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  1. #1
    Senior Member BillyBob58's Avatar
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    First test of Hammock Tent 90* with Neo Air pad, pretty darrn good!

    I am so behind on my testing. If only I could determine a one or two unequivocal champion hammocks and quilts so that I could sell everything else!

    So anyway, a while back I got a used Hammocktent 90* (Gamma?). It seemed to have great potential for over all comfort, though really my bridge hammocks and a couple of gathered are already pretty darn comfy. I have one curse that can crop up for me with most all GE hammocks, some often, others only rarely: calf ridge. I figured this HT90 would have all the advantages of my bridges, but one thing was unique: pad use. In my experience, any bridge H. Is far superior for use with a pad than any GE. However, they are not perfect, were as the 90* hammocks are literally designed to use with a pad. Plus, no spreader bars. So had to check one out.

    Why am I so concerned about pads? Honestly (don’t burn me at the stake for heresy) I would love to get rid of UQs for certain trips, if it could be done by maintaining all of a hammock’s comfort. The ability to go to ground if I want to camp above tree line(which I do sometimes), or if the weather is way colder than planned for, and no real concerns about wind or moisture on or in my UQ, and no concerns about fit problems, is really attractive. IF comfort can be maintained. This is pretty much possible with the HT90, and I’m pretty sure the Amok as well.(There are some minor things I do not like about this set up, but I am concentrating here on how well the NeoAir pad works, or not)

    Pads work great in bridge hammocks as well, but it is a different concept. The space in most pad pockets(GE or Bridge) is usually pretty tight. Thus, a pad raises the center of gravity. A thick 2.5-3.5”pad really raises the center of gravity. Not so with the HT90.

    The pad pocket on the HT90 is much deeper, designed for a 3” thick pad. I you plan a 1/2” thick WM blue pad in the pocket, it will help give some structure to the hammock. But, sitting in that 3” deep(apparently) pad/quilt pocket, my back is not making very good contact with the pad. Placing a 2” thick UQ in there should solve that problem.

    But what happens with my 2.5” thick Neo Air All season? Am I going to be in good, solid contact with its surface? Or am I going to need some puffy insulation on top of it, inside the pad pocket? Experience will tell me. I have not been getting much opportunity to find out.

    Yesterday, under the blood moon eclipse, I finally put some of this to the test. Napping though a 35*F afternoon, and later sleeping at 25F. I had no idea how it might work without some augmentation with puffy clothing to fill any gaps, but actually it worked pretty well. Also, I’m still wondering if I let some air out, so that the pad does not reach 2.5” thick, will it work better or worse? How solidly will I contact the pad?

    Napping in the mid 30s, I was plenty warm, side or back. Later at 25F, using a JRB Sierra Sniveler(rated 20-25F) I was plenty warm top or back, but a bit warmer on top. Probably could have gone a bit lower before I actually got cold.

    When I turned to my side(this hammock is superb for fetal position, possibly the very best I have tried), things got strange. While I found I found that while I was VERY warm indeed in the torso, even warmer than on my back, after a while I noticed a few cold spots on my legs. It was not enough to keep me from sleeping, but I did feel a few small cool spots along my legs. If I shifted the position of my legs, the cool spots would shift to another part of my legs. Not bad, but noticeable.

    While it felt like I could have gone at least 5+ degrees colder on top, I am wondering if I could have gone any colder at all without those legs becoming a problem? Probably could not have gone much colder.

    I had a down jacket stuffed into the pocket at the head, to counter any compression of my JRB down hood by the hammock’s end. The next morning when I was taking it down, I discovered that the jacket had slipped down some distance under my shoulders and maybe torso. Did this fill any gaps and between the baffles, accounting for how warm I was on my side, compared to being coolish on my legs? Or was it just that my heavier torso helped me to sink down more into the pad, while my lighter legs were not able to make such good contact? Or maybe a bit of both?

