Cold feet in my hennessy Hammock

[jefftrex]

I did a late fall hang at valen's conservation area and overnight my feet got really cold although the overnight temps were around the 0 deg C.

I had dwon booties on and tried a few time during the night to get my feet warm but just could not. in the morning within a few mins of getting up my feet were fine again.

I had a under quilt that had some gaps. but i was thinkinh the maybe if my head end was high than that mayhave been the problem. or maybe it was the under quilt i had with the gaps. I have a new Leighlo FL 20 deg under quilt coming maybe that will help alot.

could it have been the fact that the blood came out of my feet?

[gargoyle]

Keeping your core warm and your feet dry is the key to warm feet.
Fix the gaps in the the uq and make sure your feet are dry before wearing the down booties. Also regulate the temp so you do not begin to sweat. Wear a warm hat or have one handy to put on during the night.
Eliminate drafts.
Drink fluids to insure your not dehydrated.
Once inside your quilt, with a warm draft free core, the heat will rise towards your feet.
Keep your bladder empty, your body losses heat trying to keep the excess "bodily fluids" warm.
A small snack before bedtime raises your metabolism and aids in keeping the body warm.
30* is pushing the lower end of the PLUQ, IMO. Try adding a thin pad or window reflector to boost temp ratings.

A warmed water bottle is my personal favorite. Prior to bed time I will warm some water over the stove or fire. Slide that into a spare sock and tuck this into my hammock and quilts prior to bedtime. Give it 5-10 minutes to heat the area up. Its nice to crawl into a already warmed hammock. Then during the night if you notice a cold spot, slide the bottle to that area, like down by your feet. I usually sleep with the bottle between my legs. It keeps the blodflow warm along the major arteries in your legs, which in turn feed blood to your feet. Anyone who has tried this technique love it. Give it a whirl the next time out.

[RedBeardHanger]

Keeping your core warm and your feet dry is the key to warm feet.
Fix the gaps in the the uq and make sure your feet are dry before wearing the down booties. Also regulate the temp so you do not begin to sweat. Wear a warm hat or have one handy to put on during the night.
Eliminate drafts.
Drink fluids to insure your not dehydrated.
Once inside your quilt, with a warm draft free core, the heat will rise towards your feet.
Keep your bladder empty, your body losses heat trying to keep the excess "bodily fluids" warm.
A small snack before bedtime raises your metabolism and aids in keeping the body warm.
30* is pushing the lower end of the PLUQ, IMO. Try adding a thin pad or window reflector to boost temp ratings.

A warmed water bottle is my personal favorite. Prior to bed time I will warm some water over the stove or fire. Slide that into a spare sock and tuck this into my hammock and quilts prior to bedtime. Give it 5-10 minutes to heat the area up. Its nice to crawl into a already warmed hammock. Then during the night if you notice a cold spot, slide the bottle to that area, like down by your feet. I usually sleep with the bottle between my legs. It keeps the blodflow warm along the major arteries in your legs, which in turn feed blood to your feet. Anyone who has tried this technique love it. Give it a whirl the next time out.

Very good info all in one spot! tyvm
I have printed this for future reference...

[Shug]

When I slept with down booties my feet got cold. Maybe they sweat and get chilled. Not sure but for me 2 pair of good loose non-constricting pair of good wool socks to me fine. Also...try putting your parka around the footend at night since you wont be wearing it. You can see in the picture.
Shug


Timmy the Natural by Sean Shug Emery, on Flickr

[Ramblinrev]

Bare feet keep them warm for me. I don't care what the temp is out side. If Iget to bed with socks on my feet freeze. I have a sewn in foot box and my Super shelteris nice and tight. Take my socks off and breathe a little warm air down inside (synth bags _only_ never with a down bag) and I warm right up. Damp feet are cold feet. everytime.

[Debi Jaytee]

I sure do like that jacket idea Shug! Not that I'm ever out when it's super cold but...I'm a girl, my feet get cold

[DemostiX]

RR: Whatever floats your boat. But, I 'spect when Shug wrote

"for me 2 pair of good loose non-constricting pair of good wool socks" it was in comparison with constricting ones.

I'm a tout for wool socks, rediscovered after wearing imitations -- acrylic -- for many years. But, what is true now that cannot have gone unnoticed a decade or two ago is that my legs are now larger diameter above and below elastic in any sock, wool or otherwise. There's plain-sight evidence of the problem: arterial or venous blood flow changes. (Or my flesh has grown so supple with time, it no longer resists elastic compression. Right.) So non-constricting , as Shug offered, is key on the wool sock design.
Of course YMMV as for all things involving feedback adjustments the body does to keep warm. For me and many others wool is magic, not least because it also addresses cold sweating of bare feet....which chills the feet even more.

[Ramblinrev]

never mind... it ain't worth it....

[nryche]

+1 on the warm water bottle and the parka. I also carry one of those cheep fleece throw blankets. In the event that my feet do get cold I'll toss it over my foot area. That seems to do the trick. Bear also likes it when he gets cold

[BillyBob58]

Bare feet keep them warm for me. I don't care what the temp is out side. If Iget to bed with socks on my feet freeze. I have a sewn in foot box and my Super shelteris nice and tight. Take my socks off and breathe a little warm air down inside (synth bags _only_ never with a down bag) and I warm right up. Damp feet are cold feet. everytime.

That is a really interesting observation, Rev! Any socks at all and your feet freeze! Is that a lifetime occurrence or something that has shown up with age? It seems counter intuitive but you never know what is going to work, especially with different individuals. Like the way A HHSS stinks on ice for some folks but works great for plenty of others, like you if mem serves. And me too! Also, reminds me of the "sleep naked to be warm" argument that some folks make.

What do you mean by "sewn in footbox"? Is this something added to your Super Shelter and HH?

I sure am in agreement with the "damp feet are cold feet" statement. I remember reading something on BPL a while back where a couple of Gurus over there experienced collapse of the foot box of their down bags. The biggest moisture problem with their down bags was in the foot area.

Also, have you ever played with VB socks for your feet? Yes, I know, they(your feet) will be damp, but it is different. No possibility of evaporative cooling or any foot moisture -whether the vapor from "insensible perspiration" condensing or out right liquid (i.e. sweat ) getting into your insulation. I think I might be getting some VB socks(Warmlite Fuzzystuff) as part of a Christmas present this year. If I do I'm going to experiment with that again.

In fact: for the OP, consider VBs if all else fails.