View Full Version : The Plight of the Pea Pod
joggerjohn
12-17-2009, 22:37
1 spent last night sleeping in my Pea Pod. I felt I was sleeping in a giant cacoon of feathers. The temperature range in the pea pod must have been around seventy degrees. I was shocked when I exited my hammock to find out that the temperature had crashed down to 4 degrees. Both my coat and boots were frozen like ice and my pants were useless and thin.Everytime I breathed my lungs burned cold... I am now amazed how much the pea pod was able to enhance the heat and warmth in my body. When I was in the pea pod I was totally unaware of the wintery environment outside the system I was sleeping in... Going into a minor state of shock after leaving the warm protection of pea pod was pretty impressive. It says alot about the effectiveness of the pea pod. Wow
Yep, pretty impressive. Makes you hate to get up and go water the trees at 3am!
joggerjohn
12-17-2009, 22:54
Yeah. I don't like icing up them trees when I pee.
animalcontrol
12-18-2009, 08:05
Yep, pretty impressive. Makes you hate to get up and go water the trees at 3am!
yellow ice sculptures!
KerMegan
12-18-2009, 09:41
TMI!
(yes the post is too short...)
Mr Prez, on this subject I would like to reference a question that already has been kicked about but begs an answer from more enlightened sources on HF. When sleeping in a winter bag (-15f rating) I tend to sleep with only a pair of (dry) wool soxes and a T shirt. It take me about a half hour to adjust the footbox zipper and shoulder zipper to get a adequete flow of ventilation air through the bag to prevent overheating depending on outside air ambient. What do our more informed sources prefer to sleep in for clothing that you could wear during the day in cold weather, that you could wear at night in your hammock that won,t hold moisture to prevent the dreaded late night chills.
BillyBob58
12-19-2009, 00:42
Mr Prez, on this subject I would like to reference a question that already has been kicked about but begs an answer from more enlightened sources on HF. When sleeping in a winter bag (-15f rating) I tend to sleep with only a pair of (dry) wool soxes and a T shirt. It take me about a half hour to adjust the footbox zipper and shoulder zipper to get a adequete flow of ventilation air through the bag to prevent overheating depending on outside air ambient. What do our more informed sources prefer to sleep in for clothing that you could wear during the day in cold weather, that you could wear at night in your hammock that won,t hold moisture to prevent the dreaded late night chills.
Man, that would be a long answer! Some here advocate sleeping near naked, others layer up pretty good. I believe Shug is experimenting on cutting back on the clothes he wears, hoping to decrease condensation I believe.
For the last year or I have been layered up pretty well with some very light weight Polarguard pants and hooded jacket. They are ultralight for PG, but pretty warm. I have slept in those alone on top at about 48-50F, barely warm enough. I have worn them under a Golite quilt at ~11F, again just barely OK. I don't think I could have ever got by any where near those temps being nearly naked with just that quilt. I think I would have froze!
Wentworth
12-19-2009, 07:29
Glad to hear you like the peapod. It may not be the lightest thing around, but the extreme loftiness of it, and the peace of mind knowing it will definitely keep you warm make it a favorite of mine!
Rain Man
12-19-2009, 12:51
Both my coat and boots were frozen like ice and my pants were useless and thin.
In cold weather, I sleep with those things in the sleeping bag with me. Thus, never any frozen clothes or boots to put on! The clothes dry out overnight, if they were damp. The boots (actually, shoes now) go into a turkey roaster bag (multi-purpose) to keep my sleeping bag clean.
Rain Man
.
Shadowmoss
12-19-2009, 14:07
Not that I actually camp when my clothes would get chilly, much less frozen, but I've done some thinking about it. I was thinking that since I have a uq, that I'd put my clothes between the uq and the hammock, or maybe in the layers of my dbl blackbird. The turkey roaster bag, which I have from one of the original group buys here, would answer the question of how to keep dirt and damp clothes from interfering with the dry down. Pro and con of this from you folks who actually do this type camping?
MacEntyre
12-20-2009, 11:40
The boots (actually, shoes now) go into a turkey roaster bag (multi-purpose) to keep my sleeping bag clean.
Great idea!
I could put them in an empty stuff sack.
- MacEntyre
joggerjohn
12-21-2009, 23:47
Yes, I should have thrown my extra coat and cloths in a plastic bag and utilized it as extra insulation below the hammock in the pea pod.
