Very confused on bottom insulation

**Prince of Lollygagging** · 05-08-2017, 16:59

Hi everyone. My underquilt is... well just weirding me out I guess. Been hiking and camping all my life, been hiking weeklong trips for ten years and allways stayed in a tent using a synthetic sleepingbag (30* comfortrating) and a downfilled airmattress. This kept me baking to well within the 20s. Im taking my first steps into hammockcamping and went with the JRB greylock3 and HG Burrow40.

Iv allways been too hot during night, so this seemed appropriate for me, but for some reason I can just about stay comfortable in my hammock. Funny thing is Iv used this at 45,30 and (accidentally) at 15*F and they all felt the same to me. The only thing I added at 15* was a thin synthetic jacket around the footend of my TQ, and a balaclava.

I don't know what is bugging me. There's no doubt that I was much warmer in my tent. Hot even. In the hammock Im not exactely cold, but the bottom is definitely colder than the top and there's allways that slight impression of cold passing underneath. Tied some shirts around the hammock to block the edges of the UQ, thay might have helped. Lowered and closed the tarp (with doors), set up away from the wind; might have helped as well. Even rigged it up so that the UQ is put up to where my hammock meets the back of my knees. But I just can't get it (sleeping) to feel the way Im used to.

Like I said, Im not cold, and I compared it to my friends full length IQ that fits really snug and felt the same thing. Is it just a sensation that's different from sleeping on a mat and something to get used to, or are we loosing heat in some way? I tried just about every way I can think of to set this up and don't know if it's just my imagination or if I have to do something I haven't thought of. Very confused and falling asleep is weird and not very relaxing. Any ideas?

**Shug** · 05-08-2017, 17:02

Hammocks take some getting used to for some.
I have several videos on fitting UGs.....https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...mBYSPGHjdyGqsL
Hopefully they can help you get fitted properly. You should feel warm if the UQ is set right.
Carry forth.
Shug...the Lord of Lollygag

**fallkniven** · 05-08-2017, 20:18

A partial length quilt needs to be supplemented where it doesn't cover you. Most people slide their sit pad under their feet.
As far as not feeling warm, that's because you need to tighten up the suspension. When your laying in it, try to feel with your arm if there's any dead space inbetween your you and the quilt. There should be no gaps. Once you tighten up the ends and get that uq snug up to your body, then when you lay in it, within seconds you should feel the rush of warmth set in.
It usually takes a few nights before anyone gets the quilt right for the first time.
Watch those videos above too.

**gargoyle** · 05-08-2017, 21:56

A good insulated air mattress is warm. The biggest problem is they do not breathe. Sweat and condensation are the most annoying thing about using a mattress.

What hammock are you using? Tarp?

**Prince of Lollygagging** · 05-09-2017, 01:43

My Lord!

I did watch those (and many of your other) videos, several times over in fact because they are both awesome and usefull. Hence my confusion because I feel I tried everything you talked about and then some.
- Tightened the main suspension so that it's floating level when om it's than tightened it by another 20" and tied a knot because it was slipping through the linelock
- Added a secondary suspension after hammockgear's design. Played a bit with how tight that should be.
- Tightened the singecords at the ends, and really played with how tight that should be. From just enough to touch the hammock to reeled in far so that it really bunches up under my shoulders.

Fallkniven. After my first night I added (at 30*F) I added the dutchware sitpad and put that in the footend ofy topquilt. Boy did that make a difference and my feet and legs have been the warmest thing about me since. I have a RAB Ether X Jacket which uses a "thinsulate" material, very light (about 7 ounces for the whole jacket) and at 15*F I put that around the footend of the topquilt because I was loosing heat not from bottom, but from the side where the hammockfootbox (blackbird XLC) compresses the TQ. Didn't have the problems at higher temps.

On that fist night I wore nothing but some undies, and slipped into a thin polartec wickinglayerhoodie later that night. Wore just that the second night as well. Nights three through five were spend further up north in 15*F weather. I added wool socks, thermal underwear and a fleece balaclava. I also pitched my tarp (superfly) down as opposed to porchmode during those warmer nights, and shoveled snow into the gaps between my tarp and the ground.

I had to get out to answer nature's call during one of those cold nights and it wasn't till then I found out how cold it actually was, so the UQ is definitely connecting. Went about my business (and yes, Shug is right when he says the cold is pushed from your body when you'r at it, but it does rush back ones you're done) and was so glad to get back in there.

I appreciated my UQ a lot more after that. It is doing it's job. What I don't understand is that when I was tucked in, 15* didn't feel any different from 30 or even 40 last weekend. The UQ does trap heat (I can feel it when I put my hand between my hammock and UQ) but maybe it just looses it a bit quicker than what Im used to from my pad?
Granted, my tarp was set up very differently. I wasn't taking chances om that bit despite my best effort shovelinh snow I had a lot more wind tucking at my tarp and hammock than during those warmer nights. I slept well enough from 21 till 3 during all those nights, and allways woke up because I needed to pee, and with what feels like a chill at my back and bottom. it's really slight though and when I push down on my suspension, I can feel tue cold rushing in immediately, and disappearing immediately as well when I release it, so again I feel like it's connecting properly.

It keeps me warm and safe, it just doesn't keep me as snug as I would like, nor as warm as what Im used to. During that last cold night I had to get out at six am to cook because I just kept getting colder in my legs (footpad was still in place) and thought I had burned through all my energy. That was the only time I really felt like my setup wasn't keeping me safe at 15* anymore. But it was the last night of a four day hike, after nine hours of sleep.

Long story, and maybe Im just imagining, or paying to much attention to all I feel because it's new. My main issue is that falling asleep itself isn't as nice as it could be, and I don't feel as rested because of it. Or maybe Im just a very cold sleeper? My back is often colder than the rest of me, it just never bothers me. Maybe it's more noticeable in an UQ?

**GadgetUK437** · 05-09-2017, 17:08

Originally Posted by Prince of Lollygagging

tightened it by another 20" and tied a knot because it was slipping through the linelock

That sounds like you may have had it too tight! Compressing the down leading to CBS.

I really felt like my setup wasn't keeping me safe at 15* anymore.

The Greylock 3 is rated to 20º-25º F (-7º C), so 15ºF is kind pushing it. A lot of folk like to have at least a 10ºF buffer, to be on the safe side.

**Tikker** · 05-09-2017, 17:42

Originally Posted by gargoyle

A good insulated air mattress is warm. The biggest problem is they do not breathe. Sweat and condensation are the most annoying thing about using a mattress.

I wish I'd taken a pic of the puddle I woke up in after a mid afternoon nap in my amok during a 31c afternoon

**drifter** · 05-10-2017, 07:01

Maybe you can try adding an underquilt protector to the set up. It may just be in my head, but when I know that no wind can steal any of my heat I feel better about it.

**Prince of Lollygagging** · 05-10-2017, 09:35

@gadge.
Yes I have been looking at that (overtightening the UQ) butthe radual baffledesign on the greylock is really good. Got at least 2" of loft when Im in the hammock.

@Drifter.
I have been thinking about that, and improvised an UQP using some jackets. Seemed to work, but can't be sure. What would be a recommended UQP, or do people make these themselves. If so, what's a good material?. Iv seen a vendor named "little shop of hammocks" that does them (such a adorable name want to buy from them for thay reason alone) and 2QZQ, but that's about it. I think Hennesy has a whole bundle, including a protector, but their hammocks are much shorter than the XLC.