Pod remembrance

[BillyBob58]

I got a PeaPod before Mt Rogers last year and have only used it twice, but I think it's without doubt the warmest system. I'm a very cold sleeper and nothing else comes close, not even the Snugfit. And it's very easy to add extra insulation inside it. The JRB sleeves work particularly well to seal the ends.

It IS heavy and bulky. But when it's BITING cold and windy it keeps you warm like nothing else.

YHMV

Strong opinion there and good info, Hetairoi! You know, Ed told a friend of mine that though the Snugfit was great, he still personally preferred the PeaPod. And Ed was known for being a cold sleeper.

My new way of tying the ends is making for a great seal. First close Velcro near the end. Don't know the name of the knot, but like the first thing you do with a shoelace, then do that once more and cinch down, and only then move the cordlocks down to the hammock and knot. It won't pop open, and makes a tight seal.

[MedicineMan]

because of this thread---thanks BillyBob for the suggestion--I just climbed out of a 30F PeaPod and a WB Traveler. I never would have thought of this combination and I'm impressed. Like BillyBod pointed out, the PeaPod now drapes against the body in most places greatly diminishing space to be heated. In any position-even drawing my legs up and crossing them Indian style I was warm and had no cold spots. I did get out once to reposition the ends of the PeaPod...for me I locked each end down about 5 inches below the gathered end-this would vary with each user I'd bet-but once dialed in when taking up/putting down I'd just leave the rig all together.
Like Hetairoi I sleep cold and I could tell that I was already at my limit withe PeaPod and Traveler at 30F my current ambient T and that was wearing el cheapo Chinamart fleet top and bottom and a MouseWorks Peruvian hat.
Still the convenience is something to think about even more now considering the comfort of the Traveler in conj. with the PeaPod.

[MacEntyre]

...I locked each end down about 5 inches below the gathered end...

That's where I put mine, too. Now, if you have a Speer Top Blanket, try inserting that into the PeaPod, on top of your Molly Mac Gear IX UQ! That will keep you salamander-people warm!

And Ed was known for being a cold sleeper.

There you go again with the past tense!

Ed is still a cold sleeper!

[tomsawyer222]

The real advantage of the pod comes when you dont need a top blanket or any other supplemental gear

[fourdog]

Like all the reason Billybob58 says and then some I find using a peapod type system is by far the most versitile system for a hammock.

-It allows for easy in easy out of the hammock.

-It allows the user to use a system that one can use as a sleeping bag, quilt,
poncho or parka.Thus having one item that does many things well.

-It allows the user to use a layered sleep system to sleep warm from 60 degrees down to -30 when used with a down mat and down parka.

-But most of all is the pure warmth and comfort when you place your self in its bossum. You can shift postion and not feel tangled or trapped or worry about loosing covers in the night.

fourdog

[MedicineMan]

Mac-I don't see any reason I can't use the MacIX HammockSock with the PeaPod, can you? Surely that would add another 10F, and on the inside next time I'm going to insert a nunatak ghost.
The other beauty of using the PeaPod with the Traveler (or a traveler type hammock) is that the peapod material is also much closer to the face-which allowed me to velcro down the the back of the neck and velcro to just below my chin....with head in a balaclava you're still completely enclosed but no issues of condensation.
I did at one point velcro the peapod completely shut then unvelcroed a 2-3 inch gap right at my nose
Amazing how comfortable it is with the Traveler compared to the speer type hammocks-I'll call them 'deep dish' hammocks from now on.

[MacEntyre]

Mac-I don't see any reason I can't use the MacIX HammockSock with the PeaPod, can you?

That's the first use I made of my IX Hammock Sock. With the PeaPod inside, I was toasty at 13*F with no top blanket.

The IX Hammock Sock, IX UQs and PeaPod will all work with any gathered end hammock, as long as you don't use tie-outs.

[wisenber]

I owned one for a short while, and honestly felt they were too heavy and too large for what they offered. I sold it after one trip.

..and I bought it! It is my second one. I have a 30° and a 20° one. When I use the 30° by itself on a narrower hammock, I can use it alone to the mid 30's. At 36 ounces for a top and bottom combo, you'd be hard pressed to beat that for weight. I use the 20° with a Te-Wa 3 season underneath annd a JRB NS on top and have been overheated at better than -10°F just wearing hiking pants, a long sleeve shirt and a watch cap. They are also pretty fool proof in hanging them. no air gaps to worry about. They can be tweaked to work better, but you'll not find the need to pull up a side or pull down to fix a cold spot. The 900 fill down also compresses as small or smaller than about any sleeping bag you'll find.

