Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 19
  1. #1
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2019
    Location
    WNC
    Hammock
    1.2 MTN streamliner + myog net
    Tarp
    HG DCF Std, Lawson
    Insulation
    Wooki, old EE TQ
    Suspension
    1.4 UHMWPE, Becket
    Posts
    123

    Give a newbie feedback on cold weather backyard test

    Scenario:

    Not new to camping, new to hanging and winter camping. Forever indebted to HF, Shug videos, etc. Thank you all!


    Low of 32, dry, low wind

    BB XLC. Hung E-W

    WB SF pitched relatively low but not hunkered down, one end with doors closed with a mini biner, the other end with just one door staked out as vestibule


    0* [S]yeti[/S] full length wooki (sorry for confusion)
    EE Revelation 30* quilt w foot-box
    Down jacket over the foot end, Shug style

    Possum socks
    Jeans
    Medium weight smart wool
    FullRange hoodie, hood pulled over a
    Wool watch cap


    “Problem”:
    I still slept better than any night I ever did on the ground, but did wake up a few times with some cold spots, mostly shoulders. Previous nights I noticed the UQ to shift a bit while getting in, so this time made sure it was tugged over in position. As a warm sleeper I was expecting to be toastier with this setup, but was not. Anything stick out to anybody as something to try different?

    -In my past life and prior to moving I was a lame-o and never went out at these temps, so would appreciate any tips about clothing too.
    -Obviously need better sleep bottoms for backpacking purposes.
    -Broad shouldered guy - maybe I need to lay the yeti out flat and make sure it’s got the coverage I think it does
    -I think I’ve got the lay right but realize this could be the issue. Shoulders at one pull out and eyes at the other as WB suggests.

    Thanks again for all the help!




    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Last edited by possum daddy; 01-30-2020 at 10:23.

  2. #2
    tazmaniac's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2015
    Location
    Lancaster County, SC
    Hammock
    WBRR,HENESSEY JUNGLE, ENO 1 link
    Tarp
    ENO PRO, SLD WH
    Insulation
    Igniter and blaze
    Suspension
    Buckles,atlas,ring
    Posts
    396
    Did you shake your UQ well? Are your hammock angles all correct. I don't generally sleep in gathered ends but when I do it seems there is more fiddle factor with your UQ, but as i understand the wooki is supposed to minimize that. I usually reach outside both sides and kind of wiggle things until they feel right. Somehow you are getting a gap between your hammock and wooki.
    If I had that hammock I would also go with the top and UQ protector to form a sock.

  3. #3
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2019
    Location
    WNC
    Hammock
    1.2 MTN streamliner + myog net
    Tarp
    HG DCF Std, Lawson
    Insulation
    Wooki, old EE TQ
    Suspension
    1.4 UHMWPE, Becket
    Posts
    123
    @tazmaniac

    quilts are set up several hours before getting in for loft purposes, but did not shake. Will do next time!

    hammock angle could use improvement. My only hang-worthy trees in the yard are too close so tough to get the ridgeline tension right and foot end as high as recommended. My lay is comfy without calf ridge or sliding down, though

    Regarding fiddle factor, maybe I am just too close to head end, leaving tops of shoulders exposed. 6’2” and my feet feel pretty far in the footbox, but I could try scooting as far as I can. I don’t think a gap is the issue

    No real breeze so I didn’t think an UQP would have made much difference

    Thanks for the response!




    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  4. #4
    cougarmeat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Bend, OR
    Hammock
    WBBB, WBRR, WL LiteOwl
    Tarp
    OES, WL BullFro
    Insulation
    HG UQ, TQ, WB UQ
    Suspension
    Python Straps
    Posts
    3,759
    Clothing is one of those "debate" issues. One school is "more is less" meaning if you bundle up in too many clothes, you don't create that oven of heat around you. My philosophy is, "It's easier to wash pajamas than it is down. So I wear cotton pjs and light ankle socks. We've all read that cotton kills - but that's if you are wearing it as outer gear. For me, a hard day is erased when I slip into something light and comfortable and snuggle into down.

    For my head, depending upon the cold level, I use either a light nylon or silk balaclava, down hood, or a "fuzzy inside" cap with earflaps. I like the lightweight balaclava because it seems to be just enough and I can pull it up over my mouth and nose if necessary (and still breath through it).

