16 degrees is cold...

[hikingshoes]

Just my opinion, but the fact that you weren't feeling well sort of voids out your test. In my experience, when sick a person's body temperature regulation can go haywire.

I've gone from being drenched in sweat with a minimum of covering to freezing after piling on everything I had with me.

Perhaps you should consider redoing your test.

I would think it was a good test.It lets him know what he needs to do the next time he gets sick out in the woods and he isnt just hanging in the back yard.for as a new test goes,id do one when i was feeling better,that away you have two tests.Charles

[Peter_pan]

A piece of blue foam pad is part of the issue.... It alone will not insulate to 16*...

Second when your feet are truely cold to start... your best approach is put your shoes on and go for a walk, jog in place, etc, until your feet warm up then get back into your insulated cacoon...If you start cold in the extremities plan on a long cold thaw before any warm up begins, if ever....

Finally, if your feet were hunger higher, as is common with gathered end hammocks to prevent the side to the foot end, the clold foot problems will be exaccerbated.

Pan

[soundmanob]

I too had the "Cabin fever" last night and saw the forecast in Central OH. was calm, clear 23 deg F and screaming down to 16 by AM. So I say, I'm not staying out all night but do want to try out the full size Crowsnest UQ once again.

Yeah I got the "Camp queer" look (She shivers just to let the dogs out) as I gathered up my Claytor JH, UQ and light fleece blanket I use for my feet. Also I usually wear my Lands End squall jacket but this time I wanted to "Feel the burn." So with just a polo shirt, jeans and Off-road Crocs w/cotton socks out I went. Just walking there was crunching of every blade of grass and fog w/ every exhale. But it was too late, there was no turning back...

Mr. Murphy was in attendance... Hammock went up after untangling the usually secured bugnetting guylines. UQ attached after I found a missing minibiner on the quilt, (Which I never do) with sleeve and 4 corner grosgains using JRB shockcord suspension and newly discovered minibiner. I pushed down and across the hammock surface and it was CCCccccooold. And it was at that moment that I knew if I didn't have this equipment in a survival situation, I would start shivering and perish of hypothermia in 20-30 minutes. So I grabbed the seems like sheet-thick fleece blanket and quickly kicked off my frosty shhoooes and sat on that CCccccold nylon that was becoming more frosty crisp with every second. I have never seen "Frost butt" in a thread but that's what I had after sitting... I quickly laid down and threw the very inadequate fleece throw sheet over me and started to count the seconds til my last goodbye. I looked back to the sliding glass door where my two (Warm, hairy) Shelties watched and waited for their master to come to his senses. Taking wages of scooby snacks how long I would last. Definitely a two dog night...

Five, ten seconds passed, no longer cold, at twenty seconds, my shoulders and back and finally my legs felt the retained heat of the Crowsnest. Inside the blanket was warmer then it should be, capturing some of those needed BTUs. I reached a balance (If I didn't move) after a minute or two that I was not cold. After 4-5 minutes I knew I could last the hour (but not the night) with this set-up, (23 deg F and no wind).
Then,
MMMmmmmmm, Impressive, Downey, Crowsnest Goodnesssss, Nothing Like It!

In the end, it was a clinic (To me) for proving that it takes Much Less TQ than UQ. I believe the Hammock Masters now...

Shug, how do you do the teens? OMG, I won't find out tonight, Noooo...
Bet a wood burner would help...
Wonder if it gets too hot for a hex tarp? Plenty of ventilation...
Honey, where's the grill lighter?

DISCLAIMER
Caution: Do not try this in your own backyard, this is a Newbie at work and any resemblance to real or unreal hammockers, living or dead is pure coincidence.

[OldMan]

Must be contagious. I spent my first night out in the cold as well, although only 30 degrees and a little wind. In my WBBB with a MW3 underneath, and an REI 20 degree mummy bag on top. Put a tarp over all with semi closed ends and put on lots of layers, what I would normally have out on a cool weather trip. Did OK until around midnight when my feet started cooling down. By 1:30 my legs were cold and it was time to come in.

I have a space blanket type bivy (Thermo-Lite 2.0 Bivvy Sack) and will try again tonight with the bag closed and in the bivy. Will also take out a chemical foot-warmer just in case.

[bonsaihiker]

I'm still learning to cinch all my underquilts correctly. I have a tendency to cinch them too tight at the top and then they slip off my shoulder. I am trying a looser cinch without getting an air gap and then I added a loop at the shoulder point of my Blackbird and the Te-Wa and I use a cordlock, thin bunge cord and a mitten hook to hook the underquilts at my left shoulder to prevent that inconvient shoulder slip that I've gotten on all my UQ's.

Me, too. It's a learning curve to get the cinch loose enough without opening a gap. Wonder what would have happened if I had added my HH underpad and/or windshield reflector?

[bonsaihiker]

I would think it was a good test.It lets him know what he needs to do the next time he gets sick out in the woods and he isnt just hanging in the back yard.for as a new test goes,id do one when i was feeling better,that away you have two tests.Charles

Yeah, kind of a worst-case type of test. Thanks!

[bonsaihiker]

A piece of blue foam pad is part of the issue.... It alone will not insulate to 16*...

Second when your feet are truely cold to start... your best approach is put your shoes on and go for a walk, jog in place, etc, until your feet warm up then get back into your insulated cacoon...If you start cold in the extremities plan on a long cold thaw before any warm up begins, if ever....

Finally, if your feet were hunger higher, as is common with gathered end hammocks to prevent the side to the foot end, the clold foot problems will be exaccerbated.

Pan

Thanks for the advice, Pan. I thought about the feet higher thing, but not much I could do about it. I also thought about exercise, but wasn't "in the mood." Probably the Chinese take-out from a couple nights ago...

Blue pad--you're probably right. I did try to put the pad inside the bag, but that seemed to make things worse. Need to think of an option there...

[bonsaihiker]

In the end, it was a clinic (To me) for proving that it takes Much Less TQ than UQ. I believe the Hammock Masters now...

Sounds like what I did the first night I got my Te-wa! Great story--glad you survived to tell it...

[bonsaihiker]

Must be contagious. I spent my first night out in the cold as well, although only 30 degrees and a little wind. In my WBBB with a MW3 underneath, and an REI 20 degree mummy bag on top. Put a tarp over all with semi closed ends and put on lots of layers, what I would normally have out on a cool weather trip. Did OK until around midnight when my feet started cooling down. By 1:30 my legs were cold and it was time to come in.

I have a space blanket type bivy (Thermo-Lite 2.0 Bivvy Sack) and will try again tonight with the bag closed and in the bivy. Will also take out a chemical foot-warmer just in case.

I've wondered about putting my bag inside a space blanket bag, but worried about getting the insulation wet. I would think it would work better with the bivvy inside the bag? Either way, let us know how it goes!

[Doctari]

Don't use a space bag, as you say, condensation can be an issue: you will get wet, then staying warm is nearly impossible. If you want put a space blanket under you. In the really cold temps I add a blue pad over a truckers windscreen. At somewhere tween 6 & 14 I got (get?) too hot, have to get out & cool off (& dry off) during the night.