View Full Version : not sure if im setting up wrong
Hi folks
Out in the woods yesterday and used my zep 10 degree F (full length) & flight jacket 10 degree F but still had a cold night even though temps were only 5 degree C. I am normally a cold sleeper but expected this combo to keep me toasty. Checked the underquilt and it was cinched up enough. Do you experienced guys supplement your top quilts in the cooler weather with any lighter quilt or clothing etc.
Thank you
You should be broiling in that much insulation at those temps. Were there cold spots, shoulders, rear, feet, or were you just all over cold every where?
If you cinch too tight at the ends, and without additional support it can set up some sag in the middle. Too loose and air gets in to shoulder and feet. If it's an over all chill, I'm wondering if initially you weren't too warm to start, which I'm kind of suspecting at this point.
Yes you can supplement the temp rating of any insulation by adding base layers and liners, but before doing that, I'd first go with a dedicated set of sleep clothes. Light to med base layers and if not thinner socks, ones that are loose and not restrictive, that you do not hike in. Having clean dry sleeping clothes that don't contain any sweat or moisture from the days exertion is a real key for me.
Beyond that, put someone else in the hammock and see what the UQ is doing when under load. It will probably take a combination of all of the above to get it properly dialed in. Think of it the same as searching for that sweet spot, that puts you right to sleep. Once you find it, it will always be there :thumbup1:
Thanks Rolloff, i was cold around the shoulders, front and rear. I didnt have my tarp doors deployed as i thought i would be warm enough so maybe a breeze effected the top of me. Im thinking you could be right in that it was maybe not cinched up enough and allowed a chill down my back. I never thought about a dedicated set of sleep clothes, i have always tended to think more is better and pile on an extra fleece lol. Will set up in my garden and get the wife to get in it so i can see how the fit is.
KiwiMark
10-25-2015, 12:24
I slept in ~0°C using a 20° UQ and a sleeping bag that I'm pretty sure is rated about the same, I was cozy & warm. I'm sure that 10° gear used in 5°C temperatures is capable of keeping a cold sleeper comfortable, don't worry you'll get it right with a little tweaking.
Yup cinch up that UQ tight....you need to eliminate any dead air space between the Hammock and the UQ with you in it or the cold will creep in quick. You want that down up against you without it becoming compressed.
As said a helper too help dial it in helps.
I pull the main suspension rather tight and use the secondary to line it up under me and keep it in place
Tighten up that main suspension........
It should lift the hammock up in the air when you are not in it. And don't overtighten the ends where it cinches at feet and head. May cause gaps.
Carry forth.
Shug
The Old Boot
10-27-2015, 15:21
I never thought about a dedicated set of sleep clothes, i have always tended to think more is better and pile on an extra fleece lol. Will set up in my garden and get the wife to get in it so i can see how the fit is.
I'd try this before anything else although having another body in the hammock to check your UQ set up is a good idea.
If you hiked or even just hauled stuff from the car and set up the hammock you probably broke at least a little sweat and went to bed with damp clothes on. That's a recipe for disaster. Or since you piled on an extra layer of fleece, you might have even been sweating in the hammock and then woke up cold when you stopped sweating. Even if it's just the same type of shirt that you wear for hiking, always change in to clean dry clothes for sleeping in.
In the summer that may just mean a short sleeve t shirt and a pair of clean underwear