For any new Super Shelter users, or any old hands that might be interested:
There have been several HHSS threads going on lately. As well as other threads about bags/pads or keeping warm in which the SS has been part of the discussion. This has coincided with me having my HHSS hung up in the back yard. I have not fooled with my SS much in the last year, as I have been concentrating on new stuff and dif approaches like PeaPod and WBUQ. Both of which are GREAT gear, no doubt about it. But when I got back from my Rocky Mountain trip, I had a strange desire to go back and play around with the horse that brung me, so to speak. Back to the basics I started with on a Rocky Mountain trip 2 years ago, the start of my hammock learning curve. HHSS with stock tarp. So that is what I have been mostly doing, just for fun.
But today I made a simple discovery, so simple I felt silly about how often I had stuggled with the related problem. So FWIW for any SS users who might have had this problem:
There have been more than one thread discussing a problem with the SS, a problem correctly positioning the pad. I ( and others) have reported problems with the pad having a tendency to go to the right side of the hammock, while our upper bodies, being diagonally to the left, have minimal coverage on that left shoulder/side. While there is excess coverage over on the right where we don't need it, where I am not laying against the hammock, compressing the quilts insulation. It can be quite irritating. And I think this problem is really at the root of the complaints that some have of the HH pad not being wide enough. Because the Explorer pad is 35" wide, and that ought to be enough for most.
So, when others a while back complained of this also, I posted some of my ideas to deal with this. It mainly consisted of quadrupling ( as HH recommends) the elastics, and wrapping it around and through the various UP loops and UC openings and then applying considerable leftward tension to the side guy outs. And maybe pulling it way out to the left before applying any tension to the right. Sometimes this would help, and sometimes it didn't.
Well, I was having a bit of this ( relatively minor) problem today. Some how I got the idea to try this: as I sat down in the bottom opening, I would reach down and out the opening, grab the pad and pull it over to the left, and then lay down. This seemed to really work: when I would lay back, the pad was well to my left, no problem. But, it was pretty difficult to grab the pad this way, because there was a lot of tension on the opening and my legs once I was sitting down. It was not easy to get hold of it.
But then, more or less by accident, the major DUH moment occurred. I went ahead and pulled my legs inside, and for some reason, while semi-sitting, I decided to reach back out the opening to adjust the space blanket or something. That's when it occurred to me to also grab the pad ( easy to do in this fashion), push down on it to get it around the low point ( my butt), and pull it to the left. Which was easy to do, whatever distance I desired. And once it is moved, with the hammock weighted, it curves around my body and stays put. For probably the first time, when I laid down now the pad was curved around my body, well up above my left shoulder and side. Actually, curved about equally around both shoulders, but plenty of coverage on the left, at last.
OK, Duh, it only took me 2 years to come up with this. I'm a little slow.It would be nice if this suggestion was part of the user directions. It is not a big deal, but maybe it will help some new user get adequate left shoulder coverage. Anyway, it's working for me. I can forget about all of the super side guy out elastic tension tricks. In fact, I'm pretty sure this pad will now stay where I need it even without the side tie outs( I'll try it tomorrow). It is pretty grippy, and once it is curved around my body, I don't think it is going anywhere.
So, FWIW.
EDIT: I forgot to give this warning:
That HH pad is probably about the most fragile piece of outdoor equip you will even work wit, in case you didn't already know this! When you reach through the bottom opening and move it, you are going to have to be very gentle, or you will likely poke a hole in the pad. It is probably best to grab it near the edges and try to avoid putting much pressure on it with your finger tips. It is probablt still a significant risk if you are trying to do this through the zipper mod. The pad is quite "grippy", and it will attempt to adhere to the bottom of the weighted hammock as you try to move it. Pushing or better yet pulling down will get around this "gripping, but again caution is required- if you push with your finger tips it may well puncture right through.
The good news is that I have poked several holes in mine over 2 years, and it is no big deal as far as function( does look ugly!). Until you can patch it, just approximate the edges of the holes, they will usually stay pretty close together, and I doubt it noticeably effects insulation. When you are ready to fix it, just approximate the edges with a little tape on one side, then a dab of seam sealer on the other. Once dry, good as new, just a bit uglier!
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks