Insulate the sleeper not the Hammock

[Darrel]

Hey Guys,
With Fall quickly approaching my thoughts are drifting to colder nights and how best to stay warm both on the trail and also while sleeping.

I like the idea of augmenting my sleep system with my clothing system and I had an idea that I thought I would share with you all for consideration.
In another thread this morning we talked about using CCf pads inside a Big Agnes sleeping system and I responded by saying that we liked it and it work well.

The pad is limited to 20" wide but the way that it is held into the sleeping bag helps keep you from rolling off of it during the night.
What it doesn't provide for is when your shoulders make contact with the hammock with sufficient force so as to flatten out the Down bag and create a cold spot.

My first thought was to do like other here have done and use an additional pad to somehow extend the total pad surface.
This obviously could work but then the question then becomes how big do I really need ? How do I keep it exactly where I want/need it and how much extra weight and bulk must I plan on carrying.

I then started thinking about making myself a "Sleeping Jacket"

I was wondering about the possibility of taking some of this ccf and sewing it into a jacket like structure that I could simply wear to sleep in or on the trail as a thermal layer for really nasty weather.
Foam by mail
( http://www.foambymail.com/Minicel.html ) sells
1/16" x 72" x 48"
Minicel Foam Skins that could be easily sandwiched into the back and shoulder area to form a barrier to the cold, the wind and the rain.
I would make it long to fully cover my kidney/upper hip area and likely limit this foam to the back and shoulder/upper arm area. I could add Down fill to the front.
It would obviously be less material and consequently less pack weight. It is dual purpose and a nice safety/cold assist item for when things turn bad.
My to-do list is 7 miles long but I hope to get to this soon and will share my discoveries with the board.

Cheers,
Darrel

[gargoyle]

CCF that is so close to your skin makes me think condensation. Try it and report back. An extra pad 30-36" long by 20-24" wide turned 90 degrees works good, it covers my shoulders,neck and head.

[Darrel]

CCF that is so close to your skin makes me think condensation. Try it and report back. An extra pad 30-36" long by 20-24" wide turned 90 degrees works good, it covers my shoulders,neck and head.

Yes, this is a consideration that I will have to take into consideration during testing.
I currently do not experience moisture issues in my Big Agnes bag but I know others have reported some problems?.
Several factors could be coming into play here. The BA bags separate the sleeper from the pad by a layer of nylon. This alone is not enough to prevent the accumulation of insensible perspiration for many guys.
Adding an additional layer often solves this however.
I like to wear Smartwool type base layers .
I find these do an excellent job of wicking and keep me dry .
I also practice moisture management by trying to keep myself from overheating in the first place.
This becomes more important in the winter when it could be very bad to be wet and cold.
I like to start out my day or night a little on the cool side and add or remove layers to maintain a sweat free yet comfortable temperature balance.

I plan to line the inside of this sleeping jacket with some sort of absorption/wicking fabric and would limit it's use to the coldest of nights.
I am ok in the BA system to the 20's so long as I include wearable thermal layers. The problem with most thermals are that they too compress and become less affective. A thin layer of non compressible ccf in key location might just be the ticket.

Cheers,
Darrel

[warbonnetguy]

not a bad idea really, maybe if you lined the minicell with fleece it would keep the moisture down

[Darrel]

Hey Brandon,
Thanks!
Yes on using the fleece.

This idea is similar to how we think about zone heating our homes...
Instead of heating the entire building we limit it to just the room we are actually occupying at the time. This conservation effort can carry forward to our outdoor experiences as well. The savings here is in weight and bulk carried.

Darrel

[Heber]

Seems like gardenville did something like this at one point. I can't find the post so maybe it was a blog posting of his (but I can't find that either). As I recall he sewed ccf into a shirt and pants in strategic locations. Didn't hear much from him on the subject afterward.

[pineapplenewton]

make sure to post if it works Sounds like a great cheap solution.

[Darrel]

make sure to post if it works Sounds like a great cheap solution.

You bet...I will gladly share what I discover.
It has to work, my only concern ( small) is with comfort, moisture and bulk.
CCF foam on the bottom ( back ) and Down on the top ( front) just like my BA Lost Ranger Bag.

I can easily modify any old fleece jacket for a quick mock up of the idea. Unfortunately it is not cold enough here in Michigan yet to really test it out.
I am thinking of sewing in some to use as knee pads on my hiking pants. I have a pair of Rail Riders with double knee material. I am going to slip in some of this 1/16 " minicel stuff to serve as padding when kneeling down .
I did something similar years ago to an old pair of Carhart pants for use when doing flooring work. Felt great and did away with the elastic bands behind the knees.

Cheers,
Darrel

[Just Jeff]

Knee pads would be nice b/c it'll insulate when you lay on your side, and your knees push against the hammock.

[MacEntyre]

I suppose I do something similar in concept, by wearing a wool vest inside a rain jacket, and gore-tex rain pants, on the coldest nights. My topquilts are always a Wiggys poncho liner and a Frog Sac, in all seasons. I put a 1/3 yard of WarmWindow in the UQ as an anti-CBS measure.