This is part two of my Wilderness Logics Night Owl Review: The Backyard Hang
First thing I want to mention here is not so much about the NO but Whoopie slings. They are very cool, light weight, adjustable etc....but I am switching them out for descending rings and straps right away. To me the ring and strap suspension is just easier to adjust and much faster to set up.
After some fiddling around with the suspension and messing about with the ridge line I finally got the comfortable lay that my NO had in my basement. True the ridge line did not slip or anything but it still needed adjustment for some reason when I got to the yard. More than likely it was that the trees were at a more typical hanging distance where the hanging points in my basement are unrealistically close. I realize that the SRL should keep the sag consistent but going from about 12 foot to around 20 feet has to at least affect the tension on the ridge line and there for seemed to mess up my lay position.
It took quite a bit of trial and error before it felt right (I am really finicky and will probably continue to mess with the ridge line length for a while yet). Once I did however, ahhh it was good. I think I have figured out the reason I slide right into position. Forgive me if this is already common knowledge but down the center lengthwise, the NO has a bit of a "ridge" that vanishes mid way down the length before reappearing at the other end. If you were to lie on the ridge, you would find yourself in a nice upright position good for reading and such. To sleep shift your head left a little and legs right and you will slide off that ridge and down into a flat "valley" on the typical diagonal. Hope that makes sense.
Sleeping in my NO....after the kids went to bed and my wife was too tired to roll her eyes at me for sleeping in the yard, I snuck out into the darkness. The sky was clear, with a bright moon. The temp was 43 degrees Fahrenheit and steady, the winds were 10-15 miles per hour gusting to 25. As you will see in the photos, I had an experimental UQ attached and my sleeping bag of choice for the evening was my North Face Bighorn 20*. I used my Gear Guide tarp in an A-Frame configuration with a single ridge line and staked out on four corners. I used no pad of any kind. For clothing I was wearing a pair of mid-weight hiking socks, sweatpants, a pullover fleece and a fleece cap.
Once I wrestled myself into my bag and got it straightened out I found that I could lay comfortably in a number of positions. Obviously I was comfy lying on my back but found it comfortable to lie on either side and could do so stretched out or in a more "fetal" position. I found myself comfortable also in a half way position between back and side. Getting in and out to answer the call of nature was no problem.
It took a little longer than usual to fall asleep. We live in a somewhat typical suburban neighborhood so there are houses nearby and therefore people. It is absolutely amazing how a rabbit hopping through dry leaves sounds like a person walking around. We have just over an acre lot and it is heavily wooded where most of the remainder of the community is largely without trees. So every deer, rabbit, fox, owl raccoon and opossum makes refuge in our little patch of woods. The coyotes come through too but last night they were all howling on the golf course across the street so I had that going for me. Once I finally got used to all the noise, I fell into a very comfortable and deep sleep.
Warmth.....In a effort to stay on topic I won't go into too much detail about my UQ (I will post in the appropriate forum). I will just mention that the UQ I used is simply a double layer fleece with an opening in one end so I can try different types of insulation inside it. Last night I used it with no additional insulation and was plenty warm all night with no CBS at all.
The WL NO gets a definite thumbs up from me. From the service, to the quick delivery to the terrific quality you cannot beat it.
Please post questions as I am happy to address them best I can.
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