never had condensation In my dual wall ridge runner with a sea to summit pad. Definitely had condensation on it on the ground though.
never had condensation In my dual wall ridge runner with a sea to summit pad. Definitely had condensation on it on the ground though.
Great thread! I started hammock camping again after a long hiatus and noticed this issue with my closed cell thermarest pad.
I dont recall it ever being a problem in the winter months, when I normally do most of my backpacking, but on these past few outings this August I noticed considerable condensation. The indentations in the pad in the morning were all filled with sweat from the night. Having put on a few lbs made keeping my wider body over the narrow pad a bit of a challenge at times. Thinking I really should splurge on an under quilt soon to experience what I've been missing all these years.
ippon, when you try out your UQ, be sure to wear one of your padded winter gloves ... so you won't get a concussion when you slap your head and say, "What took me so long!"
In order to see what few have seen, you must go where few have gone. And DO what few have done.
This is both on and off subject. I also can’t sleep on a pad in a hammock or on the ground without getting soaked. It is particularly annoying in the winter when it is important to keep my insulation dry. At one point I did decide to embrace the sweat. I was actually still able to stay warmer and keep my insulation dry by wearing a VBL in my sleeping bag. The inside of my VBL WAS A HUMID SAUNA. At least I was warm. I’ve since upgraded to quilts because I hate being wet. FWIW I still VBL when it’s so cold it hurts to breathe. I do this because it extends the comfortable temperature range of my quilts by a lot. In the morning I quickly peel off my VBL, turn it inside out and knock the ice off the inside so it is ready for round 2.
“A man who carries a cat by the tail learns a lesson he can learn in no other way.” ~ Mark Twain
Lol, this is so true. By not using an underquilt, one is missing a huge benefit of hammocking in the first place!Originally Posted by cougarmeat
Five Basic Principles of Going Lighter (not me... the great Cam Honan of OZ)
“If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking.” ~ Gen. George S Patton
Haha. I know what you mean. I bet it's going to be revolutionary for me.
Abstract theory suggests that condensation may be accelerated in hammock use by the humid air emanating from the insulation enclosed human body mixing with dryer and/or more humid air swirling about which affect the mechanisms by which surface wettability varies in forming condensation films on varying materials.
Which is to say that when lying on the ground with a sleeping pad with, say a sleeping bag, the circulating drier air has less access to the sleeping pad. A tall glass with iced tea will exhibit condensation on the exterior of glass due to humid air encountering cold surfaces, which offers full access.
Wetted surfaces vary by the construct of material being wetted, for instance Dyneema shelters will differ in exhibition of wetted surfaces as compared to a waxed cotton shelter of similar shape such as a tepee cone design. Same environmental conditions, however, the wettability of the surface materials effectively demonstrates differing condensation formations.
Lots of variables in the hammock configurations to be considered when analysis of how and when condensation formations are developed.
Just sayin...
My argument is that most of the time that people are experiencing wetness in a hammock is not due to any condensation at all but perspiration that gets trapped between the skin and a non-permeable surface such as a (probably inflatable) pad, maybe with the hammock body sandwiched between. That perspiration never became water vapor that then condensed. In that case, no circulation space exists for evaporation to occur. Even on the ground with a sleeping bag, the bag is pretty much flattened and become a wick with minimal insulating value.
Besides, more often than not, the pad surface temp is nowhere near dewpoint, except possibly in the winter.
(The other day I worked outside for quite a few hours in high heat and humidity. I went through three shirt changes. Talk about condensation!)
Last edited by TominMN; 08-30-2024 at 06:01.
I think it is definitely due to perspiration getting trapped by the pad. It basically acts as a vapor barrier. Speaking of vapor barriers, here’s a cool article on VBLs. There are more of us VBL nerds out there.
https://explorersweb.com/secrets-pol...arrier-liners/
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Last edited by Knot Grounded; 08-31-2024 at 19:58.
“A man who carries a cat by the tail learns a lesson he can learn in no other way.” ~ Mark Twain
Good article. Lots of discussions and experiments with VBL on HF... look for BillyBob58.
Personally, I start thinking about VBL with temps below 15°F and multiple nights out, with no opportunity to dry out quilts/clothing. One night ain't gonna kill ya... 3 nights might. Ran into this years ago in the winter Whites of NH, and by the third night my sleeping bag was almost useless. VBL socks are really important all the time in extreme cold to keep footwear from wetting out.
My TL-DR when it comes to VBL combo... I use a light set of polyester longjohns with the most useful set of VBL clothing I have ever found, which is non-breathable rain gear from LightHeart Gear. Regular WPB (waterproof breathable) rain gear is not really VBL but will help slow down condensation, so it has some value. Feet put out a tremendous amount of moisture at night, so use some plastic grocery bags or VBL socks at night. And, of course, don't breathe into your quilt!
To make the LightHeart Gear rain pants more useful to me, I had my local tailor sew in some long zippers on the outside leg seam so that I can vent them.
Five Basic Principles of Going Lighter (not me... the great Cam Honan of OZ)
“If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking.” ~ Gen. George S Patton
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks