Pastorus, what all did you have inside your Pea Pod on that 27* night? 27*F is currently my record for a Pea Pod with NO TQ, just puffy clothing to seal around the gaps. But, this was in a narrow hammock.Originally Posted by Pastorus
Pastorus, what all did you have inside your Pea Pod on that 27* night? 27*F is currently my record for a Pea Pod with NO TQ, just puffy clothing to seal around the gaps. But, this was in a narrow hammock.
All I had with me was my polyester jammy pants, wool socks, and a fleece pullover. It is also a narrow hammock. Oh yeah, I was using a down vest as a pillow. I wonder if the difference might be the 2 oz. overfill. I am a pretty cold sleeper and was quite surprised. I can hardly wait for tonight's sleep and I'm hoping for ~20* (that's not the same as -20*).
"Well, you might be lazy, but if we were not all about comfort here this would be a tent forum!" - - Roadtorque
good luck. May you dream magnificent dreams in your pea pod tonight.
Well, then, that is most impressive! Can't wait to see how it goes at 20!
No luck getting the cold temp. Clouds have rolled in and it'll be a warm ~40* with rain. I might need ear plugs to dull the sound of rain on the tarp.
"Well, you might be lazy, but if we were not all about comfort here this would be a tent forum!" - - Roadtorque
Remember to take your boot insoles and put them in the hammock with you!
Hit 24º last night and I started to get a chilly bottom. I stored a down jacket at my feet and I'm sure it helped keep them warmer. I really want to get to 20º without augmentation, but that is not a common temp in the Sacramento Valley. I'll have to go for a drive & hike.
"Well, you might be lazy, but if we were not all about comfort here this would be a tent forum!" - - Roadtorque
Pastorus, here's a tip that might help getting those last few degrees. Give the PP more slack to ensure you're not decreasing the loft by stretching it too tight. When it's cold, the tendency is to tighten the PP too tight in the effort to eliminate cold dead air spaces between it & the hammock. However, this can result in loss of down loft under your body where your body's weight is excessivelly stretching the PP. So it can be a fine balance. To remedy: loosen the PP at the end draw cords & let each end of the PP slide toward the center of the hammock another inch or two. This may help insure you're not loosing bottom loft. You can also always add some extra insulation between the hammock & the PP, such as any extra clothes you're not wearing to sleep in; also try pack covers, rain gear, blankets, ground sheets, etc. It's amazing how much extra warmth you can get by ensuring full bottom loft &/or adding a shirt, jacket or pair of pants as a liner between the hammock & PP. For extremely cold weather, I loosen the PP even more & then add down blankets or summer-weight sleeping bags as liners, again being carefull not to lose bottom loft by excessive stretching of the PP. Hope this helps.
Ed Speer (NotToWorry)
Co-Owner, Speer Hammocks, Inc
Author, Hammock Camping book
Moderator, Yahoo Hammock Camping List
Yes, what Ed said. And I find that it is trickier with some hammocks, than others, to get the tension just right so that you don't have too much gap or the opposite: little or no gap but down compression. In my limited experience ( compared to Ed anyway) I have opted for more gap if needed, rather than risking compression. Though I walways at least try for as little gap as possible.
Another thing: make sure the down is adequately distributed into the bottom. You would think that gravity would make the down tend to sink towards the bottom, but I have found it to be the opposite. So I fairly frequently, after hanging everything up, shift the down from the top towards the bottom. The butt ( cold butt syndrome) and kidney areas are where I am most likkely to need the max insulation in any hammock.
I have not had trouble yet keeping warm on the bottom, but I don't think I could stay warm in the Pea Pod on top at 20*F without augmentation either with a top quilt or puffy clothing to fill gaps and seal off around the neck when opening a breathing hole. EDIT: Although, with any TQ I have available to use in the Pod, 20*F on top is a cinch. Zero to ten are probably no problem.
Last edited by BillyBob58; 01-01-2010 at 19:51.
I was wondering... Just how much stuff can someone put into the bottom of a Pea Pod. What are the limits?
Last edited by joggerjohn; 12-30-2009 at 23:15. Reason: misspelling
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