Face covering while sleeping in cold temperatures

[Old MukR]

I wear a pashmina himalayan goat wool scarf shemagh style, and drape my wind parka over the upper part of my bag so my face is looking into the hood draped over the bag opening.

[ScottC]

I use a roughly 3ft square piece of a fleece blanket over my face. Helps me make it to -15 to -20°F comfortably. And being a flat on my back sleeper it stays in place.

[Wayland]

I use a micro fibre travel towel, cut down and made into a headover/snood which I use as a loose hood around my face.



I usually cold camp so one of the biggest problems tends to be moisture from my breath condensing on the sleeping system near to my face.

The micro fibre material absorbs an enormous amount of moisture so that condensation does not get into the insulation of the sleeping bags and it can be dried out in my clothing during the day.

This has worked well for me on a few trips now and a few friends that have tried it are converted too.

[Portage99]

I'd not heard of a frost bib. Is this what you mean? Or are there multiple types to use?

I have a tendency to get bronchitis from cold air, so I usually have a nice scarf over my mouth and nose when I hike to warm the air.

[SD_Motak]

I cold camp with a hammock enveloped by a canvas sock so I wear a fleece beanie down over my eyes to protect them from wet/frozen lashes and over the beanie I have an Ice Armor ice fishing hood purchased about 10-12 years ago. It fully covers head and neck with an oval cutout for my eyes (covered by the beanie). The miracle fabric inside the hood wicks away exhaled moisture without feeling clammy against my facial skin. A frost bib laid on top of my top quilt keeps it mostly dry. Everything dries out the next day (hood, frost bib, TQ, etc.).

[empirecanvas]

I pull the hood from my puffycoat, zip the ruff on it, and cork it into my bag.

[Undersky]

Thank you for these suggestions, everyone.
We have the snow, so now we just need the cold weather so as to try them out!

[Scoutergriz]

I've only had to do it a couple of times because I don't really feel the cold on my face, but once, at -40, I just draped a microfibre towel over my face, and another time I used a fleece shirt...

[Kinguq]

I attach a narrow strip of polar fleece, about 50 cm wide and as long as the bag is wide, across the top of the bag with velcro tabs. I can put that over my head and breath under it without getting the bag wet. It is infinitely adjustable and easy to get just the right amount of ventilation. Polar fleece is very nice to sleep under because it is so porous.

Kinguq.

[Bkrgi]

Being in a Hammock I bought my winter quilts to be longer than needed so as to wrap around my head and leave a small breath hole. Yes the quilt(s) in that area frost up but nothing the hot tent can"t dry out by day. Cold camping I would really have to re-evaluate

[Undersky]

Hey Snapper, I did the burrowing down thing in a dble bag system on a cold night a few years ago - it was the last night of the trip so I figured the extra humidity in the bag could be dried out at home. It certainly dried out easily .... all 650 grams of extra moisture dried out of it!

Similar to you, MRaske, and you, Snowbound, my best solution has been a beanie, a neck tube pulled over the top and down to just over the nose, and another neck tube pulled up to just over my mouth. Breath goes through the nose easily, and does get the lower neck tube a little damp and frosty, but at least the melting "nostricles" don't wake me up when I change position throughout the night!

AwBrown, do you use a x-c ski mask, or are you referring to goggles? Thanks.

I appreciate your replies!

[snapper]

I'm pretty fortunate that my face doesn't get uncomfortable until it gets truly cold. The couple of nights that does happen (-15 F or lower), I just burrow down into my sleeping bag; and yup...I know you're not supposed to do that 🤫

That's all for now. Take care and until next time....be well.

snapper

[MRaske]

When it is real cold, I will use my parka as a pillow and flip the hood over my sleeping bag and breath out of the fur ruff. Keeps air flow down and lets the condensation out. Neck gaiter, beanie and beard otherwise.

[awbrown]

Ski mask for me..

[Snowbound]

I have a long “watch cap beanie” hat. When it is real cold I roll it down over my eyes and to the tip of my nose leaving the nostrils and mouth open and free of condensation.