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  1. #1
    Senior Member McSpartan's Avatar
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    What it was like...

    First Hang in my newly purchased Blackbird 1.1 DL last night.

    I was hoping to have done this before now, but wanted to wait for a night before a day that wasn's so gosh darn busy if the "sleep" did not go well. So this was my first hang in a BB, second hang in a hammock, the first being in an HH.

    If everything was perfect, I would not have had my first hang in cold weather, ~ 38 last night, but it's what we had.

    The tarp I used is a borrowed tarp from an HH expedition. I had an older Thermarest and put a new WM blue pad (the 24" version) on top of that. My top insulation is my wife's older Windypass bag that I think was rated to 15 degrees (at one time). A black mamba is in my future.

    It was about 46 degrees when I hopped in last night and it sure felt comfortable. That said, even after reading a bit I had some trouble falling asleep. This had more to do with trying something new. Once I did fall asleep I did not wake up again until 6:30am. NICE!

    It's amazing experiencing some of the situations I have read so often here. Specifically, it takes no more than being fractions of an inch off the pad to feel the cold. UQ's also in my future.

    Next stop: Saturday night with the scouts on Mt. Pleasant. I'll also be probing my buddies to see about warmer gear for a possible jaunt to the Mt. Roger's hang in January.

    Thanks so much for all of the great advice and experiences shared here. I'm 100% "in" on hanging.

    PS. I thought I had my wife talked into letting me take our cat out to the hammock and test out if she would "make bisquits". She vetoed: "Mike, she'll tear that thing apart"

  2. #2
    Senior Member Lonely Raven's Avatar
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    It's good you got a practice run before your night with the scouts. I'm glad this all worked out for you and it gives you some idea of what needs improvement.

    Part of why I deal with the weight and bulk of a full sized under quilt is that I find myself off the quilt...I can't imagine making a pad work the way I toss and turn.

  3. #3
    Senior Member NCPatrick's Avatar
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    Thanks for the review! Glad to hear of your success.

    As far as sneaking the cat out there, you may have to just "grab and go" while your wife is looking the other way...


    "Civilization is the limitless multiplication of unnecessary necessities."
    - Mark Twain
    “I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order.”
    - John Burroughs

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by McSpartan View Post
    It's amazing experiencing some of the situations I have read so often here. Specifically, it takes no more than being fractions of an inch off the pad to feel the cold. UQ's also in my future.
    After five consecutive nights in my HH, I was tired of fussing with pads and really tired of the ever present cold spots. So, I purchased a Winter Nest UQ & Hudson River TQ from Jacks-R-Better (Perfect for my Hyperlite) and I'm much happier! Keeps me warmer and I shed a pound of additional pack weight.

  5. #5
    Senior Member McSpartan's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lonely Raven View Post
    Part of why I deal with the weight and bulk of a full sized under quilt is that I find myself off the quilt...I can't imagine making a pad work the way I toss and turn.
    Thanks Raven, I'm watching your posts closely as I may be making similar purchases: mambas and incubators (I don't like cold feet and I think a full quilt will be the only way).

    Firm believer in trying stuff out. Scouts are ALWAYS watching!

    Quote Originally Posted by NCPatrick View Post
    As far as sneaking the cat out there, you may have to just "grab and go" while your wife is looking the other way...
    SSHHH, that' my plan...

    Quote Originally Posted by daltontr View Post
    After five consecutive nights in my HH, I was tired of fussing with pads and really tired of the ever present cold spots. So, I purchased a Winter Nest UQ & Hudson River TQ from Jacks-R-Better (Perfect for my Hyperlite) and I'm much happier! Keeps me warmer and I shed a pound of additional pack weight.
    Daltontr, I hear ya. I just have space out the purchases and convince the Mrs. that the pads and bags are broken! Honestly, she's great about this stuff.

  6. #6
    Senior Member Walking Dead's Avatar
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    What shape is the pad? I have one of those mummy shaped self-inflaters and slide it inside the sleeping bag. Since the cover is nylon then it feels like the inside of the sleeping bag. I did find I needed some shoulder insulation so I used a 1/8" 60x40 pad under the sleeping bag.

    Since the Troop doesn't have another trip until January, I'm going to break out the machinery and see if I can mangle an underquilt together. I used Dejoha's poncho liner idea and it works well. I'll add a bit more insulation and turn it into a sewed up version.

  7. #7
    Senior Member Shewie's Avatar
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    Good little report

    Glad it went well, I thought it was heading for bad news when you couldn't get off to sleep.

  8. #8
    Senior Member G.L.P.'s Avatar
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    Glad it worked out for ya
    can't go wrong with a BB ..i love mine
    It puts the Underquilt on it's hammock ... It does this whenever it gets cold

  9. #9
    Senior Member McSpartan's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Shewie View Post
    Good little report

    Glad it went well, I thought it was heading for bad news when you couldn't get off to sleep.
    I have to share that some other experiences shared here with leg problems and the like had me slightly vexed (did I say vexed?).

    Thanks Shewie and greenlespaul.

    Walking Dead, my TR is about 20 years: no nonsense orange rectangle that needs my air to inflate.

  10. #10
    Senior Member McSpartan's Avatar
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    Success

    First backwoods outing with the scouts was successful. With ~38 degrees I stayed very warm with the WM blue pad, Thermarest and Old NF Snowshoe.

    I'm not sure that this set-up will do me for the Mt. Rogers hang in January. May have to wait 'til 2012 while I accumulate some "quilts."

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