supershelter system

[Trooper]

The Supershelter works well for me. My friend tried it last week and he said it worked great. With the overcover, I've used it down to freezing with just base layers of clothing. It isn't as easy to setup as an UQ, but not too difficult. I've never had any condensation problems.

I do find it to be a nightmare to pack back into the stuff sack, especially in the woods. For me, that makes an UQ for $180-189 (Warbonnet Yeti or Crowsnest) very attractive compared to the SS at $129. You could even match the price if you went synthetic instead of down from Arrowhead Equipment.

[Silverlion]

I might be wrong but I think the condensation problem simply depends on wether you are a cold or warm sleeper ( I'm a warm sleeper and I almost always wake up damp, even at home)
on the other hand I might be totally wrong!

I'm a warm sleeper. I have a Tempur-Pedic at home and will soak it if it's warm in the bedroom. (Drives the wife nuts that I need it cold in the room) I just noticed the condensation when I slept IN the sleeping bag. Using as a quilt, I never have the moisture. I dunno. Maybe I'm weird.

[BillyBob58]

Last weekend, I tried out a new sleeping bag. I have used bags as blankets all the time while using the SS. This time, I slept in the bag and got condensation. (SB and all) So the other night, temp and humidity about the same, I tried it again but using the bag as a blanket....no condensation! Figured I'd throw my 2 cents out there.

I might be wrong but I think the condensation problem simply depends on wether you are a cold or warm sleeper ( I'm a warm sleeper and I almost always wake up damp, even at home)
on the other hand I might be totally wrong!

I'm a warm sleeper. I have a Tempur-Pedic at home and will soak it if it's warm in the bedroom. (Drives the wife nuts that I need it cold in the room) I just noticed the condensation when I slept IN the sleeping bag. Using as a quilt, I never have the moisture. I dunno. Maybe I'm weird.

I'm starting to wonder if sleeping too warm ( either too warm over all or just back too warm) and actually sweating has anything to do with these problems, at least in some cases? Of course sweating is not condensation. If you sweat using a HH pad or down UQ, you will probably have moisture in your bottom ( and top) insulation. If you sweat on top of the space blanket/vapor barrier, you will have a puddle under you and probably wet top insulation and clothing.

I'm also thinking here about how some folks can not use a pad in the hammock, they will invariably sweat where their backs contact the pad. I have not had that problem so far, on the few occasions when I have used a pad inside a hammock. Either with an SPE or double layered hammocks.

[elcolombianito]

Last weekend, I tried out a new sleeping bag. I have used bags as blankets all the time while using the SS. This time, I slept in the bag and got condensation. (SB and all) So the other night, temp and humidity about the same, I tried it again but using the bag as a blanket....no condensation! Figured I'd throw my 2 cents out there.

I found out something like this as well this weekend... first condensation problem ever for me using the SS. Lowest temp I was able to check was 8*C.

First night, I used the sleepingbag as a blanket/quilt, DIY overcover (first time using it), and the spaceblanket i spread it as much as possible (i usually dont do this, instead I tend to wrap it around the underpad): i woke and found the hammock very wet, but only where my back was placed. The space blanket and the undercover had a huge amount of water drops all over not just around the body area, and the underpad was a bit soaked. Despite all this, i slept like a baby. Temp inside the hammock when i hopped in was 14*C.

Second night I removed the overcover and placed the spaceblanket as usual (wrapped arround the underpad), and the sleepingbag was used again as a quilt: I woke up and found no evidence of the hammock being wet, and the the spaceblanket and undercover had just a few drops of water arround the section of the pad were my back would be (this is the usual result i had when using the SS). Once again, i had slept pretty well, though i did notice the first night i had slept much more toastier. This was the night i recorded i checked the temp outside the hammock before getting in, and it was 8*C, i forgot to check inside.

Third night setup was the same as the second, but this time i used the sleepingbag zippered up: I found it much toastier than the first night once i got in, and i was able to sleep up until 4 am when i woke up really really coldin my back but i tried to ignore it and went back to sleep. When i got up, around 630am, the hammock was wet where my back would be but not as much as the first night. The space blanket and the undercover had water drops all over the area where the underpad/my whole body would be, and the underpad was a bit soaked. Temp inside the hammock when i got in was 10*C.

I can't put it in technical words, but i guess my problem the first night was overkill with the DIY OC, and also maybe the complete spreading of the spaceblanket. The third night, compared with the second, could reveal the problem with using the sleepingbag closed. I do want to repeat the scenario for the second night but using the overcover, which i imagine would just increase the drops of water, and their location, on the spaceblanket and undercover.