I've got all sorts of insulation to choose from(JRB, Stormcrow, Te-Wa, Speer), but if I could choose just one piece to ensure I stayed warm it would be the Peapod. No other single piece of insulation can do so much.

[BillyBob58]

because of this thread---thanks BillyBob for the suggestion--I just climbed out of a 30F PeaPod and a WB Traveler. I never would have thought of this combination and I'm impressed. ......
Like Hetairoi I sleep cold and I could tell that I was already at my limit withe PeaPod and Traveler at 30F my current ambient T and that was wearing el cheapo Chinamart fleet top and bottom and a MouseWorks Peruvian hat....

So, with a 30F PeaPod used alone, you were at about your comfort limits at 30F, correct? That sounds pretty good to me.

..and I bought it! It is my second one. I have a 30° and a 20° one. When I use the 30° by itself on a narrower hammock, I can use it alone to the mid 30's. At 36 ounces for a top and bottom combo, you'd be hard pressed to beat that for weight. I use the 20° with a Te-Wa 3 season underneath annd a JRB NS on top and have been overheated at better than -10°F just wearing hiking pants, a long sleeve shirt and a watch cap. They are also pretty fool proof in hanging them. no air gaps to worry about. They can be tweaked to work better, but you'll not find the need to pull up a side or pull down to fix a cold spot. The 900 fill down also compresses as small or smaller than about any sleeping bag you'll find.

I've got all sorts of insulation to choose from(JRB, Stormcrow, Te-Wa, Speer), but if I could choose just one piece to ensure I stayed warm it would be the Peapod. No other single piece of insulation can do so much.

Wow, quite a testimony! But I see a pattern emerging here: again with the 30F PeaPod alone and a narrow hammock, you are OK to the mid 30s? You guys may be getting even better results than me with my 20F model. I have made it to 27F, but with a jacket and vest used to fill around the neck and shoulders. I don't think I could have gone much lower without some discomfort. I agree with your " At 36 ounces for a top and bottom combo, you'd be hard pressed to beat that for weight." opinion. I'll even say it can not be beat unless maybe going torso length with leg pad. A pair of long 40-45*F quilts is going to run you ~34 oz, so..... A pair of long quilts rated 25-30 will run ~44-45 oz. I think the common perception that the pods are heavy for the warmth is incorrect. Although, that concept is more correct as the hammocks get wider and deeper.

There you go again with the past tense!

Ed is still a cold sleeper!

Guilty, I need to learn to write in correct tense, plus other writing skills!

Like all the reason Billybob58 says and then some I find using a peapod type system is by far the most versitile system for a hammock.

-It allows for easy in easy out of the hammock.

-It allows the user to use a system that one can use as a sleeping bag, quilt,
poncho or parka.Thus having one item that does many things well.

-It allows the user to use a layered sleep system to sleep warm from 60 degrees down to -30 when used with a down mat and down parka.

-But most of all is the pure warmth and comfort when you place your self in its bossum. You can shift postion and not feel tangled or trapped or worry about loosing covers in the night.

fourdog

Another big fan I see! I have said it before but I must say it again: the secret is the all around "seal". Face it, if people have trouble with either TQs or UQs, what is the problem 80% of the time? Gaps and cold air rushing in either under you or on top. Not only is the pod "sealed" ( enough seal anyway) on the ends, and all along the top, but pod drapes over the hammock edges full length. So if you have a small gap under your back, it doesn't seem to hurt things much. I'm sure it can be warmer if you have a perfect contact with your back but not enough to compress the loft. But if you have a small or medium gap, you are probably still going to be warm enough. Because, you don't have cold air rushing in to fill that space through gaps around the edges or ends. I think that boosts efficiency quite a bit. Same thing on top. The only cold air that will come in, no matter how you toss in your sleep, will have to come in through whatever size breathing hole you choose to open up. And if you are using either puffy jackets/vest or TQ to boost top warmth, they will kind of be held in place by the pod's top layer. So, even with a good size breathing hole, you effectively can have a neck collar keeping cold air from getting past your face. Of course, you can have a very small vent hole. Or none at all, and then you will quickly have an oven on your hands. And you can end up with a lot of pod loft around your head and face, depending on hammock width. IOW,much like being sealed up in a big old mummy bag. But, without the hassles of a mummy bag in a hammock.

Dang, too bad I'm so in love with my bridge hammock, eh?

[MedicineMan]

complete truth in adversiting...when I said alone remember I also said I was wearing fleece pants and top and a Peruvian hat....
Crazy crazy but the more I think about the PeaPod the more I want to use it more and more
For spring,summer,fall backpacking I wince over every gram but this winter thing allows me to not even flinch over an added pound!
Mac, if you're headed to the SoRuck I'll see you there...already made my reservations at the Nantahalla Inn HA!