    I had these options available to me:
    1: Place a 1/2 inch WM blue pad- short or full length- under or on top of the pad. This would help the 2.5” TR Neo pad fill the pad pocket better, maybe allowing my body to be in tighter contact with it, and be thicker overall. And/or
    2: place some insulated clothing, or a very light quilt(need no more than 1” loft), on top of the pad, to fill up any cold air highways between the pad baffles, and loft up to fill any slight gap between the pad and my body. Either under legs only or full length.
    3: (an option not currently available to me) use a 3” thick pad, or a 3.5” thick pad not fully inflated. Not only would this pad probably be warmer, but it would rise high enough to assure no gaps.

    But, bottom line: not too bad at all! Looks to me like at least 25F is definitely doable for me in this hammock with the wide Neo Air All Season, more with some clothing(or the lightest, thinnest quilt I can find) on top of the pad! Other possibilities: a thinner, say 1/2" CCF pad with a quilt on top of it, or just a quilt in the pad pocket(will not be compressed very much) Also, the hammock was extremely comfy back or side, probably the most comfy hammock I have tried in fetal position. Shoulders very comfy back or side. With the pad fully inflated, there was a hint of knee extension, but I just placed a small pillow under my knees, end of problem. ZERO calf pressure or shoulder squeeze. This hammock, with a pad or even without, has great potential, seems to me.

    Any thought or ideas?
    Last edited by BillyBob58; 01-22-2019 at 12:31.

  2. #2
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    I've got an Amok, not a HT90 (i really like that abbreviation btw), so YMMV, but I suspect it's similar

    I really prefer that pad inflated as much as it can be. I know others that like their pads 65-75% full, so that they sink into it a bit, but as a stomach sleeper, I find it stays MUCH more flat, if that pad is full and rigid. it's very bed like then (which to me is a win)


    I've got a synmat 9 in mine, and that's the 9cm (3inch) thick pad

    you definitely can create gaps unintentionally when changing poses, but I think this is true in any hammock style, but a gathered end is a bit more forgiving becuase the UQ wraps around you a bit


    amok/HT90 since you're up on top of the pad, you don't get that benefit

    one of the extra things I do in the winter, is I lay a wool/acrylic blanket on top of the hammock, and sleep on that as well. just another barrier to the cold if your knees, or elbows come off the mat

  3. #3
    Senior Member BillyBob58's Avatar
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    I agree, there are many similarities between the HT90 and Amok and their pads. I think it as MogollonMonster who last year went a bit below zero with the HT90 and I think it was a Downmat 9. I don't know if he added any clothing or other insulation on top of that pad. It was obviously plenty thick enough to fill the pocket so that he could be solidly on the mat. So if there were any gaps, it would only be from the troughs between the baffles. Although, that pad is actually a bit thicker than the pd pocket allows for, so he probably could not inflate it fully. Which would maybe allow thos troughs/vallets betwen the baffles to be flattened out. Anyway, he was plenty warm at I think minus3F.

  4. #4
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    I've had my synmat down to -15c comfortably (but i sleep like a nuclear reactor)

  5. #5
    Senior Member BillyBob58's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tikker View Post
    I've had my synmat down to -15c comfortably (but i sleep like a nuclear reactor)
    And, it is possible you could have gone at least a bit lower. I sort of have been wanting a different pad to use in this hammock, something with the longitudinal baffles, and something thicker.

    But, I already have this pad, it is lighter, and maybe I am wasting my time wanting a warmer pad? When I can probably get a significant boost just by adding some lofty clothing or even the lightest quilt I can find, on top of the pad, to fill any gaps from having only 2.5" thickness(if FULLY inflated) and those valleys at the baffles? Also, I am wondering what putting a slab of WM blue pad, eiter under or on top of the pad, would do? Should be a stout boost. After all, it is obvious to me this is going to be great for 25 to 40F( or fo sure 30-40) even without adding anything,and that covers 90% of my needs. This hammock and insulating it is a whole new ball game. Well, not really, but some definite differences!

  6. #6
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    i don't know the ht90 at all

    does the pad sleeve have that much of a differential cut that you could put a quilt in there and NOT have it compressed once you're in the hammock?

    amok definitely wouldn't work that way

    I've got to admit, I have no idea how stacking a neo air and a blue closed cell foam mat would work

    it definitely wouldn't be colder, so maybe give it a whirl and see!

