Two down one to go. Second REI gig in Corte Madera last night. Tonight is the last stop in the STP traveling polar road show in California - the Saratoga store.

Corte Madera was a great venue with a few hard core REI-ers who showed up early to 'talk gear'. It's not too often that I get a chance to get into the nitty gritty of the what it takes to live and survive in such extreme temperatures.

One of the things that many people are surprised about is the sleeping systems I use for polar travel. Temperatures in the Arctic can dip to 50 or even 60 below zero. Getting a good night's rest can be almost as much effort as traveling and pulling a heavy sled during the day. Therefore, a lot of consideration (and engineering) is put into sleeping bags.

I have been working with Jesse Anderson at Sierra Designs to develop a set of sleeping bags (pictured) that are light weight, warm, packable, and easy to use. I think we've achieved success!

The system uses two sleeping bags. The inner bag is down rated to -20F. Its a pretty simple bag, but modified with a more effective draft tube and lighter nylon (basically a SD Nitro with more insulation). The outer bag is synthetic and has a two fold purpose. To add extra insulation and to trap any moisture so that it doesn't condense and freeze in the down bag.

I had one of the attendees try out the system. Cozy and warm for sure!