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View Full Version : Cold & Snowy in New 1/2 UQ ... cause ya'll asked!



Shug
04-11-2008, 09:31
Well we had some good and nasty weather last night so I went ahead and strung 'er up outside in our firehut.
1322
Skipped the tarp as it was a wet snow/sleet/rain falling from above. Heavy stuff and thunder and lightning!!
1321

Crawled in at around midnight, temp was 33º. Western Mountaineering 20º bag, short ridgerest for legs and feet. I wore smartwool top, Golite Wisp wind shirt, polypro longjohns, 2 pair smartwool socks, balaclava & beanie possumdown.
This was the FIRST time that I ever slept in a hammock with no pad or SPE under my torso. And I was warm!!!! That surprised me. Although that was about as low as I would go temp-wise with this UQ alone. Any colder I would add a full pad. It took my butt the longest to warm but it surely did. Need to add a piece of omni tape to my right shoulder side to attach to my hammock side to keep the UQ up. Just on the side where my head is. If I sat up or moved too much it tended to slide too far to the other side. Not to bad but want it stable. JRB suspension system works primo!
Went down to 31º and I stayed warm and comfy so I am pleased. I did make this for the shoulder seasons and to lighten up my burden and it is gonna do the job.
As to UQ's my thoughts are:
*Harsh winter I will use my full UQ along with pad and SPE.
*Mild 3 season I will use 1/2 UQ with foot pad.
*Summer and mild weather I will go with a pad/SPE combo only.
Really happy to be hanging and waking up rested from comfort!
Shug

NCPatrick
04-11-2008, 09:47
Great report Shug!

In harsh winter, could you use the full UQ AND the 1/2 UQ (layered) and be warm, do ya think?

Shug
04-11-2008, 10:18
Great report Shug!

In harsh winter, could you use the full UQ AND the 1/2 UQ (layered) and be warm, do ya think?

There is an idea!! Can't mess around in Minnesota winter and I am forced to carry more on my back in frigid temps anyhow. Could carry less pad and the 1/2 UQ packs down small..... hmmmm.
I like how it does all go in the BlackBishop Bag, hammock, webbing, beeners, UQ and all. Very nice package and still packs small.
Shug of the No Shivers

BillyBob58
04-11-2008, 11:08
Hey Shug,
You have certainly done a lot of experimenting with a lot of different home made gear, under really harsh conditions. It seems as though designing and making gear is no problem for you. Why don't you, just for fun, try a PeaPod style approach? I guess that would be harder to make than some projects, but maybe not so much. Not as hard as trying to make a SnugFit, anyway. You might like it. Especially if you are using one of the more narrow hammocks. Then the top layer will just lay down on top of you like a regular sleeping bag on the ground, or a quilt used in the hammock.

It might prove weight efficient. When designed for whatever season you plan to use it in. For example, what is the weight of your 1/2 UQ, pad for legs, and Western Mountaineering bag? As you say for the 31* of your test "And I was warm!!!! That surprised me. Although that was about as low as I would go temp-wise with this UQ alone. ". Now a full on Speer PeaPod with overfill weighs a whopping 42 ozs. But it is rated at 20*(bottom), without a pad. And for me, with the narrow hammocks like a Claytor, etc., I think it will function to about 20* or better on top also, though I have not been able to test it. I know that with the wider Speer hammock- which interferes with top warmth since it holds the pod above your body, I was fine at 10* plus 5 mph wind with only the addition of a light summer top quilt, warm clothing and a space blanket underneath. ( Of course, that was just one night, it might have been different under different conditions! We all know these things vary even with the same person on a different night). You could of course make a lighter one for the shoulder seasons. But still, 42 oz for bag, UQ and pad equivalent with about a 20* rating might prove to be pretty darn competitive. Again, that rating I'm giving it on top is theoretical and untested by me, and only applies to use with a narrow hammock. I am making an assumption ( :eek: ) based on the fact that the pod drapes right down on me( with a narrow hammock only), leaving me well over 2.5" of loft on top, top of head to toes, as well as on bottom.