    There are different schools on UQ rigging too. One way is the cinch the ends tight. Other says that's fine in banana position but it can create a gap with a diagonal lie. If you loosen the end cinch bungee - at least at the foot end - it will "form fit" with you in your diagonal position. Now that assumes the main suspension is strong enough to keep the UQ up against the bottom of the hammock.

    To assure that, you can give that suspension lift. HG's UQ's have a secondary suspension that is suppose to do that. For other UQ's you can rig a lift at the head/foot end of the hammock by clipping the two lines with something like an S-biner (or mini-biner, loop of cord, etc.) and connecting that to either your tarp ridge line (with a length of cord) or just over the outside of the ridge line on your BB. It's difficult for me to express this with words because there are so many ways to do it. Perhaps someone will post a picture. Just go to the end of your hammock, Grab the two bungee lines coming off the UQ, lift them up a bit and ask yourself, "How would I keep these lines lifted?"

    Note how they snug the UQ against the bottom of the hammock. You don't have to worry about it being too tight because your UQ has a differential cut - meaning the UQ's bottom material is cut fuller than that top so it doesn't compress when pressed against the bottom of the hammock. In one of Shug's videos he notes that when you are out of the hammock, the UQ should be so tight that it raises up the hammock itself.

    For completeness sake - be sure the UQ's head end is at the correct end and the UQ top is on the upside.

    You are correct that after you get in the hammock - especially if you have to get up at night - you'll want to tug on it a bit to sort of recenter it side to side.

    At some point, you will accidentally sit back in just the UQ instead of the hammock itself. At that point you will be a full member - sort of like crossing the equator in a sailboat. You don't have to think/worry about it. Keep doing this long enough and it will just happen.

    One reason people use under quilt protectors (UQP) - another "some do, some don't" topic - is because it's difficult to get the UQ suspension completely dialed in by yourself. You can't be in the hammock and outside checking the "fit" at the same time. A UQP makes the fit less critical. I'm not saying you can just slap on the UQ and cover it with an UQP - just that the UQP allows a little more slop.

    A 30 degree TQ is a little light for winter temps. If I had to use that, I'd definitely have some kind of sleeping cap. I'm not familiar with the TQ you have but most of mine have a snap at the head end with a bungee cord for cinching adjustment. When closed and around your neck, the snap keeps the TQ from sliding off your shoulders.

    You are right to focus on the UQ as that's where most the heat will be lost - but the TQ does count too. If I had to use a 30 degree TQ in this season, I'd definitely dress in a heavier "base layer" -still not jeans or outer clothing - heavier weight thermal long johns style night clothes.

    VERY WISE of you to experiment at home first. The 0 degree Yeti and BB XLC is a great start. The 30 degree TQ is a bit of a challenge but with a sleeping cap, winter weight thermal nightwear (no jeans), and low pitched tarp might be enough.

    Try some of the suggestion you get and let us know how they work out.
    Last edited by cougarmeat; 01-29-2020 at 18:41.
    In order to see what few have seen, you must go where few have gone. And DO what few have done.

  5. #5
    Senior Member MikekiM's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    East of Montauk, NY
    Hammock
    DIY
    Tarp
    HG DCF-All of them
    Insulation
    HammockGear
    Suspension
    Kevlar + Beckett
    Posts
    4,330
    Images
    21
    As I read the first few lines of your post I thought... wow, I’d be sweating.

    Granted I wouldn’t take 30F I’d the temps were going to be 32F. Actually I might.. but I have down pants and jacket for sleep that do a great job of extending the quilt temp range.

    Anyway.. I am a less is more sleeper. I wear as little as possible and rely on the quilts and my body heat. Best addition I’ve made was a down beanie either with out without a balaclava. Seth’s I am able to dial back the rest of what u wear as long as my head is warm.

    Possum down socks... second best piece of sleep kit.. love them.

    Since you said you felt cold shoulders focus on quilt position and sleep position. I find that my UQ can dead perfect if I am sleeping in one position and a drafty mess if I move to a different position. For instance if I shift to my side I open up a draft at the head end just large enough to allow my shoulder to get a chill.

    Cougar hits some great points. Explore those. You might not resolve the issue but you might be able to give us more info so we can help diagnose.

