Options for stretching current insulation - FL hiker headed north!

[Goblewarming]

Hi all,
I am a long time lurker, but infrequent poster. I have combed the forum ( and videos and reddit, and... ), but don't feel like I can really find the specifics I am looking for.

How much additional warmth can you get from adding a nanoheat blanket ( or other reflective blanket) to your insulation? I know that the combo of reflective and vapor barrier will help, but how much (ballpark) are we looking at?

I am headed to hike the Ga portion of the Bartram trail next month. I have been watching the weather and this week it looks to be swinging from 75 to 29. I have 30 degree top and bottom quilts and neither the time nor budget to upgrade beforehand. Will something like the nanoheat blanket be sufficient to get those extra degrees? I had thought about either clipping it to the hammock and then adding the underquilt, or just wrapping it around me like a bag liner ( I will be in 250 smartwool, and wool beanie, buff and socks, and I am not a sweaty sleeper). Thoughts?

I will have a down puffy, and a pair of foam pads to strategically place, and will be carrying a nalgene to warm before bed. My quilts have taken me to the mid 30's with no problem, without even pitching the tarp low.

We're pretty short on cold weather for me to test things!

[Goblewarming]

I also considered hanging my frog togg poncho over the ridgeline for a faux winter cover... just for a few degrees more.

[Shug]

You could just add a pad to the 30º UQ set-up. Pad in the hammock.
Since you say you are not a sweaty sleeper then chances for condensation could be reduced.
No one perfect strategy for boosting insulation that works for everyone.
Make sure to be warm before you crawl in for sleep at night. Take a walk, jumping jacks...get the blood flowing. Get warm and stay warm. The insulation will not warm you up if you are cold.
Hot water bottle is effective.
Have a right goodie of a trip.
Shug

[Goblewarming]

Thanks! With the underquilt boosted by a pad, do you think I would still need another layer on a 30 degree topquilt? or will the extra bottom warmth likely be enough?
Really trying to find that balance between bringing enough, and not loading up like a packmule. Too many bits will make for a LONG 37 miles.

[Phantom Grappler]

While this is not a cure, it will help ease your pain as you slowly freeze to death
Both Amazon and Walmart have HotHands body warmers adhesive pads. The larger pads help keep you warm. Just peel back paper and put adhesive surface on your shirt. But not directly on your skin.
Sometimes it’s best to have two shirts between you and the HotHands pad. Large pads are great!
Also they have bean bag shaped warmers that do not have adhesive.

Another thing you can do. Before going to sleep.
Build a good campfire, but don’t light it.
Have a pile of firewood nearby
Then if you can’t sleep because you are too cold
Get up and light your pre-made campfire
Enjoy the warmth and survive until sunrise, after sunrise have some hot coffee and move around cooking some vittles
After you are warm and we’ll fed, midday take a well deserved nap

You can research old threads in Hammock Forums that go into great detail about staying warm and boosting your gear to survive lower temperatures
I’m not good at search functions, so I cheat…a bit
I type in key words and phrases into Google or Safari and it usually finds exactly what I was looking for
And usually right back to Hammock Forums threads you are seeking

Extra clothing can help, but be forewarned
If you fall asleep wearing too many layers of warm clothes, you can break a sweat! By the time you wake from overheating—it’s too late—your wet clothes will freeze you and must be removed to dry out on ridgeline.

Edit
Yes a closed cell foam pad can help. It’s lightweight and relatively inexpensive and can be shipped quickly by GossamerGear and others
You can use a pad inside hammock and under quilt under hammock at same time
A poncho over hammock ridgeline can help retain some warmth
An under quilt protector can also be helpful especially if there is a breeze

A 20* set of quilts would be great, but it’s hard to get a new set quickly due to lead times of several weeks or more.

Watch Shug’s videos, for a wealth of knowledge and fun!

[cmoulder]

Another of those very subjective topics because it involves individual preference and tolerance.

