Hello
for winter hanging how do you determine when to use a vapor barrier? What kind of barrier do you use? What’s your go to? I am reading lots of conflicting info on this.
Do you use one when it’s a survival situation only? Or do you always have a bag liner?
Ok experts - let it rip!
I'm not sure what your are asking? I always use the same setup year round. A top quilt, a bottom quilt, a hammock and a tarp. Nothing more nothing less.
Billybob58 will be along shortly - he likes vapor barriers.
"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." Ralph Waldo Emerson
Vapor barriers of any type by definition will prevent moisture from escaping your environment. Most experienced campers will try to avoid as much condensation as possible in winter.
Last edited by cmc4free; 11-04-2018 at 21:08.
The theory behind VBs is that when worn directly against your body, they trap your perspiration between your body and the VB. This prevents your perspiration from migrating into your outer clothing and/or your sleeping bag....keeping the bag/outer clothing dry and providing full insulation value. Makes sense in theory provided that you do not become chilled.
All correct, seems to me. But, why would you get chilled(unless you do it wrong, of course). A little moisture against the skin hurts nothing. It might not feel the best, depending on what kind of layer is between VB and skin, but it has no negative effect on body warmth, unless:Originally Posted by DownYonder
1: it evaporates, causing evaporative cooling, the way an AC or swamp cooler works. Evaporative cooling can be very significant, and is stopped 100% by VBs
2: it gets into your insulation. Which true VBs stop 100%.
With the SWL VBs, I often don't even feel damp or even clammy, though I have sometimes actually sweated in them. But if I do get damp, that is not the best feeling(though way better than shivering), though I think I have gotten used to it. It doesn't feel the best, but if you are damp, it virtually guarantees you are actually warmer, not wet and cold. Because that wet next to your skin is wet that didn't evaporate and/or get into your insulation day after day.
Last edited by BillyBob58; 11-05-2018 at 00:13.
Hum...67yo....swollen prostate....crawl out of hammock no less than twice nightly....usually three times. It's 22*. By the time I'm done the moisture against my body feels like ice cubes.
Well, yep, me too. This 70 year old would get chilled crawling out as well. But no reason to get chilled inside the hammock using a VB, unless you do it wrong. In fact, keeping those VB clothes on would probably reduce the shock of crawling out to pee. Or reduce the frequency thereof, by keeping you warmer. I think many of us agree that the easiest way to be up peeing a few times during the night is to get cold, especially in the lower back/kidney area. Something abut chilled kidneys seems to promote the need to pee!
Last edited by BillyBob58; 11-08-2018 at 18:14.
Good point; as you've implied, appropriate insulation would be very important to go along with vapor barrier clothing or a liner. You definitely don't want to be damp and cold, as this can obviously be very dangerous in cold winter weather.
You’re still advised to have a thin base layer between your skin and the VB. Yes, that layer can become damp, but because it doesn’t evaporate it stays at the same temperature as your skin. It’s the same theory as a wetsuit in some regards.
Some VB clothing, like those from Warmlite, have this layer built into the garment.
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