PS: Arutha, you may have said previously, but just to be sure:
1: was that wet foot box down or synthetic?
2: if down, was it treated down?
Also interesting about the moisture running down your face, and your desire to try a frost bib. But I've got one for you. I have very few single digit nights way down south in order to test in the kind of conditions I might run into on my trips to the Rocky Mtns. but I have managed to back yard test in a few way below 20F nights over the years. One was a 10F night in my old and much missed(I stupidly sold it) Speer Pea Pod. This would close above me by way of full length Velcro. The norm was to leave a vent right above my face from the size of 1/4" to 6" or wide open on warm nights. Or rarely fully closed for max warmth(the Velcro, even fully closed, was not insulated and allowed for some moisture escape even fully closed).
That pod was rated 20F top and bottom if just looking at the loft ( 2.5" rated top + 2.5" bottom, probably a bit more than that for mine). But, depending on the width and depth of the hammock used, the sides of the hammock would lift the top section of the pod from almost none to several inches, producing a gap. Which is why the designer, Ed Speer, a very cold sleeper, only rated it to 50F on top. For me it was more like 30+ to 40F, depending on clothes worn. Unless of course I filled the gap with clothing or a light TQ, in which case I now had 3 to 5" of loft on top and in full contact with my body, no gaps. Now that was obviously good for temps way below 20F. ( and draft proof like a zipped up sleeping bag!)
So, it is 10F, and I am sleeping in it with a 30+ year old 50F synthetic bag liner as TQ on top, under the main Pea Pod Top insulation. And a space blanket under the hammock as a VB and radiant block to try and boost the 20F rating for back warmth. I have maybe a 1/2" diameter vent opening several inches above my face. I did not get any condensation running down my face. Rather, every time I would fall sound asleep, my breath vapor would rise up thru the vent opening, freeze back into snow, and fall back into the vent and snow on my face, waking me up!
Finally, at about 0500, I decided I was just barely warm enough, but this 10F was probably about the limit of that system for me, without adding a warmer TQ(I think my back was OK, but I would have to look at that over 12 year old report to be sure) But when I realized it was close to time to get up, instead of going in, I just closed the vent hole completely, taking a chance on condensation in the down. I got an amazing overall warm up, and no more snow falling on my face, and went back into a sound sleep for a couple more hours, until it was time to get up, after 0700.
When I got up, I took the pod in and immediately checked for signs of dampness and loft loss(this was before treated down), and could not find any. Except for a hint right near my mouth, but no loft loss that I could tell. There probably was some, but not enough tell. I expected worse. It might be that the velcro closure allowed enough vapor escape, even when fully closed. But closing it shifted me from barely warm enough to luxurious warmth, plus ended that pesky snow in the face.
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