Perhaps the DWR treatment on the top quilt has worn off- thus allowing the fabric to absorb a lot more moisture.
Perhaps the DWR treatment on the top quilt has worn off- thus allowing the fabric to absorb a lot more moisture.
They're all hammockgear quilts and never have any problems with them. The 40 was wet only once but I could tell that was dew...pretty much everything outside was covered.Originally Posted by TxAggie
It felt like only the outer fabric was wet, but once I tried everything at home I could tell there was some serious loft lost during the trip. But luckily I was warm with this 20° set in ~25-35° weather (highs and lows were not very far apart).
Then I’m completely at a loss with everything else you’ve tried. I really thought the VB attempt would be the solution.
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Me too. I can not figure out where this moisture is coming from. The VB appears to def not be making it any worse, but also not preventing it as of the last test. If the VB is stopping his body vapor from escaping and condensing(and seems very likely it is doing so) then it has to be either
1: condensation from breath, or 2: some weird form of dew that only likes the center top of his TQ. What else could it be? What source of moisture am I missing? But 2 seems very unlikely.
Yup
When it comes to atmospheric conditions there is just no escaping moisture build up at times. In cooler temps it can be utterly frustrating at times chasing your tail trying to find answers.
IMO there is only one answer to the problem...heat. Creating a warm space to dry gear otherwise it is a constant slippery slope as moisture builds up in ones gear.
Having spent every night sleeping outside whilst home for several yrs now, as low as -30c so far, the only answer is drying things out by day in a warm space....or using a heat source to warm the item to dry it as pointed out....which clearly can get sketchy with synthetic low melt point materials....
Personally I have made a point in cooler to cold to fridge conditions that my hot tent is number one piece of kit (my Ti wood stove and Hammock Hot Tent weighs 7lbs combined) this way by day I can dry things out.
As Mark notes it just takes one night and the right atmospheric conditions and your fubard...and in cold temps that can lead to misery way too fast.
Stay Safe, Stay Warm and Hang on this winter season
Life is too Short to not feed the addiction....Hang on and explore the World
I got my Ti stove last night and gave it a test. It's great! No hot tent yet, which is about 2 weeks away. I don't want to put too much faith into that setup, but it will be nice in the winter.
Maybe the moisture is coming from the ground and you need to put down a vapor barrier there.
That would not explain why you have this issue just recently though.
They have been some pretty damp winter trips. I'm looking forward to winter arriving...if it does.
It's a bummer to see the quilts dry at home...almost a dry crisp feeling. I wish I could keep them drier. Compared to a wet wilted piece of lettuce out in the woods
Though you have way more damp quilt issues than I have personally experienced or observed with others, especially on such short trips, and while I am surprised VBs have not solved your problem(I'm still wondering about condensing breath vapor though, although who the heck knows), there is one more approach. But probably not for you, or for most of us here: synthetic. If you can not keep your quilts from getting wet, synthetic seems like a reasonable alternative.They have been some pretty damp winter trips. I'm looking forward to winter arriving...if it does.
It's a bummer to see the quilts dry at home...almost a dry crisp feeling. I wish I could keep them drier. Compared to a wet wilted piece of lettuce out in the woods
Now, here is where usually a multitude of voices come in to say: wet synthetic is just as cold as wet down. But I beg to differ. I have been on trips with nothing but fog, mist and rain the entire trip, where I started out first night getting the foot box of my Polarguard bag and the foot end of my HH open cell foam pad soaked the very first night. Not only was I fully dry(far as I could tell) by the end of the day, after packing up wet, but for the entire week long trip I could not perceive any decrease in performance or loft. My friend with down quilts had quite the different experience.
You keep mentioning things like "It's a bummer to see the quilts dry at home...almost a dry crisp feeling. I wish I could keep them drier. Compared to a wet wilted piece of lettuce out in the woods ". I have never noticed any difference in the loft of my synthetic gear, under any field conditions. Or even when soaking on purpose for testing, then squeezing out, it looks roughly the same. And when wearing purposely soaked synthetic jackets( the excess squeezed out right before putting on) has been perfectly warm in a light rain mid 30 degree hike, and by the time I got home after about a bit over 2 miles, was completely dry inside(under a WPB shell no less) except for the ends of one sleeve. Which was still quite soaked, but my hand was still noticeably warmer inside that soaked sleeve than outside.
Also, the Cedar Ridge boys, offering their new UP insulation quilts, do not seem to share the opinion that wet synthetic is as bad as wet down. So, I know folks hate to even consider giving up their down, and most won't, but if you can not avoid loft loss even on short trips, it is something to consider. At least for me.
The other day/night, I left my WBRR pitched in a rain storm for a day or two. I was using this cheap tarp from amazon that pitches to the ground, but is way too short for the RR, so I can not close it's doors. I was not sleeping in it while it stormed all day and part of the night. A good bit of rain had blown in from the ends, so that there was a puddle in the hammock and an even bigger puddle in the UQ. A nice little lake in the AHE Ridgecreek Climashield UQ made for the RR. I poured the water out of the RR and then the UQ. The UQ looked no different than before serving as a bathtub for many hours. As far as I could tell, loft was the same. I poured the water out(did not bother to squeeze) hopped in and it quickly felt warm and pretty much as per normal. Is that inner shell even DWR on this UQ? I don't know, but that amount of water made no discernible difference. I don't know if the insulation actually got wet while becoming a bath tub all night and part of the next day. But if it did, surely it would not be quite as warm as bone dry, I assume. But, it did not look any less lofty, and it was warm, and my past experience shows it would dry very quickly from body heat. So for folks who simply can not stay dry, I think there is still an advantage, IMO.
Question: You mention loss of loft: are your quilts treated down?
Last edited by BillyBob58; 01-08-2020 at 13:37.
I have read most, but admittedly not every word in this thread, so apologies if I'm restating or missing something; based on my own personal experience, I think cmc may have been on it with the very first reply.
On a recent night below freezing, I was astounded at the amount of condensation collected and how soaked my bib (bunched up in front of and below my face, and just barely laying over the TQ). It was the first time I had used fleece for this purpose, and it was absolutely starting to wick into my TQ. This was after only three or four hours. I tossed the bib out of the hammock and finished out the night. I wasn't necessarily a fan of pinning the bib to the RL, but I believe I'll be giving that a try next time out. Keeping the bib further away from the warmth of my face, and out of contact with the TQ should hopefully allow condensation to freeze on the bib, and prevent wicking to the TQ. Fingers crossed, and good luck!
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