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  1. #1
    Senior Member BillyBob58's Avatar
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    Calling on HH Super Shelter (HHSS) folks to experiment with a differeent approach

    I use all forms of bottom insulation, and can find pros and cons to all approaches. But after 7 plus years of on and off HHSS use, I have found something I want to experiment with further: CCF pad use down in the HHSS Undercover(UC), which HH used to say was a no-no.

    I have used multiple-means of taking the basic HHSS(space blanket, pad and UC), mostly adding insulated clothing under the HH pad. And on some of my far from the trail head adventures in the northern Rockies, I have always had a pad for several reasons: first as a sit pad, then as a go to ground emergency( has happened twice) then as back up with a Speer SPE to be used in the hammock if conditions went far below the HHSS capabilities. But never had to use it for that. So far, I have been able to be warm in the coldest temps I have camped in just by adding unworn insulating clothing down in the UC. It has worked great for me!

    But the other day I was hanging out in my HH zip Explorer UL with HHSS. I got a sudden idea to place a full length CCF WM blue pad underneath the HH OCF pad. It was only maybe high 50s low 60s, so hard to tell the effect as I was already very warm with out this pad. But the pad seemed to be held snugly against my head, back and legs/feet, snug up against the HH OCF pad. It did not come up around or near my shoulders- too stiff in that direction- but since it was only 20" wide, it did not really interfere with the HH pad wrapping around my shoulders, plus seemed to have little effect on the way the UC fit on the sides or anywhere else.

    While I was at it, I also added a shorter piece of blue pad that I use for leg pads and sit pad, but oriented in the other direction to form a "T" shape on top of the length wise pad. Since this was oriented left to right in the roll up direction, it curved nicely around my shoulders.

    I'm thinking this might have huge potential for HHSS users. If it is indeed held snug against the HH pad, it could add 20 to 40 water and windproof degrees F to the basic HHSS.

    Comfort wise, the pad stayed put very nicely and I could not tell the pad was there except that, surprisingly, it wiped out any slight tendency this HH + HHSS has to calf pressure. I personally don't have much issue with leg pressure with this set up. It can definitely be a problem with this setup, and some believe the HHSS makes it worse, but I can almost always find a spot where the pressure is gone or minimized. Still, adding the CCf pad below the HHSS pad gave me zero pressure without even having to hunt for the sweet spot. I was extremely warm, but hard to say how much warmer I was than without the pad. Maybe I can find out this winter!

    But if this pad really will add similar warmth to what you would get laying on the pad in the hammock, but without having to do that and not even knowing it is there comfort wise, plus you get a big improvement in leg comfort, well, that is a heck of a combo right there. Especially for those who will always carry a CCF pad anyway on winter trips for various reasons.

    So how about members of the HHSS club help me check this out this winter? To see if it boosts temps to the amount that seems possible? Variations to check on: just a full length, with clothes stuffed on the sides if extra warmth is also needed there, or just a short 20" wide pad under the back and the OCF pad, or one or more short 20" pads placed with long side across the width so they will roll up around the shoulders, with or without the full length pad.

    I think CCF pads will work better for this, since they are more flexible along the long edges, the direction you roll them up, so more likely to curve where needed. And I suspect that the more flexible the CCF the better, but I am just going to stick to what I have, WM blue and TR Ridgerest. But who knows? My buddy uses a 55F Peapod to stay toasty at 20F, by putting his self inflating Thermarest down inside the PeaPod. This should work even better, because the Pea Pod does not have the HHSS's elastics which pull the pad up against your back. Another thing to test is just the WM blue pad by itself without the HH OCF pad, inside the HH UC.

