First cold weather hang and impressions/questions?

[kllrbee]

Hey all,
First time out last night on a relatively cold night....down to single digits. Very damp, lots of condensation.
Id like to go below zero and colder....but one step at a time.

Insulated with 2 JRB Old Rags....1 as UQ, 1 as TQ. Believe rated to 5*.
Didn't really go with a ton of clothing (I wanted to test out quilts ratings). T shirt, fleece hoodie, cap, and pants, and wool socks.

Went pretty good up until I needed to get up and take a leak. Got pretty chilled in that short minute that I was out and just couldn't warm up again. Not terribly cold, but not warm enough to sleep. Noticed most of my chilliness came from feet and back of arms for some reason.

Going to try again tonite. Little colder due to dampness and will snow a few inches.
Plan on using more clothes, especially base layers and double the socks. Also going to try a pad under me along with the UQ.
Last but not least, 2 Nalgene bottles....1 with boiling water, 1 empty for you know what.

Might be overkill, might not..only one way to find out.

Anything else you guys can think of to stay warm that I missed?
Also, where do you put the hot bottle? Was thinking in my TQ footbox, but feel like it will just fall out and end up somewhere in the middle with me laying on it....haha.

Thanks....wish me luck.

[MDSH]

Good luck!

[Klaussinator]

Hot water bottle goes between your legs, upper thighs. Warm your femoral artery and you'll warm your lower body.

-Klauss

[BillyBob58]

Really not bad results at all considering you were right at the quilts temp rating, and were wearing very little to help out, and had a lot of condensation. Not bad!

Hey all,
First time out last night on a relatively cold night....down to single digits. Very damp, lots of condensation.
Id like to go below zero and colder....but one step at a time.

Insulated with 2 JRB Old Rags....1 as UQ, 1 as TQ. Believe rated to 5*.
Didn't really go with a ton of clothing (I wanted to test out quilts ratings). T shirt, fleece hoodie, cap, and pants, and wool socks.

Went pretty good up until I needed to get up and take a leak. Got pretty chilled in that short minute that I was out and just couldn't warm up again. Not terribly cold, but not warm enough to sleep. Noticed most of my chilliness came from feet and back of arms for some reason.

Going to try again tonite. Little colder due to dampness and will snow a few inches.
Plan on using more clothes, especially base layers and double the socks. Also going to try a pad under me along with the UQ.
Last but not least, 2 Nalgene bottles....1 with boiling water, 1 empty for you know what.

Might be overkill, might not..only one way to find out.

Anything else you guys can think of to stay warm that I missed?
Also, where do you put the hot bottle? Was thinking in my TQ footbox, but feel like it will just fall out and end up somewhere in the middle with me laying on it....haha.

Thanks....wish me luck.

First thing that jumps out at me- if you are wanting to take these quilts to zero or below- is head warmth. Think about what you would have if you were trying these temps with a 0- +10F mummy bag: a hood that is at least as thick as the rest of the bag and which- often with a thick neck collar- helping seal off all heat leakage from you shoulders/head/neck/brain/carotid arteries. Lots of warm blood going through this area with the head acting somewhat like a radiator.

Once, at an actual HF group hang after hiking into the Sipsey wilderness in bad weather, I slept using a JRB 0F MW UQ. On top I had a TQ rated at 20F but most folks considered it a 30F TQ at best, but I also had long johns and some warm puffy clothing, a fleece hat, and a thin jacket hood on a 12 oz (IOW, very light) Polarguard jacket.. It was only about 27F(but rain to snow) and I would have thought all of that would have been plenty. But woke up about 0200 to pee and realized I was a little cool. Maybe just on top or all over, but not really aware of a cold back. And not bad, but cool and def not warm any more. I remembered I had brought a separate thick Marmot sleeping bag hood. I put that rascal on and slept very toasty the rest of the night. That is all I changed. So don't short change your head insulation.

The other big advantage of a mummy bag(or PeaPod approach) is much more potential air leak along the sides with TQs, especially if you move wrong in your sleep. Just think how easy it would be to have a 3" area on the edge to lift up- after you move a leg or arm in your sleep- and let that warm air flood right out, replaced by frigid air. Maybe right about where the backs of your arms are? So, if using a TQ, for me it was a learning curve of training myself to sleep or change positions being really aware of this potential problem. I make sure to keep it all tucked as much as possible.

Make sure your UQs are pulled snug enough to make solid contact with your butt and back but not much more, which will crush loft and leave you cold.

As for your feet, consider one thin as possible liner sock covered with vapor barrier socks(experiment with bread bags), covered with a very loose pair of socks or loose booties. Or even just the liner/VB sock alone, inside your quilts foot box. Last time I tried this(VB with Polarguard booties) I had definitely over heated feet at 6F. Keep it loose on your feet!

For condensation, consider a frost bib, where you have a piece of fleece hanging in front of you face and absorbing most of the breath condensation and keeping it off of everything else. Shug shows how to do this, But just a fleece jacket hanging from your ridge line will help.

But I bet with the changes you are already doing- especially hot water bottles- you will be fine at these temps.

Bill

[gunner76]

Glad to see you are testing your set up. Too many folks just go out and find things don't always work as they thought they would and spend a very cold night in the woods.

[OutandBack]

Always fun to test new gear.
I'd like to hear more about this condensation. Do you think it's coming from your breath or is this some kind of dew getting on everything.
I'd check your UQ for gaps before going to a pad. Once you are in your hammock you should be able to take one arm and feel between your hammock and UQ.
There should be no gaps. If you have your end shockcords too tight it will give you gaps.
Good luck tonight.

[tundracamper]

Im curious on the condensation as well. I was kind of under the impression that condensation wasn't as much of an issue with a TQ and UQ, versus a pad. Is that not the case?

[wrangler88]

Hope you mark those water bottles good so you know what's what for future use!

[Shug]

Yes...more about your condensation issues.
Shug

[paper]

Going to try again tonite.

How did it turn out?? I got 3" of snow over here by Beloit.. Started around dusk and was a very light snow with almost zero wind.. Maybe the lack of wind and the snow did a little insulating?? Also it only got down to 23 which should have helped..

I too hung last night, but I hang every night, in my bedroom