IS THIS TO BE EXPECTED?

[OnTheMove]

Light rain, and very light wind, throughout last night, temperatures were low 50's around 9 PM, and 40 degrees by 7 AM.

Using a Dutch 11' Netless Hexon 1.6, HG Burrow 20 TQ and Incubator 20 UQ with a GT Funky Forest tarp 'battened downed' reasonably low, and wearing briefs with a long sleeve Patagonia Capilene 4 Zip Neck,... I was chilly throughout the night/morning.

Twice I got out of the hammock to check if the UQ was hung/secured properly and while it appeared to be I was still unable to feel warm on my entire back/lower torso. In order to get through the night I added a lightweight down jacket, fleece pants and socks.

When I slipped my hand between the hammock's fabric and the UQ near my lower back/buttocks it felt as if there was not much space between the two, and the ends of the UQ were drawn up closed.

Although I've had all this gear for a few months this was my first wet/cold weather use and I was wondering, considering the information provided here, if the results experienced should have been expected meaning have any others here had a similar experience?

Obviously this is all quality gear so I'm inclined to think this is normal considering the conditions and what was being worn, or it's user error somewhere in the system.

Any and all input I'm sure would be helpful,...thank you.

[hanginyaker]

Tighten up your UQ secondary suspension it should be quite tight. The UQ is a differential cut meaning the fabric on the outside is larger than the inner fabric so the UQ stays fluffy don't worry about having it to tight. When properly hung it should feel like a heater in a few minutes if not it is probably to loose or you have an air gap somewhere. Also be sure you are warm when you enter and that you are not hungry, digesting generates heat.

[jamaulwall]

Ya, in cold weather my UQ lifts my unoccupied hammock about 2 ft. higher than normal. It needs to be really snug against your back to keep you warm but I've taken my 20° Incubator down to 19° and stayed plenty warm. It should work for you with some additional tweaking.

[Shug]

Might have cinched the ends too tight causing gaps. Properly hung you should not have been cold.
Some UQ intel.....https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...mBYSPGHjdyGqsL
Carry forth and when you get it right you'll know.
Shug

[duckyy]

Like the others have said, the uq needs to be snug against your body for it to work. I've made the mistake the first time I used one a few weeks back. I thought had the uq tight enough but it really needs to hold the hammock up when you're not in it. It's called the cold butt syndrome (CBS).

[sidvicious]

abuse the quilt suspension. snug, snugger, and snugger still.

don't be afraid to fool around with it because you're not going to hurt it. some things you might try: clip or fix the quilt to your outside shoulder. tie it up, or clip it to the hammock. do the same thing on your opposite foot end. then, fix the other ends similarly. play with it and it might not look pretty at first. but get it tight.

in wet, soggy weather it is crucial that you get into the hammock completely dry for the down to work. if it is a series of 40* rainy days, where you're at or near the dew point constantly, those are very tough to navigate sometimes. it's also the typical winter hang weather here in arkansas.

wipe your feet down with a camp cloth. then dust with baby powder. use DRY fresh socks. dust them with powder as well. with very humid air a tiny bit of moisture will hurt your quilt even if it's mounted pretty well. if you're going to bed in the underclothes you hiked or fiddled about camp in, that can be a killer. trapped perspiration will kill the quilt on really humid nights. i see this a lot with hunters in our area. some are fashionably hammocking and a few a pretty good at rigging. but they go to bed in the insulated gear they wore to the blinds or deer stand.

a method on fixing. once you fix your shoulder and opposite foot, the next place to fix is the hip side of your outside shoulder, then the same side foot, then the last hip. it sounds a bit anal but its methodical and helps reduce gaps pretty good. do this with the quilt uncinched as much as can, then cinch real good to fit. after a few tries you get the hang of it. it's like torquing a head gasket. [outside shoulder, opposite foot, outside hip, opposite hip, outside foot]. after you do all this, try tweaking your channel suspension to match it as closely as possible. this routine might be overkill and you can probably back off of it some after a few tries. but this should insure that you're snuggly fitted.

for clips you can start out with paper binders for the areas where the quilt will meet the hammock edge. you can also use them for temporary hooks on your quilt and tie off on the clip handles. once you figure it out you can fancy it with the uq hooks and so forth. i'd recommend starting with clips first, so you'll know where support is needed. my HG quilts have a few plastic loop ends already sewn in.

the foregoing is a bit uber, but should ensure that you have the best chance of being warm.

edit: i should add that so far i've avoided hooking the uq to the ridgeline. i just don't want that obstruction if i can avoid it. i know darn well that i'll end up tangled if i have to go that distance.

i hope you get it sorted..

sv-

[OnTheMove]

Many 'thanks' to you folks for taking the time to write, offering your suggestions/recommendations, particularly interesting are those made by you sidvicious, and certainly worth a try since your weather conditions are definitely a match for what we've been experiencing in this immediate area during the past several days, with more to come.

[SilvrSurfr]

Sounds like you are doing this alone. I would highly recommend that you get with an experienced hanger to check how you have hung your quilt. I used to freeze my butt off (may have been psychological) before I had an experienced user check out my setup. No more cold!

I think a lot of it is in your head - once someone assures you that you're snugged up you will feel better!

By the way, I would dump the GT Funky Forest for something more robust, that will keep out wind. I own a couple of those tarps and feel it's a strictly fair-weather tarp. There are ways to batten down the hatches, but it's not my favorite tarp.

[Quishy]

My first hammock trip was in the pouring down cold rain all day and night, got to camp changed clothes and got in the hammock for a bit to check everything. Temps were about 50 and I couldn't seem to get warm. I felt I had everything dialed in from having my wife lay in the hammock in the back yard before this trip. I got up for a bit and made my Packit Gourmet chili( which was awesome) and went right back to the hammock. That hot meal made all the difference in the world for me. Lows got down to 42 that night with constant rain and I was toasty with a light base layer. I have an Incubator 20 and Burrow 40 with 2 oz overstuff. Bottom line is If everything is properly adjusted this gear will perform but I think being well fed and dry plays a major role. At least for me.

[weaver2469]

Sounds like you are doing this alone. I would highly recommend that you get with an experienced hanger to check how you have hung your quilt. I used to freeze my butt off (may have been psychological) before I had an experienced user check out my setup. No more cold!

This. It is almost impossible to see any gaps while you are in it. You need to have someone check for you or get someone about your size in their and check it yourself. As they have said, the side suspension should be tight, but the ends can actually gap if you don't let a little room for them to conform. Keep trying. I think you should have been plenty warm with that setup.