Pea Pod and Black Bird

[BillyBob58]

Caution: this was a short test of only an hour or two. I woke this morning before dawn and couldn't get back to sleep. Since my pod was hanging over my BB, I decided to go out and hop in for a while. The hammock and pod were very cold to start with, however! A hot water bottle tossed in before hand would have been more luxurious!

I tried out the pod at 30*F (85% humidity, no tarp, no wind) on the WBBB. Definitely not optimum, efficiency and warmth to weight wise, mainly due to the shelf side keeping the pod a good height above your body. But I would love to try it on a WB Traveler!

Naturally, there are pros and cons even to a wide/high hammock's side keeping the pod up high, times when you might actually want that. Roominess for example. If the temps are warm enough that I don't need it right on top of me, say the 40s for me, then there is just lots of room to roll around in there. And if you are carrying a light TQ to fill up most of the space, then the gap doesn't matter much any way. And on nights that are not all that cold, just leave the TQ out and go with the roominess. Etc. I'm sure folks can think of many ways to make these variables work for them, and/or to overcome them if needed.

Any way, back to the mini-test. With no TQ, I tried out my system I used last year in the WY mountains for lows in the high 20s: my puffy clothing that I carry anyway( PG 14 oz jacket/8 oz pants), and a 9 oz down vest. What was dif was the high and wide BB rather than the narrow Claytor No Net.

So, it was definitely more difficult to fill the top air space with my down vest, especially on the right side. I was wearing my cotton PJs, the PG pants and jacket with hood down, fleece cap. I have in the past worn BOTH the jacket and vest BACKWARDS, with my arms through the sleeves which were in front. This really allows things to puff up and fill the top space around my chest and neck, and stopping any draft and escape of warmed air out of the breathing hole. But I didn't do that today, I just wore the kacket normally and put the vest on backwards, or just layered it over my chest without putting my arms through the holes.

It really felt cold when I first got in, but the longer I laid there the warmer I got. After about 1/2 hour I was quite toasty. One thing that helped was that, while the BB was way high on the right shelf side, it was plenty low on the left side and the Pea Pod sometimes would actually be in contact with the left side of my face and head. So I didn't need much help on the left at these temps, which meant I could scoot the vest to the right and wherever the biggest gap was.

As I have not used my Pea Pod much since that last WY trip ( I have been busy discovering the pleasures of a JRB MW4 and BMBH), one thing surprised me. With things fairly well blocked off below my neck, and even with a couple of breathing holes ( like MacEntyre's "chimney") I still had a huge amount of warmth at my head and face. Even though I only had a fleece cap on and not any form of hood. IOW, even when not fully closed, I was reminded that the Pea Pod effectively has a pretty good hood. I had to open the vents some more because my head was just plain TOO hot. This excess head warmth was no doubt functioning to shunt warm blood down towards my feet and lower body, helping keep things warm down there. I was laying there warm and comfy and all was roomy, when I heard a noise at the windows, and waved to my wife ( whose eyes were rolling fully as she looked at the insane man in the backyard), so I hopped out and went in for some hot coffee.

I went back out and played around with my Golite quilt inside the Pea Pod and BB, which was way too warm at these temps unless I really opened things up. There are zero draft issues with such a combo, which is a humongous positive.

Keep in mind that this WAS NOT ALL night, and Caveat Emptor and YMMV! In fact, my wife would have probably froze trying this. But still, I can't help but feel I would have been at least OK with a full nights sleep with this combo and at these temps and maybe a few degrees colder. I have been warm enough in the field with this set up, but I was using a narrow hammock, which is warmer. But, even in the BB I was still able to roll on my side, rotate the pod so that I only had a small breathing hole to the left side. That way all my breath humidity is being expelled directly out side, yet my head is fully covered, and heat rises away from that hole, so not much heat escapes. This can really boost warmth, and if worse came to worse I could do that.

