I thought I was the only one who uses pads still (except for those who are saving up for an UQ). I use pads when the temps drop. UQ only when it is "warm", combo as the temp drops, in the ultracold it is pads only.
I thought I was the only one who uses pads still (except for those who are saving up for an UQ). I use pads when the temps drop. UQ only when it is "warm", combo as the temp drops, in the ultracold it is pads only.
We all have our own ways which work for us. I don't know why, but I seem to use the opposite methods of the conventional wisdom on many of the backpacking forums. Either I am a nutjob, or those like me are silent as to not upset the apple cart (or both). But I agree with you, pads have many uses. Even in summer I will have my sitpad.
Pretty interesting about breaking out in a sweat about REM time no matter what. I have rarely had CBS. I'm sure I must have, but it has been rare. One time I can remember was during some of my early testing in my original PeaPod reviews, and I had not been in it long and felt some CBS. I reached out and felt and realized I had the suspension pulled too tight and was significantly compressing the loft right under my butt. But I did not fool with it, thinking this sort of thing might happen often in the field when I was exhausted. So I just let it go and after awhile it warmed up OK. Don't remember if there have been other instances except obviously when I am using nothing. Oh, when using IX, but then my whole back was cold as I was exceeding my abilities with that. So that might not count.
Maybe this thread is a witness to the huge variabilities among people, which makes it hard to tell someone else what might work for them and what might not? Because this sweating always during REM is not a problem I have. Not in my bed, or in a hammock with an HHSS, MWUQ, PeaPod, Climashield Yeti or even on 2 stacked in an SPE pads on an 18F night. I might have done some minor sweating on my back only using pads during warmer weather. But unless I have over heated, I have not had sweat issues.
So maybe I just don't sweat? Well, if I am outside in a cotton t shirt or no shirt at all on a MS summer day, or maybe even late spring/early fall above 80F, I probably will soak my shirt with sweat. So I guess I do sweat when I get at all hot. But so far sweat has not been much of an issue for me in a hammock.
No, it doesn't. And all of that sweat, as well as evaporating and cooling, also makes insulation damp or wet. It really isn't likely that all of that is turning into vapor and zipping right outside the shell before it hits the dew point and condensing again out in the outside air. It is likely that at least some of it gets soaked up sponge fashion by the insulation. Hence the loss of loft seen so often by some folks on longer trips. My buddy that I have in the past used as an example, he has loss of loft on every week long trip we have done, and I usually have none apparent. He did not get any moisture on his quilts from the outside. But I suspect that he is much more prone to sweating than I am.And of course, when you sweat, there's evaporation, which leads to cooling, which leads to cold butt syndrome or other cold spots. You can adjust the suspension all you want, but that doesn't address the problem that you're sweating............
So I have had great luck with an HHSS, as have quite a few others, but others have no luck with it. I have never had any condensation or sweat issues with that system, others have.
I have pretty good luck with VBs, both clothing and space blankets used in the SS in mt PeaPod. Some folks are unhappy with VBs/SBs for various reasons.
I have had no significant CBS unless I was cold in other places also from too little insulation. Or maybe from as obvious draft to be corrected. Many others have had plenty of CBS.
And I don't have the sweat issues you describe. Only if I am just too danged hot. Could such metabolic differences partly account for the widely varying results people have with different pieces of equipment?
Quote: Could such metabolic differences partly account for the widely varying results people have with different pieces of equipment? Quote:
To me this is obvious. Hammock equipment is static, human beings are complicated . Everyone has to find what works for their own good night sleep. A good night sleep and back to enjoying nature.
bill
" The mind creates the abyss, the heart crosses it."
“The measure of your life will not be in what you accumulate, but in what you give away.” ~Wayne Dyer
www.birchsidecustomwoodwork.com
I havent been hangin too long, but I live in nh and have camped all winter for years. I use an inflatable big agnes in my hammock in the winter. I inflate it just enough for the lengthwise baffles to rise a little. It gives me ten plus degrees past my uq and the channels created by the baffles eliminate that clammy feel of a flat pad. I love my big agnes on the ground or in my hammocks during the winter. But its heavy.
SilvrSurfr, maybe you just need to have calmer dreams. Something like lying next to waterfall with a rainbow in it's mist, instead if being chased down an alley by zombies!
Mike
"Life is a Project!"
My problem is my butt is too cold before I get to sleep, so sleep won't happen because of discomfort. I get a warm butt then go to sleep.
I know what you mean about metabolism and gear recommendations although I normally think of clothing when I look at this. I've known people that are very happy and comfortable during snow storms in shorts, and I know people that bundle up with every scrap of clothing they have in the 50's. I met a German woman yesterday who is a triple crowner and has lots of experience on European trails in addition to walking through those 13,000' passes, and she thinks that we were immune to cold while she was freezing. You never know.
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