Just Jeff
12-22-2009, 07:39
Putting your clothes between the hammock and UQ will probably cause air gaps, or compression depending on what type of UQ you have.
Putting your clothes in a plastic bag that you're gonna keep warm all night won't make you any friends with noses...that's sure to cause mildew and "da stank." I do it with my boots though...guess they've never gotten warm enough to stink any more than after a normal winter trip.
I use my extra clothes as a pillow. My head keeps them nice and warm for in the morning. Just use an extra stuff sack.
Just Jeff
12-22-2009, 08:01
I do that on a lot of trips as well. In summer I usually just sleep in my hiking clothes. They're damp and dry by morning. In winter...it's a toss-up. If my clothes are barely damp and it's not extremely cold, I'll sleep in them. If it's really cold or my clothes are really wet, I'll change to dry ones and figure out what to do with the wet ones. Sometimes I'll hang them over the ridgeline and just deal with the cold/frozen-ness in the morning when I put them back on. If it's a short trip (and unfortunately most of mine are) then I might consider putting wet clothes in a waterproof bag in the hammock with me...just haven't had to do that yet.
HH and Warbonnet style bugnets are great for drying clothes if you use the tie-outs. Lay your clothes over the ridgeline, on the outside of the hammock, and you basically double the surface area available to dry the clothes. Plus you probably get a little bit of body heat coming thru. Just gotta make sure the wind can't blow your clothes away during the night...good tarp takes care of that, if necessary.
Pastorus
12-24-2009, 09:56
Glad to hear you like the peapod. It may not be the lightest thing around, but the extreme loftiness of it, and the peace of mind knowing it will definitely keep you warm make it a favorite of mine!
Yes, agreed. Mine just arrived in the mail yesterday, and last night (Christmas Eve,Eve) was my first night in a Peapod. The warmth was great even at 32*. There was some effort getting used to the velcro that runs the length of the pod, probably due to the fact that it was already dark and I was setting it up for the first time.
I awoke during the night to find that my 10 inch breathing hole had closed and the entire bag was sealed. I'm told that re-breathing one's same air can lead to a headache (or death as in a snow cave).
As for hammock comfort, well, not very. I am spoiled with my WBBB, but it might be better after I re-do the whipping on that little Travel Hammock or remove the ridgeline on the BB.
My friends call me a gram counter, but that's in the summer when mistakes don't kill you. In the cold this Peapod is wonderful. I won't mind carrying this kind of security in my winter pack.
joggerjohn
12-24-2009, 10:29
Yeah, I just used the pea pod yesterday night using a Warbonnet Traveler Hammock and it worked.
Cannibal
12-24-2009, 10:45
What do our more informed sources prefer to sleep in for clothing that you could wear during the day in cold weather, that you could wear at night in your hammock that won,t hold moisture to prevent the dreaded late night chills.
Wicking base layers work for me and I'm a person that struggles with overheating on a regular basis. I wear heavy to mid weight base layers (top and bottom) and heavy wool socks; that is my basic PJ configuration. I add things like a watch cap or balaclava as needed. The base layer all but eliminates any moisture from building up, for me anyway.
Damp clothing generally goes in a stuff sack left open and gets stowed under my topquilt with me. Clothing isn't usually "dry" in the morning, but it's a lot closer to it than when it went in the sack. I've given-up on the idea of trying to keep my boots ice-free in the mornings, just something I've learned to accept. I did learn one slightly dangerous, but tons of fun trick to dealing with cold boots in the morning. If you use an alcohol stove, pour a half a cap full of alcohol in your boots and light. Let it 'burn' for a few seconds and blow out. Slip your feet in immediately and revel in the temporary warmth that has been created. It won't last long, but it makes putting your feet in them much more easy to deal with. All priase to "Yazzi" for that little discovery on a cold morning in NC.
BillyBob58
12-24-2009, 12:06
Putting your clothes between the hammock and UQ will probably cause air gaps, or compression depending on what type of UQ you have.........
With the Pea Pod, I have routinely done this, but not with a plastic bag. But adding loft beneath the pod by adding clothes can really boost warmth. I have not noticed any problems yet with air gaps. I have always figured that was because the Pea Pod is not only supported on the ends, but along the complete length of the hammock by the Velcro closure.
