Winter Vented Sock now available at Dutchwaregear.com

**jkc107** · 01-16-2015, 00:47

The compression of the UQ depends on so many factors that it's kind of hard to narrow it down. It could be the length of the hammock, the width of the hammock, how tight your ridgeline is, the distance between the tapered end and cinched end, the loft of the UQ, etc.

That being said, on a 10' Dutch PolyD hammock at 58" wide with a 20* Incubator with 1 oz overstuff and a 100" ridgeline pulled tight, I experienced no loss in loft. The sock was touching the UQ at the bottom but I didn't notice any compression.

**Flynguy521** · 01-16-2015, 07:33

I just used mine last night at McKinney Falls for the Texas Hang. It was tight until I adjusted my ridge line for a flatter lay.

As far as claustrophobic, I sleep in bivies where the mesh is touching your face so as long as it's off my face I feel like I'm in heaven. I think you'll do fine by not pulling it all the way up. Ease yourself into it. That's what I had to do with the bivies.

It was 27° last night and with my sock and a PLUQ and 20° Cat's Meow I was comfortable for most of the night. Woke up 3 times with cold spots, and got out to make late night pit stops twice. As soon as I pulled the sock down to got a shiver! Definitely could not have gone so low without the sock!

**Dochartaigh** · 01-16-2015, 09:26

Just my 2 cents - I have the summer sock version, which I assume is built to the same dimensions as the winter sock, and for the record I'm a big guy...but I can barely even pull my summer sock over me WITHOUT an underquilt on the hammock; so I am concerned about the UQ working with these socks.

I'm waiting until spring when I have some other (lighter) guys camping with me to try it out again and see if it'll function for them with an UQ (it's a loaner item for me anyway since I bought a Dream hammock with built-in net since then).

**Flynguy521** · 01-16-2015, 11:25

I'm 275lbs and 6'2". I wasn't cramped.

**OutandBack** · 01-17-2015, 12:27

Originally Posted by flynguy521

I'm 275lbs and 6'2". I wasn't cramped.

Sounds like you got everything to fit. Have any picts of you in the hammock with UQ and winter sock?

**Flynguy521** · 01-19-2015, 11:00

Originally Posted by OutandBack

Sounds like you got everything to fit. Have any picts of you in the hammock with UQ and winter sock?

Here it is with a borrowed DIY under quilt. I was not in it for the pics though. With me in it it is still a great fit. I did not have any trouble pulling the sock up over the uq or back down for "midnight irrigation", except when I tried to use my pluq and the DIY uq together and that was due to my plug hanging too loose anyway.

IMG_1935.jpg IMG_1937.jpg IMG_1936.jpg IMG_1938.jpg

**OutandBack** · 01-19-2015, 12:12

Thank you for the picts FlynGuy that really helps.
In cases like this a pict really is worth a thousand words.

**fastfoxengineering** · 01-19-2015, 13:05

Can someone point me in the right direction for a good resource on the merits of a sock like this? I've come up with that the sock is pretty much a windbreak for your quilts, enhancing the efficiency and warmth of them. I feel like this may be the ticket for that extra insurance of my 20* quilts for a thru hike on the AT. I wouldn't bring it the whole trip. But when the temp is gonna drop below 20, this may be the answer.

**Flynguy521** · 01-19-2015, 13:45

Originally Posted by fastfoxengineering

Can someone point me in the right direction for a good resource on the merits of a sock like this? I've come up with that the sock is pretty much a windbreak for your quilts, enhancing the efficiency and warmth of them. I feel like this may be the ticket for that extra insurance of my 20* quilts for a thru hike on the AT. I wouldn't bring it the whole trip. But when the temp is gonna drop below 20, this may be the answer.

I don't have any resources other than first hand experience, but there were 3 of us using these last weekend and all of us could tell a difference. I was sleeping with my head under my tq/sleeping bag and when I woke up and poked my head from under the bag of course there was a huge difference. When I would pull the sock down I could feel another huge difference. I didn't have a thermometer and could not tell you exactly what the variation was, but I feel it definitely meets Dutch's claim of 10-15° and may even exceed it. Lows for the nights were 27°,32°,36° I believe. It fits in the stuff sack that came with my hammock, and serves double duty as an under quilt protector. YMMV, but I hope that helps.

**fastfoxengineering** · 01-19-2015, 13:59

Originally Posted by flynguy521

I don't have any resources other than first hand experience, but there were 3 of us using these last weekend and all of us could tell a difference. I was sleeping with my head under my tq/sleeping bag and when I woke up and poked my head from under the bag of course there was a huge difference. When I would pull the sock down I could feel another huge difference. I didn't have a thermometer and could not tell you exactly what the variation was, but I feel it definitely meets Dutch's claim of 10-15° and may even exceed it. Lows for the nights were 27°,32°,36° I believe. It fits in the stuff sack that came with my hammock, and serves double duty as an under quilt protector. YMMV, but I hope that helps.

Hmm definitely might have to consider something like this for the beginning of my thru hike, just to have some reassurance. I can send it home as soon as it warms up a little.