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Does anyone use one of these or a modified version and do they work? I have an hhexplorer deluxe and just purchased the hex rain fly. I was thinking about using the stock asym tarp over my bug net this winter to help hold in a little more heat. I don't want to cut any holes in it so I'll probably just clip both ends back a little for ventalation. Any feedback or suggestions?
http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...=space+blanket
poncho rather than fly but the principle is the same. Use of a space blanket looks a good idea.
a couple people here use the over cover. Im pretty sure billybob 58 has used it alot. I was also thinking about using the stock tarp as a makeshift overcover
I use a HH overcover on mine, they do work well in cold weather.Quote:
Originally Posted by deerfu39
It works for sure IMO, holds in temps and blocks wind, adds slight water resistance. In earlier days there was a fellow used to post- he had used his HHSS on the AT in some really cold temps, and his favorite thing by far was the OC.Quote:
Originally Posted by NewtonGT
There was one other fellow that used the basic HHSS with OC in conditions way colder than designed for, and he was predictably cold. One of his complaints was that the OC would lift in the wind and let cold air in. True, it will do this, depending on how you attach it. But I still think it is better than nothing, and a simple mod could be rigged to prevent this. However, there is a way to attach it where the edge of the OC is under the edge of the UC, which keeps the wind from blowing it upwards. But the disadvantage to that way is: if water gets on the OC, it might run down into the OC. But hopefully the tarp will keep most water off of the OC in the 1st place. The OC is not really designed to handle water, though I have found it to be water resistant. Your choice of how to put it on, more wind or more water protection, or a mod for both.
One thing: the OC is breathable, not waterproof sil-nylon like the UC. So if you use that tarp as OC, it might get a bit steamy. Maybe if you use a big enough vent hole?
If you trap too much moisture inside the OC and the temps are below freezing, beware of the morning snowfall inside the OC. For winter use, I'm more of a proponent of a larger tarp with doors and letting the UQ and TQ breathe as much as possible. The tarp is pitched rather high but the sides are within 6" of the ground. I do use a vapor barrier heat sheet below 35° between hammock and UQ to minmize condensation in the UQ. IMO, the heat retention of a tarp with doors is adequate and the ice crystals in the morning are on the tarp underside where I can deal with them.
I think they make mid temps more comfortable. Below freezing you need to worry about condensation but from about freezing to 50 or 60 degrees they block the wind making your personal cocoon more comfortable. This is especially true with the stock tarp as it does a poor job of blocking the wind. OTOH it blocks the view if you like hanging bundled up watching the cold night sky. ;-) You can also rig it with one side up and one down in block mode. Cooler but back to the view.
Gonna do a little experimenting with it this month while camping out of the truck during hunting season. That way it'll be easy to modify something if I need to
I used the over cover for my HH. I liked it a lot and because of it I use something similar on another hammock. They add a little bit of warmth and help me extend the 3S gear a little farther in to the season. They seem to help out even if you skip the tie out by your shoulder and leave it more open.
TeeDee has used the HH overcover and thinks it adds to interior warmth.
We have both used Wiggy's poncho liners as overcovers and they add a lot of interior warmth. Also, the poncho liner uses Wiggy's Lamilite insulation and freezing interior condensation has never been a problem. I'd guess the insulated poncho liner keeps the interior above freezing when the exterior is well below freezing.
We've both used our idigear ponchos with 1 layer of Insultex as overcovers and they work for that very well. The times we have done that we've had about the same experience as with the Wiggy's poncho liners.
We're making overcovers using some 0.9 (non-DWR) ripstop for a top shell (we figure we won't need an inner shell) and 1 layer of Insultex. We figure that will be a lot lighter than the Wiggy's poncho liners. Lighter than the idigear ponchos also since we will be using only one shell layer and lighter fabric for the shell material. We had considered using just the Insultex with no shell, but that bright white Insultex just needs to be hidden.
With all of the overcovers on TeeDee's bridges we hang the overcover on the Structural ridge line so that we have a tent over the bridge. The end panels are designed to reach to the structural ridge line so that they can close off the end all the way up to the structural ridge line and we can configure the Bridge end panels so that we have a good sized gable vent on the head end. We can also open a gable vent on the foot end to get through ventilation if needed, but haven't needed to do so yet.
I have a poncho liner i could use also. Weight will not be an issue this winter so I may give that a try too. I want to get all the bugs worked out of my camping system so that when my son gets out of college he and I can hit the AT.
looking forward to hearing how your testing goes. I am thinking about adding one of these to mine as well.
I used my over cover this weekend when it dropped to 22 degrees outside.