    So how about it HHSS users, especially Y'all in real cold country: anyone up for some HHSS/pad testing? ( of course you could just add the pad inside the hammock and lay directly on the pad, but then there is the comfort issue)

  2. #2
    Senior Member Cali's Avatar
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    Subscribing to this thread to see the results. I will try mine, but SC doesn't have the cold temps like up north. It will get down in the 20's around February.
    "No whining in the woods"

  3. #3
    Senior Member BillyBob58's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cali View Post
    Subscribing to this thread to see the results. I will try mine, but SC doesn't have the cold temps like up north. It will get down in the 20's around February.
    Right, same problem here, not a lot of days available throughout the year for pushing a HHSS or any other insulation beyond it's rated temps out in the old backyard. I would have to travel to really get that done, and most of my travels to high altitudes and/or way up north are in summer or early fall. In the last 6 years, the best I have actually managed to get out and test in is:
    1: two nights at 10 or 11F, one in a Speer PeaPod on a Speer hammock and one in an JRB MW4 on a JRB Bridge hammock. And
    2: one night in my HHSS, augmented with a down vest and thick fleece jacket under the HH OCF pad, at I think it was 14F. But, I had no tarp and though slightly sheltered the wind still got to me pretty good and the wind chill was 6F. there has been plenty of other testing, but these were the only ones well below 20F.

    I am sure there have been a very few other pretty cold nights, but a form of laziness has kept me from testing. Because I HATE sleeping in the back yard, I rarely get a good nights sleep, unlike on the trail. That's why I am calling on you guys to test for me! ( well, OK, maybe I will test also if it gets cold enough)

    Now that night #2 would have been fine for me to test this pad theory, but it never occurred to me to try it, as opposed to adding clothing or even UL quilts/bags down below. The later I have done many times and always with great results, but HH had always emphasized that this system was not meant to be used with a pad below the hammock, so I just never went there. If I had ever needed a pad added to the HHSS to keep me warm, I would have used it inside the hammock. In fact, at least once on a week long trip I carried a Speer SPE as well as my lightest pads for this purpose plus in case I was forced to ground.

  4. #4
    Senior Member Mrprez's Avatar
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    I was thinking along those same lines, but instead of a CCF pad, I was going to try my 3/4 BA Synmat. To augment that in the shoulder regions, I have a piece of 1/4" wide CCF that I could use sideways. I haven't tried any of it yet, but will be going to Charlotte for Thanksgiving and will take my gear and sleep out in my daughters backyard which has a lot of trees.

  5. #5
    Senior Member
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    I am inclined to give it a try when it get's colder. No reason I can see why it would not work as long as the OC foam is on top to act as the compliant filler.
    YMMV

    HYOH

    Free advice worth what you paid for it. ;-)

  6. #6
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    Last year I used an extra OCF pad eggrate style under me to -4C and it kept my backside very warm. We're already hovering around freezing for lows and highs now, so I'll give it a try when the weather truly hits some cold spells. I just need to figure out my top cover since my sleeping bags are only good to just above freezing.

  7. #7
    Senior Member BillyBob58's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Whiskeyjack View Post
    Last year I used an extra OCF pad eggrate style under me to -4C and it kept my backside very warm. We're already hovering around freezing for lows and highs now, so I'll give it a try when the weather truly hits some cold spells. I just need to figure out my top cover since my sleeping bags are only good to just above freezing.
    Is that an extra HH OCF pad, or something different? I have always figured an extra HH OCF pad would give a huge boost, and have used my own version of that with the old HH OCF kidney and torso pads.

    But an extra HH pad is not much use on the ground, and since I usually have a CCF pad of some size with me anyway, I am now really interested to know if a CCF pad under the HH pad can be used to boost the HHSS significantly. I know it will work inside the hammock, but then you get into the comfort issues and keeping it in place. I can't believe it has taken me this many years to look into this!

  8. #8
    Senior Member Tinmar's Avatar
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    Calling on HH Super Shelter (HHSS) folks to experiment with a differeent appr...

    I'll give it a try this winter.

  9. #9
    Senior Member
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    It was the eggcrate style OCF you buy to put on a mattress. I had a couple kicking around, so tried it out. I think I still have a full CCF pad, if not I'll borrow one from DeRozea.
    Now I just need to figure out why I no longer receive e-mail alerts to responses.

  10. #10
    Senior Member Jayson's Avatar
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    If someone has a Supershelter I can borrow for a weekend I am willing to put my BUTT on the line this winter in hopefully down to -30°c temps.

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