Sub-freezing Backyard Test Hang

[509-T203-KG]

Goal: use only the gear I currently own that I would bring on a summer backpacking trip in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest (WA, OR, ID, MT), while trying to be as lightweight as possible, to test against the freak cold nights.

Gear: while I've logged roughly 10 nights in a gathered end hammock and 20 nights in a bridge hammock over the last 2 years, and will likely never go back to ground-dwelling, I still haven't taken the plunge into the deep end of the hammock world. I've never used an underquilt or a topquilt, I don't DIY, and I don't own any gear from any cottage vendors. But not for lack of desire! I just have other hobbies/priorities. So for now, I make do with what I have, or what is cheap, easy, convenient, or serves multiple purposes.

Hammock: REI Quarter Dome Air Bridge Hammock. Got it cheap, especially considering it came with everything (suspension, tarp, guylines, stakes, bugnet). It's not perfect, but I like it.

Tarp: Not this time. Clear and calm conditions.

Under insulation: I needed something I could also use on-snow, above tree-line... the Thermarest Neoair Xtherm - from my research, probably the best lightweight 4-season pad money can buy. It has an R-value of 5.7 which, according to some charts I've seen, should get me down to about -10°F. I've seen people claim that pad R-Values are for on-ground, and wouldn't get you as low in-air, but I have no idea. I can tell you that I've used it multiple times below freezing, and as low as 13°F, and under-insulation has never been an issue.

Top insulation: this is where I'm pushing it... Sierra Designs Mobile Mummy 800 with a comfort rating of 39°F and a limit of 29°F. Using it because it's the lightest and best option I currently own to use for summer backpacking. I'm hoping my clothing gives me the extra push I need to be comfortable. Being in the backyard, I can always bail if I need to.

Clothing system:
Moisture-wicking polyester boxer-briefs.
Mid-weight and height merino wool hiking socks.
Basic base layer top and bottom; nothing special here, just your run-of-the-mill long underwear.
Eddie Bauer down hoody from Costco. Don't know much about this piece. Basic lightweight insulation layer. 650 fill, only $39.
Beanie - wool blend (I think?). Again, nothing special here.

That's it. Hoping for a nice night under the stars! 21.9°F as I head out...

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[509-T203-KG]

Meant to post this last night... performance report to come, but I'm headed back out again tonight. Not as cold, but snowing, yay!

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[sidneyhornblower]

And the update is....?

[509-T203-KG]

Gear Test Results: (see original post for gear used and why)

First Night:

Conditions:
* Temps - It stayed around 21°F most of the night.
* Wind - I've seen calmer, but wind seemed to be a non-issue.
* Frost - When I finally took my sleeping bag out around midnight, I could see moisture in the air, and my pad and hammock were covered in a thin layer of frost. I wiped it off with my hand and hoped for the best.
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* Wildlife - I fell asleep to a couple of chatty great horned owls. Woke up later to the sound of something dying a painful death... owl food?

Gear Performance:
* Under insulation was a non-issue. Any part of me touching the pad was fine.
* Feet were never cold. I believe partly due to the high R-Value of the pad, and partly due to the well-stuffed footbox of the sleeping bag. I work outside and often have trouble with cold feet, but for some reason not usually when I sleep.
* Upper body was almost too warm at times - unzipped sleeping bag at neck to vent (neck baffle works). I think the cheap down hoody will be warm enough for an insulating layer for backpacking.
* Head and face were also plenty warm. Did not need the beanie, jacket hood, and sleeping bag hood (which is also well-stuffed and very comfortable.). 2 out of 3 was plenty.
* The only part of me that was cold were the parts of my butt and thighs not touching the pad, and they were quite cold at times.
* I thought I would wake up covered in frost, but didn't. I had light condensation on the sleeping bag only to about 6" down from my mouth, and it wasn't frozen.

Sleep Summary:
I fell asleep fast and slept hard from 12-1:30am, waking up because I was cold. I tossed and turned, half-sleeping, for an hour or more before falling sound asleep again until 5am when I had to get up to pee. Despite the fact that my legs were already cold, it was still shockingly cold to take them out of the sleeping bag. Luckily the Mobile Mummy is designed so I could keep the top part of it on and wear it while getting up to pee. I didn't sleep much from 5-6am, then fell sound asleep again until my alarm went off at 7:30am.

I am a fetal position side sleeper who usually switches sides back and forth all night. This night I didn't switch as often for some reason. I also spent some time on my back trying to warm up my butt and the back of my thighs, which only kind-of worked. I continue to be very comfortable on a 25" wide pad in the bridge hammock. It's a flat lay and creates a nice platform where no part of my body touches the sides of the hammock or comes off the pad.

