Loralee, my best recollection is that we were out 3 nights. As that was more than 30 years ago, I can't be sure. I am sure that I will not go out in the winter in the Dacks anymore without at least a -10F bag, a puffy coat in reserve and puffy booties to sleep in.

There is a definite inverse relationship between the temperature outside your sleeping bag and the number of times you will wake up needing to relieve yourself.

I prefer to wait until morning when I am getting up anyway. That is much more preferable to getting up in the middle of the night or using that women's funnel device. It could still lead to disaster within the sleeping bag.
It is bad enough being woken to the tinkling sound of one's male tentmates using their peebottles - no way do I want others to hear me!
A square-shaped bottle is recommended (if your water bottle is round) to enable identification by feel.

I agree, unfortunately reality often forces itself upon us!

Especially since the night is about 15 hours long.

I thought I wasn't sleeping well - turns out I'd slept fine. But crawling into your sleeping bag at 6 30 (don't know when I went to sleep, but at night I don't really want to be anywhere but my sleeping bag) doesn't mean you'll sleep until daylight - which, on monday, wasn't until after 7 AM.

On most winter backpacks in the NE in December - February, you don't want to sleep till daylight anyway. Waking, making breakfast, cleaning up, breaking down camp, and packing for the day (and trying to stay warm during that process, esp fingers and toes) is going to take several hours. Since the daylight hours are so few, you pretty much want all of that done by 7am, so waking at 4:30a is a benefit.

Lorelee:

Just caught on these threads - a little late...

I have been backpacking solo for over 20 years now, with at least a dozen weeklong trips under my belt in different states, not counting a 12-day trip trekking in Nepal. I don't know of any other woman who have done this - which doesn't mean they don't exist, it just means it is a rare occasion.
So kudo to you for going out solo.

I have gone a half a dozen times winter camping with my partner, in the Adirondaks and the Catskils. I am at the point where I feel ready to go out on my own in the winter.

PM or email me if you want to know my 2 cents.
[email]myrbou@yahoo.com[/email

are you for real??? You act like your madame currie or something. If you havent seen the calender its 2008