On my recent trip to Mongolia, I expected some pretty low temperatures, temperatures that I had not experienced before so I took a range of clothing and gear with me to protect me from the elements.
Average temperature during the day as I was walking on the frozen surface of the lake was around -15°C with fortunately very little wind.
Nightime dropped to a minimum of just below -25°C which is a temperature not many Australians have to deal with.
Shelter was provided by Mont’s Supercell EX tent, an excellent, roomy and wind stable tent that has an extended vestibule allowing extra storage and liveability during bad weather. I used double poles on this trip which increases stability in case of heavy winds. I made the poles captive on one side using cable ties. The tent was then stored with the poles folded at half length and rolled into a sausage about 1.5 metres long (possible because I was pulling a sled and the tent was strapped on top of the sled). This made erecting the tent very quick. Once the pegs were in position, I could have the tent basically erected in less than 2 minutes.
Securing the tent took some thought. Ideally I would have used ice screws all round but they are bulky, and expensive. The EX needs 12 pegs for a wind resistant pitch and at $120-150 each that’s an expensive proposition. I had one ice screw myself and borrowed 3 more so I had 4 in total. For the other pitch points I cut lengths of 16mm aluminium tube to be used as tent pegs. I drilled a 20mm hole with an ice screw to a suitable depth then inserted one of the tubes. In practise it worked perfectly, the tubes were easy to break free in the morning and the setup was very secure.
For my sleeping system, I took a 2mm layer of foam big enough to cover the tent floor for basic comfort (remember, the tent was pitched on over a metre of solid ice), on that I lay a Thermarest Z mat and on top of the Z mat I used my normal Exped Synmat 7 Winter mattress. Cold from underneath was not a problem. I used a Mont Spindrift 1000 sleeping bag which is rated to -25°C and was never cold when I was sleeping. I slept in a waterproof vapour barrier inside the bag otherwise moisture from my body as I slept would likely have frozen into a layer of ice partway through the bag. The vapour barrier was made from a seam sealed lightweight silnylon material sewn by my wife and was remarkably comfortable and efficient. I also wore Mont Powerdry thermals and a Mont Powerstretch Pro balaclava and my liner socks in the sleeping bag. Naturally the bag opening was cinched right down with a layer of ice forming around the opening from my breath.
First thing in the morning, I would exit the sleeping bag, trying not to bump the inner of the tent which would release a shower of ice crystals on me, slip on my Mont High Altitude down trousers (sublime!) and Mont Slinx Powerstretch Pro top. Over this went my Mont Icicle down jacket, and a Fjallraven Heater Hat over the balaclava (no external heat source in the hat, just a very warm synthetic hood type hat with a fur ruff around the face). Montane mittens on the hands and I was ready to face the world outside :). Dealing with the cold was tedious but apart from my fingers, which required constant care and attention if I removed my mittens, I was never cold, never shivered and felt fully protected from the elements.
For my footwear, I wore plastic bags over the liner socks to act as a vapour barrier then my main insulating socks. The aim was to keep the insulating socks and the boots dry. This worked perfectly well and my feet were warm during the day. My boots were Lowa Tibet bushwalking boots, which were totally adequate for the conditions. Kahtoola Microspikes kept me upright as I walked.
Once the sun had warmed things up a little I would pack up my camp then pack the down pants and jacket away.
During the day I wore my thermals top and bottom, Bimberi trousers and Mont Tempest waterproof pants,the Slinx top, and Odyssey jacket. If it felt particularly cold I would add the Mont Ultralightweight Zero down jacketunder the Odyssey and an Icetrek Guru neoprene mask but that was rare.
Add a pair of Julbo ventilated goggles, the Fjallraven hat and Mittens and I was set :)
This is an awful lot of faffing about every morning but it was essential to keep the cold at bay and it worked really well.
A novel experience for an Australian (even a Tasmanian) but overall the best trip I have ever done :)
Geoff Murray
Mont Ambassador
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