Are you looking for something just to cover your feet area?  I get cold feet as well so I try to sleep with an extra thick pair of socks on.  I also put my clothing that I want to wear in the morning in the bottom of my sleeping bag.  It serves threepurposes:  1. it fills empty space in the sleeping bag making it easier to heat and keep warm, 2. it makes putting on fresh clothes in the morning not so unbearable (nothing like putting on a freezing cold shirt when it's -25 lol), 3. it allows me to put my feet under the clothing items at the bottom of the bag if my feet get cold.  

Is your sleeping bag down?  Like you say, you don't want to introduce any more moisture into a down bag than needed...inevitably your down bag will get colder and colder over a longer trip unless you are able to totally dry it out during the day (many down bags are black on the inside allowing you to turn it inside out to dry off quicker).  I'd be reluctant to put anything that traps moisture on top of my down bag for an extended period of time

Why not an inside liner Barry?

Hi Barry,

You did not mention which emergency blanket you have, but one piece of gear I've really been impressed with is the All Weather Emergency Blanket sold by MEC for $18:

https://www.mec.ca/en/product/0199-141/Emergency-Blanket

The blanket is reasonably light at 285 grams. I've used it under sleeping bags on cold nights to provide effective additional warmth and never noticed any dampness in the morning. It doesn't make much noise to my ears. It's also versatile: I've used it as a durable tarp in a downpour. One con is that it can be a bit bulky to pack, but if you use it as an inside liner for your pack that's not too much of an issue. Hey, it's cheap enough that even if it doesn't fit the bill you haven't lost too much.

Tracy

Hi Barry,
I have added a home made lamb skin fleece inner liner to my down sleeping bag ( it's old). I purchased the material at $15.00/meter.  ( on sale, normally $20.00/m). 2 meters necessary, its wide enough to double up  and contain a person size xl.. Sow along length and bottom. 2 metres is enough to have the top fold over the edge of your sleeping bag.It's extremely light, holds warmth great, stuffs into a compression sack  to about the size of small loaf of bread. It breaths great, no condensation. I used it this September and loved it. It weighs around a pound.
One tip: It MUST be lambskin fleece, as all other fleeces are either too heavy, thick,dense, or too light. Any material store worth its salt should have it.
It's also warm enough on its own for summer camping.

https://www.mec.ca/en/product/5031-587/Get-Down-Bootie 

I have an Aluminized Tyvek Bivy. Bought it from 2GoSystems. They don't make the version I have any more. It looks like the SOL Escape Bivy is also made of Aluminized Tyvek. Much better then the throw away SOL Survival Bivy. Basically this is a breathable overbag with a silver lining. Pretty tough material. The crinkling and stiffness goes away with use. You can just throw it in the washing machine to soften it up. Don't put it in the dryer. It will melt.

I use the Bivy cold camping, -10 or colder, primarily to keep snow, snowfleas, water, dirt of my sleeping bag. Or, hot tenting for the same reason. It does provide some insulation but I mostly use it to keep my stuff clean and dry. In cold temperatures and canvas hot tents where humidity levels are low condensation is not an issue. But in at +/- 0 degrees in fall and spring (high relative humidity) my experience is a film of condensation occurs on the inside of the bag and this transfers to your sleeping bag

I would get a better bag. Maybe a really good/warm down quilt. You can regulate heat in a quilt so much better than a bag. Otherwise, I would suggest a bag liner. Sea-to-Summit Thermolite bag liners are really good. People just assume they don't work because they are so thin. They do work! Shimmie out of one for a bathroom break in the middle of the night and you can immediately feel how much insulation they are adding to your bag. Just wish they had a zipper. They are awkward to get in and out.

Last edited by MartinG (11/20/2017 4:59 pm)

I'm with Shawn on the liner. I made a fleece liner for my -7C North Face Blue Kazoo.  It's near 20 years old and still served me well last Family Day weekend in the interior. The liner is simply a fleece banket sewn up 3/4. When it gets really cold I also dawn the Mec  down booties and have been known to use adhesive toe warmers in a jam. Anything that retains moisture is a bad idea IMO.

Last edited by Shayne74 (11/20/2017 10:58 pm)

I think a light weight fleece blanket works the best. I've tried the emergency blankets and they don't work well for someone of my build(tall but thin). The blanket is light and will absorb any condensation generated throughout the night, I stuff mine inside my sleeping bag before packing the bag up when leaving for my trips. I won't go on a spring/fall trip without one now. The added bonus is you don't have to listen to the "turkey" turning over in the middle of the night! (that's what I call my buddy when he uses an emergency blanket *crinkle,crinkle*)