  7. #7
    Senior Member Texas Hanger's Avatar
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    You could also use some reflectix instead of the WM pad. It is lighter and would (theoretically) reflect any heat loss back up thru the inflatable pad. Plus you can easily fold it into multiple width options...
    Failure is a good friend you will meet on the road to success. Just remember, he will give the best directions...

  8. #8
    Senior Member BillyBob58's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tikker View Post
    i don't know the ht90 at all

    does the pad sleeve have that much of a differential cut that you could put a quilt in there and NOT have it compressed once you're in the hammock?

    amok definitely wouldn't work that way

    I've got to admit, I have no idea how stacking a neo air and a blue closed cell foam mat would work

    it definitely wouldn't be colder, so maybe give it a whirl and see!
    Oh definitely, you can put a quilt in there and not compress it much. Don't know about the Amok, but most pad pockets are fairly tight against the hammock inner layer, and if I feel under the occupied hammock, the outer layer feels tight against the inner layer. If a pad is added, it raises the inner layer either a little or a lot. Even adding just a 1/2" thick CCF pad, I am laying firmly on the pad, and can not move the pad at all.

    Not so with this hammock. When I am in it, I can stick my hand through the head opening slot(meant for storing a jacket or pillow) and reach down with my hand between the hammock with ease, not tight at all. It is actually designed for a quilt, they call it an IQ(inner quilt) rather than UQ. Now, how much it will compress a 2.5" thick quilt, I can not say. A little or a lot, I don't know, but I think not a lot. I need to check more closely, but I was not aware of the center of gravity being raised even when I have that 2.5" thick NeoAir large/wide in the pocket.
    http://www.hammocktent.com/en/pages/know_how_faq
    How can I stay warm in the 90 Degree Hammock?

    Bottom insulation: An underquilt (UQ), possibly used inside the pad-sleeve (let's call it "inquilt" / IQ in this case) is warmer than a pad, but less comfortable as it does not stretch out the hammock and make it roomier.


    Using a quilt as an IQ is possible because the pad-sleeve is sufficiently slack to provide space for loft.

    An IQ prevents any gap issues that might be experienced when using an UQ underneath the hammock / the pad-sleeve. Some customers have added a few velcro strips to the inside of the pad-sleeve and the IQ to keep it well in place.

    Regarding pads, long / full length pads provide the best comfort. Usually it's better to inflate them only up to 80 or 90%. The disadvantage of full length pad is that they make it less easy to enter / exit the hammock, and tend to poke into the tarp at the head end when doing so.
    You might consider using a half length, torso length or ¾ length pad; or to only lightly inflate a full length pad so that its foot part can be folded back for entering, exiting or sitting in the hamock, while still providing enough structure.
    A pad / IQ combination might get you the best out of both worlds. The IQ (or a down jacket) is positioned above the pad inside the pad-sleeve (maybe wrapped somewhat around the edges of the pad to keep it in place and facilitate inserting it).

    Quote Originally Posted by Texas Hanger View Post
    You could also use some reflectix instead of the WM pad. It is lighter and would (theoretically) reflect any heat loss back up thru the inflatable pad. Plus you can easily fold it into multiple width options...
    Thanks! I have thought about using my space blanket on top of my quilt ( used as an IQ per above), but it might be a real hassle to get it positioned unless it was attached to the quilt.

  9. #9
    Senior Member
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    huh
    gonna admit I always glossed over how the pocket on the HT90 was cut


    yeah, the amok pocket is completely filled by the pad, which makes sense, as the draumr relies on the pad for shape, where the HT90 does not

  10. #10
    Senior Member Texas Hanger's Avatar
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    [/QUOTE]Thanks! I have thought about using my space blanket on top of my quilt ( used as an IQ per above), but it might be a real hassle to get it positioned unless it was attached to the quilt.[/QUOTE]

    The reflectix (bubble wrap with silver Mylar) should stay in place and can be folded to different thicknesses to fill up any void left by your inflatable pad. I agree the space blanket would be too difficult to manage.
    Failure is a good friend you will meet on the road to success. Just remember, he will give the best directions...

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