Upgrading My Sleep System for Proper Cold Weather Camping
Over the past few months I’ve made some important changes to my camping setup. Not flashy upgrades. Not gear for the sake of gear. Just honest adjustments after real nights out in real UK conditions.
It turns out that comfort and warmth are not the same thing.
The Sleeping Bag – Naturehike CW700
I’ve upgraded to the Naturehike CW700 down sleeping bag, and this is a serious step up for colder conditions.
On paper it looks impressive. Seven hundred grams of 85 percent duck down. Comfort rating above minus 1.7 degrees. Limit down to minus 26 degrees. But numbers only matter if they translate into actual sleep.
What I’ve noticed most is how well it seals warmth in. The hood sits properly around the head without feeling restrictive, and the internal heat collar makes a genuine difference. Instead of warm air escaping every time you move, it stays where it should.
There’s enough room to turn over without wrestling the bag, which is important for someone who never seems to stay still all night. It compresses down surprisingly small for something this warm, and at just over a kilo in the medium size it doesn’t feel like a brick in the rucksack.
It feels like a proper winter sleeping bag, not a three season bag pretending to cope.
The Sleeping Mat – Finally Solving the Ground Cold Problem
The bigger revelation, though, has been the mat.
I’ve moved to a Naturehike thermal inflatable mat with proper insulation. After discovering the hard way that comfort alone is not enough, insulation was non negotiable.
This one inflates quickly, packs down reasonably small, and feels stable even on slightly uneven pitches. No sliding around. No constant crinkling every time I shift position. But the real difference is underneath.
It actually blocks the cold from the ground.
That creeping chill that seeps through your back at two in the morning simply isn’t there in the same way. And that changes everything. A good sleeping bag cannot compensate for heat being pulled out of you from below. Once the mat does its job properly, the whole system works.
Why This Matters
Sleep in the outdoors is not a luxury. It is the foundation of everything.
If you wake up cold and restless, the next day feels harder. The hills feel steeper. The patience shorter. Even the dogs notice when I’m slightly grumpy from a poor night.
With this combination of the CW700 bag and a properly insulated thermal mat, it finally feels like a genuine four season sleep setup rather than a hopeful compromise.
These upgrades were not about buying more kit. They were about learning from experience. Cold ground in the UK is no joke, even when the air temperature looks manageable.
For now, this feels like a system I can trust when the temperature drops.
And that trust makes all the difference.
I wouod love to know what gear you use and how you get on with it. Please leave a comment or email.
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