For me, the clothing and gear you've described would be totally adequate at those temperatures. Working from the basic outdoor wear forumla — base, fleece, puffy, shell — you can wear any/all layers needed to supplement your TQ, and you can use a sit pad to ward off CBS (cold butt syndrome) if that becomes a factor. For my sit pad I use a torso-length thinlight CCF (1/8") pad and it is an incredibly useful piece of kit. You can even put your empty backpack over your feet for additional warmth.

They key is to use everything you carry. Don't go to sleep with anything damp. During the day, ventilate or remove layers at the very first sensation of feeling warm to avoid soaking base layers. When you get to camp, the only thing that should be damp is your back, especially lower back, but everything else should be relatively dry. For most people, it is ironic that overheating/sweating is the biggest problem in the winter.

[JollyRoger70]

I yield to Shug and Phantom’s experience (esp. Shug for cold weather, which he has plenty of), but what worked for me this summer when we had a freak 49* night at summer camp was to deploy my winter cover (I think your poncho-over-the-ridgeline idea would get the same effect), put on my UQ protector over my 50-60* UQ, and put on long pants and a hoodie. Not the warmest night I’ve ever had, but certainly I was able to sleep well enough. Adding the foam pad sounds like a great idea (though you might have a wrestling match keeping it in place, depending on how much you toss and turn). I’ve always heard that space blankets crinkle too much to want to sleep on one, but I have put a small tarp with a reflective layer between a UQ and my hammmock before to stretch the UQ. Not great, but I survived. :-)


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[cougarmeat]

Goblewarming, a better question is, "How do you adjust for colder temps?" That's because no one can tell you how YOU will fair after implementing the suggestions. If the nanoheat is like a "space blanket", I've read that it needs some separation from the heat source to be effective in reflecting it back. I don't know about that - but it is essentially a single-sheet vapor barrier and as such might contribute to condensation issues.

I'd recommend experimenting at home or in close proximity to a bail-out option. I sleep outside several days a week. I pay attention to the min night time temperature and how comfortable I was with the quilts/setup I was using. With that experience, I've found I like a 10-degree buffer between a quilts rating and the minimum temperature I'll be exposed to. For example, all this week the night temp will be in the high 30's. As such, I know my 40-degree gear will not do the job for me. I'll drop down to my 20-degree quilts. I do have a wookie and lynx rated at 30 degrees but why play the edge if I don't need to.

I would be cold in your rated gear at the minimum temperatures you posted (29°). If I didn't want to invest in warmer quilts, I'd use a UQP or full sock.

I don't know about Georgia, but around here, a month from now, at higher elevations, means the possibility of snow.

But you have a month. Find a way to sleep outdoors with the option of going back in the house if it gets too cold. That way you'll learn what works for you.

Oh yes, about those night clothes ... you'll read different opinions on that. Some feel too many clothes don't work as well as fewer. I've never been cold when wearing heavier night clothes, but I haven't been as comfortable as when I let the quilts do the job and wore lighter PJ's. It just feels cozier.

I do always carry a knit sleeping cap or balaclava of various weights.

[Goblewarming]

Thanks all - I know that asking "will this gear be enough?" is super subjective, that is why I was trying to see if there was a (semi constant? or at least an established range) assist value to a reflective blanket. I really appreciate all the feedback, though!

I am unlikely to get any practice time that is really cold before I go ( FL just doesn't deliver those kind of practice nights), but I think I am just going to consign myself to carrying more than I normally would, taking a thermometer so I can accurately assess, and trying a few things out. I have taken my current set up down to 35 comfortably. I have an insulated 4.4 R inflatable that should do the trick, and I can fiddle with a light reflective blanket and the poncho and see what feels like enough - even if it means setting up early and being in and out of the hammock and doing jumping jack sessions a few times as I tweak things. Ultimately the goal is to upgrade both hammock and quilt system, but I am still fiddling around with an oddball collection of things at the moment.

[FLTurtle]

What kinda quilts do you have? Are they comfort rated? I can tell you that with a 3/4 length underquilt I need to supplement the footbox with a sit pad or something to get near the rated temps. I have a 40F HG Burrow/Phoenix combo that works well down to the low 50s, but once it gets below that the footbox needs help.