I am in the process of planning my first back country touring trip up to the high peaks and I am trying to coordinate around "fair" weather. This weekend they are calling for - 7 below at night, is that considerably cold? Everything is relative, and I know -7 is damn cold, but for those who are experienced, would you consider that temperature on the colder side for sleeping at night? I would probably be camping at the Marcy Dam lean-tos. Thanks.

i think that depends on what kind of gear you have for camping. what is your sleeping bag rated? i've slept in -5 at marcy dam with a 0 degree rated sleeping bag and i was pretty cold all night, though i survived. it wasn't horrible, but it wasn't real comfortable. i prefer not to camp in winter unless it's going to be above zero, but if you've got the appropriate gear to be in the cold, it might not be so bad.

It all depends on the weather or the type of cold.

For example if it's a radiational cooling night and the temps dip down to -5 to -10 overnight, but there is no wind and the temps warm up as soon as the sun comes up, that's fine with me.

However if it's a situation where it's between -5 and +5 but there is considerable wind, and the temperatures don't increase much, if at all during the day, that is too cold.

I suppose what I am saying is that there is no finite temperature, I would focus more on: How long is it expected to be cold, and will there be wind and/or snow accompanying it.

When it comes down to it though, as my better half already stated, it all depends on your gear.

can you tell he's a meteorologist? haha

I have a three season bag rated to 20 degrees. Obviously I was concerned with that, though I have been given lots of advice on other forums. I wonder if purchasing a liner of some sort, wearing a pair of thermals and packing a nalgene with near boiling water would keep me alive over night. All joking aside, I don't mind discomfort, so long as I don't pose any threat to my life. I also considered making an igloo, though time consuming, I wouldn't mind building one around/over my tent. Has anyone been on the Van Hovenberg recently? Is it really firm? I will be skinning, but I believe it is supposed to snow upwards of 4 or 5 inches by Saturday. I thought of doing a real intermediate/introductory trip, such as the heading up to Lake Colden and skiing down through Avalanche pass back to Marcy. As much as I would love to get on some steep terrain, I don't think there is enough snow coverage given last weeks rain.

PLEASE DO NOT TRY TO MAKE AN IGLOO!!!

I could not be any more serious right now. Maybe I'm just overreacting to your terminology, but a REAL igloo is best left to the Eskimos. They take hours to construct and I'd bet anything the type of snow there in the 'dacks is not nearly the quality needed to make one. That being said, there are other snow shelters for you to utilize...if you have experience building them. Still, they take considerable time and energy to construct. As far as I'm concerned, a real-life survival situation is not the time to be learning how to dig a snow trench or build a winter debrit hut. If you've never built a winter shelter, but really want to learn, you should practice in your backyard first.

However...to address your original questions...As long as you are dry, sheltered from the wind, and can provide yourself a fair amount of insulation...or an enclosed air space that doesn't take much of your body heat to warm up...you can SURVIVE the worst winter weather. (Notice how I didn't say you'd be comfortable). Given that ADK winter temperatures probably don't dip much further than -10 in the areas most people camp, if you have a 0 degree bag and happen to face temperatures that low while sleeping in a lean-to, you'll be a bit chilly. With a 20 degree bag (as you stated you have), you will probably be quite cold.

But...a lot depends on how susceptable you are to the cold, how your body regulates heat, the quality of your sleeping bag (not just insulation), etc. A nalgene full of hot water can be very helpful...just make sure it doesn't leak (tletcher12 can attest to that). Sleeping in a tent will also provide some added warmth. I've camped in sub-zero air temperature above treeline in Alaska, and being inside your tent is noticably warmer, though still below freezing.

For your situation with the gear you've state as having...a 20 degree bag inside a tent will keep you alive...but I would guess that you will be somewhat uncomfortable if you aren't wearing additional layers to sleep in. If your tent is not 4-season, you can expect to feel even colder.

Granted, this is what would happen if you faced sub-zero temperatures. You might luck out and get a night in the teens. If that's the case, you might sleep quite comfortably with your current set-up. The question is...are you willing to risk that?

Have fun with the skiing, though. If I was still living in the area, I would definitely be in for a tour through Avalanche Pass. I'm nowhere near the level of skiier that I want to be, so I'm still sticking to the flats...or at the most...gently rolling hills to learn proper technique. That trip would be great for me.

...And how cold is cold? Well...up here, it really isn't considered to be "cold" until the mercury hits 20 below. Going through my first Alaskan winter, I'm starting to agree with that sentiment.

Take care, and good luck with your ski tour.