OK, that explains a lot. I had a discussion about this with HH when this new system came out. I did not quite understand how it would work, as it was sort of an opposite approach from their old system. Naturally, the space blanket also acts as a vapor barrier(VB), and on the old system so did the wind and water proof under cover. VBs work best when they are kept warm, close to the body. If they get cold, condensation is naturally going to occur, almost every time. Body moisture hits that cold surface, and normally condenses, and gets your insulation wet.
With the old(still available?) system, the outer layer was wind and water proof, as well as a VB. The space blanket was on top of the pad, reducing evaporative cooling off of my body, and being kept warm inside of all of the insulation, and greatly preventing the ability of any body moisture to contact the cold outer VB and condense. And since it is kept warm, many of us had little to no condensation problems. I never did.
This is what I was concerned about with the new system. If you place the space blanket on top of the pad, you will not have a wind and water proof layer outside the pad protecting it, as I understand the outer layer is now breathable? So cold air can just blow right throught that brathable OCF pad. But, it might still be better than what you have been experiencing. I'm not sure what the point of the outer breathable layer is if used with the space blanket, which is not breathable?
Oh wait, I just remembered: they also said they had some sort of new breathable space blanket that was going to come with the system? Is that what you are supposed to have? It is all too complex for me, I will just stick with the tried and true older system. Hopefully, you have let them know how poorly the new system is working for you. Maybe they will let you return it, I hope so. I hope this is not a case of fixing what aint broke. Maybe they had so many folks demanding a breathable system, this is what they tried to come up with while still using their pad?
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