Essential farm equipment

That's my sleeping system. I probably sleep out with the animals more than a lot of livestock owners. I do it when there is an impending event like a pregnancy, for human imprinting with young herd animals I intend to keep as breeding stock or if I suspect a predator is in the neighborhood. My dog really enjoys it, he likes camping out. Some of the goats enjoy it, they like to snuggle. And I enjoy it, I like the outdoors and I am comfortable.

One thing that makes a big difference is my sleeping system. Layer one is a reasonably waterproof sleeping bag cover. It's an old school nylon cover and it is cut to fit a large rectangular sleeping bag. It's job is to give an initial layer of protections and keep the rest of my system clean. The sleeping bag cover is big enough to fit my next element, a self inflating sleeping pad. The sleeping pad is a generous one, 72X 28 X 2". It's enough to absorb irregularities in the ground and give a thermal separation from the ground. Then I have a gortex bivy sac cut for a mummy sleeping bag. I have put this bivy sac to the test, and it really is waterproof. The final layer is a synthetic filled winter mummy sleeping bag. I figure the sleeping bag cover and bivy sac each give 5 to 10 degrees f added comfort range. The double layer also helps ensure waterproofness. And the sleeping bag cover helps keep my sleeping bag on the sleeping pad. My sleeping bag is not as warm as it was when I bought it ten years ago, but with this system, I am still comfortable done in the Zero F range. Down that low, I might also add some long underwear, though.

I have always enjoyed camping. I was in the BSA from the time I was eleven and camping was one of the highlights. Looking back on it now, though, I am surprised I wasn't deterred early on. I did not have very good equipment, especially compared to today's equipment. Those were the pre gortex years, when the only way to keep things from leaking was vinyl or liberal amounts of various sealants. A good backpack then was a boxy bunch of nylon stretched on an aluminum frame. Closed cell foam was the state of the art in sleeping pad technology. And A-frame pup tents were still the norm. There were a lot of cold, damp nights in those early years of my camping career.
My first sleeping bag probably had cotton fill and I had cotton long underwear. Leather boots were only water proof for about the first hour and nearly everything was a hand me down. But since I had never experienced better, I guess didn't feel bad. Having solid equipment now allows me to sleep out in any weather at the drop of a hat. And I do whether I need to or not. I actually enjoy the colder weather more. Insects bother me more than cold temps, I guess. And in extremely cold temps, it's easier to stay dry.