New low for me, 17.7*

[slowhike]

Tim,

I'm a little confused as to what you were using when you had some issues. What pad did you have in the main compartment of the SPE and what did you have in the wings? And exactly where were the cold spots you found, were those fit issues between the main pad and the wings or something else?

i was using a sthepensons warmlite in the main compartment. i'm not sure which one it is (i bought it used) but it's about 4" thick & mummy shaped.

for the 4 slots at the shoulders i was using 4 of the blue ccf pads i got from ed (almost 1/2" thick), two on each side (one each compartment).

for the 4 slots near the hips, i was using 4 of the grey ccf pads from ed (1/4" thick, one each compartment).

i think the cold spots were mainly just user error... like when i would some how press my knee against the hammock side above the wings by turning, or maybe slide up or down & press a knee against the side above, below, or in between the wings<g>.

i guess because of the restless leg syndrome (RLS) i was twisting & turning more than normal.

the narrow hammock w/ it's short side walls probably didn't help w/ keeping the quilt tucked in as well as i would have liked either.

PS... having trouble w/ the phone co... it's possible i may loose Internet service for a day or so.

[Egads]

Congrats to you Hogn8tr.

This weeks cold front gave me an opportunity to lower my personal record to 18.5*. I used a JRB Nest underquilt, a Ridgerest deluxe, a Z-rest sideways for wings, a P.O.E. Hyper High Mtn, and a MB SSDH #0 used as an overquilt. I wore a jacket and pants. I slept warm and comfortably all night. It was not nearly as windy as the night before but it was colder.

Egads

[Youngblood]

i was using a sthepensons warmlite in the main compartment. i'm not sure which one it is (i bought it used) but it's about 4" thick & mummy shaped.

for the 4 slots at the shoulders i was using 4 of the blue ccf pads i got from ed (almost 1/2" thick), two on each side (one each compartment).

for the 4 slots near the hips, i was using 4 of the grey ccf pads from ed (1/4" thick, one each compartment).

i think the cold spots were mainly just user error... like when i would some how press my knee against the hammock side above the wings by turning, or maybe slide up or down & press a knee against the side above, below, or in between the wings<g>.

i guess because of the restless leg syndrome (RLS) i was twisting & turning more than normal.

the narrow hammock w/ it's short side walls probably didn't help w/ keeping the quilt tucked in as well as i would have liked either.

PS... having trouble w/ the phone co... it's possible i may loose Internet service for a day or so.

Okay Tim, the Stephenson DAM with its mummy shape won't fit those SPEs. The SPEs are for 20 inch wide pads that are rectangular (but they work okay with the slight rounding of the Thermarest Prolite 3 and 4 pads). The Stephenson DAMs come in a variety of maximum widths that are mummy shaped and if they even go in the main compartment they won't make a flush fit with the insulation in the wings. You were probably getting some gaps there that let cold air through. It would take a custom made SPE for each version of Stephenson DAM that matched their mummy shape. The Stephenson DAM I have is 28 inch peak width and I use it without anything else except I put my 10x20 ccf pad I use with my backpack underneath it to keep it from sliding around so easily.

If you are a restless sleeper it can be a problem staying on pads or keeping a quilt tucked in. Quilts, like most everything else, have their tradeoffs. Quilts advantage over sleeping bags is in handling warmish temperatures and sleeping bags advantage over quilts is in coolish temperatures. When it is cold you zip up and cinch up a sleeping bag and don't lose insulated air as easily when you wiggle around, especially if the width of your quilt is marginal and it doesn't stay tucked in easily.

[slowhike]

yeah, i usually don't have that much problem. last night was just an unusual night for some reason.
i normally deal w/ readjusting the quilt & pad w/ little thought. i have briefly woke up to readjust & went right back to sleep, but i probably do some readjusting in my sleep.
i just had some different stuff to deal w/ last night.

the tapered mummy shape may have well left some gaps along the edge.
i'll go back & take a look.

[FanaticFringer]

Congrats to you Hogn8tr.

