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Thread: PeaPod @ 0 deg

  1. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by BillyBob58 View Post
    Psyc: "2 am: my feet got cold in the booties.�� Not good, moved around for a while, and that improved. It was probably poor circulation. "
    Oh, BTW, though I am sure I am repeating myself: for those cold feet, even in booties, add a couple of bread sacks vapor barriers over thinnest socks, then other insulation like big, loose wool socks and.or booties. The difference can be amazing. Also, soup up head insulation. A slightly over heated brain shunts warm blood to extremities.
    Not covering the noggin will make everything cold, for sure.

  2. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by BillyBob58 View Post
    Psyc: "2 am: my feet got cold in the booties.�� Not good, moved around for a while, and that improved. It was probably poor circulation. "
    Oh, BTW, though I am sure I am repeating myself: for those cold feet, even in booties, add a couple of bread sacks vapor barriers over thinnest socks, then other insulation like big, loose wool socks and.or booties. The difference can be amazing. Also, soup up head insulation. A slightly over heated brain shunts warm blood to extremities.
    Thanks, good to know. I'm sure the mfg. date was 2007. A little disappointing to only be rated to 30 deg. I'm going to get it back out on a different hammock, see what happens with more planning.
    Since I retired, some times I stay awake all day, some times all night.

  3. #13
    Senior Member BillyBob58's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by psyculman View Post
    Thanks, good to know. I'm sure the mfg. date was 2007. A little disappointing to only be rated to 30 deg. I'm going to get it back out on a different hammock, see what happens with more planning.

    Well, hey, that is just my wild guess based on weight compared to the weight of the one I used to have, one from about the same time of manufacture. But on a slow day with nothing to do, measure the loft! Not easy to do with these pods or really any quilts, which often have odd shapes and down can be shifted around. But, if you can manage to get the down evenly distributed, you should be in the ball park. My 20F seemed to average a bit over 2.5"(maybe a bit more) single layer or well over 5" double layer. I think 2.5" (for down) single layer is the well established standard for 20F ( for the average person of course, people vary a lot! ) So(single layer) 2" = 30F, 1.5" = 40, 1" = 50F. Though I think most quality manufacturers like Speer usually over shoot a bit on loft to warmth, so if they rate at 20F, it is probably going to be a bit more than 2.5" when new. And with down, that loft- when clean- will last a long, long time.

    And when it comes to the difficulty of getting an accurate and consistent measurement, I often measure 2 or more layers- as I would normally do with a sleeping bag- and then divide by 2 or more. For example, I would Velcro closed the pod, then measure both layers. So I would get something over 5", divide by 2 = over 2.5" single layer loft 20F rating. Or, fold that on to itself and divide by 4. I felt like this smoothed out the inconsistencies caused by my inability to evenly distribute the down. OTOH, I could just be crazy. Either way, it will get you in the ball park for the actual rating of your pod.

    As for it only being a 30F or 40F, or even 50F, there is one huge advantage to that: not only is it good for summer use, but it only weighs 32 oz! Or, equivalent to 2 full length quilts(TQ + UQ) of 16 oz each. Now, that is super light weight. But I have often thought I would be better off with a pod much lighter than the one I had, because, the main benefit of the pod was in providing a draft free environment like a zipped up sleeping bag, while maintaining the comfort of quilts. So, the bulk of the insulation could be provided by the insulation I added in the form of either UQs, TQs or clothing added below or layered on top. And it worked like a charm. Not that I needed to do much of that, considering where I live and the fact that I had a 20F model. But when I rarely did need more warmth(or if I had a lighter 40F version), like I did in my 10F test, how easy it was to layer some quilts or even just clothing. Which never would have been warm enough by themselves. But when surrounded top and bottom and both ends by a draft free pod, easily did the job. So if I have a 40F model, combined with the equiv of a couple of 40F quilts, I am probably going to be good to go to at least 10F. More efficiently than just stacking multiple 40F quilts, because more draft proof. (much like Shug a done with a pod approach at minus 40F) So, I have saved significant weight up front on the pod part, while still maintaining all of the draft proofing that a heavier, warmer model provides. Seems like a reasonable way to go to me.

