-
Down insulates by trapping warm air between all the little clusters. If you had on too many clothes then it's possible that your body heat never warmed the air in the quilt sufficiently to keep you any warmer than your clothes. I suggest trying again, but with less clothing. Keep your long johns in the hammock with you, then if needed, put them on towards morning as it gets colder. The condensation may be a result of there not being enough body heat being radiating through the quilt, so the surface of the quilts reached ambient air temperature and got wet with all the other surfaces outside that night.
-
Hi Walker,
Personally i think a few things factor in here.
You were wearing way too many clothes for those temps. I was getting clammy just reading how many layers you had on!! especially the windproof pants.
I was in those temps on Saturday night at 4000 feet in NH and only wore running shorts and a T-shirt. I was using a 20* UQ and a 30* TQ. Nice and warm.
I did make the mistake of taking off the old suspension trying to use only the new one but as i toss and turn it was slipping from under one side or another causing some areas to become cooler. Not cold though, just cooler. Once i fixed that i was fine and didnt want to get out in the morning.
As already suggested it would be good to get in and have someone go around and see how snug it is and adjust.
I dont think it has to be perfect in those temps especially a 20* UQ but it shouldnt have gaps at the foot and head end.
Did you make sure the ends were synched up on the head and foot end?
Was the condensation on the outside or inside of the UQ? if outside it also may have been fog.
I know it can be frustrating to not have that great cozy warm nights sleep everyone is raving about, but don't give up, you'll get it. Every time i go out i am testing new gear and i haven't gone out and had a great nights sleep in a while, purely because i am too keen on just getting out there and don't test the setup at home first.
Keep us posted on your remedy which i am sure you'll find.
-
To add to the clothing comments, I would suggest a different strategy for you which would be to experiment on these fall outings to first determine the limits of your gear.
For instance start off sleeping with minimal clothing and add as needed. You will also more quickly notice if your UQ is adjusted properly.
I wanted to experiment a little on my last outing, it was in the low 30's, dry and no wind. I went to sleep wearing sock liners, shorts and a short sleeve T. My insulation was a 20* Phoenix, 20* Burrow with a sit pad in the foot box and a down hood. I was toasty warm the entire night.
My backups were extra socks, base layers, reflectix pad plus all my outer layers but I didn't need any of them. Gaining confidence in and understanding the limits of your gear is a big help.
David
-
I have a 20* incubator. It took some time to learn to hang it correctly. I believe the temp rating is accurate.
A friend and I just did the Eagle Rock Loop over the weekend, and it got pretty cold (at least for Texans) a couple of nights. Thursday night it got down around 45. I was TOASTY with my 20* incubator and 40* go-lite down top quilt. My buddy froze... he only brought a fleece sleeping bag and a polyester liner (ummm...). Being the friend that I am, I swapped my top quilt for his fleece bag on Friday night. It got down to 36. I stayed warm enough to sleep thanks to the incubator. He still got cold. I would have frozen if not for the downy goodness of the incubator. Thanks Adam and Jenny.
-
I have to agree with the others pertaining to a setup issue. I've got a 40 deg Incubator with an extra ounce of down and I've slept comfortably at 23.
-
all such good advice
I will be testing it one more time tonight in the backyard which i call camp nowhere...then i'll be going for the weekend up to the whites with my older brother who, though in the summer does hammock hanging absolutely refuses to do so in the fall and winter and laughed at me for buying an underquilt. He goes i wouldn't trust that for a million bucks...he's been backpacking thirty years..he knows his stuff. But of course if one is unfamiliar with a thing one tends to be shaky....which is where i am at now with all the new gear as i was always a ground dweller too.
Alot of what everyone says makes sense but the conventional wisdom of what you know does to. LIke airflow underneath...condensation on down...
I suppose the only way to know a thing is to do a thing. So off we go for more testing.
-
New things take time to learn. The backyard is a great place to dial in your setup. It builds familiarity and confidence in the new gear. Leave yourself the option to bail, or go to ground, to do whatever you are familiar enough with to have a great weekend, if you can't quite get the UQ dialed in time.
-
While testing in your back yard is the safe way to go, keep in mind what I said in the above post about the incredible amounts of condensation I get in my backyard. Much more than I have ever gotten out on the trail. Don't know if that is the situation you are dealing with. But, if that condensation is staying on the outside of your shell, it might not cause you all that much problem, until you have to pack up with it. I'd carry some sort of pack towel for drying your shell off before packing.
-
yes i agree
My brother said it was because i had the bugnet zipped up that it built up so much condensation...but that would not explain why i had so much on my underquilt.
-
is it sweat? Where you too warm- and the sweat condensed on the shell?
TH