foot. And although we could touch each other and snuggle, each bag also had zipper draft tubes so that we could go into each of our bags and not have a gaping hole between us. This bag was warmer for us. But I have never seen anything like it commercially available.

Our experience has been that to zip two bags together, you will lose some heat between the two of you. There is just more space to heat too !! We have used two bags together but if it gets to freezing or below, you are going to have a problem with the cold. I guess that you could dress a little warmer and have some success but I do think that separate bags would be more efficient as far as heat retention...sabre11004...

You might go to a local outfitter (or an REI or similar store if one is nearby) and let her try a few out. It sounds like she's rejecting the idea of a mummy bag, or a separate bag, without having actually been in one.

If she's willing to try them, she might change her mind. If not, you can try zipping various bags together in the store to see what works best for you. There are also quilts available - the Thermarest Ventra might be the easiest to find; the Western Mountaineering Mitylite is also widely available, is semirectangular, hoodless, and allows the option of having separate footboxes while zipping the bags together; the bag also has a cord to cinch it around your shoulders. (This is similar to Daisy's solution.)

During our PCT trip, my wife and I started zipping our bags together because we were getting cold at night. After connecting the bags, we were able to stay warmer, but as some other posters have mentioned, if someone moves you will lose some of the heat. To us though, it seems as though the heat produced by two of us in in the bags is more than any we lose.

I think this is true within limits...but when you get right down to the lower temperature range of your bag, you are going to want to zip it up tight, and snug it up around your face. And that's hard to do with someone else trying to do the same thing in the bag next to you.

For very cold weather, we each bundle up in our own bag.

Phriteaux and I converted to double bags a long time ago. We have two semirectangular bags - an overstuffed one with a Polarguard 100 fleece draft flap (3 sections overlapping) and one with 16 ounces of down without a draft flap as well as a radically tapered bottom sheet that zips on instead of the bottom bag to make a completely insulated foot box. This rig is super versatile.

In warmer weather we use a single bag like a duvet with no sheet. In moderately cool weather, we use both bags and put the lighter one on top. If it gets cooler, we put the heavier bag on top. For cold weather, we put the tapered bottom sheet on the heavier bag which reduces the interior volume and warmth considerably. In very cold weather, we put the sleeping pads inside and tuck the lighter bag inside as well. Toasty!
For lightest weight in moderate weather, we use the lighter bag with the bottom sheet and use clothing to fashion a draft flap if needed.

The draft flap is the real secret to using a double semirectangular bag system. It keeps movement from letting cold air in.

John boy
with all due respect, let her get cold then, or let her carry a 6 pound rectangular bigcity fella deer hunter bag. I hate to say it but being 60 years old I've taken a LOT of women camping and I was never able to convince any of them to change their attitude about their own prejudices be it peeing outside, mummy bags, bugs, or "sleeping on the ground like an animal". If mummy bags are out, then she doesn't really want to do this. Zipping two together gives you a lot more room, but may not be warmer. Two in one rectangular bag can be very warm.

To be fare, I also have had some male camping friends with some really strange prejudices that also were not to br swayed.
Jim

It isn't necessarily a gender thing; Jim's description sounds like my ex-husband!

At least he did correct the "gender thing" in the end of his post....sabre1104

Yeah, just imagine what bigfoot things of us prejudiced types who think him strange for backpacking in a tartan skirt

Originally Posted By: Jimshaw

To be fare, I also have had some male camping friends with some really strange prejudices that also were not to br swayed.
Jim



Yeah, just imagine what bigfoot things of us prejudiced types who think him strange for backpacking in a tartan skirt
_____________________________________________________________

phat, thats NOT why I think Bigfoot is strange, thats almost normal... However when we were posting a while back about hiking in skirts NO ONE, not even the girls, not even Mouse had even one reason for wearing a skirt hiking, just bf...

Does wearing two skirts zipped together make you warmer?
Jim

Here we go again with the jealousy

I don't think you guys are strange, just not as secure in your heterosexuality as i am

Just some reasons why i wear a kilt:


