Wet gear - sleeping in fog, damp, etc.

**OneClick** · 01-23-2017, 09:22

A couple nights ago I probably slept where I shouldn't have...near a creek in a deep valley. The weather was damp as well:

- Foggy
- No wind
- Humid
- 40° low (64 daytime, I'm guessing 50-40° throughout most of the night sleeping)
- I may have hung the tarp unusually low expecting rain (but it didn't rain)

I woke up around 3am and felt my UQ and TQ covered in dew or whatever we call it in this case. I was careful not to move around the rest of the night and soak up the water, but it sure had me worried.

Then once up, I noticed the bottom part of my TQ footbox was soaked in some spots. The hammock was also damp on the areas beyond the UQ. I guess my heat being pumped out of my UQ into the cool hammock? I've seen this before, but never to this extent. I was basically sleeping in a cloud.

It was my last night, so no big deal. I've never had a problem in 5 years, but if this happens again on the first night, what do you do? Hope for a dry day to hang and dry? Hope damp gear gets you by another night?

Here's the foot end of the hammock just beyond the UQ and just at the end of my TQ

Bottom view

Bottom of TQ sucking up water. You can see the wet hammock again in the background.

Head end of hammock...WOW check that out!

**PharmGeek** · 01-23-2017, 09:47

I feel you...two weekends ago, we had daytime high of near 70, and overnight of 48, and I am still relatively new to primitive camping.

I set up my tarp along the river we were camping (on fairly high ground though) and expected no rain at all, so I pitched my tarp off to one side only leaving the hammock exposed...

It got all super dewy before sleep, and my hammock was coated in dew...luckily the net was zipped and the inside of the hammock stayed dry...but the tarp was dew covered inside and out...and then I pitched it too low, and getting up in the middle of the night to take a pee, I touched the wet tarp on bare skin, brrrr, lol....

It made me more paranoid, but slept well despite this all and stayed dry...but I have more lessons to learn as well about such conditions it seems.

My other buddy had his tarp pitched proper in the afternoon and dew only got on the tarp, not hammock,....dew stayed on the wooki all night and only dried off the next morning by about 10am.

**TrailSlug** · 01-23-2017, 11:08

When hanging in or near 100% humidity this is what happens. For me the few times it's happened I've had to plan to get to my next camp site with enough time to hang my quilts on the hammock suspension to dry. If this happens all day on a multi-day trip your gear simply gets wet. The worse case is if it really cools down one night with wet gear. That happened to me one time and it was miserable.

**Dlrocm** · 01-23-2017, 11:23

Looks like you'd be interested in an underquilt protector. I live in the Gulf south where it's usually very humid. I feel your pain with the humidity and condensation.

http://www.2qzqhammockhanger.com/hammockaccessories.html

**OneClick** · 01-23-2017, 11:24

No fun! Well I guess I've just been lucky. I only remember this happening a couple other times thankfully.

**TrailSlug** · 01-23-2017, 11:26

Originally Posted by markr6

No fun! Well I guess I've just been lucky. I only remember this happening a couple other times thankfully.

Yes, if this happened a lot I would quit as I hate, hate, hate being wet. Did I say I hate being wet and cold. Thankfully it only happens here a few times in the Winter and Spring and it's easy enough to spot on the forecast so I can avoid it like the plague.

**Bizzz** · 01-23-2017, 11:51

I wonder if something like this would help as a barrier used on the outside of the TQ combined with an UQP for the UQ. Curious if the TQ and hammock would still get wet. I haven't experienced these conditions, so I may be off base.

http://www.dutchwaregear.com/quilt-liner.html

**OneClick** · 01-23-2017, 11:59

Originally Posted by Bizzz

I wonder if something like this would help as a barrier used on the outside of the TQ combined with an UQP for the UQ. Curious if the TQ and hammock would still get wet. I haven't experienced these conditions, so I may be off base.

http://www.dutchwaregear.com/quilt-liner.html

That actually came to mind as I was hiking out. Maybe wet between that liner and the TQ? Seems like there would still be the temperature difference. I dunno...crazy weather stuff.

**oldpappy** · 01-23-2017, 12:07

I was trying to figure out the same indications you have (wet foot end in high humidity during cold weather) and I offered this as something to think about:
Fog is 100% humidity or the air is saturated at the outside temp (you are at dew Point).
A Hammock with integrated bugnet (what I tested) or maybe a tarp hung close to hammock creates a warmer micro climate (you being the heater and breathing adding humidity). Warm air holds/absorbs more humidity.

I placed thermometers at the head end, middle, and foot end of the ridgeline and found the foot end was 10F colder than the head end/middle. This 10F colder dropped the inside temp below the inside dew point thus the damp footend from condensation. I've seen this several times in cold damp weather.

When I use a sock (see link) that keeps my breathing outside I do not see the foot end dampness.
https://www.hammockforums.net/galler...mageuser=27438

Might explain what you experienced.

**Phantom Grappler** · 01-23-2017, 12:33

At Grayson Highlands "Winter" hang this week. A cloud came through Saturday night and stayed around most of the night. Everything I had got wet UQ TQ hammock all wet--I slept warm and dry. I'm drying my gear at home now. I do not know if an underquilt protecter and ridgeline Overcover would help prevent the cloud's moisture from entering--I doubt it--but it might work.

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