Thermadrape: Vapor Barrier Awesomeness.

[attroll]

I will just add that attroll has been testing mine recently as a stand-alone UQ, and should pipe in here as to it's properties, usability, etc., with maybe a pic? Mine is a little heavy, due to the wool suiting middle layer. I could have used a much lighter middle layer, like silk or ????(use your imagination.)

I really like this as a UQ on its own, or as a cold weather UQ booster. Its VB properties is one of the best things about it. Back it with 1.1 sil or untreated, and you have a pretty lightweight, reusable, sturdy, packable, stuffable UQ.

As the unmodified version is only 7.4 oz (is that with or without the headgear?), you should be able to make a pretty lightweight UQ, especially for 3+ season use. And, they only cost $10 at my source.

So, HC4U has busted the super-secret Thermadrape UQ club. At least we still have our secret handshake.

And I thought it would be cool to take several of the headgears, and make hammock sleep socks.

OK, since you insist Finn, I will pipe in. I did not know if you wanted the secret out of the bag yet.

FishinFinn sent me his under Quilt with a sock to test on my BlackBird DD.

The under quilt I believe is wool and had the Thermadrape vapor barrier on it. I set up my Blackbird in the garage (not heated) with all the doors open. The temps that night were 11 degrees.

I had a zero degree down sleeping bag and a Crosslinked Polyethylene CCF pad in between my BlackBird DD hammock. Under that hammock I had FishinFinn under quilt with the Thermadrape vapor barrier. Over all of that I have his homemade sock over everything.

I will say with all that I slept very warm and comfortable. I was overly impressed. The under quilt may need some tweaking to use with the BB but I managed to get it to work. If you could get the weight and pack size down on the quilt you would really have something here. Actually the weight of the under quilt is 1.15 lbs which really is pretty impressive for wool. As I said I was very warm and did not have any sweat between any of the layers.

Good well done FishinFinn

[MacEntyre]

Save one for me, too!

[amac]

This looks like a very interesting material. I notice, however, that most are considering using at as an UQ. What about using it in the pad sleeve of double-layer hammocks?

[fin]

OK, since you insist Finn, I will pipe in. I did not know if you wanted the secret out of the bag yet.

Hey, blame HC4U. Actually, we had an offline conversation about it after my PM to you guys, and I told him to go ahead and post about it. I was going to wait until I had some instructions, but it is so basic and easy to do that I figured "what the heck - it will benefit everyone." I also figured that one of our more resourceful members may be able to find another source for these - my source could be dry already, and once they are gone, they are gone.

This looks like a very interesting material. I notice, however, that most are considering using at as an UQ. What about using it in the pad sleeve of double-layer hammocks?

Yes, you could do that. But how do you get it to stay in place in a pad pocket? Have you tried just a wool blanket in a pad sleeve? It can be done, but it moves around and eventually bunches up. I actually toyed with the idea of adding some kind of snap or attachment on the footbox of the BB and the UQ, to ensure that the footbox was covered, but didn't want to mess with the integrity and beauty of my BB. Once I get my next BB, I have a couple of mods in mind that I want to test out. An integral weathershield, stowable and possibly removable pockets (think rain jacket hood,) maybe something I'm calling "wing drop fluff" (if it works the way I think,) and a new style of UQ attachment system. I also found some real cool fabric that has a reflective coating built in to it and is waterproof - about a 1.7-1.9 oz. I want to find some use for that as well - maybe a light loft down quilt. Lots of projects - not enough time or money.

[Rushthezeppelin]

My god finn your just full of ideas. I wonder if that wp reflective coating fabric stuff could be used as an outer layer for this UQ....would it possibly give a bit more of a boost to temp ratings?

[fin]

My god finn your just full of ideas. I wonder if that wp reflective coating fabric stuff could be used as an outer layer for this UQ....would it possibly give a bit more of a boost to temp ratings?

And it may eliminate the need for an inner liner........ Hmmm, it's good to voice your ideas out loud - sometimes someone else sees the obvious that is right in front of your face, but you are too close or too focused to see.

I'll post the fabric details when I get home - I don't have them here at work.

[Rushthezeppelin]

Interesting

[animalcontrol]

This looks like a very interesting material. I notice, however, that most are considering using at as an UQ. What about using it in the pad sleeve of double-layer hammocks?

That is my thought...since there is no insulation to compress, I don't see why not.
I would think it it wouldn't be too hard to stop it moving around at night (think of Thermarest in a HH, velcro at the most) no suspension to fiddle with.

[MacEntyre]

I stopped by Hancock Fabrics today just to look around... found something that FishinFinn says he posted about last spring. (I couldn't find that thread.) Since it is similar to Thermadrape, I thought I would make a quick and dirty quilt for comparison.

It's called WarmWindow, and it is made by The Warm Company, the folks who make Insulbrite. It is for making insulated, heat reflective, window shades. It looks like a big brother to Thermadrape. (At $28 per yard, it is priced that way, too!)

It's made up of four layers:

1. cotton polyester blend with fabric protector;
2. high density needled holo fiber insulation layer;
3. space blanket ("metalized poly film with air trapping fibers");
4. another layer of insulation with a thin plastic coating (vapor barrier) on the side facing the space blanket.

The whole thing is held together by quilted channels.

. . . .

I bought a 60" wide yard of the stuff, and will add a laundered Tyvek lining on the unfinished side. My daughter can try it out on her hammock, since she is about that size.

- MacEntyre

[fin]

Mac, when you get your thermadrape, you will see just how different these things are.