Getting cold in the early hours

**Gregori** · 11-30-2020, 05:42

Besides tightening up bottom quilt (many have found a few adjustments help greatly, myself included), you might look at a simple Under Quilt Protector. Small, almost nothing for weight, yet helps cut heat loss noticeably, especially with any wind. I figure mine is good for an extra 5-10 degrees comfort, squishes up into baseball size packable item. Plus keeps your underquilt a little safer from dirt, splash, drop it on the ground mistakes when packing up.

Keep tightening the UQ until it just slightly lifts your hammock. Took me 4-5x times tightening to finally reach that point and it was perfect.

Good Luck!!

**arutha** · 11-30-2020, 22:08

Originally Posted by Norfolk Yeti

I’ll get in the garden tonight and report back!

Looking forward to hearing about it. I did a trial last night myself (TW) and it's been the coldest night I've been out yet. Min said 30F and humidity 99%. I'm sure that was kinda accurate too as the tarp was wet from both sides. Slept nice and warmer than my previous lows that still got sorta cold ish in the early hours. Still felt a bit coldish. I'm starting to wonder of you just get used to it like other things

As for the side adjustments on the TW they definitely do something. I used my TW indoors as well and if I have the middle cinched up the same as outside then I overheat during the night. If I loosen it, then I'm fine through the night. And there's definitely no wind in my basement

**Norfolk Yeti** · 12-01-2020, 01:31

It poured down here last night so it was indoors bed unfortunately.....I’ll get out there ASAP.

**Norfolk Yeti** · 12-02-2020, 01:01

So, another night in the garden (7-8c at first dropping to 3-4c in early hours with subsequent rise in humidity):
I tightened up the trailwinder until it was snug and slightly lifting the hammock, slept very well and very warm, removed a layer around midnight and remained warm, got up for some foliage watering at 4am and was cold getting back in the hammock and snoozed for another 1.5 hours but was chilly even after putting that layer back on.
Conclusions: the underquilt appears fine and doing its job well but maybe around that temp drop in the early hours I could do with more insulation or some calories/warming up....kind of full circle back to where I asked originally!!??
Would you think I’m what we call a cold sleeper and am on the limits of the 20f trailwinder’s guide rating...or is it merely pile on layers until warm....marginally confused as a drop of 4-5c (7-9f) doesn’t seem too significant, or is it? when coupled with the humidity increase?

**Freestone** · 12-02-2020, 01:29

Originally Posted by Norfolk Yeti

So, another night in the garden (7-8c at first dropping to 3-4c in early hours with subsequent rise in humidity):
I tightened up the trailwinder until it was snug and slightly lifting the hammock, slept very well and very warm, removed a layer around midnight and remained warm, got up for some foliage watering at 4am and was cold getting back in the hammock and snoozed for another 1.5 hours but was chilly even after putting that layer back on.
Conclusions: the underquilt appears fine and doing its job well but maybe around that temp drop in the early hours I could do with more insulation or some calories/warming up....kind of full circle back to where I asked originally!!??
Would you think I’m what we call a cold sleeper and am on the limits of the 20f trailwinder’s guide rating...or is it merely pile on layers until warm....marginally confused as a drop of 4-5c (7-9f) doesn’t seem too significant, or is it? when coupled with the humidity increase?

You are experiencing more than a drop of 4-5c as your body temperature also drops overnight and is generally at its lowest about 4am. I grab a jacket when I do the 4am watering and often leave it on when I get back in the hammock. If my quilt is at its limit (for me), I may also grab a sit pad or something for under me and I have also been known to have a quick snack if I am really cold.

**Norfolk Yeti** · 12-02-2020, 01:53

Originally Posted by Freestone

You are experiencing more than a drop of 4-5c as your body temperature also drops overnight and is generally at its lowest about 4am. I grab a jacket when I do the 4am watering and often leave it on when I get back in the hammock. If my quilt is at its limit (for me), I may also grab a sit pad or something for under me and I have also been known to have a quick snack if I am really cold.

Thanks, seems some good advice echoed by earlier replies....

**scrope** · 12-02-2020, 16:08

When it starts to get real cold, I use a hot water bottle. It provides a significant amount of heat and lasts most of the night but around 3-4 in the morning its lost much of the heat. I keep my stove and cup setup when I go to bed so it's a simple matter of dumping the colder water back into the cup and firing up the stove. After a couple of minutes, it's ready to be put back into the Nalgene bottle and I'm good for many more hours.

**Norfolk Yeti** · 12-03-2020, 03:54

Originally Posted by scrope

When it starts to get real cold, I use a hot water bottle. It provides a significant amount of heat and lasts most of the night but around 3-4 in the morning its lost much of the heat. I keep my stove and cup setup when I go to bed so it's a simple matter of dumping the colder water back into the cup and firing up the stove. After a couple of minutes, it's ready to be put back into the Nalgene bottle and I'm good for many more hours.

Great tip thank you, guess we’d normally have all the equipment to achieve that with us on a camp; water container, stove and pot.

**Phantom Grappler** · 12-03-2020, 08:15

After post #14, and y’all’s great posts about keeping warm, I must confess.
While car camping at a “Frozen Butt Hang”, I did not have adequate winter clothes and shoes, socks. I was really cold when I walked to my hammock for nights sleep.
I had failed to follow all the great advice.
I could not feel my feet and toes. I reached down and touched my bare feet as I got in hammock.
My toes felt like foreign objects—like ice cubes but not wet—just cold. I was cold all over.

Temperatures were in high teens Fahrenheit

A couple hours later I woke, to be pleasantly surprised—I was warm all over—even my feet and toes! I had stacked my zero* underquilt and 20* underquilt—as well as my zero* top quilt and 20* top quilt. All that downy goodness, saved the night!

**Norfolk Yeti** · 12-04-2020, 01:51

Originally Posted by Phantom Grappler

After post #14, and y’all’s great posts about keeping warm, I must confess.
While car camping at a “Frozen Butt Hang”, I did not have adequate winter clothes and shoes, socks. I was really cold when I walked to my hammock for nights sleep.
I had failed to follow all the great advice.
I could not feel my feet and toes. I reached down and touched my bare feet as I got in hammock.
My toes felt like foreign objects—like ice cubes but not wet—just cold. I was cold all over.

Temperatures were in high teens Fahrenheit

A couple hours later I woke, to be pleasantly surprised—I was warm all over—even my feet and toes! I had stacked my zero* underquilt and 20* underquilt—as well as my zero* top quilt and 20* top quilt. All that downy goodness, saved the night!

That’s a lot of quilted loveliness, I’d bet it would be difficult to be cold amongst all that!!