Will a 0-degree bag be enough?

“I will be doing a hut-to-hut x-country skiing in the 10th mountain huts near vail in Mid-March. Will attempt to bivouac atleast 1 or 2 nights.
Will a 0-degree bag be okay at that time of year in those conditions? I do have a dry-loft winter sack for my bag.

Thanks”

“Not all 0 degree bags are created equal. There is no industry standard that is universally used. With the conflicting goals of low weight and warmth, manufactures will fudge where they can. Weight is easy to check so the warmth will be the victim.

Check the weather forecast and use your experience with your bag. If in doubt plan some extra insulations.”

“as long as the temps do not drop too much below zero.”

“You will be fine.”

“Shouldn't people who have actually hiked in that area at this time of year be giving this person advice? Just how familiar are any of you with the weather conditions in that area?”

“Easy tiger!!!!!

Take it easy...8)”

“They're legitimate questions pertaining to that kind of advice. The only advice that I know of so far on this page that is reliable mtn gal's.”

“Insert 'is' between reliable and mtn.”

“My nextdoor neighbor's daughter dated a plumber who once roomated with a guy from Vail. I think I know whattafuh I'm talking about!
hehehee!

Seriously, tho.
"Be prepared"
I've hiked in that region, but only during the summer. Even then, though, I enter those altitudes prepared for sub-freezing temps.

Mid March? I'd be prepared for nighttime temps WELL below zero. You never know...”

“See Mike, gojo knows what he's talking about!



¦ P



.”

“My zero degree bag is too hot. If it is a quality bag buy one that matches the temperature you will encounter. Do not buy a zero degree bag for 25 degree weather. I tend to sleep hot (take it easy ladies) so your experience may be different.”

“My bad!!!!!!!

8)”

“What's with this "my bad" slang?”

“I don't know what should I say?

8)”

“I live in CO and have done some winter camping in my -15 bag and I have been nice and toasty. Since you are doing a hut to hut, you should be fine since you will be indoors. However, you know how your body functions under cold weather. I tend to need a warmer bag because I get colder than most people.”

“The thing is Coloradogal, we intend to bivouac a couple of nights. The huts are reserved, but we want to try bivoucing (is that even a word?) at some point, resting soundly knowing the hut is close by.
Unfortunately, I can't find much on the Internet about temperatures at that altitude and time of year.

The only sleeping bag I own is a 20 degree Marmot one, so I won't have any experience with the bag I will end up using. Depending on this advice, I will either rent a
-20 degree bag or buy a 0 degree. I tend to be a fairly warm sleeper.”

“Ain't that near the Maroon Bells (or am I getting Vail confused with another resort area)?
I would think that you could locate a March trail report somewhere out there in cyberspace -even if it's several years old.

The local FS office should be able to give some insight, too.”

“Vail is about 2 hours from Denver. Gojo, you are thinking of Aspen. If you are coming in March, you should be fine with at least a 0 degree bag. Right now, we are experiencing winter conditions in the mountains but by mid-March, the weather should improve. I had friends who have slept in 0 degree bags in a snow cave and they have been warm. Of course, you can always layer on clothes for extra warmth. My two cents, you should be fine if you are a warm sleeper. March should be beautiful here in CO and that area is absolutely beautiful.”

“I would check out the following Web site. It has a lot of useful information about the outdoor activities in Colorado including weather and contact information. Hope this helps.

http://www.oriconline.org/”

“D'oh!
I always get those two towns confused - sorta like Pinedale and Pineville, WY.

Wouldn't a snow cave be about 32 degrees, regardless of the outside temp?”

“I never slept in a snow cave so I don't know but I did sleep in a snow fort and I still stayed warm without being in a tent. Aspen is also a beautiful place so I can understand why you got confused!”

“Gojo has the right idea. That is what makes snow shelters appealing. The problem is that if you don’t know how to build one, it can take hours to construct. It depends a lot on the snow conditions and the construction method. The easy way, if the snow is deep enough, is to just dig a cave. My experience is that a quality 0 degree rated bag, with something to keep it dry, is plenty in a snow shelter even if it is 20 below outside.”