yall just remember... what works for one person may not work for another.
there are a lot of variables from one time to another & from one person to another.
as far as that goes, variables can cause what worked at a certain temp one night for a person, not to do the job at the same temp the next night for the same person.
so test w/ a bail out plan, even if that means having some thing extra beside you that you can use if you need to.
i'd rather be a pound over prepared & happy, than lay there shivering<g>. ...tim
I too will something make and joy in it's making
“I think that when the lies are all told and forgot the truth will be there yet. It dont move about from place to place and it dont change from time to time. You cant corrupt it any more than you can salt salt.” - Cormac McCarthy
There's a lot of detail on how insulation systems work on these forums, at the yahoo group, and at whiteblaze.net. Here's a quick write-up that isn't too technical...might help you understand what's going on and why some systems work better than others under certain conditions.
But the conditions are important...there isn't a single right answer b/c some work very well in cold dry but not in cool humid, some are adjustable over a wider variety of conditions, etc. So figure out what conditions you'll be hiking in most often and pick one that fits your style.
Sort of. Underquilts are supposed to be snugged up to the bottom of the hammock, but not so snug that they're compressed. Too loose, and you get air gaps between the underquilt and hammock...air gaps make you cold. But too tight, and it compresses the loft...the loft is what stores the heat so compression is bad. (I think you were calling loft the air gaps.)
The SuperShelter doesn't have a closed cell pad...an OCF pad provides the loft and a silnylon shell provides the windblock.
But as you and BillyBob said, some folks like the SuperShelter and some folks don't.
“Republics are created by the virtue, public spirit, and intelligence of the citizens. They fall when the wise are banished from the public councils because they dare to be honest, and the profligate are rewarded because they flatter the people, in order to betray them.” ~Judge Joseph Story
- My site: http://www.tothewoods.net/
- Designer, Jeff's Gear Hammock / Pack Cover by JRB
IMPOSSIBLE JUST TAKES LONGER
Re: my DownHammock - it's the best insulative system I've found, hands down. There are absolutely no air gaps and no fit issues, and it's lighter than any hammock+underquilt system out there for the temps I use it in. At about 55F it's too warm...and it's not adjustable so I spent another $4 on some material and now I have an adjustable one for when it's not winter. Or I take the HH or Warbonnet b/c then the bugs come out.
But TeeDee is right about the stretch...the hammock body stretched and the bottom shell did not. So what used to be ~3" of down under my butt is now probably 1.75". Next time, I'll use the hammock enough to stretch it out before I sew on the bottom shell...problem solved.
But like everything else, this is only one solution. The one that works for me under some conditions. Not perfect, and not everyone likes the idea...so find what works for you and keep making improvements until you're satisfied.
“Republics are created by the virtue, public spirit, and intelligence of the citizens. They fall when the wise are banished from the public councils because they dare to be honest, and the profligate are rewarded because they flatter the people, in order to betray them.” ~Judge Joseph Story
- My site: http://www.tothewoods.net/
- Designer, Jeff's Gear Hammock / Pack Cover by JRB
IMPOSSIBLE JUST TAKES LONGER
if the two shell pieces are the right proportion to eachother, you can pull the thing as tight as you want, and the lower piece will still stay loose, and won't compress the insul no matter how tightly the uq is pulled. thats how i made mine, and i think thats how ed's snug fit works too. i think youngblood calls that a "differientally cut shell" on ed's site.
True...good catch. But either way, the underquilt is supposed to fit snugly to the hammock for best insulation...I was responding to the snug fit vs air gap issue.
“Republics are created by the virtue, public spirit, and intelligence of the citizens. They fall when the wise are banished from the public councils because they dare to be honest, and the profligate are rewarded because they flatter the people, in order to betray them.” ~Judge Joseph Story
- My site: http://www.tothewoods.net/
- Designer, Jeff's Gear Hammock / Pack Cover by JRB
IMPOSSIBLE JUST TAKES LONGER
another thing, there is a spot under the knees, when laying diagonally, that causes the fabric to curve upward, and no matter how snug the thing fits, that void cannot be eliminated with the cut alone. and the void changes when you change leg positions, so its that much harder to control. you actually have to have insul that lofts upward into it, to seal it off. sort of like a draft tube on a sleeping bag, which i think is the last addition i have to make to mine, hopefully that will work. i think it will make it way more efficient. but thats why the half length one you saw at td's is so cool. you don't have to worry about that at all, and you end up saving weight. a half length one would be way easier to make for yourself because of this very reason.
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