Originally Posted by Emageddon
WOW, a female at that! All the females in my life have been so much more cold natured than me and most of my buddies! Just goes to show you never know!
But, you want to go cheap, and go with what you already have as much as possible. So be it. It can be done, no question about it. But the main thing is: you have an emergency bail out readily available! That being the case, you can try anything!I have pushed all kinds of setups way beyond their original design, many time, both in the back yard and in the bush. But, I have always tested with an easy bailout, often ending up very surprised how far I could push so little just by adding a little augmentation here and there, usually clothing and other items.
First, and I am in the extreme minority around here on this(most guys would never consider it, or have tried it and hated it): I have put a 2 oz space blanket(sB) between my hammock and UQs since my first day winter(22F) hanging starting in Sept 2006 at 10,000-12000 ft in the Wind River Mountains of WY. This was with my HH Super Shelter(have also used this inside a Speer Pea Pod and others), for which that cheap sB was/is and integral part(of the HHSS). For me, it seems to add about 15-20F to the HHSS compared no sB, it is always easy to immediately tell the dif. Plus, it greatly reduces the condensation that otherwise would end up inside the insulation that hangs below both the hammock and the sB, and surrounded by another vapor barrier(VB) the sil-nylon undercover. The sB is ALSO a VB. The key to VB use is to keep the VB warm by keeping it close to your skin. Condensation occur when warm body vapor contacts a cold surface or fabric. The outer VB(under cover) is ice cold, the inner VB is much warmer. So for me condensation is minimal. Even if there is some condensation or sweat, it stays next to my quick drying thin polyester or wool layers, and does not enter my main insulation. Itworks like a charm, year after year, for me. But if you go this route, I highly suggest you practice and study about VB techniques. Done wrong, they will soak and freeze you. (But, you have that easy bailout, so what the heck?)
But even if that works for you as well as it does me, that would at best get you down to zero to 5F for your back side, but won't you maybe have temps well below zero? This is where a 1/2" thick CCF pad will buy you another 40*F worth of protection, if you can stay on it in your single layer hammock, and IF it does not interfere with the fit of your UQ. Both are quite questionable, but maybe. Butit certainly can be done. Caution: a pad is another VB, so keep that in mind. Many get a lot of condensation on a pad. You should get less if it is inside a hammock surrounded by an UQ(it will be kept warmer, so theoretically will give youless condensation). Another thought: can you get hold of some cheap or free open cell foam? A 5/8" thick open cell foam pad is what HH uses in their Super Shelter. Along with the sB, that has got quite a few of us into the 40s, 30s and even high 20s. So, you could add say 1/2" of open cell foam under the sB and above the UQ. Maybe a piece just long enough for upper back to butt. Or even just kidney area to butt, or even a less thick piece. Just make sure it does not interfere too much with UQ fit. If anything causes a poor fit and gap/draft on your UQ, it's game over But open cell foam is far more flexible and less likely to cause a fit problem on top of the UQ than CCF, especially if not too wide or long.
As for your 30F TQ, a sB or VB cover will have the same result as below, but you have to be able to stay under it without too much hassle, and it still needs to be close to your skin. It probably needs to bag/liner to stay inside it(far better is VB clothing IMO). Any insulation between your skin and a VB is likely to get wet and loose insulation ability! CAUTION! OTOH, a properly used VB will not only add a 15-20F to the rating(by 100% stopping evaporative cooling), but will keep your insulation much drier as the night goes on, by keeping your body vapor from condensing somewhere inside your insulation, slowly decreasing it's rating as the night goes on, and worse each night unless you have a way of drying the quilt.
Here is how I would(and have) gotten much more bang out of a 30F TQ( a long wide TQ that weighs 20 oz):
1;A very thin quick drying layer next to my skin,
2:then a VB shirt(or usually, for me, no separate layer(as in step 1) for next to skin, but a Stephenson's Warmlight VB shirt with fuzzy stuff lining). then a thin polyester pull over and 1 heavy fleece LL Bean jacket. There was also a thin piece of nylon blocking wind and holding in some heat. Very warm and toasty at 6F, definitely could have gone below zero. A similar approach for my legs.
Remember, wet is not cold if the wet(assuming you actually get wet) is contained next to the skin, inside a VB, and the wet does not get into your insulation. Feels better to stay dry by venting and removing layers to avoid over heating, but even if you do sweat it is not the end of the world. (notice we are now worried more about over heating! ) On that 6F night, my feet were overheating and sweating all night, what with insulated booties over wool socks over VB socks, all inside a quilt foot box. But I was too lazy to deal with it and just slept that way until the next morning. When I took all the layers off, the fuzzy stuff liner next to my skin was very damp(but dried very quickly), all other layers were bone dry.
Don't forget your head and face! Many forget how much warmth a mummy bag gives from it's hood and neck collar. find a way to add the equivalent of a thick mummy bag hood! Also, make yourself a frost bib, to suck up most of the condensation from your breath and keep it off of your quilts! Let us know what you decide, and how well it worked, and be careful! Practice, practice, practice!
https://andrewskurka.com/2011/vapor-...#comment-32045
https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...-VBs-and-HHSSs
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