Then before quitting, I threw up my Speer, Pea Pod and Golite quilt. But no jacket or vest, just cotton shirt and jeans By now it was in the 40s, and it was way too hot with that quilt in there. But, it nicely filled every nook and cranny, with LOTS of warmth even with a quite large opening above my face. Lots of room for me with it open like that. It would be a real nice combo for real cold temps, especially combined with a jacket, or light quilt or space blanket or pad down in the pod, under the hammock.

[joggerjohn]

I have been using the Traveler hammock with the pea pod all summer and Fall. Now I use the Claytor no net hammock because it is now winter and it has gotten colder. The Traveler Hammock does work very well with the pea pod and it keeps one warm. I also use a hammock sock to protect my pea pod from the mist fog and wind. I think that the Traveler and the Pea Pod work magically for me.

[BillyBob58]

I have been using the Traveler hammock with the pea pod all summer and Fall. Now I use the Claytor no net hammock because it is now winter and it has gotten colder. The Traveler Hammock does work very well with the pea pod and it keeps one warm. I also use a hammock sock to protect my pea pod from the mist fog and wind. I think that the Traveler and the Pea Pod work magically for me.

OK, I have the WBBB and Claytor No Net for comparison with the Pea Pod, as well as a few other top loaders. But no Traveler. So, is the Traveler wide or deep enough to cause the pod to lift up off your body more than the No net? I assume so, as you have switched to the No Net for winter. But with my BB, it seems to me the only real problem is on the right side where the shelf is, and the Traveler does not have the shelf and netting, so I wondered if it would do better than the BB?

Do you ever lay mid-line with your Claytor, rather than diagonal? My Claytor is one of several hammocks I have that I can lay mid-line pretty darn comfy. As long as I put my feet out to the sides, it forms a pocket and forces a slight bend in my knees, quite comfy. Though there is less shoulder room. But, that works maybe even better with the pod, allowing it to really lay pretty much right down on my body.

Also, what do you think of this thought: when it gets really cold up there in NY, you are going to need to add a pretty stout TQ any way, right? Considering that under the very best, most optimistic conditions, a Pea Pod with overfill is only rated to 20*F on top? So when you get to zero or -20 you are going to need an additional pretty thick TQ, in addition to your clothes.

So, under those conditions, do we even really care if the hammock causes a gap? In fact, if we have a 2 or 3" gap, won't that just assure that the additional TQ ( say a 2.5" thick No Sniv or 3" thick Rocky Mt Sniv) can attain full loft, maximizing warmth? Just thinking, always dangerous!

[BillyBob58]

JoggerJohn:I purchased a Pea Pod about a week ago for 220 dollars. Slept in it last night to about 7 degrees. The inside of the Pea Pod must have been seventy degrees. That is a big difference in temperature range

JJ, what all did you use in your Pea Pod, clothing and or TQ and or pads/quilts/clothing stuffed down below in the pod?

[joggerjohn]

I slept on a home-made pad with side wings which I made especially for my Claytor no net hammock using an old -15 mummy sleeping bag. I also had several garbage bags stuffed below in the pod and I also used a I.7 ripstop hammock sock. I also slept with the pea pod all the way closed up.. When I woke up I did not see any condensation or moisture in the pea pod or hammock sock ...which was lucky. I think that the hammock sock boosted up the temperature by about ten degrees or more . But when I unzipped the hammock sock in the morning I almost died of shock from the chilly cold air around me.

[joggerjohn]

I have also tried the Pea Pod with the Warbonnet Traveler and have found that it works well.

[BillyBob58]

Looks like the pod is working real good for you! I find they are very versatile for a wide range of conditions. I see what you added below ( garbage bags, pads). But did you have any thing other than the sock on top, like that mummy bag?

Also, was your pad in the hammock with you, or underneath down in the pod?

[joggerjohn]

I slipped the pad in between the double layers of the Claytor no net hammock and slept with the sleeping bag over me and the garbage bags underneath the hammock in the bottom part of the pea pod. The hammock sock was hung around the hammock and the pea pod like a giant balloon. I am pretty sure that it was the rigging of the hammock sock that kept me warm. I have done the same thing with the Traveler hammock and got down around the high twenties.I am sure I could have gone lower.. The 1.7 ripstop hammock sock with the pea pod works pretty good.