I'm not saying no gaps resulted under my legs ( hard to know for sure, but no gaps under my torso for sure), I can only say it did not cause any cold spots. Of course, I'm sure I often had stuff added under my legs also. I think the biggest risk is having something down there that is too heavy or having the pod too tight to add stuff, and causing, like you said, compression of loft.
Last fall, on my Wind River trip, I did a lot of experimenting and playing around. The first night was the coldest, and I just used the pod by itself plus clothing on top. But on the following nights, I started adding nearly every thing I didn't need on top down in the pod. Just to see what would happen. I was just wanting to see what would happen with overall warmth if I maximized bottom warmth, even though the pod was plenty capable of handling those temps with zero added to the bottom.
So, I put dry rain tops/pants, camp towels, stuff sacks, whatever I could come up with that I didn't wear to bed. Sometimes a pad down there, or sometimes a pad in the Claytor pad pocket under the legs. Then I would check adjustment so that it was all just barely touching my back. I would reach out and check loft, which was usually pretty awesome.
I can't really say how much it helped or didn't help, because the following nights were not as cold, probably only low-mid 30s. Though the air was much wetter and it was much windier. But, I definitely did not need to close things up near as much, and was always way warm.
joggerjohn
12-24-2009, 14:59
That is what I do.. I store all unused clothes in the bottom part of the Pea Pod.
Pastorus
12-24-2009, 18:20
That is what I do.. I store all unused clothes in the bottom part of the Pea Pod.
When you say you store your unused clothes in the bottom, are you talkin' 'bout down at you're feet or under your hammock. If it's down at your feet, don't they work their way to your waste, or does your hammock really lay that flat?
joggerjohn
12-24-2009, 19:34
I usually place some of my extra clothes underneath the hammock in the pea pod. My hammock is pretty flat since it is a Claytor no net.I usually put my down jacket underneath me.
tomsawyer222
12-24-2009, 21:32
you can get alot of storage goodness also if you have an underquilt just by using a hammock sock then you dont worry about loft compression and things tend to stay a little warmer that way and they will dry too
BillyBob58
12-24-2009, 23:11
When you say you store your unused clothes in the bottom, are you talkin' 'bout down at you're feet or under your hammock. If it's down at your feet, don't they work their way to your waste, or does your hammock really lay that flat?
Yep, when you set up and adjust the Pea Pod, just leave an extra few inches between the Pea Pod and hammock. Put a down or Polarguard jacket or vest or light quilt or whatever you have between the Pea Pod and hammock. You may well now find yourself with 4 or 5 or 6" of bottom loft. Instead of the normal rated 2.5".
Pastorus
12-25-2009, 11:41
Second night in my Peapod. I got the knack with opening and closing the pod.
Temp dropped to 27* and so comfortable. I dreamt it was summertime and somebody invented a wonderful new type of A/C that allows you to breath icy cold fresh air. It was delightful!
BillyBob58
12-25-2009, 16:05
Second night in my Peapod. I got the knack with opening and closing the pod.
Temp dropped to 27* and so comfortable. I dreamt it was summertime and somebody invented a wonderful new type of A/C that allows you to breath icy cold fresh air. It was delightful!
Oh YEAH!........
Just Jeff
12-25-2009, 16:46
Joggerjohn - you got to 4F using ONLY the PeaPod? That's pretty impressive.
One thing I like about the PeaPod is that I can put my boots in a stuffsack, clip it to the hammock support on the foot end, and hang the boots inside the PeaPod. The stuffsack cord runs thru the end of the PeaPod and the boots rest inside the hammock, up and out of the way above my feet. This keeps them from freezing and they're easy to get to in the morning.
I really like how the PeaPod seals against almost all drafts, too. Joker's setup two nights ago was the DownHammock and PeaPod at -2F...plus GoLite Ultra and Hammock Sock. He started sweating during the night and kicked off his quilt and took of his down jacket. Definitely a fan of the PeaPod. (And the MWUQ4, and the Yeti, and... :jj: )
BillyBob58
12-25-2009, 17:32
Joggerjohn - you got to 4F using ONLY the PeaPod? That's pretty impressive....................... )
I'm pretty sure he augmented.
Pastorus
12-25-2009, 17:55
One thing I like about the PeaPod is that I can put my boots in a stuffsack, clip it to the hammock support on the foot end, and hang the boots inside the PeaPod. The stuffsack cord runs thru the end of the PeaPod and the boots rest inside the hammock, up and out of the way above my feet. This keeps them from freezing and they're easy to get to in the morning.
