Pods

[BillyBob58]

I'm testing tonight in the woods behind my house. It's suppose to be 23* with wind of 10-15 MPH. I'm using a 3 season Incubator, an older 40* sewn through Pea Pod and a Molly Mac IX Hammock Sock. My top insulation will either be a 20* Kelty Cosmic down bag Modded as a TQ or a 0* HG Burrow...haven't decided which yet.
In Florida I used all of the above with the 20* bag but without the Pod. I was cold at 26* until I added a pad. I'm going to wear the same clothes to sleep in I wore in FL too. So this I hope will be a fair test.

Sounds like a great test LD! I would for sure use the 20 Kelty, but I might be a lot warmer sleeper than you. OK, so you were cold at 26 with the 20F bag? But a pad fixed you up, so was the cold on the bottom and related to the 3 season incubator being past it's range for you? Any way, if that 40F rated pod will close around everything and have room, no compression, it might add as much as another 20-30* worth of protection. And unlike the pad you added, it will add both top and bottom.

Excited to see how you will do! Good luck! Don't let the wind get you!

[wisenber]

I've found starting with either my 30* of 20* peapod and adding any UQ or TQ I own will handle - 10 F or so. My warmest option is: 20* peapod, space blanket between layers of DL hammock, JRB NS between space blanket and peapod, JRB Old Rag Mountain as TQ under peapod, two DriDucks ponchos as hammock sock. I've had to vent at -15 F with that setup. Adding VB clothing would probably make that good to - 30 with some good headwear. I doubt I'll ever get to try it that low though. - 30 is hard to find in these part, and the places I go that it is that cold don't have trees.

[L.D. Cakes]

I went out about 11PM last night and it was around 34* I am a super cold sleeper and wore my Merino base layers, top & bottom, an added fleece top and thick wool socks with down booties that I've added sheep skin insoles. Also thin fleece gloves and a buff on my head with a down hood added. I rose about 7AM at daybreak when the birds started singing. The lowest it got was 21* recorded by my thermometer and no wind that I could tell.

I used my modded 20* down sleeping bag inside with the Pod gently draping over that. I had plenty of room to have my 3 season HG Incubator inside the pod under my hammock and I got a fairly good asymmetrical lay. A bigger person might not be able to do that because I'm only 5'2" at 115 lbs. For added warm air to breath I had my IX Hammock Sock encompassing it all.

I had to take the down hood off sometime in the night and open the pod a little wider at my face to vent. I had left a small hole but I'm a side sleeper and it wasn't enough. I was so snuggly and warm all last night and when I woke up this morning I would have stayed a little longer but nature called.

The hammock sock was all frozen with ice crystals except right where the hole in the pod had water droplets of condensation. Not bad though. I think I generate extra moisture but not completely from my body heat. I consider myself a heavy breather because I have asthma and last night was not one of my best nights for even breathing. I woke a few times having to use my inhaler. The last time I woke I could smell a not so faint odor of a skunk! I think I made enough noise wheezing & coughing though I scared it away before it got too close and the odor faded. Wheew!

I wasn't cold at all this time. No matter what position I got in I couldn't feel a cold spot! In Florida I was cold from about the waist down with just my UQ & TQ. A pad helped with that the next night but when I moved I could feel cold under me for a minute or two from condensation I think. I had no condensation last night because of no real VB was used unless you consider the IX in the bottom of the Hammock Sock. But it was under everything and I did not butt it up tight against the Pod to allow for some ventilation and also left the ends open. I mainly used it to knock off a little more cold air.

I was snug as a bug all last night and I'm beginning to believe this Pod really is warmer than the sum of it's parts.

[BillyBob58]

I've found starting with either my 30* of 20* peapod and adding any UQ or TQ I own will handle - 10 F or so. My warmest option is: 20* peapod, space blanket between layers of DL hammock, JRB NS between space blanket and peapod, JRB Old Rag Mountain as TQ under peapod, two DriDucks ponchos as hammock sock. I've had to vent at -15 F with that setup. Adding VB clothing would probably make that good to - 30 with some good headwear. I doubt I'll ever get to try it that low though. - 30 is hard to find in these part, and the places I go that it is that cold don't have trees.

Having to vent at minus 15? I think your pod, augmented appropriately for below the rated temps, is working. As I read the first part of that, I was thinking "what if he adds his VB clothing". I see at the end of your post you were thinking the same thing. But hard for us southern boys to test. But, have you considered your pod, something like a stealth or some 40-45F quilt top and bottom, and your VB clothing. Wonder how cold you could go with that? Or just VB, lofty clothing and the pod?

