Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion What do you do for windy sleeping conditions?

Uh, Brent, after a night like that the simple fact that you would even consider going back out to spend the night in the wilderness says a lot about your tenacity!

Ditto what the others have said. And after reading these posts I'm thinking I should trade-in my standard space blanket for the emergency bivy version.

I always carry a tent for weather preparedness and warmth. But there are times when I like to sleep out under the stars and leave the tent in my pack. If you end up shopping for a new warmer sleeping bag that fits, consider looking at one with a beefier outer fabric that can help block the wind. Something like the Gore Windstopper on some Western Mountaineering bags, or similar on some Feathered Friends bags. In addition to being more wind-resistant, they also repel the dew that inevitably settles on the bag at night and reduces loft. Even inside a tent it's helpful when there's condensation on the tent walls that can easily find it's way to your bag. The downside, of course, is those fabrics add considerable weight (up to maybe around 6 oz), so there is that to factor in.

A few years ago in early October, a friend and I spent one night at Tulainyo Lake, perched right up on the Sierra Crest just north of Mount Whitney. There was only a small flat site with room for two bags but not enough room to set up the tent, so we decided to sleep under the stars. It was brutally cold and the wind was blowing super hard, but I stayed toasty warm in my so-equipped sleeping bag. I'm pretty sure I would have had an experience close to what you described if my bag that night had the standard outer fabric. I don't always use that bag because of the extra weight, but you might want to at least think about that option.

P.S. Hmm, regarding that anecdote about the night at Tulainyo Lake... now that I think about it that was a Feathered Friends bag rated at something like 35 below. Not exactly a scientific test of the effectiveness of the wind-resistant outer fabric. Still, I do think the fabric is something to consider.