There are a large number of UQ users at HF. In addition to the producers of UQs. So that should provide a pretty good base of experience from which to draw on.
I have heard this alluded to once or twice over the years. So I have wondered if it is actually a thing to be concerned about. Particularly at extreme temps- say zero F or even more so way below zero- does shock cord lose some of it's ability to snug an UQ up against our back?
And if it does, is it just a moderate reduction which- if we got cold from a gap that developed- we can get up and tighten it up an then be OK?
Or, if it can be affected enough to make it impossible to re-tension adequately, could it be safely replaced with some nylon or polyester cords to snug it up against the hammock? That might require one person in the hammock and another doing the adjusting to avoid over tightening and damage.
But, has this ever happened to anyone? If not, is it possible that having been perfectly- even toasty- warm at say 10F with a minus 20F UQ, and then you found yourself cold at minus 10F, the problem was loss of elasticity in the suspension shock cord, and you were not even aware this was the cause?
Other than a couple of vague references, the only definite thing I can remember is way back over 10 yeas ago, this fellow from Canada( name? ) was sleeping in a tarp over his hammock that was meant to be used with a wood burning stove. He was using the JRB elastic tarp cords that had some shock cord built into them. It was way below zero. He woke up to a close call, the tarp sagging onto his wood stove, or almost. When he went to sleep, the tarp's shock cords were pulled tight, but they lost their ability to contract, and the tarp sagged dangerously. That is the only for sure case I can remember.
OTOH, I remember Cannibal using the original Yetis(Climashield AND down) at way below zero, with no complaints. And at all these frozen butt hangs and Shug's adventures(at least before he got into pods), it should have been put to the test.
So, what about it folks: has any one ever thought their shock cord lost elastic pulling power at a low enough temp? If so, what temp? And if so, were you able to tighten up enough to get back to adequate tension? Hopefully, some vendors/producers will chime in, about if they have heard of any problems. I was playing around today with my old Climashield Yeti, and looking at that long loop of shock cord reminded me that I had wondered about this.
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