Winter Question

[cliff355]

Greetings:

Recently I have begun eyeballing 4-season hammocks as a means of cutting down on the load I usually carry on low-temperature trips. After doing some reading on this forum it sounds like it may be more complicated than just buying a hammock, but the learning curve also sounds very intriguing.

However, my question is this:

Currently I have a -40F Down/Synthetic mummy bag and a self-inflating 25" x 76" pad. If I put this outfit into a Clark NX-250 with no underquilt, no accessories and a few things in the pockets, what are the chances of success at 0 degrees F?

Probably the thing to do is buy one and find out, but these things are not cheap so any speculative comments would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[headchange4u]

Welcome to the forum.

Is the pad insulated?

And I gotta ask: A down AND synthetic bag?

[animalcontrol]

Greetings:

Recently I have begun eyeballing 4-season hammocks as a means of cutting down on the load I usually carry on low-temperature trips. After doing some reading on this forum it sounds like it may be more complicated than just buying a hammock, but the learning curve also sounds very intriguing.

However, my question is this:

Currently I have a -40F Down/Synthetic mummy bag and a self-inflating 25" x 76" pad. If I put this outfit into a Clark NX-250 with no underquilt, no accessories and a few things in the pockets, what are the chances of success at 0 degrees F?

Probably the thing to do is buy one and find out, but these things are not cheap so any speculative comments would be appreciated.

Thanks.
I have no expirence with the Clark pockets, but here is my take...
your -40 bag will keep you warm on top...the inflatable pad will not be enough under you. You will probably to supplement with an additional CCF pad or under quilt...
0*F can be done, has been done by many on this site (I've gotten to 4*F)...it all depends on your needs and $$
Good Luck!

[vitamaltz]

Other people will have plenty to add to this thread, but I'll get the ball rolling. Does the inflatable pad have any kind of fill insulation in it? Generally, air-filled pads aren't as effective as closed-cell foam pads at keeping your backside warm in a hammock. On the other hand, that's a heckuva warm bag, perhaps even when compressed. On the other other hand, 0 is cold for some of us!

[Ramblinrev]

Currently I have a -40F Down/Synthetic mummy bag and a self-inflating 25" x 76" pad. If I put this outfit into a Clark NX-250 with no underquilt, no accessories and a few things in the pockets, what are the chances of success at 0 degrees F?

Not to be snide... but define success... Toasty warm all night... Depending on the rest of the sleep system (clothes etc) it's probably been done but might be marginal mostly because of the width of the pad and maybe the thickness of the pad.

Avoid hospitalization with severe hypothermia... probably a pretty good chance of success although it might not be the best night's sleep you ever had. The deployed weathershield should help retain some heat in the hammock.

It's been done and folks have lived to tell about it. In terms of the Clark perse... I'll let someone familiar with that hammock get more specific.

[cliff355]

Welcome to the forum.

Is the pad insulated?

And I gotta ask: A down AND synthetic bag?

This is Cabelas "Alaskan Guide" stuff and pretty interesting. The bag is like a down quilt zipped over a synthetic-filled "canoe" bottom and very long/wide. @6' 3" I feel like a little kid in it. So far, on the ground at 25F I haven't had to zip it all the way shut.

The pad reminds me of a self-inflating Thermarest pad I had in the 80's. When a valve on the end is opened it sucks in air and puffs up to about 2", but is 3/4" - 1" thick without air. So, it is "insulated" to some extent. However, I also have a closed cell pad about 1/2" thick available.

I'm just getting tired of all the set-up & take-down time associated with tents, not to mention snow on the ground. Either you pack it down or shovel it, and it seems to me hanging over it would be a better alternative.

[toddkmiller]

I have been out well below 0F in my Clark using a pad and a laminated space blanket. I concur about using a CCF pad being warmer than an inflatable pad. I will also give you my vote for ditching the pads and buying an underquilt. Your sleeping bags sounds more than sufficient to keep the top half of you warm.

[TinaLouise]

don't forget that the clark has those pockets there for a reason... and the new ones have extra velcro that I'm hearing will have a small uq that will attach to the underside of the hammock where there's no pockets.