  4. #14
    Senior Member BillyBob58's Avatar
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    Just looking back on your OP, and some more thoughts/questions came up:

    Psyc: "NO under pad or top quilt to start, only the Pea Pod, that's it.....1st hour: my back warmed slightly, but not "Sandy beach" warm.

    As I review this, since we have probably determined your pod is not rated for any lower than 30F, and maybe only 40F, the fact that your back warmed even slightly at 10F or even a bit less is rather amazing. After all, you are using the equivalent of a 16 oz full length UQ(1/2 the total pod weight of 32 oz), except it is actually quite a bit longer than any full length UQ. Hence, more space to try and loft with only however much down would be in a 16 oz full length size long UQ. Pretty amazing that you did not instantly freeze. And quite a testimony to the efficiency of a pod approach. Impressive!

    "CBS very annoying, but I probably could have slept, except I didn't. It did warm up top side, and the enclosed space very well.
    2nd hour: By now the temp. is inching down to zero. I added my DIY car windshield sun screen under pad to the bottom with my back directly on it. END of cold, including CBS. Instantly."

    So, did your backside stay warm enough after that? Or did you (most likely) have to add something else under you? If not, that is quite impressive that you managed to stay warm with nothing more than the equiv of a 16 oz full length size extra long UQ, plus a car windshield sun screen(and of course worn clothing). That would actually be one of the best results I have ever seen posted here, quite the opposite of someone being cold at 40F with their 20F UQ. But, I'm figuring I'm missing something, there was something else you used underneath?

    3rd hour: I wake up feeling cool, not shivering but knowing what direction things are heading. Time to add my Sierra Design Mobile Mummy. Ahhh, better.
    2 am: my feet got cold in the booties.😭 Not good, moved around for a while, and that improved. It was probably poor circulation.

    Is your sleeping bag the 15F rated SD Mobile Mummy? If so, except for your feet, did you stay plenty warm on top after adding that?


    "Observations on the Pea Pod:
    I've used it with a insulated pad before, with out a pad it's probably not going to be comfortable below 30/35.".
    "

    As we have already figured out, probably understandable considering the pod might only be rated for 30 or 40F. Still, if you made it to zero with nothing more than adding the windshield screen, put me down as impressed.

  5. #15
    Senior Member Ewker's Avatar
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    I sold my Speer Peapod back in 2011. Speer Peapod 8.0, Version II, 6'x9', 900 down insulation, sewn through construction, includes stuff sack.
    Sold

    It looks like I sold it to cooldays
    'Classic.' A book which people praise and don't read.” ― Mark Twain

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  6. #16
    Senior Member BillyBob58's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ewker View Post
    I sold my Speer Peapod back in 2011. Speer Peapod 8.0, Version II, 6'x9', 900 down insulation, sewn through construction, includes stuff sack.
    Sold

    It looks like I sold it to cooldays
    What's up, Ewker! I'm surprised that yours had 900 FP and sewn thru construction. Mine, purchased about 08, was 900 FP with baffles. Yours was a version II, I don't remember which version mine was. Except, as far as I know, it was the latest version that Speer made before he left the business (can't remember what year that was) and TTTG took over production. Even their version(before also leaving the business) seemed about identical to mine, but maybe with slightly lighter weight shell materials and water resistant treated down. Also, they may have added openings for the Switchback hammock pull outs. In addition to adding their Polar Pod, which definitely had those openings for pull outs.

    Psyculman: do you know if yours has baffles?

  7. #17
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    Is this bag similar to what the peapod was? I don't see how a diagonal lie is possible in one of these.
    https://www.amazon.com/Goose-Down-Ul...8-7&th=1&psc=1

  8. #18
    Senior Member BillyBob58's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by lorazepam View Post
    Is this bag similar to what the peapod was? I don't see how a diagonal lie is possible in one of these.
    https://www.amazon.com/Goose-Down-Ul...8-7&th=1&psc=1

    "Long: 87" long, 36" wide at the shoulders, 30" wide at the hips, 18" wide at the toe box (bottom), and 72” of shoulder girth. Long size bags are best for individuals 6'-1" to 6'-6" in height."

