SS - you are more tolerant to the heat than I am. That sounds like a sauna to me, even with venting.Originally Posted by SilvrSurfr
I suppose that is why I recommend people try it, cause each of us are different.
SS - you are more tolerant to the heat than I am. That sounds like a sauna to me, even with venting.
I suppose that is why I recommend people try it, cause each of us are different.
Great responses, everyone! For me, I am a warm sleeper, so all I need down into the 50's is a short length prolite pad. If it is a particularly nasty night, I may take the trouble to clip my poncho under the hammock, just as a mini-sock, just to keep the wind and any blown rain off me.
But you guys are giving me the itch to buy a proper summer UQ... my checkbook is quaking in fear....
It could be that the purpose of my life is merely to serve as a warning to others.
Just a thought - warm air rises, cool air descends, so wouldn't physics show that the UQ wouldn't matter at all? And that comfort in warm weather is based on top layers?
If that was the only process in play. Just remember heat travels via convection, conduction and radiation. A TQ slows heat loss from the top but you still need something on the bottom for the same reason.
In perfectly dead air, yes. But a breeze doesn't care whether it steals the heat from on top of you or underneath you, plus you're not going to remain perfectly still all night long (if nothing else, your breathing will move you slightly).
And the hammock wraps further around your body than the ground does, so the insulation on that side covers more of your body than the stuff on top...plus, it'll help break the wind trying to steal warmth from on top of you, since the sides of the hammock usually come up above your body...
Hope it helps!
"Just prepare what you can and enjoy the rest."
--Floridahanger
Right, but I am referring to the premise of certain UQ's being too hot - it shouldn't really matter as the body warmth will be rising or dissipating above you, not below. Seems that the UQ does the same thing in warm weather that it does in cold with no real change...the UQ is protecting you from the convection and radiation below you...and it has a low temperature range, whatever that is for your UQ...but an UQ that has a low of 0 shouldn't necessarily HEAT your body any more even in 100 degree weather. it is simply protecting you from having your body heat robbed...by that rationale, it is what you do with the top quilt in warmer weather that defines how much body heat is lost or captured and thus controlling your comfort range....
I understand the premise of your argument - that the TQ captures both radiant and convective (rising) heat, while the UQ only captures radiant heat, so the TQ is more important to vent. The short answer is "that makes sense." The other short answer is that both sides matter.
Quilts can only trap heat, not generate it. So does a parka. If you wore a parka in the summer, you'd overheat, right? Because your body dumps more heat by bringing blood vessels closer to the surface. You also start sweating but it won't evaporate because you are blocking convective currents. At some temperature and level of insulation (different for every person), an UQ will just be too warm, no matter what kind, if any, of TQ is used.
Since we're talking summer insulation, it's likely that our bodies are already warm and radiating quite a bit of heat when we get into the hammock. Most UQs wrap around the sides, providing insulation everywhere except directly on top. My guess is that it's just easier to vent a TQ but if your UQ has more insulation than you need then you are going to be uncomfortable even without a TQ. Kind of like unzipping a parka when you're overheating - it can provide some relief but if you're really overheating you need to take the parka off.
so just as an update, I had a GREAT trip this weekend (too many other stories to hijack this thread...will have to do AAR on trip report section), but it was 56 degrees first night and 60 degrees low second night...both nights I was TOTALLY comfortable with UQ and then just adjusted TQ as necessary to vent. Slept like a baby.
Not saying that the UQ doesn't heat you up a little bit, but I think (at least for me) the effect is marginal to where I can use it up to the part where I wouldn't have anything under me regardless (70 degrees)...it is kind of like whoopie slings as an analogy - major adjustments (tree straps) are done with TQ and the final tidy-up adjustments (slings) are done with UQ.
Again, everyone is different, but for my sleep habits that seemed to work great.
My first hang, I used a 6ft by 1.5 ft piece of reflectex in the double layer of my WBRR down to around 40 degrees/35-45mph wind. However, I was camping in Colorado at high altitude (8,000-10,000 ft) so it's very dry air. I was using only the black bag (0 - 30 degrees, 4lbs) of the IMSS and wearing a t-shirt and shorts.
I was really surprised how well that reflectex worked. Last night (2nd hang) it was 46 degrees/no wind and I didn't use it - I froze my butt off. I had to bundle up in long pants, thick fleece jacket, and wool cap to stay warm.
Rolled up it's 3 inch diameter by 18 inches. I'd be really surprised if it weighed as much as an UQ.
I thought I'd throw this out there in case you're considering just using a pad.
“I held a moment in my hand, brilliant as a star, fragile as a flower, a tiny sliver of one hour. I dropped it carelessly, Ah! I didn't know, I held opportunity.” -Hazel Lee
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