If you had legs like mine, you'd want to show them off, too!
Because the extra groin room compensates for the cojones required to wear one (i know, Jim, you don't get it, right?).
It is so cost efficient - buy a kilt and it lasts a lifetime
It is warm in winter and cool in summer
It breaks down boundaries in communication - great conversation starter
It saves on underwear
I look hot in a kilt
Displays creativity
Offers so much freedom than trousers
Wearing my own clan tartan gives me pride in my family
Makes me feel proud to wear it
It personifies me as to who I am and my heritage...sort of.
It raises my self confidence (especially when hiking with Phat or JimShaw).
It shows I am not afraid to be different
It's smart
It;s a great ice-breaker
It can be dressed up or down for any occasion
It never goes out of fashion
The extra element of suprise, when you have to kick someone in the head.
In this culture, men have spent the last century ogling women’s legs. It’s time to turn the other cheek.
The most comfortable garment imaginable
It's me
It expresses my individuality
It makes people curious
It projects my ethnicity
It shows I am unique
It offers style, comfort and versatility
I see things in a different light
It is sexy
So i can just say "lipstick" when someone asks what i wear under my kilt.
It brings like minder people together
Dressing in the morning is not a chore - it is a pleasure.
The thrill of the windy day
Enhances my self confidence
The zipper scene in “Something About Mary”
It shows that I am traditional and modern at the same time
Designer labels are for those who lack imagination (North Face soccer Mom? Hell NO!)
I AM A MAN AND I DON’T HAFTA WAX ANYTHING!
Always looks smart
It's Special - the tartan, the tradition and modern at the same time
A Kilt makes one comfortable, a comfortable worker is a happy worker, a happy worker is therefore more productive
It brings out some of my best qualities
Its Air Conditioned !
For women, it’s not all about what’s under the kilt. It’s about that strong self confidence and absolute masculinity you exude when wearing one, too…. no, I lied. It’s all about what’s under the kilt.
It makes sexy promises to stangers.
It sparks to the imagination.
It’s easier to run away with your kilt up than it is to be caught with your pants down….
It's comfortable
It looks sharp.
It's different
It makes people smile (for whatever reason)
It feels right
It's a small acknowledgement of my family's history
It seems to encourage conversation - from all sorts
People get drawn to you like a magnet
People want their photograph taken with you
Because throughout history, men have worn un-bifurcated garments.
Because if women had an appendage hanging between their legs we guarantee you they wouldn’t be wearing pants.
People want your photograph
On a mooning raid, you have quick access!
Chicks love confident guys… and ya gotta be confident to wear one.
People secretly photograph you
In a bar people want to buy you a drink (important if you're a Irishman who hates buying a round! )
It is a beautiful, manly garment (especially when compared to Phat or JimShaw!).
Tradition
I have more self-confidence and pride when wearing the kilt
I feel they express my individuality better
I can reach under and "hug" my boys, whenever I want to
The kilt is cooler, fresher and dryer than trousers
The kilt provides more flexibility in fashion ensembles
It's a garment that fits a man's anatomy (mine more than some..Phat/Jimshaw
You meet the nicest girls while wearing a kilt
Its practical!
It provides a sense of freedom
I feel taller
It gives men a chance to wear colour
Chicks I’ve never met before ask me about my underwear
The freedom to scratch when and where it itches.
You can call Punks conformists.
Because the boys (wink wink!), they like to swing.
Its a national statement
It enhances pride of oneself and one's country

Fringe benefits:

* Physical: Your virility may increase. You will experience the pleasing sensation of air conditioning.
* Mental: Wearing a kilt shows a sense of security with yourself, and you will inspire much debate in others.
* Spiritual: Without physical constrictions, your burden will be lighter, your sense of freedom less impaired, and your sense of yourself will have room to grow.
*Chicks Dig Guys in Kilts… Plus the Added Bonus of KILT CHECKS!
*Because history has shown that men in kilts routinely kick the sh!t out of the trousered (Mel Gibson,Liam Neeson, Sean Connery....nuff said).

I think i just won a small victory against "Trouser Tyranny"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH-K3MU7-fA

BF

P.S.
Jim/Phat...be a MAN and check out this site:
http://www.kiltmen.com/

As to the "kilts are too cold for the winter" argument, check this Alaska backpacker out:
http://www.kiltmen.com/photogallery/photo19787/km-juneau.JPG

I can't remember... I'm an old married guy - I haven't been chasing two skirts at once for many many years..

Wow, 3 reasons repeated several different ways.

You would remember it if you had CAUGHT two skirts at once.

Remember, i'm dealing with JimShaw, here...old Hippies tend to be forgetful

BF

Dunno.. I can be pretty forgetful, but I'm thinking I'd remember that....

From the female point of view:

I never wear skirts any more, even for dress-up occasions. For one thing, there's the little matter of extensive scars on one leg from knee surgery and varicose veins on both, which I'd rather keep hidden from the general public. For another, I prefer to stay warm. When backpacking, I'd just as soon not offer any flesh to either mosquitoes or the sun (I'm allergic to most sunscreens) if I can help it!

I can't see that Bigfoot's kilt is any different from shorts. I don't wear shorts, either.

I did notice, though, that when the weather turned cool and rainy and when it was forecast to be windy, BF's kilt retired in favor of long pants.... In other words, he wore it only the first day!

food
since I'm probably the only guy here to have caught two skirts at once I rest my case :), but I'm not going into any details. I prefer to hike naked anyway... Real men don't need to hide anything.
Jim

I'm a trendsetter...not STUPID. There is a time and place for the kilt. Constant rain is not that time.

BF

Kilt - from Scotland (and Ireland) NOT for constant rain? Am I missing something here?