Artistry of the Pea Pod

[MacEntyre]

Pan once posted a caution about the HH SS UC compressing the KAQ that I rigged under it. I did not notice any such problems at 16*F. Before I sold my HH, I thought about removing the elastic in the SS UC BEEP, because I had the 2Q/ZQ Zipper Mod with the entry sewed up. That would help prevent compression of enclosed insulation.

A PeaPod takes up a lot more room in the HHSSUC than a KAQ... did you rig it loosely?

- MacEntyre

[GrizzlyAdams]

...
A PeaPod takes up a lot more room in the HHSSUC than a KAQ... did you rig it loosely?

you better believe it. Pulled the SS ends at least 8" past the ends of the hammock in towards the center.

Compression I understand!

EDIT : I should add that I've modified the suspension to have UCRs and an adjustable/removable ridgeline. I loosen the ridgeline so that the ends of the SS undercover could be pulled down towards the center and avoid compression. This also loosen the peapod some to make space for additional insulation below if needed.

Grizz

[NotToWorry]

Last night was a great time for cold weather testing here in the southern Appalachians--it was unseasonably cold. Karen & I slept out with 8 hours of less-than 15F temps & a low of 8F, wind ~5-10 mph. We both wore fleece clothing, hats & used PPs & Speer Hammocks with winter sleeping bags & vb bottom sheets, but no tarp. Karen used two Speer TopBlankets as liners in her PP, while I used an SPE w/ 1/2" thick CCF pad as a liner inside my PP. We both felt bottom cold, but it wasn't enough to interrupt our sleep; so we were close to the lowest comfortable temp. For the last hour (8-9F), I moved my SPE inside the hammock & was then toasty warm on the bottom as well. Tonight we'll try some different gear combinations.

[BillyBob58]

..........................

This fall I made a DIY overcover for the HH and blackbird. Wanted to try this one without anything on top other than the Peapod. Just because

Grizz

Gotcha! Besides, what was I thinking: you couldn't use an HH style overcover with the Pea Pod.

Also, I had misunderstood your original post. I assumed (I didn't read closely enough) you had the SS UC inside the pod, but looks like it was the opposite: pod INSIDE the UC.

[MacEntyre]

I thought I would test my PPod in the 15*F that was forecast for last night, but it only got to 19*F. With my Frog Sac and IX Insert inside the PPod, and a Speer TB quilt, I was way over-insulated.

The PPod was a little tight to close around me with the extra stuff inside. I think next time I will put the lighter, smaller Speer TB inside the PPod, and use the Frog Sac on top of me. Besides, the Frog Sac has a stuck zipper, and cannot be opened at the foot.

Imagine that! The only zipper I've bought from Ed Speer, who favors velcro due to the possibility of zipper failure, and it is the only zipper among my backpacking equipment that has failed!

[NotToWorry]

Imagine that! The only zipper I've bought from Ed Speer, who favors velcro due to the possibility of zipper failure, and it is the only zipper among my backpacking equipment that has failed!

Yeah Mac, Irony rules my life too! IMHO, The weakest part of any piece of outdoor gear is the zipper--it'll likely be the first part to fail. The FrogSac is the only piece of gear I've ever sold that was made by someone else--it was made in China. I did only one production run & then discountinued it several years ago.

Stay warm out there...

[BillyBob58]

I thought I would test my PPod in the 15*F that was forecast for last night, but it only got to 19*F. With my Frog Sac and IX Insert inside the PPod, and a Speer TB quilt, I was way over-insulated.

The PPod was a little tight to close around me with the extra stuff inside. I think next time I will put the lighter, smaller Speer TB inside the PPod, and use the Frog Sac on top of me. Besides, the Frog Sac has a stuck zipper, and cannot be opened at the foot.

Imagine that! The only zipper I've bought from Ed Speer, who favors velcro due to the possibility of zipper failure, and it is the only zipper among my backpacking equipment that has failed!

