I have just been reading another thread about difficulties/learning curve adjusting UQs for peak performance. Or actually this recent thread was on a related subject: keeping an UQ adjusted through out the night. Similar threads show up here from time to time. I started to post a shorter version of this on that thread, but it might have been a hijack, so here it is in a new thread.
Some hammock under insulation systems seem to have more "learning curve" and/or require more minor mods to get it just right, than others.
What have Y'all observed on this subject? What do you have that is close to zero problems straight from the manufacturer, or what do you have that has proven challenging( or required some mods) to get things as you expected? Or what seems easy to get warm with at bedtime, but then develops a cold gap before morning, or slips off your shoulder or feet? Here's your chance to lay it all out there, good or bad!
This is not to trash one product or to say that product X Uber Alles is better than all others. One of my favorite products requires just the right tension and can slip off my shoulder if I'm not careful- but it is still a favorite despite these little problems.
I'll start with a few that have been easy for me:
1: Pad with SPE or dbl layer hammock. Or better yet in a JRB bridge. You just lay on it. This assumes you are a person who can use a pad without all of the issues more than a few folks have.
2: JRB MW UQ on a JRB bridge hammock: It is not that hard to misread the JRB directions, and I actually did the 1st few times I used it. Best look close at the pictures they provide. But even doing it "wrong", it was easy and still always worked. I originally hooked her up counting on the suspension to allow a certain amount of elastic slack. Still worked, never got cold and it never moved. It never became loose or slipped off a shoulder no matter how much i moved. Then I figured out the right way to do it. There is no elastic slack, even though you use the suspension. But it appears this UQ is a custom fit for this hammock, because the suspension biners attach to the HAMMOCK, not the quilt!. The hammock loops go through the quilt loops, and then the suspension hooks to the hammock loops. So really, the quilt can not move or give. It hangs a set distance beneath the hammock, and when I get in, the hammock sags right down just enough to snugly contact the dif cut quilt. And that's it. There are some minor adjustments that can be made on the ends, but really not much. You just snug the end up to just enough to barely contact the hammock. There's not much to do, and it really can't move or sag.
3: Pea Pod. Now this is no custom fit like the above, though maybe it is close if you use a Speer hammock. You will have to change things according to which hammock you have and whether or not you want to add extra insulation between hammock and pod. But basically you just tie it on via nylon cord (not elastic) so that there is some gap between the pod and the hammock. Then you get in and close it and feel under neath to see if the pod is just barely in contact with the hammock. If not, you tighten or loosen it up a bit until it is tight enough but not compressed. Or you leave it loose if it is not cold enough to matter-- gaps just don't seem as much of a problem with the pod. Or leave the gap if you want to add insulation. That is about it. It won't sag because there are no elastics and part of the support is the full length Velcro. There won't be any drafts because of that full length Velcro closure causing the pod to drape over the hammock edges. No cold air will get under the hammock, even if you have a big gap, unless you want to open things up for venting.
4: HH Super Shelter: First of all, this only applies to those for whom it will work at all, like pads in #1. And for me and quite a few others here, it seems to work just fine, though it does not work at all for others. That said, I know that this one has a reputation for being fussy and in need of much fiddling with. And I used to feel the same, but over the years I flat changed my mind. The adjustments I thought it needed were all in my head. Just put on as directed and lay down, nothing else to do!
I think, based on what I read about compression of down(too tight) vs cold gaps(too loose) with the earlier non-dif cut UQs, I was needlessly worried about that happening with the HHSS. The OCF pad is very compressible. But it really can't happen, if you just put it on per HH directions. That is really all there is to it. The Under cover has just the right amount of elastic tension ( another custom design) to just keep the under pad against your back without compressing the open cell foam. Unless maybe it is put on incorrectly to a ridiculous degree, you really can't get this wrong. Also, if you put the HH tie outs through the corresponding pad and UC loops, it is going to be positioned correctly if you are laying any where close to a normal position. At least with the wider pad, I never come off of it. Not being able to reach out of the net and check things, I was always worried I was not on the pad well enough, but I was. It never moves or sags.
So, I'd say those have had zero adjustment issues for me. I've got some other systems that I really like, but they might be a little trickier.
What do Y'all have zero issues with right out of the box? Or what have you had some learning curve or even continued problems with, and are you happy with it anyway?
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Originally Posted by flatline
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