Ive now had two nights with the SS in cold weather. The first was just above freezing, and I was unsheltered from strong winds. This was a few degrees colder than my previous SS experience, so I decided to add a coat (
http://www.dickiesstore.co.uk/workwe...ets/SA22045/0/) between the undercover and foam pad. So below me I had:
* compressed sleeping bag
* hammock fabric
* space blanket trimmed to size of foam pad
* foam pad
* coat
* undercover.
I was colder than expected :-( What I think happened is that the coat allowed a draught underneath me because it was not flat against my body. In addition, the weight of the coat is carried by the undercover and that causes it to sag, further allowing gaps where draught can get in. That seems like a fairly fundamental problem, and Im suprised I havent seet it reported by anyone else who has tried adding extra insulation to the undercover ? ?
The second night was just below freezing but the winds dropped a little. I removed the jacket and was a little warmer. For me this is right on the limit of a comfortable sleep with the standard SS system and that sleeping bag.
Ive since had a chance to hang at home, and it is clear that my undercover *always* sags on the right side. I can improve this a little by tightening the bungees running the length of the undercover, and the bungee supporting the right side head end of the underpad. I can also pull the underpad snug against my body by grabbing the edge of the undercover (through the hammock fabric - not easy on a bottom entry model) and tugging upwards. It feels more snug, which would be warmer but I am not confident it would stay in place overnight. In the attached photo I am pointing at it after the tug.
Billybob wrote about the undercover compressing his insulation - I'm a long way off that being a problem.
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