Originally Posted by BillyBob58
Recently some bridge hammock users are finding the bottom of the bridge with someone in it is quite flat and the unique contoured design of the HG UQ is not so flat.
The leg shelf was designed to solve a big problem with back sleeping gathered end hammock users which was poor quilt to hammock contact in the knee to lower leg area.
This unique design does provide challenges when the UQ is used in other configuration.
shallowdeep_uq.jpg
Last edited by OutandBack; 01-08-2015 at 13:55.
Aha! I had not thought of that, but it seems possible! The original bridge hammock was almost- seemingly- designed to work with an MW, so this may be a factor that needs to be taken into account.
OK Y'all. I am almost embarrassed t hat I have not participated in this rare round of frigid temps in the south. If I am not testing deep in the back country, it always takes a lot to motivate me to try and sleep in the backyard, and it gets harder to do every year. Lat year I was motivated by a possible new PB, but I knew last night would not get me there, though close. And I have already well proven, for my purposes anyway, how easily I can handle single digits and even be very warm with MW4s, or PeaPods or HHSSs, and VBs, and staying frost free. So I really would need to come up with something unique to test for back yard motivation. Bottom line, I just didn't get it done. However, being in my toasty bed beside my wife- and not having to hear her opine about my insanity, was pleasant also.
I have at least been doing a fair amount of mini-testing, which based on experience over the years I feel is still useful. just by adding a good fudge factor to it to account for that 0500 dip in metabolism. As far as really inadequate insulation, I often found in my beginner days it did not take me long to be uncomfortable and knowing I would not make it through the night. OTOH, it is rare for me to be toasty warm in the 1st hour or two and then be shut out by morning.
So anyway, I did a lot of hanging yesterday in the 20s to 30s with a good bit of wind getting to me, using my 2.5" loft Sniveler and JRB MW3 convertible UQ in full length mode on a Claytor No Net. I had never used an UQ on a gathered end before, though my son has used my Yeti on a Claytor with great results. Any way, not bad IMO! I stayed pretty warm, and it was not too bad even when the wind would hit me. I was never quite sure if I had the foot end adjusted right once I was in, but not even my feet were cold, and I had no warm layers, just cotton shirt and jeans. But did have a JRB hood: invaluable! Or should I say: priceless! My feeling is that, with wind blocked and a few layers, these would easily reach their ratings for me with this hammock.
Then, Chris, I got tired of that, took it down and hung that UQ on my BMBH. Laid around in various temps just fine. Got out of bed this morning, went out in jeans and cotton shirt and nylon socks(my regular type day clothes all year) and hopped into the quilts that were out all night by themselves at 8F(it was now about 10F). I snuggled in, starting out with quite a cool back. But after a few minutes, not bad at all. Got warmer as I continued to lay there. I would not say my butt ever got warm, but it was not cold. Maybe almost. My back would occasionally feel warm in spots, my feet and legs seemed OK. This was all flat on my back, I did not revert to default side position and lean back into the BMBH side panel.
So really, not bad at all. I assume I would not make it through a full night at these temps comfortably, though i would survive. But, common: no fleece, no LJs, cotton which probably did not help(I would never take cotton on a cold trip), and no ace in the hole: VBs. Still, I never did get uncomfortable and just seemed to do better the longer I was there warming up those ice cold quilts. I'll be out some more today and this evening and who know maybe even sleep out tonight. Maybe.
I'll offer up this.......
Carry forth and a snug hang.
Shug
Whooooo Buddy)))) All Secure in Sector Seven
BillyBob I always enjoy what you have to say. Thanks for your insight. We must get together sometime. Maybe meet for lunch in oxford sometime. I am going out again tonight in the same setup. I will say it's amazing the amount of comfort the pad added to the already comfortable BMBH last night. Looking forward to just crawling in shortly knowing I don't have to tinker with anything tonight.
Well that makes since!!!! Thanks. I will break out the WBBB tomorrow night and see how it goes. I haven't had the chance to use the HG on it yet and this cold snap will still be lingering tomorrow night. Thanks a lot for the explanation.
I had a chance to play around with my WBBB and 0 Incubator yesterday and sleep in it last night. I slept like a baby all night! Not cold spots for me. It was my first time deploying it on the BB. It seems that the UQ is no doubt a better fit for gathered ends hammocks rather than say, my BMBH or the RR. I will continue to stack UQs in single digit temps if I choose to use a bridge hammock. The Jarbidge and JRB MW3 of course fit both hammocks like a glove. Thanks for everyone's insight.
I just had difficulty successfully using my Jarbidge with my XLC. I'm guessing I have to snug it up more, but was trying to avoid overtightening the suspension per manufacturer's instruction. Also wondering if having the XLC's side tieouts fairly taut was unhelpful. If I laid perfectly still on my back, I was ok, but I'm a restless sleeper and that didn't work for long. Sleeping "ballerina", side or fetal, the quilt "moved" and I ended up being chilly. Thanks for all the great info here!
It's a big mystery sometimes. I never have problems with my regular WBBB, but I'm 5'9" and don't even really get into the footbox much. And I don't lie at much of an angle so I'm not really pushing the UQ with my feet.
I have had some problems getting my 0° on a standard gathered end hammock though. So I don't think it's necessarily the footbox or the hammock design, but more of the angle at which you lie.
As mentioned, tightening up the primary suspension is a good place to start. So tight that it actually lifts up the hammock when you're not in it. It looks completely wrong, but it's not!
Then you can look at things like where you are sleeping in the hammock. Sometimes I can feel my butt get cold and simply moving a few inches closer to the foot end helps immediately. I'm guessing moving the UQ would also help, but that's more work after you're settled in.
I'm also wondering if 11' hammocks are stretching the suspension too much? I tried it once and my 20° Incubator was difficult to hook up. I could have used some extensions, but decided to stay with 10' hammocks.
IMO hammock pullouts make for great pictures but interfere with uq's far too much to ever use them when sleeping.
Some hammocks have more of a problem with this than others but all can stop the UQ from getting up and on your butt where they do their job.
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