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  1. #1
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    How long must you be in hammock to judge warmth of sleep system?

    I have been doing something that is helping solve a longstanding hammock problem: how to judge the temperature range for your hammock set-up. This is something that is very important but I believe usually involves a whole lot of guess work.

    I have semi-permanently set up my hammock at home. And at night and the early morning I have been laying in it with various configurations: this or that TQ, UQ, top/bottom thermals; balaclava, gloves, etc.

    With a thermometer, I can judge how cold/warm I feel in my set-up for a given temperature.

    So here's my question: how long to you think I need to stay in my hammock to correctly "judge" the thermal properties of my set-up? That is, how long does it take to get "cold"? I've been doing it for about 20 minutes and it seems I can judge it from that. What do the hammock forum gurus think?

    I wish I had done this before. I can already see that it will allow me to really dial in my system and understand my gear. And it will also greatly reduce the tendency to OVERPACK and add unnecessary weight. I want to be able to withstand a 10 degree temp surprise, but the way I have done it in the past probably allows a swing of 25 degrees or something and that's too much.

    Thanks in advance!

  2. #2
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    This is sort of a loaded question since your core body temperature has a lot to do with this question.

    For instance, if you are already warm but do not have a lot in your stomach in terms of fat or carbs your body can turn into warmth, you can get cold pretty quickly. If you do you can sometimes get by with less insulation in my experience.

    Dialing in your sleep system (in the way you ares describing) I don’t think would be something I could do where I was sure of the results. I always take gear rated 10 degrees lower than the temps will get just to be safe unless I want to layer clothing into the mix as well, but I’m sure there are plenty of other schools of thought out there.


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  3. #3
    all secure in sector 7 Shug's Avatar
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    I say overnight. Tend to get cold if it is going to happen around 4AM.
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  4. #4
    gunner76's Avatar
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    Overnight to be sure. If it is not working you will know real fast
    I am still 18 but with 52 years of experience !

  5. #5
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    Got to agree with Shug on this one. I am all nice and toasty warm until some where between 2 and 4AM
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  6. #6
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    Obviously, staying overnight is ideal. But I think a lot can be learned by experimenting and keeping an eye on the thermometer and adjusting my gear as the temp changes. If you're sleeping in a bed, you can tell pretty soon if you're too cold. So I think there is more to learn from ten 1 hour "experiments" than one overnight session. Maybe my question should have been "what is the minimum amount of time to draw a quick conclusion."
    And as for starting to feel cold at 4 am: that's about when the minimum temp is reached. Maybe a little later. After an adjustment period, 20F at 10 pm is not that different from 20F at 7 am.

  7. #7
    Senior Member captaincoupal's Avatar
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    I have to agree with others here. Your bottom temperature is going to be in the middle of the night and so it might be tough to really judge how you feel when you just get into your hammock.


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  8. #8
    TallPaul's Avatar
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    If our plan is to go winter camping with Shug at -20, I’d want more than 20 minutes. I’d want multiple nights in something approximating the conditions.
    If we are talking car camping or weekender at above freezing, then 20 min may be good.
    Personally I camp along a number of windy ridges, so I’d have a hard time replicating the conditions in the backyard.

  9. #9
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    When I was first experimenting, there were times that I could find issues within that first 15-20 minutes.
    That said - duration does play a part.
    Having been in my gear at the edge of where it was rated for (30 degree sleeping bag as a top quilt) - I had been fine for some 2 hour morning naps on days that were sub 40 degrees.
    Same setup on an overnight that hit 35 degrees, and I was on the edge of no longer comfortable around 3:30 am.
    I doubt that 2-3 degrees had much impact - so I presume that duration, metabolism and sleep cycles also play their own parts in the equation.

    That said - I was well aware that I was pushing the limits of the gear.
    it was a controlled test, and I had a zero degree bag within reach if I needed it (and I decided to use it the next night insead of the lighter bag).

  10. #10
    Senior Member bkrgi's Avatar
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    Many nights in the backyard is critical to understanding your gears performance...even how you perform in said conditions.
    Ultimately for cool/cold weather remote camping/hanging it is always best to far exceed what you need to provide a significant buffer.
    Keeping a 10* buffer on manufacture's quilts is a really good rule to live by regardless how deep you can actually take them...if it is rated to 20* then use it only to 30*. At least then your prepared for what the weatherman was not.
    Being cold will ruin any night ..it is misery at its finest
    Life is too Short to not feed the addiction....Hang on and explore the World

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