Also, didn't you just order that wonder clothing( name? )? Unless you traveled, no real chance to test this year I guess.

I went out about 11PM last night and it was around 34* I am a super cold sleeper and wore my Merino base layers, top & bottom, an added fleece top and thick wool socks with down booties that I've added sheep skin insoles. Also thin fleece gloves and a buff on my head with a down hood added. I rose about 7AM at daybreak when the birds started singing. The lowest it got was 21* recorded by my thermometer and no wind that I could tell.

I used my modded 20* down sleeping bag inside with the Pod gently draping over that. I had plenty of room to have my 3 season HG Incubator inside the pod under my hammock and I got a fairly good asymmetrical lay. A bigger person might not be able to do that because I'm only 5'2" at 115 lbs. For added warm air to breath I had my IX Hammock Sock encompassing it all.

I had to take the down hood off sometime in the night and open the pod a little wider at my face to vent. I had left a small hole but I'm a side sleeper and it wasn't enough. I was so snuggly and warm all last night and when I woke up this morning I would have stayed a little longer but nature called.

The hammock sock was all frozen with ice crystals except right where the hole in the pod had water droplets of condensation. Not bad though. I think I generate extra moisture but not completely from my body heat. I consider myself a heavy breather because I have asthma and last night was not one of my best nights for even breathing. I woke a few times having to use my inhaler. The last time I woke I could smell a not so faint odor of a skunk! I think I made enough noise wheezing & coughing though I scared it away before it got too close and the odor faded. Wheew!

I wasn't cold at all this time. No matter what position I got in I couldn't feel a cold spot! In Florida I was cold from about the waist down with just my UQ & TQ. A pad helped with that the next night but when I moved I could feel cold under me for a minute or two from condensation I think. I had no condensation last night because of no real VB was used unless you consider the IX in the bottom of the Hammock Sock. But it was under everything and I did not butt it up tight against the Pod to allow for some ventilation and also left the ends open. I mainly used it to knock off a little more cold air.

I was snug as a bug all last night and I'm beginning to believe this Pod really is warmer than the sum of it's parts.

Cakes, that is a flippin' hoot! Pod strikes again. There is just something Uber-efficient about those things, even with your 40* sew through model. So a super cold sleeper who was cold and had to add a pad at 26 now had to remove hood and vent at 21? Just by adding a 40F sew thru PeaPod and ditching the pad? Do I have that right? Hard to beat that result!

[L.D. Cakes]

Cakes, that is a flippin' hoot! Pod strikes again. There is just something Uber-efficient about those things, even with your 40* sew through model. So a super cold sleeper who was cold and had to add a pad at 26 now had to remove hood and vent at 21? Just by adding a 40F sew thru PeaPod and ditching the pad? Do I have that right? Hard to beat that result!

Yep, You have it right, no pad and the hood was making me sweat!

This is not my pod though, it's a loaner for me to test. If this is what I'm going with (more testing with other types) I need to find one for sale or have someone make me one to these dimensions. I believe the older ones like this have more room in them than the current ones made by TTT.

[fourdog]

Yep, You have it right, no pad and the hood was making me sweat!

This is not my pod though, it's a loaner for me to test. If this is what I'm going with (more testing with other types) I need to find one for sale or have someone make me one to these dimensions. I believe the older ones like this have more room in them than the current ones made by TTT.

Glad to hear it went so well for you.
Once you go pod you can't go back !!

fourdog

www.fourdog.com

[MAD777]

Everything about pods/socks makes sense. A hammock system is built from several disjointed parts, all of which are potentially open to the elements where they come together. The pod/sock envelopes the whole kit & caboodle creating a micro-climate that covers for the weaknesses of the rest of the system. Essentially, it makes the whole system better than the sum of the parts.

[fourdog]

Everything about pods/socks makes sense. A hammock system is built from several disjointed parts, all of which are potentially open to the elements where they come together. The pod/sock envelopes the whole kit & caboodle creating a micro-climate that covers for the weaknesses of the rest of the system. Essentially, it makes the whole system better than the sum of the parts.

I'm in total in aggrement. It elimintes all the weak links of the disjointed parts.

fourdog

www.fourdog.com

[L.D. Cakes]

I'm in total in aggrement. It elimintes all the weak links of the disjointed parts.

fourdog

www.fourdog.com

I concur. Tell me, If my hammock sock were canvas would I have not seen ice crystals all over the inside?

[rip waverly]

great thread... thanks for all the motivation and inspiration to look towards the pod system. keep the reports coming

i've updated my current testing over here