First Cold Hang

[TAlexander]

I went camping last weekend with my wife and some of our friends. My wife and I were in our totally DIY hammock setups: hammock, underquilt, SPE, sock. It was in the mid 20'sF Sat. night. My watch has a thermometer on it, so I thought I would test the warmth at the various levels. 1. Outside=25F. 2. Under Hammock Sock=45F. 3.Under top quilt (aka unzipped sleeping bag)=75F. I took the readings at 2 hour intervals (1.@10pm 2.@12am 3.@2am) to let the thermometer aclimate to ambient temps. We hated to get out of the hammocks Sunday morning since there was frost over everything, but our fellow campers had gotten up early because they were freezing in their tents.
The only problem we had was the condensation build up in the sock near our heads. I am in the process of looking through posts on solving this problem.

Can't wait for the next hang!!

Tony

[HappyCamper]

So does your wife love you even more? Do your friends hate you or do they want to know more about your warm setup?

[Perkolady]

Congratulations on a successful diy hang!

It's really rewarding when you diy and it works out well. Good stuff!

[TAlexander]

Everyone was really interested in the setup. My wife was a big help in getting everything setup in the research/developement/manufacture phases. I would get something done and she would try it out with an unbiased/sceptical opinion. If she liked it, I know it was good. She was really pleased at how warm she stayed. She is from Louisiana, so she isn't thrilled about Indiana winters.

"It's really rewarding when you diy and it works out well. Good stuff! "

It really is. I am fairly new to light-weight camping, especially hammocks. I was a little more than nervous staying over night in sub-freezing temperatures without a fire or someone to snuggle next to. It really gives me some satisfaction that I can take ideas from strangers off of the interenet, apply it, depend on it for my wife's and my survival, and actually sleep comftably. That's crazy!!

Tony

[BillyBob58]

I went camping last weekend with my wife and some of our friends. My wife and I were in our totally DIY hammock setups: hammock, underquilt, SPE, sock. It was in the mid 20'sF Sat. night. My watch has a thermometer on it, so I thought I would test the warmth at the various levels. 1. Outside=25F. 2. Under Hammock Sock=45F. 3.Under top quilt (aka unzipped sleeping bag)=75F. I took the readings at 2 hour intervals (1.@10pm 2.@12am 3.@2am) to let the thermometer aclimate to ambient temps. We hated to get out of the hammocks Sunday morning since there was frost over everything, but our fellow campers had gotten up early because they were freezing in their tents.
The only problem we had was the condensation build up in the sock near our heads. I am in the process of looking through posts on solving this problem.

Can't wait for the next hang!!

Tony

Way to go, T.A.! Wasn't that fun?

Considering the inherent extra challenges of keeping warm in a hammock, it's amazing how often the above scenario happens. Where the only ones warm and snug are the hammock folks( who just happen to know how to make a hammock warm on the bottom).

That situation still makes for one of my strongest hammock memories. After a week of learn as you go, and a first freezing "abandon hammock" night, I was just starting to get the "hang" of hammocks and specifically the HH Super Shelter. I later learned that my "friends" were having a good laugh at me on the last night of the trip. Because they noticed I was hanging with the tiny HH tarp open foot end towards the lake a few feet away. It wasn't all that cold, but a stout wind was blowing right in mt tarp opening. So they were taking bets to see how long it would take me to get hypothermic. But I slept like a toasty log, once I got past the noise of the wind caused flapping tarp. Even with poor tarp wind blockage, with the HHSS Sil-nylon under cover and a windproof sleeping bag shell, I never felt the wind or cold. My laughing friends had a miserable night, both cold and rolling down hill over roots and rocks all night.

[TAlexander]

...and rolling down hill over roots and rocks all night.

That's what I am going to miss the most since I've taken to the trees.

[HappyCamper]

I was a little more than nervous staying over night in sub-freezing temperatures without a fire or someone to snuggle next to. Tony

Did you try hanging next to each other?

[Shug]

I always had condensation in my sock...... warm but to wet for me. Some seem to do OK though .........
Shug

[TAlexander]

Did you try hanging next to each other?

We did not. Unfortunately there were no trees, so I made two semi-portable hammock stands to use.

[TAlexander]

I always had condensation in my sock...... warm but to wet for me. Some seem to do OK though .........
Shug

We're heavy breathers I guess.
It looks like the Wolfman had slept in my hammock.