    My original Speer Pea Pod was 9ft(108") long by 6 ft(72") wide when flat, (or 72" circumference when closed) at the wide point in the middle. It tapered to 3 ft wide(when flat, or circumference once closed).

    So, width seems similar, but 21" shorter than the Pea Pod. I can not speak for this product, but I never had any issues getting as diagonal as normal in my Claytor No Net or Speer hammocks. I imagine even though it is as wide in the middle, that being almost 2 ft shorter will have an influence on getting diagonal. OTOH, Shug's DIY pod experiments were all done using a WM down sleeping bag as the outer, surrounding pod, and he reported no significant problems with his diagonal lay. But he also, after a while, found a zip in product that allowed him about 6" extra width, which I think he appreciated. But I'm not sure if that was because he could get more diagonal, or because it made it easier for him to add winter quilts inside for his minus 40F trips, or both.

    Please notice the zero º rating is a survival rating, and the comfort rating is 30F( or, the 15F is a survival, with a comfort rating of 50F)

  9. #19
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    Well, my intent was to test the PeaPod on it's own merits.

    The long cotton cords to draw up the Pod ends to the attachment at the both ends were dangling at full length, and were probably interfering with the Velcro closure. Adding the thermal under layer, and that's what it is, a layer, with no pad 'thickness'........ utilized the thermal reflectivity, some thing I can't say enough about, for many applications. But CBS needs more thickness as we all know. A inflatable sit pad works usually. I didn't take one.

    The Sierra Designs Mobile Mummy bag is synthetic. Yes, I was considerably warmer inside it. But my sleeping temp usually winds down by 3 am. too. Even in the summer up here, I would not use it by itself. It's down insulation, or nothing. The Mobile's specs are: EN rating of Comfort: 46 deg. Limit: 37 deg. It weighs 36.7 oz. and compresses down very small. I just use it to supplement, and really like the center zip, and arm openings to be able to keep it on, and maneuver in and out of the hammock at night. Why aren't all bag zippers in the center? So difficult to zip, especially if the zipper is on the right, or when it always jambs up. Always.

    The PeaPod has a loft of 7" DOUBLED OVER........ 8'-10" long........ 40" wide each end .... and 5'-8" wide in the middle. That makes it a uniform 'foot ball like' shape, not a 'mummy like ' taper.

    It has been unseasonably warm so far, opportunities to experiment are few, unless it gets back down to normal cold for winter up here. All in all, for me, the PeaPod is a pretty good system. Using it in conjunction with down pants and upper clothes, the volume/weight might be ok. My next test is getting in a backpacking trip with it.
    Last edited by psyculman; 12-28-2021 at 15:42.
    Since I retired, some times I stay awake all day, some times all night.

  10. #20
    Senior Member Ewker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BillyBob58 View Post
    What's up, Ewker! I'm surprised that yours had 900 FP and sewn thru construction. Mine, purchased about 08, was 900 FP with baffles. Yours was a version II, I don't remember which version mine was. Except, as far as I know, it was the latest version that Speer made before he left the business (can't remember what year that was) and TTTG took over production. Even their version(before also leaving the business) seemed about identical to mine, but maybe with slightly lighter weight shell materials and water resistant treated down. Also, they may have added openings for the Switchback hammock pull outs. In addition to adding their Polar Pod, which definitely had those openings for pull outs.

    Psyculman: do you know if yours has baffles?
    BillyBob, I know Hamhocker used it when she first started hammocking in cold weather in 2010 at Meriwether Lewis park . I had it already so I must have bought it from Ed in 2009. Hope that helps a little.
    'Classic.' A book which people praise and don't read.” ― Mark Twain

    Who cares about showers, gourmet food, using flush toilets. Just keep on walking and being away from it all.

    There are times that the only way you can do something is to do it alone.

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