Ongoing hammock discernment

[itsandy]

I live near Tallahassee and travel across north Florida often. PM me and I'll be glad to share gear and ideas. (as long as I'm not using it)

[happydensity]

What thickness of CCF will get me down to 32F? 48" wide good enough? Think I may give this a whirl. Thanks again for all the great info!

[happydensity]

Curious to hear what makes the Hennessy a better sleep for you vs. the WBRR. Thanks!

[Solohammock]

I've been down to about 40* thus far with the 1/8" pad with no problems but you could bump up a little to be sure... Don't forget a piece in your sleeping bag under your feet. You can also head to the fly fishing section in your local outdoor store and look around in the wader section... I found some wool socks that have pockets over the toes that you slide hand warmers in and I havn't had cold feet since! The ccf is sold by the yard and it's 5' wide if I recall so you buy 2 yards and you get a chunk 5' x 6'... Then cut to fit and yes that ended up being about 4' wide and I went about 4' long for just a 3/4 length pad. The shorter you go the more comfortable because you won't get all that wrinkling that you get the farther you get toward the gathered ends. Also, shipping is cheaper if you tell them to fold the ccf and you may as well cause you will fold to carry it on your pack anyways. The creases work their way out pretty quick.

[happydensity]

Good Luck!! It takes me a night or two to get used to my hammock about every trip. I'm about to do some hiking and I'm really on the fence between my RidgeRunner and trusty old Hennessy Explorer UL. A pad is a no-brainer in the double layer WBRR but I think I sleep better in the gathered end and my UQ fits better. Everyone is a little different and it takes a bit of practice to get your setup dialed in. Back yard naps are a great way to fine tune your setup (and get strange looks from your spouse).

Curious to hear your take on the difference between gathered end and bridge sleeping

[TallPaul]

Lot of bridge/Ridgerunner fans out there but I wasn't one. I like to sleep in a fetal position and my knees hit the seam on the side.
Most that like bridges like to sleep on their back.

[zukiguy]

I roll back and forth from side to back at home in the bed. On the trail with my Hennessy I start on my back but with my legs either kind of splayed out or sometimes crossed in kind of a figure-4. Otherwise I'll get the discomfort from a hyper-extended knee. If I roll over to my side just by virtue of the shape of the hammock I somehow end up pulling my knees up a little into almost a fetal position.

In the bridge I lay pretty much flat on my back. It's not the same as a mattress or pad on the ground but pretty close. I'll end up rolling to my side at some point but the bridge is narrow enough I can't really pull my knees up. But it also lays flat enough I don't need to.

With my current systems I seem to sleep deeper in the bridge. I assume because it's more like my bed. Back in my tenting days I would sleep like a rock, but wake up sore and poorly rested. I don't seem to sleep as deep in the bridge but I wake rested and without the sore spots. Surprisingly for me, I tend to move around a lot more in the gathered end and also wake up more often. However, I seem to wake up more rested than in the bridge. I can't really quantify it and I haven't done any kind of "head to head" sleep-off. This is all anecdotal evidence....nothing concrete.

Also, this isn't an apples to apples comparison between the two hammocks alone but the systems. My bridge is double layer and I use a pad in the sleeve. That tends to stiffen up the bottom and add to the feeling of being on the ground. I have a 3/4 length UQ for use with the gathered end. If I finally shell out the bucks for an UQ for the bridge I might change my mind on the comfort factor. Time will tell.

Hopefully this long ramble is of some worth.... ;-)

[happydensity]

I was about to spring for 3/8" minicell but perhaps I'll stick with 1/4". I can't see me needing to go below 32F, not on purpose anyways ; ) Wish Gossamer Gear had their wide padding in stock. I was hoping the bridge had serious side/stomach potential, but I am long, move around a lot, and like to draw my knees up, which makes me wider. That last part is why my cot experiment didn't go as planned-hips/knees on metal bars not comfy. I was afraid I might have the same issue with the bridge width.

[Irishjihad]

I've used this stuff before based on recommendations here. Fairly cheap, closed cell (so it doesn't absorb anything), and rolls up well. I used 3/8" for colder weather, and a 1/16" one for when I want more windblock than insulation.

http://www.foambymail.com/cross-link...lene-foam.html