That is what I want. Warm clothes and boots that don't get tangled up in my legs. THANKS for the idea!
MedicineMan
12-25-2009, 21:09
more mention of the hammock sock???? pics? links? please
BillyBob58
12-25-2009, 23:22
Second night in my Peapod. I got the knack with opening and closing the pod.
Temp dropped to 27* and so comfortable. I dreamt it was summertime and somebody invented a wonderful new type of A/C that allows you to breath icy cold fresh air. It was delightful!
Pastorus, what all did you have inside your Pea Pod on that 27* night? 27*F is currently my record for a Pea Pod with NO TQ, just puffy clothing to seal around the gaps. But, this was in a narrow hammock.
Pastorus
12-26-2009, 00:29
Pastorus, what all did you have inside your Pea Pod on that 27* night? 27*F is currently my record for a Pea Pod with NO TQ, just puffy clothing to seal around the gaps. But, this was in a narrow hammock.
All I had with me was my polyester jammy pants, wool socks, and a fleece pullover. It is also a narrow hammock. Oh yeah, I was using a down vest as a pillow. I wonder if the difference might be the 2 oz. overfill. I am a pretty cold sleeper and was quite surprised. I can hardly wait for tonight's sleep and I'm hoping for ~20* (that's not the same as -20*).
joggerjohn
12-26-2009, 01:19
good luck. May you dream magnificent dreams in your pea pod tonight.
BillyBob58
12-26-2009, 14:01
All I had with me was my polyester jammy pants, wool socks, and a fleece pullover. It is also a narrow hammock. Oh yeah, I was using a down vest as a pillow. I wonder if the difference might be the 2 oz. overfill. I am a pretty cold sleeper and was quite surprised. I can hardly wait for tonight's sleep and I'm hoping for ~20* (that's not the same as -20*).
Well, then, that is most impressive! Can't wait to see how it goes at 20!
Pastorus
12-27-2009, 01:28
Well, then, that is most impressive! Can't wait to see how it goes at 20!
No luck getting the cold temp. Clouds have rolled in and it'll be a warm ~40* with rain. I might need ear plugs to dull the sound of rain on the tarp.
LyttleBryan
12-27-2009, 20:56
Remember to take your boot insoles and put them in the hammock with you!
Pastorus
12-29-2009, 22:11
Hit 24º last night and I started to get a chilly bottom. I stored a down jacket at my feet and I'm sure it helped keep them warmer. I really want to get to 20º without augmentation, but that is not a common temp in the Sacramento Valley. I'll have to go for a drive & hike.
NotToWorry
12-30-2009, 10:26
Hit 24º last night and I started to get a chilly bottom. I stored a down jacket at my feet and I'm sure it helped keep them warmer. I really want to get to 20º without augmentation, but that is not a common temp in the Sacramento Valley. I'll have to go for a drive & hike.
Pastorus, here's a tip that might help getting those last few degrees. Give the PP more slack to ensure you're not decreasing the loft by stretching it too tight. When it's cold, the tendency is to tighten the PP too tight in the effort to eliminate cold dead air spaces between it & the hammock. However, this can result in loss of down loft under your body where your body's weight is excessivelly stretching the PP. So it can be a fine balance. To remedy: loosen the PP at the end draw cords & let each end of the PP slide toward the center of the hammock another inch or two. This may help insure you're not loosing bottom loft. You can also always add some extra insulation between the hammock & the PP, such as any extra clothes you're not wearing to sleep in; also try pack covers, rain gear, blankets, ground sheets, etc. It's amazing how much extra warmth you can get by ensuring full bottom loft &/or adding a shirt, jacket or pair of pants as a liner between the hammock & PP. For extremely cold weather, I loosen the PP even more & then add down blankets or summer-weight sleeping bags as liners, again being carefull not to lose bottom loft by excessive stretching of the PP. Hope this helps.
BillyBob58
12-30-2009, 18:37
Yes, what Ed said. And I find that it is trickier with some hammocks, than others, to get the tension just right so that you don't have too much gap or the opposite: little or no gap but down compression. In my limited experience ( compared to Ed anyway) I have opted for more gap if needed, rather than risking compression. Though I walways at least try for as little gap as possible.
