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  1. #1
    Senior Member fin's Avatar
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    HECU (Hammock Environmental Containment Unit) for the WB BB, V2

    After the making v1 of my BB hammock sock, or HECU, and getting a little constructive feedback, I went back and started on a new version.

    It was a very windy day (40 mph gusts,) so please excuse the pictures.

    V2 incorporates a zippered opening, "Clark-style" pockets, a zippered vent over the opening-side wing of the BB, velcro tabs to hold the triangular vent open, and is made from 1.9 oz DWR ripstop. Tabs on each end allow you to pull the sock taut, and a hidden bra hook helps to secure the "point" of the vent triangle when closed for extra strength.

    The pockets can be reached with the zipper slightly open, and allow me to stuff my boots in a secure, dry location. The zippered vent has a storm cover, in case of very inclement weather. The openings around the BB wing tie-outs is trimmed in 1" grosgrain, and is cut into the top of the HECU cover rather than at the fabric joint as in V1. It is cut form fitting, with allowance for 6" quilt loft when pulled taut with the end tabs. It needs the ridgeline of the BB, but would work on any end-gathered hammock with a ridgeline. The zippered vent is reachable with the bug net deployed on the BB, but after sleeping in it, I prefer to leave the bugnet pulled back over the ridgeline and allow the vent as my "window to the world."

    Allow me to introduce my "Air Tent."


    I wasn't going to include this picture, as the wind filled the cover and hammock like a balloon, but it shows the backside opening and the backside of the "pockets."
    Last edited by fin; 12-15-2008 at 21:11.

  2. #2
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    Incredible job! Must have taken you a while to get it so well thought out, designed and executed. How much does it weigh and how much warmth does it add? Does it cut all the wind?

  3. #3
    Senior Member fin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JayS View Post
    Incredible job! Must have taken you a while to get it so well thought out, designed and executed. How much does it weigh and how much warmth does it add? Does it cut all the wind?
    Actually, I laid out the first piece of fabric over the top of the BB, and cut away what I didn't want. The rest was just pinning and sewing, hang, pin and sew, lay out zipper, pin and sew.

    I haven't had a chance to weigh it yet (finished it just before last weekend and I don't own a proper scale,) but the two zippers (they meet in the middle) weigh as much as the fabric, which is why I avoided a zipper on V1. I can tell you it is nowhere near as light at v1, but MAN, is it nice! Not for the gram weenies, however. I should have purchased better (lighter) zippers, but I tend to use what I have on hand. I knew someone would ask that and kept waiting to post, thinking I would get the chance to weigh it, but I have been under the weather for the past week.

    Because the quilts are contained as well as the hammock and it cuts all the wind around the hammock, conservatively 10* + to setup. V1 did about 15*, but had some condensation issues before I added a zippered vent to it, as well. V2 has absolutely no condensation issues from day 1. Lessons learned in the first version.

    I was going to wait and spring this at Mt. Rogers, but I had a little prodding to post some pics.
    Last edited by fin; 12-15-2008 at 21:58.

  4. #4
    Senior Member GrizzlyAdams's Avatar
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    FishinFinn--you'll be selling tickets at Mt. Rodger for folks to check that rig out from the inside!

    Doctari is gonna be bringing his garden wagon, so you can wheel that up there.

    I'm been thinking about bringing 2 setups for show-and-tell, my current slim-line model of hammock and tarp, and the DMB and the quonset hut tarp. Hang out by the Jacks so we can get a little bridge village going....So maybe Doctari's wagon is gonna be full already. Or maybe I need to invest in a #4 Duluth pack

    Grizz

  5. #5
    Senior Member fin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by GrizzlyAdams View Post
    FishinFinn--you'll be selling tickets at Mt. Rodger for folks to check that rig out from the inside!
    Just take off your shoes (and slide them into the convenient pockets.)

    Quote Originally Posted by GrizzlyAdams View Post
    Doctari is gonna be bringing his garden wagon, so you can wheel that up there.
    It's not that heavy, but I am disappointed in the weight of the zippers I used. Again, the zippers are about 1/2 the total weight, maybe more. Hard to spend $20-$30 on new zippers for a prototype project when you have some on hand. V3 will be much lighter (I have another special fabric find that I've been saving for something special,) but may not be done by Mt. Rogers. These little family holiday things coming up, you know - they tend to interfere with the thread injecting, or at least the planning and staging phases.

    Quote Originally Posted by GrizzlyAdams View Post
    I'm been thinking about bringing 2 setups for show-and-tell, my current slim-line model of hammock and tarp, and the DMB and the quonset hut tarp. Hang out by the Jacks so we can get a little bridge village going....So maybe Doctari's wagon is gonna be full already. Or maybe I need to invest in a #4 Duluth pack

    Grizz
    I always have the spare that you used for our Brule River trip.

    P.S. The pics really don't do this thing justice - as I said above, the wind was howling the day I snapped the pics. When I unzipped the vent, I thought I had a sail for my canoe. The good thing is that my stitches really got a good workout/test, and held firm.
    Last edited by fin; 12-16-2008 at 08:47.

  6. #6
    Senior Member GrizzlyAdams's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by FishinFinn View Post
    ...

    I always have the spare that you used for our Brule River trip.
    not as much fun as buying one, but if I need it I'll let you know. I'm pretty sure I can get along with what I have already.


    P.S. The pics really don't do this thing justice - as I said above, the wind was howling the day I snapped the pics. When I unzipped the vent, I thought I had a sail for my canoe. The good thing is that my stitches really got a good workout/test, and held firm.
    tell me about it. Here's a picture of last season's hammock micro-environment containment device



    when we make 'em, there's a reason for 'em

    Grizz

  7. #7
    Senior Member Cannibal's Avatar
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    Nice job FishinFinn! Looks really nice.

    When I first looked at that last pic, I thought you had built-in a jet pack to counter the zipper weight! Looks way cool.
    Trust nobody!

  8. #8
    Senior Member fin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cannibal View Post
    Nice job FishinFinn! Looks really nice.

    When I first looked at that last pic, I thought you had built-in a jet pack to counter the zipper weight! Looks way cool.
    Actually, I had beans for lunch that day.

  9. #9
    Senior Member fin's Avatar
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    OK, weight data on the sock(s) since I had to go to the post office today.

    V1 comes in at 13.3 oz, even with the addition of 2 18" zippers.

    I have a couple more of the large zippers for V2, so I weighed them. Each 5' zipper that I used came in at 4.2 oz, for 8.4 total.

    V2 of the HECU prototype in it's stuff sack comes in at a whopping 23.9 OZ, or just under 1.5 lbs. Almost as much as the BB!

    Using lighter fabric and a lighter zipper with different zipper placement, my goal is to reduce the weight penalty on V3 to around 16 oz. I have a real cool idea for V3 that will make the HECU bombproof. But as someone else (Take-a-knee) pointed out in another thread, "There is a weight penalty for cold weather sleeping, on the ground or in a hammock." And having a sock or weather cover that works is worth its weight in gold. Now if I can just make it to fit my BMB, as well........

  10. #10
    Senior Member fin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by GrizzlyAdams View Post
    not as much fun as buying one, but if I need it I'll let you know. I'm pretty sure I can get along with what I have already.
    Grizz
    Like you need another reason to buy new gear - just tell the wife it's for next years canoe trip.

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