For me, with a wider hammock, it appears to be good to somewhere in the 40s top wise, with just minimal warm clothing, no top quilt. But with my BMWs PG clothing and no quilt, at least to the low 30s.


This is just a thought for another project for when you have some more time to kill. I know another one of your far north mates, Turk from Canada, really loved the JRB version of the Pod approach. You might also!
Bill

Shug
04-11-2008, 12:16
Hey Shug,
You have certainly done a lot of experimenting with a lot of different home made gear, under really harsh conditions. It seems as though designing and making gear is no problem for you. Why don't you, just for fun, try a PeaPod style approach?
Bill
Now you have done it!!! The idea is planted and starting to bloom. I like the idea of making one but don't know too much about them except for what I have read here and the pix I have seen on the Speers site.
Yessir, I am gonna do. When time allows.
Thanks for the suggestion.
Shug

BillyBob58
04-11-2008, 14:05
Now you have done it!!! The idea is planted and starting to bloom. I like the idea of making one but don't know too much about them except for what I have read here and the pix I have seen on the Speers site.
Yessir, I am gonna do. When time allows.
Thanks for the suggestion.
Shug

Ah yes, my dastardly plot succeeded! :D I don't see where it will be much different than making an UQ or TopQ. Just much wider, mainly in the middle. And tapering to the ends, where cinch cords ( on each end ) allows you to tighten her down on the ends, sealing things up, as well as forming the suspension to hang the ends from. And of course a full length Velcro or whatever closure, allowing a 100% sealed top if needed, or wide open on top( or anything in between). The current model is baffled length wise and uses Ed's 900 fp down. Mine is, I think, 9 feet long by 6 feet wide at the fattest part in the middle. It needs to be a bit longer than you might think to allow for plenty of extra sag beneath the hammock. The ends on mine always end up up attached 4 to 8" ( on each end) from the hammock ends, hangin 6" to 1 foot lower, at the bottom, than my hammock before I get in. The hammock always ends up sagging a lot more then the attached pod does, though this will vary with the hammock( and how new it is) and how you have it pitched. And maybe with occupant weight.

When you make one, wait till you discover the rush of tossing something (you are not wearing to bed) into the pod. Such as a down( or PG) vest or jacket or pants or a dry rain suit, whatever is handy. And then realizing you have a good 4-6" of loft underneath your back and in contact with it! I bet you will like that in MN! ;)

hangnout
04-12-2008, 10:36
Looks great! These 1/2 UQ's are catching on.


Need to add a piece of omni tape to my right shoulder side to attach to my hammock side to keep the UQ up. Just on the side where my head is. If I sat up or moved too much it tended to slide too far to the other side.

I found on mine that if I connected the suspension system to the ridgeline at a slight angle away from the 1/2 UQ it worked better for me. It gives the 1/2 UQ a more direct pull upwards that keeps the UQ where I want it. On my head side I will sometimes have the 1/2 UQ above the top edge of the hammock. I found that if I tried to connect to the ends of the hammock like the full size UQ I had problems similar to the one you mentioned.

Dutch
04-12-2008, 14:59
hey Shug I have a peapod so if you want any dimensions let me know. Nice 1/2 UQ

Shug
04-13-2008, 11:04
Looks great! These 1/2 UQ's are catching on.



I found on mine that if I connected the suspension system to the ridgeline at a slight angle away from the 1/2 UQ it worked better for me. It gives the 1/2 UQ a more direct pull upwards that keeps the UQ where I want it. On my head side I will sometimes have the 1/2 UQ above the top edge of the hammock. I found that if I tried to connect to the ends of the hammock like the full size UQ I had problems similar to the one you mentioned.