This weeks cold front gave me an opportunity to lower my personal record to 18.5*. I used a JRB Nest underquilt, a Ridgerest deluxe, a Z-rest sideways for wings, a P.O.E. Hyper High Mtn, and a MB SSDH #0 used as an overquilt. I wore a jacket and pants. I slept warm and comfortably all night. It was not nearly as windy as the night before but it was colder.

Egads

Congrats on the personal low Egads. We'll have to try to break that record soon.

[nogods]

That's great to hear you got so low because my son and I are planning on climbing in the high peaks area of the adirondacks at the end of January and we were toying with the ide of trying our hammocks instead of lean tos, but the temperatures will most likely be in the single digits at night.

We would have to use just 1" insulated air mattress with a walmart blue pad and sleeping bags for insulation beacuse with the ice axes, crampons, and snow shoes there won't be any room for much more weight.

[stoikurt]

I was on the AT just south of Chattahoochee Gap the night before last and experienced a new low of 7.7*. The day time temps never got above the low 20's. I was in my HH Clone with overcover, 3" baffle RMS Clone and JRB Nest below me, REI 20* bag and Neat Sheet weathershield somewhat over me. I had a 1" 3/4 length UL Thermarest with me but was trying it out with out it. All was warm except my feet because they were on the windward end of the hammock. I ended up opening the Thermarest and using from my butt down to me feet. My feet did eventually warm up but I don't think the Thermarest had anything to do with it. I slept warm except for the several bio breaks during the night.

There was a nice light blanket of snow on the ground and the only tracks were mine and the animals.

I had planned on staying out one more night hiking from Unicoi Gap to Neel's Gap but I didn't take appropriate actions to keep my water bottles from freezing up. I had to bail out when I got the Rd. 348. My prayers for a ride were answered. Little did I know that there were road blocks on thru traffic on that road so I wasn't likely to get a ride and the snow plow operators didn't stop. A car of 3 retirees was following their GPS over that road to go to their RV resort. When they got to to road block they decided to go around it. I'm so happy they did. They really didn't have room for me but the 2 ladies managed to squeeze together in half of the back seat so I could sit and hold my in the front seat. It was uncomfortably tight for all of us but the driver but I was very thankful and appreciative of the ride. It was closer to go to their final destination first so we went there and unloaded them. Then the gentleman graciously took me to my truck at Neel's Gap. I will forever be thankful.

[Cannibal]

There was a nice light blanket of snow on the ground and the only tracks were mine and the animals.

Awfully tough to beat that! Sorry your hike got cut short, but it sounds like a great trip.

[Shug]

Hey HOGn8er,
Good dang job in that cold weather.... fun, isn't it? Fun to read your report.
Here in Minnesota we get lots of it and most of my camping time is in fall/winter 'cause that is when I get more time available to go.

I slept out Wed night up here and it got down to -2. I was trying out my tarp w/ flaps that I added. Had my diy hammock, diy underquilt, diy SPE with a closed cell pad and Big Agnes insulated mattress, REI 0 degree Sub Kilo Bag and I slept with all my clothes due to lazyness and slept really warm and surprisingly felt no cold spots. I wore REI poly longjohns and top, Golite wind shirt, 200weight fleece top, MontBell thin down vest and Campmor down parka, MontBell therma wrap pants with a thin fleece pair of tights under that. Wintersilk balaclava, fleece hat and down hood. Thin Manzella gloves on hands and wrist warmers. I think wearing it all is the way to go in extreme cold as you do not have to add layers later. I find it easier to remove stuff if needed. Also, in the morning you are dressed and warm. Just makes sense to me. Never could do that as a ground sleeper as my REI 0 bag is a tight cut mummy and wearing everything made things uncomfortable in the bag.
I will put a couple of pictures of my set up that night....
Congrats to you HOGn8er and keep pushin' it!
Shug

[Rat]

Hey HOGn8er,
I slept out Wed night up here and it got down to -2. I was trying out my tarp w/ flaps that I added.

Sweet set-up, I like the simplicity. Can you remove the tarp flaps or are they permanent?

-2*, man that's cold. I have been to Boundry Waters in the winter, before I hammocked, and had a great time. Learned a lot.