18 degrees

[HappyCamper]

Well last night was my son's winter campout with the scouts. The troop was quite curious about my hammock setup because it was the first time I had used it with them and they pretty much thought I was gonna freeze to death. Lows were expected in the teens. I bought my setup for 30 degrees and up (not using a pad), but I wanted to test its limitations and my own.

After setup we went down to the lodge for an assembly. We had been down there for about an hour socializing, kids playing games, eating, etc. when they gave us the big welcome and announced, "Congratulations, we have 75 people camping tonight. 2 groups are in the cabins, the rest are in tents and, oh, there's one hammock!" So I guess word got around.

I was in my setup from about 11 pm until 7 am. I used my first and only hammock (so far), my HH backpacker A-sym, the new JRB large tarp, a JRB No Sniv underneath and blue cheapy WalMart pad inside and my WM summerlight sleeping bag which is rate to 30 degrees.

This was the first time I needed a pad while using the UQ and have to say I hated using the pad in the HH. I had gone to 33 degrees in my backyard without the pad and I'm fine with that setup, but hated everything about using the pad inside the hammock with an underquilt. Getting in and situated was a royal pain in the butt. With that said . . .

I knew I was going to have to pile on the clothing to stay warm since I'm a very cold sleeper. I did have another sleeping bag to add since we were just car camping, but I only wanted to use gear that I would be able to wear or carry backpacking.

I wore insulated pants, wool long john top, thin wool sweater, light down under jacket and light shell jacket, liner socks and 2 pair heavy wool socks, gloves, fleece hat and fleece baclava. The only part of me that got cold were my feet. In fact I took off one hat and the gloves. I should have had down booties. My feet were so cold I would have had to go to the lodge except that I did have chemical heat packs that I put into my socks and I was then fine for rest of night.

I did better than expected but I would not use this setup in winter on a regular basis because I can't stand the bottom entry hammock in winter using a pad. No way, no how. Looks like I'm gonna have to make my own netless hammock!

Hooch sent me Ed Speer's book, which I was reading that night in the lodge. Another adult leader saw that I was reading the chapter on keeping warm and he says, "Hey Happy, if you're so worried about staying warm, why don't you just burn that book!" Ohhhhhh fightin' words for sure!

Anyway, I impressed them by staying in the hammock all night and my revenge was that another adult leader set up his tent on a bad spot with a rock right in the middle and couldn't get comfortable all night. I called him "Princess Pea" for the rest of the day.

I was told it hit 18 degrees at camp last night, which is now my record low.

[BillyBob58]

Welcome to the below 20 club!

[GrizzlyAdams]

I hear you on the no-go with pad inside a HH. One night trying that was enough to cure me of the notion.

Feels good though to beat the low temps hanging in the trees. And, even in an HH, even in an HH with a PAD INSIDE, it is easier getting out of a hammock in the morning to greet the day, than to have to coax the muscles to push the hulking mass UP to get off the ground. Gravity is the hammocker's friend in the morning.

Grizz

[Bug-Bait]

You go, girl!!!

[Tobit]

Nice report, thanks for sharing.. gives me hope for handling the low temps in my first hammock.

- JT

[Take-a-knee]

I won't argue that a pad is as comfortable as a JRB UQ, but I don't really have much of a problem using my oware pad(s) in a hennessy. I first insert the rolled pad inside the hammock, unroll it and place it on the right (as you lie inside) side of the entrance slit. Turn and sit on the pad/hammock, and lie down. The oware pads don't move around for me.

[red devil]

Making a Speer style hammock is a lot simpler than I thought it would be. I hated using a pad or multiple bags in a Hennesy, but the top entry style is much better for winter so far.

[GrizzlyAdams]

I won't argue that a pad is as comfortable as a JRB UQ, but I don't really have much of a problem using my oware pad(s) in a hennessy. I first insert the rolled pad inside the hammock, unroll it and place it on the right (as you lie inside) side of the entrance slit. Turn and sit on the pad/hammock, and lie down. The oware pads don't move around for me.

The pad I couldn't stay on was a Thermarest. I've found it doesn't like to stay put between in an easier geometry (bridge) or between two layers, again in the bridge. I think that bottom just slips on nylon. But on the other hand an Evzsote pad just sticks where it's put. A nice wide one inside of an HH would be worth trying, if I had the nice wide one, and wanted to sleep in an HH.

Grizz

[HappyCamper]

Thanks for the encouragement all! I seriously didn't know if I could stick it out going in, but I had gear tested in the back yard quite a bit and then when you're car camping, you can just throw everything in and switch things around if you need to. Takes pressure off. Helps to decide what will work on the trail. Of course I'm not telling you anything you don't already know!

Here's the problem I had with WalMart pad. When I first went in at 11 pm, I took the time to uncurl it and get it into a pretty good position, working from the bottom slit at the end of the hammock, pushing the underquilt aside. But once you get inside, it's pretty hard to change the position of the pad because it sticks to the hammock. Luckily it was in a good position and I found the sweet spot pretty quickly.

Then at 4 am when I had to go water a tree, all I wanted to do was to get back inside under a warm bag. I didn’t want to stand there and fiddle with the pad so it was not in a good position at all. I tried moving it from inside and even got up on hands and knees inside the hammock to reposition it and almost flipped myself over! I thought to myself, “This is ridiculous!.”

I really didn’t mind the WalMart pad this summer with my HH before I got the UQ. It was warmer and I didn’t mind fooling with the pad a little to get it into the correct position. Once inside when I didn’t have all those clothes, gloves, hat, etc. on, it seemed easier to move it around too. And quite honestly it wasn’t as crucial to be perfectly positioned on the pad in weather warmer. Yeah, it’s not as convenient as an expensive underquilt, but it’s certainly was doable and allowed me to go in colder temps. Last night, though, I thought I was gonna break my neck!

While those wider pads are certainly an option, I think I’d like to try my hand at making a netless hammock with a pad pocket underneath for winter. Or so I can use an SPE or any of the other options people post here. Cold weather just begs for a different type of hammock.

I certainly fall into that category of someone who got started in hammocking with an HH. Fell in love with it, wanted to extend my season and then decided to try another style hammock when the convenient summer-time HH became winter-time inconvenient.

Gee, I never meant to be a cliché!

Sorry my post are always so long, I'm just yakky.

[Take-a-knee]

The pad I couldn't stay on was a Thermarest. I've found it doesn't like to stay put between in an easier geometry (bridge) or between two layers, again in the bridge. I think that bottom just slips on nylon. But on the other hand an Evzsote pad just sticks where it's put. A nice wide one inside of an HH would be worth trying, if I had the nice wide one, and wanted to sleep in an HH.

Grizz

I tried a thermarest once with simalar results, I remember waking up cold and the pad was crossways under my butt. Some have posted good luck with a thermarest inside an SPE, I haven't tried that. Maybe the SPE keeps it from sliding around.