OK then, that sounds helpful. I added 2 short pieces of omni tape and it has done the trick. also, I will try your suggestion. Thankee. They do snap back into place quickly and easily enough though....
Shug

Shug
04-13-2008, 11:09
hey Shug I have a peapod so if you want any dimensions let me know. Nice 1/2 UQ

Gooden Morgan Dutch,
Yeah, that would be nice. My question on PeaPods is: since it has velcro to hook it along the top and you can have a face hole, how do you breath if you roll to your side. Does breath moisten the pod?
I am a back sleeper and stay very still while hammocking so that would not affect me but I am curious what others do.
Down the road I just gotta try and make one!
Shug

slowhike
04-13-2008, 21:10
. My question on PeaPods is: since it has velcro to hook it along the top and you can have a face hole, how do you breath if you roll to your side. Does breath moisten the pod?
I am a back sleeper and stay very still while hammocking so that would not affect me but I am curious what others do.
Down the road I just gotta try and make one!
Shug

i've not used mine a lot yet when it was cold enough to close it up that much but my impression is that there is enough looseness that you could take the hole to one edge of the hammock if you rolled onto your side.
maybe billybob or someone else can chime in on that one.

BillyBob58
04-13-2008, 21:19
i've not used mine a lot yet when it was cold enough to close it up that much but my impression is that there is enough looseness that you could take the hole to one edge of the hammock if you rolled onto your side.
maybe billybob or someone else can chime in on that one.

That is pretty much correct. Or you could just leave it more or less on top, I suspect. I think it would still work ok, I don't think the pod would be in your face suffocating you. I laid on my side today, in my Claytor, with the hole up on top. It seemed OK. I'll try to pay more attention later.

slowhike
04-13-2008, 21:23
i suspect it would be something to be more careful about on a longer hike were you could get a build up of moister in the pea pod from breathing inside it, especially if you didn't have any dry spells to dry it out.

BillyBob58
04-14-2008, 14:44
i suspect it would be something to be more careful about on a longer hike were you could get a build up of moister in the pea pod from breathing inside it, especially if you didn't have any dry spells to dry it out.

Yes, definitely. An a few times I have closed the pod on top completely, when I am laying on my back with breath exhaled upwards into the fully closed pod. I always thought this would be a big problem, especially for the hour or so I did this on a 10* night. I was a lttle chilled on top, and when I did this it felt like it warmed up 20* overall. From a little chilled to toasty warm in 5 or 10 minutes. But I only took that chance on moisture accumulation and loft loss cause I new I would be going in soon and could definitely dry it out the next day.

But, to my great surprise, I couldn't really tell that anything negative happened. It seemed that the vast majority of the moisture went right on through. Of course, that was just an hour or so, and maybe with some dif weather conditions it might have condensed. But, a number of pod users have reported to me doing this in the field without problems. And I have done this a number of times since with zero problems, but still only for short periods of time, not all night.

And I can't say that things might not be quite dif if you were on your side exhaling into the side of the hammock and then the side of the pod. It might be a problem even with an opening up above. For one thing, even when fully closed, there is a small strip along side the Velcro where only one layer of nylon separates you from the cold air. This might be enough for moisture to escape when you exhale straight up into it. There might be different results if you breath sideways into nearly 3" of down. Maybe a few folks who have used the pod on the trail on long hikes can chime in with their observations about side sleeping with a pod and any condensation problems they might have had, or not had.

NCPatrick
04-14-2008, 14:50
Sorry to jump in where I'm most likely just intruding, but it sounds like you need to invent a hammock Pod Snorkel System for venting the moisture laden breath out of your pod. I'm picturing a full mouth and nose snorkel mask type thing. This would be especially helpful in extreeemly cold weather, maybe combine it with a hot pack for warming the incoming air before it reaches you... but I digress, back to what you were saying...

Dutch
04-14-2008, 16:14
I only got my peapod this winter and it is the light weight one. I have only used it a couple time, but really like it. I sleep on my back so I can't speak for side sleeping. When I do batten down the hatches and close it up as much as possible I try to open it just below my chin and direct my breath toward the opening. It stays a 4 to 6 inches from my face. This area gets warmer from my breath and body heat, yet the moisture seem to vent out. It really keeps my nose and cheeks from getting cold. I have not had any moisture as of yet.

Kanguru
04-14-2008, 17:21
Check this out from Jeff...

http://www.tothewoods.net/HomemadeGearPeaPodHood.html

Shug
04-16-2008, 09:00
Thanks for all of that peapod info everyone. I sure appreciate it.
Shug