Quote Originally Posted by Irulan View Post
The quality of your insulation/pad UNDERNEATH your bag is an important factor in warmth. Regular blowup air mattresses are not very insulating, and neither is regular opeen cell (egg crate) style foam. What will keep you warmest aside from the bag is something that has a closed cell foam component. My favorite is my "Luxury Rest" by Thermarest.

Stay away from cotton blankets, sleeping bags and jammies. Wool or synthetics provide the best insulation without holding moisture.

I don't see how one could not want at least a cup of hot tea or coffee in the morning. Plus, I think the body needs hot food to regenerate. I don't suppose there's any science to that. I just think eating cold food a few days in a row would be tiresome.
Thanks for the recommendation as to the Luxury Rest. We have cots for car camping, but need to buy sleeping padd for a trip to Utah next April. We otherwise have wool blankets from an Army surplus store that we throw into the car for good measure. Still, I'm looking forward to finally having a toasty winter bag this year.