I had to roll my TQ back a bit to cool down, didn't have any condensation issues.
And boy you can tell the difference when you open up the side and let cold air in!
That will wake you up.
One thing I will say is that it makes it very dark in the hammock, If you don't like the light you will love the top cover.
But if I know its going to get below freezing I will be bringing it along from now on.
You could copy the design and make one out of a light cover maybe?
just got an o c and was gonna use it with my HH large tarp with no doors. Should get enough air flow plus good weather protection????. The SS works good for me, It just gets so bulky to pack. I like to put it all together at home rather then set it all up when I am ready to camp.
Purchased a demo SS during the sale and an new OC. I have used them a couple times and they work really well within their stated limitations. Lowest I have gone is about 38 with 16 mile an hour winds with higher gusts. I used the SS with pad and emergency blanket and the OC without tarp and was comfortable and dry. I didn't use the tarp so I could look at the stars through the breathing vent. It was great! I could not have done this without the OC due to the wind I would have been very cold even with the tarp. I was really glad I had packed it since the trees I had were not conducive to setting a tarp up to block the wind, it would have blown up and under the tarp and I would have been cold. This is a benefit I had not considered with the OC.
huauqui
Let us know how that works for you this winter. As for the bulky aspect, that entire SS ( UC and pad) comes stuffed inside a a sack that is no larger than most UQs, if not smaller. I wouldn't want to try and get it back in that sack, but it shows that pad is pretty compressible. I like to either pack the pad in a compression dry sack(usually with other stuff), or leave pad and everything(maybe even TQ) on the hammock and stuff the whole 9 yds into it's own compression dry sack or into my pack. Helps deal with that bulky pad.Quote:
Originally Posted by blisterboy
That is pretty impressive!Quote:
Originally Posted by huauqui
I can get the pad and UC back into the double ended stuff sack that they came in pretty easily. The trick is to fold and roll the pad up the same way that it shipped...turn the bag inside out, and start at one end of the pad, rolling it back rightside out as you go along.
To be polite...like putting a finger cot onto your finger.
Then just stuff the UC into the other end once you've rolled it all the way rightside out.
I don't keep the UC in there anymore, but keep the UC/OC/SB all in a small seperate stuff sack so I can keep track of them as a set.
I've yet to put the OC on, but the lowest temps I've faced so far have been 34 deg with very mild winds...no challenge for just the UC/SB and sleeping bag so far.
Weasel (youngest son) and I are waiting for the first seasonal snowstorm to hit our area...we plan on just running across the street from where we live and setting up our complete shelters in the wooded area there to run a "safe" test with fallback plan to the house if it goes bad.
We're both curious how low we can go comfortably with our complete setups. 34 is the lowest we've been out so far...and that was not testing the limits of our gear at all.
I'll be interested to read what your limits are also. Any condensation problems yet?Quote:
Originally Posted by Owl
I've had some very small amounts of condensation in the UC...either on top of the space blanket if it's in there, or on top of the pad itself if no space blanket.
I suspect that a large part of the reason I've not seen much condensation is because I sleep IN/ON a sleeping bag...I think that the moisture is probably being absorbed straight from my skin by the sleeping bag/poncho liner instead.
Since I air out my bedding every morning before I pack out, I generally don't have any issues that night when I roll it all back out and let it loft.
Just picked up a fleece liner to go in my sleeping bag too...so figuring that'll extend my lower range down even more if need be. Just gotta get some hang time sometime soon. Looking for that to also test out the new whoopie sling suspension.
I like the using the over cover on my HH but have only used it at very cold temperatures. I am fine with just my sleeping bag to around 25 degrees. I have used the over cover from 15 degrees to -35 and it does help IMHO. But if you use other vapor barriers or are in warmer or humid conditions, more condensation or ice is likely to happen.
Its weird, I have yet to ever have condensation issues in my hammock, with Quilts, or the SS or the Overcover. Maybe I just dont breath our enough moisture?
Same here Gary, and I have wondered the same.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gary_R
The only exception is on the area of my TQ near my face at 10*, lot's of condensation then, in that small area near my mouth/nose.
Minus 35? Wow, you are one of the cold weather heros here! So were you using a Super Shelter in those temps? If so, how did you augment it?Quote:
Originally Posted by CryOTheWild
I've been thinking about a Tyvek overcover for my Hennessy and other hammocks. Now, if only I could get some cold temps to experiment with. Anything over 25 F, I'm fine with just a 0 degree bag, ccf pad and space blanket. Under 25 F, and you get that "frozen face" syndrome from the wind.