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  1. #21
    MacEntyre's Avatar
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    You saw me use one on two nights, one cold and one a lot less cold... I have found it easy to vent. Over 12 nights, with temps ranging from just below freezing to 63*F, I was comfy!

    - MacEntyre
    - MacEntyre
    "We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately." - Ben Franklin
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  2. #22
    Senior Member BillyBob58's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Knotty View Post
    Is it hard to moderate temps in a peapod?
    Well, it depends! It is EXTREMELY easy to vent all you want, but the question is can you vent enough without becoming TOO cold. Of course, that can be a problem with a TQ or regular bag, in my experience.

    The pod options are wide open on top, even to the point of Velcro-ed to the Speer on one side(windward) and hanging totally loose on the other- to completely closed on top, or partially closed on top, or anything in between.

    On the trip where I slept OK (not toasty, but OK) in the mid 20s without a TQ, just using pod and clothing: we had both a failed hammock hanger and a failed pod user on that trip(same person). Unless he changes his mind later, but right now it looks like he is back with pads and tents only. I blame it mainly on poor preparation and practice before hand, leading to false assumptions on his part. I think if he had used a BMBH and MWUQ ( not sure if they were really available back then, but other quilts were.) Also, my son- who was using my WB torso UQ and Cat's Meow bag- offered to switch out with him, but he didn't accept. I don't think he ever got happy with his set up. While the other pod user and I and my son were all very comfortable and warm.

    His main problem other than his, as I found out, severe claustrophobia? Venting. He had no top quilt and at first at least did not use his puffy clothing, for unknown reasons. His claustrophobia made him resistant to even laying his puffy clothing over his chest and neck to block drafts. Even on the first- and coldest- night, he was plenty warm in his Claytor Expedition ( turned upside down to get the net out of the way) with the pod fully close. But he could not stand that more than a few minutes. Then when he opened the pod over his face, the warm air would rush out and the cold air in, and he would soon be freezing. That makes him the only person I know about who was cold in a Pea Pod in temps warmer than it's rated temps. BTW, I'm convinced he was much more comfortable after a couple of days practice. But he was so grumpy after that 1st night freezing I don't think he would admit it, and we didn't want to talk to him about it anymore anyway!

    Now the above example is, IMO, not the fault of the pod but simply major operator error. However, it shows what a huge difference there is just due to opening a 6" diameter hole near your head. From toasty to freezing. I have found that even a very small breathing hole makes a noticeable dif. And of course, if you have TQs or clothing involved in helping on top, this gives additional regulation possibilities. For example, my cold claustrophobic friend: If he had a TQ ( or knew how and was willing to use his puffy clothing), he could have opened that head area a good bit and probably still been able to keep warm. I certainly did. And so did my other friend in his 55*F pod with TQ and pad down inside the pod. He was always toasty and actually feels the pod is not claustrophobic at all. But he usually has it pretty wide open around his face.

    But yes, I personally find the pod easy to regulate temps. But, you might be surprised how much change you get just by opening the top up to a good sized breathing hole, especially if you are using it all by itself, with out at least some clothing used to block drafts.

  3. #23
    Senior Member BillyBob58's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MacEntyre View Post
    You saw me use one on two nights, one cold and one a lot less cold... I have found it easy to vent. Over 12 nights, with temps ranging from just below freezing to 63*F, I was comfy!

    - MacEntyre
    Hey, was Knotty from NJ on y'alls trip?

  4. #24
    MacEntyre's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BillyBob58 View Post
    Hey, was Knotty from NJ on y'alls trip?
    He was at MAHHA...

    - MacEntyre
    - MacEntyre
    "We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately." - Ben Franklin
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  5. #25
    Senior Member Knotty's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MacEntyre View Post
    You saw me use one on two nights, one cold and one a lot less cold... I have found it easy to vent. Over 12 nights, with temps ranging from just below freezing to 63*F, I was comfy!

    - MacEntyre
    Mac - I don't think I saw your setup at MAHHA.
    Knotty
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  6. #26
    MacEntyre's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Knotty View Post
    Mac - I don't think I saw your setup at MAHHA.
    Well, next time, be more neighborly!

    - MacEntyre
    "We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately." - Ben Franklin
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  7. #27
    Senior Member BillyBob58's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MacEntyre View Post
    Well, next time, be more neighborly!

    I saw you laying around in your hammock drinking coffee or whatever, the morning after the big rain. Too bad we don't have a pic of that, looked positively hedonistic!

  8. #28
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    an option

    Wow...great posts with helping to understand the finer points of the options for staying warm. I am once again sorry that I missed you guys at Sipsey.

    Qualifiers, I am not as experienced as MacIntyre, Billy Bob, Angry Sparrow etc. Have not seen a Pea Pod either but have of course looked at them on Ed's site as you have.

    I have a Speer set up with snug fit and a no sniveler top quilt. One night at 3500 feet in windy high 20's with the tarp blocking a good bit of wind I was having cold on top issues. The bottom was fine. There is a red pull tab midway on each side of the snug fit. These can be tied together with a short piece of string and doing this wrapped the snug fit around even better than usual and it got nice and toasty. I remember thinking at the time that this must be kind of like a pea pod.

    The thing is, every thing in your set up works together and there are different ways to put it all together. A big tarp as well as a site selection out of the wind goes a long way to insure a warm night. Also (and I would appreciate any thoughts from others on this) I have been thinking that a good mummy bag would make the snug fit almost bullet proof in cold because of the heat retaining full wrap. It seems that staying warm in a hammock is a balance between your body producing heat and the heat dissipating. I am thinking that even though the down would be compressed on the bottom that a bag would hold it in longer and allow more time to produce heat changing the balance in favor of retention. Well any way I guess that I am saying consider your tarp as well and good luck with all of this, it is a lot of fun.

  9. #29
    MacEntyre's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BillyBob58 View Post
    I saw you laying around in your hammock drinking coffee or whatever, the morning after the big rain. Too bad we don't have a pic of that, looked positively hedonistic!
    Here's one from Linville Gorge.
    Quote Originally Posted by Blue Caboose
    There is a red pull tab midway on each side of the snug fit. These can be tied together...
    Very resourceful, and a good field expedient solution!

    - MacEntyre

    - MacEntyre
    "We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately." - Ben Franklin
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