First night with JRB Old Rag Mtn underquilt: chilly

[FishBone]

Stayed at Hobbs Cabin, South Cumberland State Park, TN Saturday night; 38 degrees, N to NW wind calm-15 mph.

I set up the HH ULBA w/JRB 8x8 tarp about 6" from the ridgeline and closed up a bit at the head (oriented to block the N wind), weather shield under, N'Sniveler inside, and the ORM as an underquilt, set to within 1/2" of the hammock body itself. The "doors", as the Jacks would say, were closed on both the underquilt and the weather shield.

I was dressed in power stretch top/bottom, insulated booties/hood and had to add a MicroPuff top by morning.

It was not as warm as I expected with cold spots at my butt and lower legs or feet (if I closed the "doors" too tightly) and loss of warmth as the wind shifted. I thought I could easily be comfortable into the 20's especially with the 3" loft of the quilt AND the weather shield.

Any suggestions to sleep warmly through the night? Your help would be very much appreciated.

[headchange4u]

Sounds like you were getting issues with the insulation being compressed in spots. You may try and hang the quilt a little looser or possibly open the ends up a little wider. The ORM should have kept you toasty at 38*, unless you are a cold sleeper.

[FishBone]

I am a bit of a cold sleeper and of "advanced years" (old enough to know better, young enough to try ), so that may be part of the issue.

The ends of the underquilt were closed down to about 15" across initially. When I closed them down to about 12", my bottom got warmer, but because the ends of the quilt were so narrow, my feet had to be placed outside of the sides of the quilt that taper toward the foot end, causing the cold feet. I'll try the wider setting and see what happens.

How much gap do you recommend between the underquilt and the bottom of the hammock?

[txulrich]

Have a friend help with this. Lay in the hammock, or have them lay in it, and adjust the suspension so that the quilt just touches the hammock. Adjust the ends so that they close nicely on the hammock body. It's been my experience that the foot end is always the toughest to get right. I always pitch the foot end away from the end as there always seems to be a gap there. Once properly adjusted, get out of the hammock and take a walk around. Remember what it looks like to repeat the setup.

[FishBone]

Joe - Please clarify "I always pitch the foot end away from the end as there always seems to be a gap there." I can't quite visualize what you mean. thanks.

[neo]

Stayed at Hobbs Cabin, South Cumberland State Park, TN Saturday night; 38 degrees, N to NW wind calm-15 mph.

I set up the HH ULBA w/JRB 8x8 tarp about 6" from the ridgeline and closed up a bit at the head (oriented to block the N wind), weather shield under, N'Sniveler inside, and the ORM as an underquilt, set to within 1/2" of the hammock body itself. The "doors", as the Jacks would say, were closed on both the underquilt and the weather shield.

I was dressed in power stretch top/bottom, insulated booties/hood and had to add a MicroPuff top by morning.

It was not as warm as I expected with cold spots at my butt and lower legs or feet (if I closed the "doors" too tightly) and loss of warmth as the wind shifted. I thought I could easily be comfortable into the 20's especially with the 3" loft of the quilt AND the weather shield.

Any suggestions to sleep warmly through the night? Your help would be very much appreciated.

i used my jrb old rag mtn as an over quilt and my spear SPE and pad in my new muleskinner gear hammock,great set up,i am still waiting for my tabernacle tarp from the preachers wife neo

[headchange4u]

How much gap do you recommend between the underquilt and the bottom of the hammock?

In a perfect situation, there should be no or very little gap between the hammock and the under quilt once you are occupying the hammock.

[Take-a-knee]

In a perfect situation, there should be no or very little gap between the hammock and the under quilt once you are occupying the hammock.

That is why I like a JRB Nest for a bottom quilt. That velcro makes a "perfect situation" easier to achieve IMO.

[hangnout]

and loss of warmth as the wind shifted.

Sounds like the "door" was open a little bit. Even for a cold sleeper you had plenty of insulation with the clothes you mentioned. Using someone to help adjust the first few times makes it a lot easier.

[BillyBob58]

I am a bit of a cold sleeper and of "advanced years" (old enough to know better, young enough to try ), so that may be part of the issue.

The ends of the underquilt were closed down to about 15" across initially. When I closed them down to about 12", my bottom got warmer, but because the ends of the quilt were so narrow, my feet had to be placed outside of the sides of the quilt that taper toward the foot end, causing the cold feet. I'll try the wider setting and see what happens.

How much gap do you recommend between the underquilt and the bottom of the hammock?

Hey, Fishbone, how 'ya doin?

I am really surprised to hear you were chilly at just 38*, since I remember you were almost too hot at Neo's fall get together on the 43* night? Is that right? Seems like I remember a green UQ, was it the No Sniveler? I can't remember what you had in the hammock bag/quilt wise. But, if you were almost TOO warm with a No Sniv at 43*( if that's what you had), you would think you would be way toasty at 38* with the ORM underneath. Unless wind was a huge factor, which it wasn't at MWL Park last fall.

These UQ's obviously have a learning curve, since this is not at all the first report like this I have read from a first time user. I'm not sure how different the UQ's are from the PeaPod adjustment wise ( probably a lot). But with my PeaPod, I have to have an absolute minimum of a 6" gap between the unoccupied hammock and the inside bottom of the pod. And that is minimum, normally I start with a good bit more. Less than 6" and I will definitely get down compression. But as long as I assure adequate gap, but not WAY too much gap, I'm going to be warm to 20* on bottom, without any kind of weather shield.

I can't imagine me being cold at 38* with either my SuperShelter or especially the PeaPod. Though wind and moisture could make 38* feel a LOT colder, if that was much of a factor. Since the ORM has plenty of loft, I imagine, it must be either suspended too tight ( down compression) or too loose ( big gap). This is easy to check in a netless hammock, as you can just feel underneath with your hands to check the gap and/or down compression. But I figure with a HH, you will have to get some one to help you, someone who can check for compression vs. gap, while you are in the hammock.