That is a tad ironic, isn't it? Life is strange. But that is not as strange as me recording a bunch of twilight Zone episodes on the Comcast DVR, and then being able to delete all of them except one, which refused to delete! Quickly followed by other Gremlins in the DVR. Nor is it as, uhmmmm, strange- ironic- whatever, as- at the same time as above- my furnace going out perfectly timed for the coldest blast in years. Oh well, hope to get in some more testing!

I'm not surprised you were way over-insulated in that souped up Pea Pod. On that subject, I have been trying to repeat conditions (temp wise anyway) from my Wind River trip a year plus ago. I took no TQ on that trip, taking a chance with just my warm clothing and a sit pad. My memory is that on the first and coldest night of the trip( ~27F), without a tarp, I was OK but felt like I could not go even a degree colder without being not quite warm enough for full comfort. I think I fully closed the pod towards morning. The rest of the trip I was just fine.

So, test conditions: 25F, breezy. I wore my
1:cotton PJs(no warm long Johns),
2:a very thin TNF something I wear around the house all of the time, a very light BMW's 14 oz Polarguard hooded jacket and 8 oz PG pants
3:fleece hat
4: thick 9 oz down vest.... NO TOP QUILT used.
5: 1 pair of wool socks. I was a little concerned that these socks felt just a little tight, and I thought about finding a looser pair and/or using my insulated booties. I didn't bother, but should have.
6: narrow hammock- Claytor No Net
7: No tarp, but under the patio roof. No condensation noted, but I did notice the occasional breeze. I thought I could tell a slight dif in warmth, plus I could hear it blowing leaves around and rattling the patio table umbrella.

Overall, I was just fine. For the first time ever in the Pea Pod, my toes were a little cold for a while. So were the back of my legs, and I thought about adding a leg pad, sense I always have a sit pad with me anyway. I was also thinking if I had my feet inside the foot box of my Golight quilt, I would have had warm toes. But after about 30 minutes or so, my feet and legs were OK.

On top, I closed the pod completely till things warmed up. I had my hood up and layered my vest over my chest/neck area to cut off warm air escaping from below, a function it performed admirably. I quickly warmed up to toasty on top, even too hot around my head and had to open up a small breathing hole to vent. It took a little longer, but not too long and my back was fine, with zero CBS.

I was amazed at the amount of warmth on top. This seemed a bit warmer than I remember at about 2* warmer on that Wind River trip. It would have been easy to over heat around my head and chest if I left things completely closed in that area. It is also also amazing to me what a dif there is between a 1" breathing hole near my moth and a 2"! The first might be just warm enough, the latter a little cold!

So, OK, 25*F isn't much this time of year, but I have confirmed the Pea Pod is quite usable for me, by itself, close to rated temps with no TQ, a narrow hammock and the warm clothing I would have with me any way. Not bad IMO. That is under very well fed back yard conditions, and not starting cold from hiking all day in bad weather. So I would probably want to add a good 10*F for field conditions, and say I will use the Pea Pod by itself with just warm clothing for expected lows in the 30s. YMMV!

Of course, I could( and would in the field) boost this some more by using my leg pad and/or adding a hot water bottle. And, with a good TQ this will be MUCH warmer and way easier to use and just more luxurious. But for when it aint much below 30 and I want to save every oz, it's a good way to go, for me anyway.

Man, the forecast is colder than a well diggers arse in MT around here!

[billvann]

Pan once posted a caution about the HH SS UC compressing the KAQ that I rigged under it. I did not notice any such problems at 16*F. - MacEntyre

Is that a worthwhile set up to consider. I have a new KAQ that I haven't used yet and have seen several SS for sale this winter. That made me wonder if it's a way to add flexibility without a lot of weight.

Bill

[MacEntyre]

Is that a worthwhile set up to consider?

Yes! The SS + KAQ is the most cost effective combination out there. I used mine down to 16*F and felt it could go much lower.

...a way to add flexibility without a lot of weight.

Just so...

- MacEntyre

[joggerjohn]

I always use my KAQ into teens and the twenties with an SPE and pads fitted in it. I like the way my KAQ hungs the hammock.