9 nights in a PeaPod

[BillyBob58]

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One trick I learned was that I could fasten the ends of the PeaPod in three different places. I could fasten it outside the ends of the hammock, just inside the whipping, or six inches below the whipping. Where I put it depended on how much gap I wanted between the hammock and the PeaPod. More gap for warmer temps, of course.

- MacEntyre

Or, more gap for adding stuff. Warm stuff like puffy jackets or quilts. Dry rain gear, dry leaves. Wet rain gear/leaves, but in a water proof sack. Etc.

[MacEntyre]

Or, more gap for adding stuff.

I can't wait to try the Speer Top Blanket underneath, inside the PeaPod, with a VB on top of it. I'll use the Frog Sac as my top quilt.

...dry leaves. Wet rain gear/leaves, but in a water proof sack. Etc.

Bite your tongue! You won't catch me putting stuff like that in my PeaPod!

- MacEntyre

[angrysparrow]

I can't wait to try the Speer Top Blanket underneath, inside the PeaPod, with a VB on top of it. I'll use the Frog Sac as my top quilt.

That's a great setup. It will need to be COLD...

[BillyBob58]

Right, the PeaPod with Top Blanket is not about adequacy or sufficiency.

But it was not much more than was required... the forecast was for temps in the high 20s. I would not want to use the PeaPod with no top blanket below freezing.

A top quilt is nice for sure, a luxurious way to go. However, I ( people vary greatly) have more than once used my Pea Pod in the high 20s with just warm clothing(No hood other than the minimal one on my jacket) and been OK. Not toasty on top, but good enough. I was pushing it, and was definitely close to the comfort limit. Also, this was with a narrow hammock, which probably got me a few extra degrees on top. Total Pea Pod weight 42 oz plus clothing I was wearing around camp anyway.

Until I added a separate hood, and using some of the same clothing as above( except lacking a down vest), I was maybe not even quite as warm the night it snowed in the Sipsey, using my Golite 20 TQ. Probable lows were high 20s.

If I put that Golite quilt into the Pea Pod, on top, I would expect single digits. Especially wearing my standard cold weather camp clothing. Considering I did 11* with a summer bag inside the pod, and was fine. And that was not even in a narrow hammock, but in the Speer. And no hot water bottle!

But again, people vary so much and conditions ( wind/wet) can add so many variables. I bet my wife would be challenged by 40*F with the above set up.

Pea Pod 38-42 oz. Rated 20* on bottom, ? degrees on top? 50 minimum, but I think that is super conservative. My opinion, at least 40*F on top, maybe 35 especially if pod is closed all the way with a narrow hammock.

JRB long No Sniv on bottom: 23 oz ( rating? 20*F? ) Stealth long on top 17 oz. 40 * on top? total 40 oz.

Yeti ( high 20s? low 30s?) 13 oz leg pad 6 oz? Golite 20 long 21 oz? 30*F on top? 40 oz?

[BillyBob58]

........

I'm not trying to knock speer's stuff... I just feel like I'm missing something. I don't understand why the top part of the peapod is worth carrying if you still have to add a topquilt in with it. Please enlighten me.

I know this is already answered, but consider:
Unless MAYBE if the hammock is narrow, there are more weight efficient means of keeping the top warm than the pod by itself. IOW, 42 oz worth of separate TQ plus UQ will probably be warmer, at least on top. Maybe high 20s- mid 30s vs only 40 for the pod used alone. Depending on the person. And you can always be a bit more weight efficient with a pad for the legs instead of full length UQ/pods.

But, if you fill the gap on top inside the pod with a 22 oz top quilt, now you have say 2.5" loft quilt PLUS 2.5" pod loft on top of that. Just how warm should that be? Pretty dang warm I think. Will that not give you 4 or 5" of loft over you?

[BillyBob58]

Bite your tongue! You won't catch me putting stuff like that in my PeaPod!

- MacEntyre

I have! Why not, if inside a WP bag? I probably wouldn't put soaking wet stuff in there, because the weight might be too much. But damp is no problem. Other than wet stuff, I have put all kinds of stuff like dry rain gear, insulated clothing pack towels, etc. No problems. Just WARM!

[MacEntyre]

...this was with a narrow hammock...

It is worth mentioning that the Speer 8.5A that I am using has 'high freeboard'. IOW, it's a narrow hammock, but the edges don't sag down to the bottom, as, for instance, a DoubleNest.

When you swing your legs overboard, your knees are held up in the air by the edge of the hammock, and are about eight inches above your butt.

The point is, that feature leaves the top of the PeaPod way up in the air above you, when there is no top blanket. The top blanket fills that space perfectly.