    I use the technique Cougar describes to pull the foot end of all my quilts up against the bottom of the hammock. Works like a champ. I’ll post some pictures. I use micro mitten hooks on one or two of my hammocks and Evo Loop prusik’d to the SRL on the others. Both work great.... even though I HATE prusiks.
    Yes, my pack weighs 70lbs, but it's all light weight gear....
    Bob's brother-in-law

  6. #6
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2019
    Location
    WNC
    Hammock
    1.2 MTN streamliner + myog net
    Tarp
    HG DCF Std, Lawson
    Insulation
    Wooki, old EE TQ
    Suspension
    1.4 UHMWPE, Becket
    Posts
    123
    Thanks @cougarmeat @MikekiM !

    "I wouldn’t take 30F I’d the temps were going to be 32F. Actually I might.. but I have down pants and jacket for sleep that do a great job of extending the quilt temp range." was kind of the reality check I needed. Maybe its an underpowered TQ + laying just off center in the yeti + stop wearing jeans problem.

    TQ is a 5 yr old EE Revelation. Just using what I had and trying to avoid overbuying (this board makes it very tempting). I don't move in my sleep, so TQ falling off the shoulders wasn't an issue. No draft collar, but definitely could have cinched it more around my neck. So... lost some heat there.

    Appreciate all the details about UQ suspension. Will look to see if there's more to fiddle with, but the standard attachment with the yeti/XLC makes it seem really snug. Maybe somebody with the same setup will correct me. Since the yeti only has insulation on the diagonal I'm thinking it's more about my position in the hammock rather than a draft/suspension issue.

  7. #7
    Senior Member BillyBob58's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Tupelo, MS
    Posts
    11,108
    Images
    489
    Quote Originally Posted by possum daddy View Post
    Thanks @cougarmeat @MikekiM !

    "I wouldn’t take 30F I’d the temps were going to be 32F. Actually I might.. but I have down pants and jacket for sleep that do a great job of extending the quilt temp range." was kind of the reality check I needed. Maybe its an underpowered TQ + laying just off center in the yeti + stop wearing jeans problem.

    TQ is a 5 yr old EE Revelation. Just using what I had and trying to avoid overbuying (this board makes it very tempting). I don't move in my sleep, so TQ falling off the shoulders wasn't an issue. No draft collar, but definitely could have cinched it more around my neck. So... lost some heat there.

    Appreciate all the details about UQ suspension. Will look to see if there's more to fiddle with, but the standard attachment with the yeti/XLC makes it seem really snug. Maybe somebody with the same setup will correct me. Since the yeti only has insulation on the diagonal I'm thinking it's more about my position in the hammock rather than a draft/suspension issue.
    I am one of those "layer"guys, a "more is more" kind of guy, and have routinely used quilts a good bit lower than rated by means of layering puffy or fleece clothing and/or vapor barriers. Other times i have just slept in my cotton PJs(in the back yard but no cotton for me on a wilderness trip) and slept warm in my JRB quilts right at their rated temps.

    There are lots and lots of threads here with folks having trouble with their quilts, cold well above rated temp, so don't feel alone. Quilts are tricky rascals, and must be adjusted perfectly. OTOH, I have always slept warm at rated temps with JRB quilts, as well as my old Speer Pea Pod and even my HH Super Shelter. Even with my pads in a Speer SPE.

    Let's look at that Yeti first. ( although, can you figure out where you are cold and where the trouble is? TQ? UQ? With a zero F UQ, you should be aware of having a WARM back at 30F. Were you? ) I know one guy who has used both the original synthetic Yeti(I have one of those) and the 0F down Yeti well below zero and been warm, as much as minus 20F. (of course, he used to call himself "the human furnace".

    If you are comfy in the hammock, not sliding down and no calf ridge, don't worry about hammock angles. If your comfy, leave well enough alone, none of that is going to effect your quilts or warmth.

    Next, make sure that the main suspension of the Yeti is tight enough so that it slightly lifts the unoccupied hammock, by as much as several inches. But not so tight that there is not still some give, so that you can push the Yeti down away from the hammock while occupied. Wouldn't want to tear anything.

    Next, make sure it is snugged right against your shoulder/neckline and around your shoulders, or even a slight bit lower than the neck/shoulder intersection. It can fit really great a couple of inches below the neck/shoulder line, really snug and gap free. If that quilt is even a slight bit too far towards your head, it will VENT! Very useful in the summer, but to be totally avoided in the winter. If you move it far enough towards the head end, it will funnel in tons of cold air down your spine. Keep it at or below your neck, and use a pad or thick pillow for head under insulation.

