Tetsa Prowler said:
If your gonna mess around in deadly temps you really want to be the owner of a high quality down sleeping bag. If you need to be HC then go shoot some geese and make your own with period correct fabric. There is simply no alternative unless you can deliver 75 pounds of fur and wool to your camp.
Beyond the down bag you want to look at what you are wearing. Silk under coarse wool is HC and like Down is the final word in cold weather survival.
In uber cold and if possible sleep in the warmer afternoon and leave the coldest part of the clock for tea drinking and star gazing.
"Really the following is a quote from another board made by a gent who is a musher in Alaska.
My winter bed roll is an Early's of Witney 4 pt., a hand woven blanket of similar weight and size, inside a canvas wrap (7 X 7 foot square canoe sail) that blocks any stray breezes. Typical bed is six to 8 inches of spruce boughs. Most typical shelter is a lean-to set up to block the prevailing wind, though I sometimes prefer to just crawl into the sled bag on my traineau when that is my means of travel. I also use my capote or greatcoat in lieu of an extra blanket over all and am dressed in a manner similar to what you propose.
That set up has kept me comfortable at -30 F (- 34C) and has been tolerable at -40 (-40 C). The only modern sleeping bag I know of that can perform as well is Wiggy's Antarctic with an overbag and his company's specialized pad, a $550.00 combination at retail."
Here's his mushing website -
http://www.tworiversak.com/mushing.htm
I've used the same basic setup with the addition of a buffalo robe and was comfortable to -35°.
My "tent" was a simple wedge style as per Miller's prints made of heavy linen canvas. Clothes were a lot of BT leather with two shirts(linen & Cotton per the RMFT period trade lists, a medium weight wool flannel coat per AJ Miller, wool socks and under leggings (with BT over leggings), wool clout, no long johns - cold you bet at times, but not so uncomfortable that I couldn't have survuved
As Blackhand said based on your post I reckon nobody must have survived in the early days since they did not have down sleeping bags (if they are PC for the 1750-1850 era they sure don't show up in the historical record - so if you have something that states elswise then please supply links or a footnoted quote).
Silk undies - yep I love mine and my Merino wool ones too, but they aren't PC as far as the 1750-1850 historical records go - Yes some folks did wear undies in both the 18th and early 19th Centuries but they were not common wear for most of the lower middle and poor classes and most were made of linen or later cotton, with some wool flannel documented. Again if as you noted they are HC/PC - 1) for who, when, and where and 2) again lets see some period citations........