Conclusions?
* Considering I was sleeping out in the open at 21°F with a 40°F, 2-season sleeping bag, I'm fairly satisfied with the results. Even if I was summer backpacking using only this setup, and it happened to get down this cold, I could still get some decent sleep without being completely miserable.
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* The sleeping bag does not have much fill or loft, aside from the footbox and hood. When I awoke to cold butt and thighs, I tried reaching back to adjust to get more coverage/insulation, but could feel it was a lost cause. Very thin. It's just not a cold-weather bag.
* I think a pair of down pants may have done the trick. Something to consider adding to my gear list. Even wearing my hiking pants in addition to the base layer may have helped some. I also considered taking off the hoody and placing it over my lower half, but then my upper half would've gotten cold.
* It's either the down pants, or I just get a legit 30°F or lower bag/quilt and call it good.

Report on the second night to come. Same setup, but with temps around 32°F and snowing.
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[sidneyhornblower]

Did you get cold from above or from below? It sounds like your lower half was cold on top, so I'm guessing the sleeping bag is to blame. Was the pad sufficient for bottom warmth? If so, then you really don't need to add too much, maybe a poncho liner inside the bag or a fleece blanket or a bag liner, just something to boost the bag's performance.
Good report.

[RazorSharp]

Just my opinion. . .

Get quilts. They are truly amazing. You would not have been cold.

Start with a good UQ. You'll likely never sleep on that pad again. I have the same pad and, although it is great for a pad, it is a pad and I hate it. Gotta keep shifting it around to stay under me.

[509-T203-KG]

Did you get cold from above or from below? It sounds like your lower half was cold on top, so I'm guessing the sleeping bag is to blame. Was the pad sufficient for bottom warmth?

The cold was from above. The pad was plenty sufficient for bottom warmth. Any part of me that was touching the pad was fine.

maybe a poncho liner inside the bag or a fleece blanket or a bag liner, just something to boost the bag's performance.
Good report.

Good call. I've used the Sea to Summit Thermolite Reactor Liner with great results. It definitely works and probably would have kept me warm. I don't think the extra 8.7oz would make it into my pack for a backpack trip, though. The Mobile Mummy is already heavier than most quilt options rated for lower temps.

Thanks for the kind words and encouragement!

[509-T203-KG]

Get quilts. They are truly amazing. You would not have been cold.

I hear ya, and I don't doubt it based on the number of times I've heard "go UQ and you'll never go back". But my goal was not make sure I was warm (I knew I'd be cold), but rather to test whether I could "get-by" on a freak cold night during a summer backpacking trip using only the gear I currently own, while trying to be as lightweight as possible.

it is a pad and I hate it. Gotta keep shifting it around to stay under me.

I was really bothered by this in gathered end hammocks. Not so much in the bridge.

[BillyBob58]

I hear ya, and I don't doubt it based on the number of times I've heard "go UQ and you'll never go back". But my goal was not make sure I was warm (I knew I'd be cold), but rather to test whether I could "get-by" on a freak cold night during a summer backpacking trip using only the gear I currently own, while trying to be as lightweight as possible.



I was really bothered by this in gathered end hammocks. Not so much in the bridge.

Great report! Sounds like you've got it all figured out, or close enough! I'm glad to hear your report on that pad, as I am using the slightly less warm 4.9R factor NeoAir All Season mostly in a 90 degree Hammock tent. It sounds like you could have gone at east a bit- who knows how much- lower with that pad. Also, you had no tarp, and sounds like at least some wind. So, you are demonstrating a significant advantage to that pad: wind and even rain or splash up are not as big of an issue as they can be with an UQ. I have noticed that if my tarp is not pitched just right, or if the wind shifts and my tarp is not huge enough to cover all angles, or if I am not using a tarp, even a slight wind can be a big factor, cutting significant warmth out of my UQs. Of course, that is what a tarp is for. But, if you can go with a smaller tarp, that saves some weight, bulk and $.

Like you, I don't have a comfort problem when I use a pad in a bridge, especially with a pad pocket. And absolutely zero problems with a pad in a 90* hammock.

So thanks for the report, confirming you being plenty warm(on the bottom) to at least 21F with a bit of unblocked wind using that Neo Air X Therm . (I have been toasty at 18F with 2 summer/fall pads stacked, 1 full length and 1 a torso pad, each 2.6R, no tarp). That was in a GE hammock with no pad pocket, but a Speer Segmented Pad Extender(SPE) made it all quite manageable. Now just add layers on top as needed, that is all you have to do! Always works for me. Or, if you want to go wild and crazy, you might even look into the magic of vapor barrier (VB) clothing! It is amazing to me and a few others what can be accomplished with that approach. It is amazing what knocking evaporative cooling to zero can do. Plus, on those backpacking trips, IF DONE RIGHT, it will keep all of your insulation much drier.

[Grey Mouse]

Your braver than me. Since I'm a cold sleeper I would not have attempted this but I'm glad that it worked out for you. I always carry gear rated for 2-30°F below my expected low for safey. Heck it's 72°F in my office right now and my hands are cold and I'm wanting to turn the heater on lol. Great report.