Broader surface area on the sides of our camping air mattresses make it easier to get cold air to impact the outer material of the mattress. That can impact how cold we feel while sleeping on them. Here's a simple thing we can do about it.

For over a decade, I've been using the same split finger gloves (or split finger mittens) as a compromise between the warmth of a mitten and the dexterity of a glove. They aren't right for every trip, but I can use them in a surprising amount of situations. The full video gets into some of the pros and cons and how I choose when to use them.

Famed high altitude mountaineer Ed Viesturs has used two-person quilts on the highest mountains in the world. Backpackers often use quilts, now, as a matter of course. So, my family has been using the two-person Enlightened Equipment Accomplice sleeping quilt for backpacking and for alpine climbing, both to add warmth (body heat of a second person) and cut weight (less per-person weight). The full video offers a product review.

Alpine climbing, backpacking, and camping in the winter requires a lot of gear. So, if we could find a way to keep all of our cold-sensitive items warm overnight, for only two ounces (60 grams) of weight, would we do it? Well, getting a sleeping bag that is one size longer than you need might be that solution.

Climbing big mountains in anything more than a day, may demand that you cold-weather camp as well as you climb. It's the key to your recovery at the end of each day. My twin eight-year-old wanted to try winter camping in truly cold weather. It got down to -6 F (-21C). The full video goes into what I was thinking about and focused on teaching them during these 48 hours out.

I carry a camp pillow when mountaineering, backpacking, or alpine climbing at altitude. One reason is that at high altitudes I can get Cheyne-Stokes breathing, an apnea impacting my sleep. Watch the full video to find out why plenty of people get Cheyne-Stokes at altitude, how a simple item like a camp pillow can alleviate this condition, and how that same pillow may contribute to a warmer and lighter sleep system.

My twin seven-year-olds love mountaineering, climbing, hiking, and camping. But making sure we have all the right gear for winter trips comes with larger consequences for getting it wrong. The full video is a load out of what we take for a winter day-trip in snowy, cold conditions

Being someone who goes to high and cold places on mountaineering, winter backpacking, and backcountry winter camping adventures, I need a sleep system that can handle severe temperatures (below 0 Fahrenheit or below -18 Celsius) but also not full up my pack and break my back with weight. The fill video shares my personal journey from nearly 4.5 down to 3.0 pounds (1.4 kg) for a winter bag and sleeping pads along with the gear changes I made to get there.

Sleeping bags can be expensive, and we should take care of that investment. The simplest thing you can do to help keep your sleeping bag lofting and in excellent shape is to not store it in a compression sack when you aren't using it out in the field. Hanging in it our using its non-compression storage bag are better options, if you have the space.

Wanting to hike to the summit of a 14er? Here is a loadout of the equipment I take on a typical summer climb to above fourteen thousand feet.