Not sure if this helps, edwat72 , i hope it does. I recommend the SS, but for those who can afford one I recommend an UQ.

[hasoon]

I've been experimenting with the SS at home (Dahlonega, GA) each time the temperature hits a new low. I have tested at 31, 25, 17 and this last test on 12/13/10 the temp ranged from 14F down to 12.7F with some wind. I stayed warm all night (10:30pm – 5:30am), so I thought this post might be helpful. I used the full kit including the rainfly and overcover. The rainfly was staked reasonably low. On previous tests I had issues staying on both the pad and space blanket, so this time I wrapped and taped an AMK heatsheet to the pad (wife's idea). I also cut a piece of the blue Walmart pad into a 7oz and 5oz piece. Inside the undercover I had the 7oz piece, then on top of this I had the space blanket wrapped around the Hennessy open cell pad. Inside the hammock I had a 20F Coleman bag and the piece of 5oz blue pad. I used this pad as an extra “taco” around my shoulders. As for clothing, I had on 4 pairs of socks. On bottom, I had boxers, Rocky thermal underwear (Walmart), lightweight nylon pants (Walmart), and White Sierra convertible pants. On top I had a long sleeve Underarmor shirt, a thin short sleeve T-shirt, Rocky thermal top, and an Eddie Bauer down sweater/jacket. I also had on gloves and a fleece hat, but ended up taking these off. Nothing made of cotton. I'm 5'9”, 145lbs and use the Ultralite Backpacker if that makes a difference. I can also go back and give setups for the 31, 25, and 17F nights. They were mixed results. My setup on the 17F was pretty bad, so I can tell you what doesn't work at this temperature I can post pictures of how I have the space blanket taped on the Hennessy pad or how I have the blue Walmart pad cut. Neither is anything fancy. I'm not that talented. All that said, I think I still want an underquilt and possibly a new hammock. I really like the Hennessy, but the Blackbird also looks pretty cool. I would hate to get an underquilt designed for the bottom entry Hennessy and then change hammocks.

[blackout]

i have been using its here in alaska and im very happy with it, here is my thread about it
http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ad.php?t=25874
if you dont get the ss and decide to buy an under quilt at least get the over cover from hennessy. its a great deal for 30$ raises the inside temps by about ten and really helps keep the wind off you. also its nice if you go to the ground in windy weather

[Adrenal]

I think for the initial price it isn't bad. I've used mine a couple times now and it only took one time for me to learn that the space blanket is a must at the cooler temps.

I can take it out with a space blanket above the pad and tend to be comfortable enough with a light mummy bag in the hammock (at temps in the low to mid 20s F)
That being said, the pad is my one gripe, it just does not pack down nicely, I could not get it back in the sack that comes with the SS, so I had to come up with an alternative, which takes up a bit of space in my pack.

Bottom line it does the job and sets up fairly quickly once your used to it, but there is no getting around the fact that the pad just doesn't condense as much as an UQ may.

[BillyBob58]

I think for the initial price it isn't bad. I've used mine a couple times now and it only took one time for me to learn that the space blanket is a must at the cooler temps.

I can take it out with a space blanket above the pad and tend to be comfortable enough with a light mummy bag in the hammock (at temps in the low to mid 20s F)
That being said, the pad is my one gripe, it just does not pack down nicely, I could not get it back in the sack that comes with the SS, so I had to come up with an alternative, which takes up a bit of space in my pack.

Bottom line it does the job and sets up fairly quickly once your used to it, but there is no getting around the fact that the pad just doesn't condense as much as an UQ may.

Sounds like you are doing pretty good with it. I used to take my HH pad out and place it in a dry sack with some other items that needed to be kept dry, then wrap the hammock up in skins. But I really prefer just keeping the entire system, maybe even TQ, together in one large compression sack. Then when I pull the ropes out and tie on to one tree, pulling it out of the sack as I go to the other tree, every thing is all set for bed time. There is minimal hassle with that approach.

[ccathcart72]

BillyBob,
I just got a HHSS for Christmas and was wondering about the best way to pack it up. The HH videos show that the whole system (hammock, pad and undercover) is kept together and just stuffed in a sack. Is this what you described in your post above? Also do you keep the space blanket with the system when you pack it or is it seperate?

Thanks for your input.
Chris

[blisterboy]

Thats the one thing about the SS, I keep mine all together,the whole setup, and pack it in a stuff sack i made for it. It takes up allot of room but it is way easer then putting it all back together each night.