Reflections on a backyard hang

[weaver2469]

Just spent the night in the backyard. Low of 49 degrees, 92% humidity, clear skies with a great moon. Sleeping in a WBBB 1.1 dbl, Jarbridge underquilt with triangle thingys and a Big Agnes Cross Mountain bag, used as a top quilt. I had a cut-down JRB torso pad in the pad sleeve of the bag to act as a footpad. I woke up about 4:00 and had some underquilt fussing to do. Fell back asleep until about 7:30. Several issues got me thinking over my morning coffee, and I was looking for your thoughts.


1. Condensation. I didn't notice it during the night, but after I got up early this morning, went in the house for a minute and then got back in my bag, I noticed that the foot section of my bag was soaked. I at first thought dew, since I went tarpless and the grass was wet, but the bugnet and hammock walls were dry. I assume it was foot condensation. Hot feet suspended above cool night air= moisture? It was the part that extended beyond my uq. I searched and noticed some had a similar problem. Shug went to a thermarest inflatable seat pad in the box because he had similar problems. Do I need to go this route? I really think if I had a down topquilt instead of synthetic, it would have been soaked through.

2. I sleep on the diagonal, like most people, and I don't think I am overdoing the slant. However, when I move to my left side, the mini biner and shock cord from the triangle thingys are pressing on my forehead. Is my head too far to the left? Or maybe my quilt is too far towards the head or foot? For reference, the left strand of the hammock tie out is right about even with my left eye when I am laying in the hammock. The pressure of the biner is noticeable and annoying. Should I just suck it up and not worry?

3. How far in the footbox do you go? I know it probably differs for everyone, but just looking for some general ideas. I usually end up in a spot where I can reach my right arm over my head and just barely put my fingers in the very peak of the hammock. At times, I feel like that puts me too far into the footbox, but it seems to be where I end up. I know most advise to raise the foot end more. Is this so you can end up more toward the head end? When you look at my quilt set up from outside the hammock, it kind of looks like I am not using much of the head end of the hammock at all.

I realize I am over thinking this, (I always do), but these are the kinds of things that run through my head during the 4am pee break. Thanks for your thoughts.

[Lonely Raven]

Back yard hangs are an awesome way to shake down. I'm no expert, but here are my thoughts.

#1 I've never had that much condensation. I typically sleep in wool socks, and if my feet feel hot I stick them out of the bag/quilt. It sounds almost like you've got a vapor barrier somewhere.

#2 Sleep however/whatever angle you want. You need to make the gear work for you, not the other way around. You might have to get/make smaller triangle thingies, or give them up altogether to sleep better.

#3 Foot box, I used to go deep into the footbox on my Blackbird, and I'd wake up with cold feet and scrunched up at the bottom of my hammock. It was suggested that I try stringing the hammock with the foot end higher so my torso stays more at the head end rather than slides to the middle (Scrunching up my legs), and that was the solution for me. Try it out and see if it works for you. (my foot end is only 4-5" higher than head end - some people go higher).

[Shug]

1. Condensation. I didn't notice it during the night, but after I got up early this morning, went in the house for a minute and then got back in my bag, I noticed that the foot section of my bag was soaked. I at first thought dew, since I went tarpless and the grass was wet, but the bugnet and hammock walls were dry. I assume it was foot condensation. Hot feet suspended above cool night air= moisture? It was the part that extended beyond my uq. I searched and noticed some had a similar problem. Shug went to a thermarest inflatable seat pad in the box because he had similar problems. Do I need to go this route? I really think if I had a down topquilt instead of synthetic, it would have been soaked through.

I did always have a wet TQ end with my pad on the outside....never figured out why. Never happens with my small thermarest in the bag.
Good report!
Shug

[Pretbek]

Can it be that the pad has a lot of surface area with many little nooks, crannies and edges for condensation to start?
That might also explain why it wouldn't happen when the pad is on the inside of the bag, where the ambient humidity does not reach.

[weaver2469]

Thanks for the replies. I went back out this morning and played around with the set up. I think I answered some of my own concerns.

It definitely was condensation. When I pulled the pad out from the sleeve on the BA bag, there were several large drops of water that spilled down onto the ground. The entire pad was wet and the foot of my bag was soaked. I wasn't wearing socks last night. I guess I just have hot feet. It isn't sweat, I think it is just condensation since the pad is acting like a vapor barrier. My feed didn't feet overly hot. I think I will try the thermarest foot pad, a la shug. I have an LL Bean gift card I haven't used, so I think I will order this LLBean version and use it partially inflated. http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/65549?feat=97-SR0

I also realized I was too far toward the footbox end. I just couldn't stay any closer to the head end. I knew most people hung the foot end higher, so I hung my 2-3 inches higher. As it turns out, I need to hang it at least 5-6 inches higher. It looks kind of strange from outside the hammock, like I am setting up to stand on my head, but from inside the hammock, it isn't noticeable and really improves the lay.

The mini biner in the forehead is something I will have to work on. I use an exped inflatable pillow. I think I just need to pull the pillow over so it is between my head and the mini biner. I tried hanging the Jarbridge without the thingys, but didn't like it. To much shoulder slip. I think this one will be ok once I get used to positioning the pillow correctly.

Thanks for the advice. I just wanted to post my thoughts in case it could help anyone else.