Another thing: make sure the down is adequately distributed into the bottom. You would think that gravity would make the down tend to sink towards the bottom, but I have found it to be the opposite. So I fairly frequently, after hanging everything up, shift the down from the top towards the bottom. The butt ( cold butt syndrome) and kidney areas are where I am most likkely to need the max insulation in any hammock.
I have not had trouble yet keeping warm on the bottom, but I don't think I could stay warm in the Pea Pod on top at 20*F without augmentation either with a top quilt or puffy clothing to fill gaps and seal off around the neck when opening a breathing hole. EDIT: Although, with any TQ I have available to use in the Pod, 20*F on top is a cinch. Zero to ten are probably no problem.
joggerjohn
12-30-2009, 23:15
I was wondering... Just how much stuff can someone put into the bottom of a Pea Pod. What are the limits?
MacEntyre
12-31-2009, 06:02
I'm reluctant to put anything but real insulation into my PeaPod. A sheet of Insultex worked well recently. I'll put a Top Blanket or a Frog Sac in it, but nothing that isn't some kind of lightweight insulation.
I love the idea of putting boots in the ends, though!
- MacEntyre
Pastorus
01-04-2010, 10:26
Now I know about needing some space filler in my PeaPod. It was forecast to be over 40º last night dropping to 36º for an hour. It ended up 28º verified by the frozen water for the goats.
I tried out my new "roomy" hammock that I finished hours earlier. It is 60" wide and a lot more comfortable than my Travel Hammock. The little hammock gave me several warm nights without augmentation in my PeaPod.
Thanks to the advise on this thread, I loosened the PP at both ends and decompressed the loft at the bottom. This kept my bottom warm!
As for the top, my handy Te-Wa UQ became a TQ. Only my toes were cold. I dreamed of helping some poor guy keep from freezing to death. Oh well, dreaming = sleep)
I will add some better top insulation tonight and hope for more 20º+ coolness for my 13th consecutive day outside.
MacEntyre
01-04-2010, 11:31
Only my toes were cold.
I wore my $19 REI down booties last night... they were almost too warm! :)
Pastorus
01-04-2010, 12:46
I wore my $19 REI down booties last night... they were almost too warm! :)
I should have worn my down bootie last night. Tonight with a better TQ, it just won't be cold enough for the booties.
Im wondering if there is a fine line between throwing too much stuff in the peapod to increase insulation that it kind of defeats the purpose- you have to bring more stuff... weights down the bottom of the peapod too much?... What about the concept from Big Agnes- their overbags? a peapod overbag that adds additional loft and naturally is larger in size made to fit over the original peapod? Even though its two items, together they will compress much less than all these other blankets some are saying they use? Im just trying to make sense of all this.
MacEntyre
01-04-2010, 13:42
...a peapod overbag...
I was thinking of that... I have a hammock sock in the works that is insulated on the bottom half.
Gotta get the shape right...
Is your hammock sock water proof? I would love to see your design when youre done with it!
MacEntyre
01-06-2010, 19:46
Is your hammock sock water proof?
No, it isn't. I want it to breath. Insultex breathes rather slowly, though.
I would love to see your design when youre done with it!
Here it is (http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/showthread.php?t=13387)!
I just sewing up the head end and making a SEEP (Side Entry/Exit Portal), as discussed. No pictures of the latest mod, because I'm charging camera bats!
I'm just headed out to try getting in and out of it!
- MacEntyre
joggerjohn
01-08-2010, 00:51
I always use a hammock sock with my pea pod and Warbonnet Traveler hammock. Condensation is not much of an issue since I vent the hammock sock and I hang a sponge off my ridgeline.. The temps inside the hammock sock work well in conjunction with the PeaPod. The cold winds do not rob your body of its heat. You stay warm. I really like this system.
MacEntyre
01-08-2010, 06:59
Good to know it works well, JoggerJohn. When this next cold snap hits us, I will try the new IX insulated sock with the PeaPod... supposed to be 15*F tomorrow night. I've been testing IX only the last few nights.
- MacEntyre
joggerjohn
01-09-2010, 09:31
How did your homemade insulated hammock sock work?
MacEntyre
01-09-2010, 09:50
How did your homemade insulated hammock sock work?
Boy, did it! It was 13*F last night, sock was a perfect fit around the PeaPod, and I had to ventilate all night. Read about it here (http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/showthread.php?p=192225#post192225).
- MacEntyre
stairguy
06-03-2020, 00:56
Good lyrics for a rack song................