    Speaking of head insulation, a huge step forward for me was when I 1st used a JRB hood. To make up for the hood on my mummy bag that I no longer have with a TQ. Having as much or more insulation for the head as you do for the chest can be HUGE in trying to stay warm in a TQ. Hopefully your hoody was fleece and not cotton. But, I do much better with several inches of insulation around my head, which is much warmer than almost all caps or non puffy hoods.

    I did not see a leg pad listed. You need a pad under your legs if you are going to use that short UQ. That down jacket over your hammock at the foo end will def help, but it probably doesn't reach all the way to your butt, or wherever the bottom edge of the Yeti is. Plus, some gaps are likely using the jacket around the hammock. That is something to check out.

    That EE 30ºF TQ has a rated 2" loft. I'm not familiar with how that brand is rated by users around here, but if it has at least 2" loft, you should have no trouble at 30F. Especially with other layers. Assuming you are skilled at avoiding any gaps or drafts. TQs are not as draft proof as being zipped up inside of a mummy bag and hood. So, that is something you must be extremely careful about. You MUST make sure you do not lift up an edge when you move in your sleep, or you will freeze. I find it easy to do now, but it was a challenge for me the first year or so. Just something very important to be aware of. Drafts and gaps are the bane of TQs and UQs.

    Of course, cotton jeans are better suited to cooling you down than keeping you warm, and can be a real bummer if even slightly damp. But, I have slept warmly in cotton when I was confident of my gear keeping me more than warm enough.

    PS: just to make sure: be certain that the UQ is not upside down. If it is, and it is snugged tight, it will compress the loft of the down, which = cold.
    Last edited by BillyBob58; 01-29-2020 at 23:13.

  8. #8
    Senior Member MikekiM's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    East of Montauk, NY
    Hammock
    DIY
    Tarp
    HG DCF-All of them
    Insulation
    HammockGear
    Suspension
    Kevlar + Beckett
    Posts
    4,330
    Images
    21
    I'll agree with the pad suggestion, except his chill was at his shoulders..

    Best bet is get another set of eyes on how the quilt it hung while you're in the hammock....
    Yes, my pack weighs 70lbs, but it's all light weight gear....
    Bob's brother-in-law

  9. #9
    all secure in sector 7 Shug's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Minnesota
    Hammock
    I have many so....
    Tarp
    Blackcrow DIY Tarp
    Insulation
    FrankenquiltUQ/Pod
    Suspension
    Whoopie Slings
    Posts
    23,395
    Images
    62
    Try migrating your down. Might help.
    Shug

    Whooooo Buddy)))) All Secure in Sector Seven

  10. #10
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2019
    Location
    WNC
    Hammock
    1.2 MTN streamliner + myog net
    Tarp
    HG DCF Std, Lawson
    Insulation
    Wooki, old EE TQ
    Suspension
    1.4 UHMWPE, Becket
    Posts
    123

    Give a newbie feedback on cold weather backyard test

    It’s a full length Wooki... still working on lingo, sawwy. Edited OP

    The hoodie is a Pat Nano thingy that gets crazy warm

    Tons of great stuff to think about with the UQ. I’ll see if I can get another set of eyes on it with me in it.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Last edited by possum daddy; 01-30-2020 at 10:00.

  • + New Posts
  • Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

    Similar Threads

    1. My cold weather set up and test
      By TZ75man in forum General Hammock Talk
      Replies: 9
      Last Post: 11-19-2014, 12:04
    2. cold weather backyard hang (my first!)
      By eaglesquack in forum Weather Protection
      Replies: 3
      Last Post: 12-25-2013, 22:35
    3. First cold weather test
      By silentorpheus in forum Trip Reports
      Replies: 3
      Last Post: 01-22-2011, 14:54
    4. Cold weather test #3
      By Lonely Raven in forum Trip Reports
      Replies: 34
      Last Post: 12-09-2010, 20:25
    5. Cold Weather Test #4
      By Lonely Raven in forum Trip Reports
      Replies: 26
      Last Post: 12-06-2010, 23:01

    Bookmarks

    Posting Permissions

    • You may not post new threads
    • You may not post replies
    • You may not post attachments
    • You may not edit your posts
    •