from what i keep hearing over & over from far more experienced hikers than i, fleece is just not going to match the weight to warmth ratio of a puffy (down or synthetic) insulation, even though it doesn't compress & loose insulation value like the puffy stuff.
but it does feel nice<g>.
I too will something make and joy in it's making
Pan that is one of the reasons I like this forum. Almost everything has already been tested before in some way. Posts like that just save me a lot of work with little to gain.
Is that too much to ask? Girls with frikkin' lasers on their heads?
The hanger formly known as "hammock engineer".
HE, et al,Originally Posted by hammock engineer
Over the years the same sujects come up a lot.... I've posted some sets of comments so many times I often now wait a day or so to see if someone else posts the stuff in the archives.... good example is TIE the TARP to the TREES not spt lines ...and tie below the hammock syspension line for storms etc... nice to have others picking up these mantras.
On Fleece.... If someone likes it... get it as clothing... then it becomes dual or multi use...And you can leave it behind in warm weather.
Most folk have a limited budget for gear so component systems that can layer, combine, stack, morph, do multiple tasks all make sense while highly specialized stuff may be great for a specific need it is often very expensive in $ or time to make. Of course it often satisfies our creative needs, so it is fun to do...
Couple examples
I have a light wool shirt, about 9 oz, long sleeve that is a base layer in winter and my evening insulation layer in the summer.
Insulated hammock concepts are another example... Great Idea... but not useful for traditional hammock season ( summer) so one is forced to multiple hammocks... ( So for us gear heads that is cool anyway) Picking and choosing from a gear locker of existing pads and quilts and bags is a better approach for the average person and provides the most flexibility for whatever the expected conditions are.
Hey... These will all be fodder for some great discussion at Mt Roger... Smee,Top ( new guy) and I will all be hiking in about 3-4 PM Friday... See you there.
Pan
Ounces to Grams.
www.jacksrbetter.com ... Largest supplier of camping quilts and under quilts...Home of the Original Nest Under Quilt, and Bear Mountain Bridge Hammock. 800 595 0413
I started the fleece lined hammock thread. I agree with Pan that fleece is not the answer for a hiking hammock. Mine was just for use on the back porch of my weekend cabin. The bulk and weight is not a problem for this use. The only fleece I use hiking are long johns (shirt,pants) on below freezing trips. I have been stuck on synthetic insulation (lighter than fleece) but that No Snivler quilt and Nest is on my wish list for next year! Just wanted to make sure no one thought I was advising this for hiking.That's funny. After reading Hangout's Fleece lined hammock thread, I started thinking about making a dual-purpose bag liner/coat to make weight/bulk penalty of the fleece worth it.
Don't feel like you have to qualify statements, man. We all do it anyway, but in the end, sharing opinions and experiences (often greatly differing ones) is why we're here.
As far as fleece goes, it's a money trade-off for me. In the same ways that down insulation is usually preferred over synthetic (weight and bulk), insulated clothing (down OR synthetic) is probably a better choice than fleece. On the other hand, I can trade a bit of extra bulk and weight and save myself a lot of money by using fleece - which is a viable solution to the insulation problem - the same way I can do so by buying/making a synthetic quilt rather than a down one. I think I could have gotten down to 20* with nothing but my MI poncho liner over me.
On a related note, I hung in my yard last night. According to Weatherbug (I don't have an outdoor thermometer yet), low temps were around 28*, with winds around 10 mph. I used my homemade Speer-type hammock, a KAQ underquilt and a DWR hammock sock (thanks on both counts, Jeff!). I wore a cotton t-shirt, Columbia fleece jacket, cotton long john bottoms, the fleece pants I made the day before, one pair of Smartwool socks, and a Mountain Hardware fleece/Goretex hat. I didn't use a top quilt, but after I got the underquilt properly adjusted, I slept toasty through the 4 coldest hours just before dawn.
I'm not saying fleece is some wonder-material. It definitely has limitations. The light stuff I used to make my pants doesn't block wind much at all. If you want fleece that DOES, it gets heavier. But, with this setup, I didn't really have to worry about the wind. As promised, the hammock sock blocked almost all air movement across my body. I did have it pulled all the way up (head inside) and cinched tight at the top. There was just enough air movement remaining that I had NO condensation problems.
Anyway. I'll definitely be bringing my fleece pants along for the Rogers trip. The fleece jacket I slept in last night is half of a shell system which is all I have for the top of my body in serious cold weather, so I'll be bring that too. I'm in the process of making a pair of insulated pants (crossing my fingers on that one), but I think the fleece pants will make a great mid-layer underneath since the insulated pants will use a DWR outer shell and should block the wind effectively.
"Physics is the only true science. All else is stamp collecting." - J. J. Thompson
hey... good to hear that smee is going to be able to make it.
I too will something make and joy in it's making
[QUOTE=Peter_pan;5576]HE, et al,
On Fleece.... If someone likes it... get it as clothing... then it becomes dual or multi use...And you can leave it behind in warm weather.
[QUOTE=Peter_pan;5576]
That's exacly what it is a piece of clothing that doubles as a sleeping bag liner....but I mentioned it for use in warm weather hammocking...
Most people in the High Sierras always have a fleece jacket along...this way one would not have to carry another jacket...the bod i bag would be a double duty item.
Keith - I was considering a windproof fleece jacket for a while but someone pointed out that windproof fleece clothing is actually a limiting item in your system. If I need wind protection, I'll put on my rain jacket. If I need insulation, I'll put on my fleece. If I need both, I'll wear both and be toasty. But having windproof fleece means you're carrying two layers of wind protection AND you lose the insulation/no wind protection option for the in-between days or for sleeping.
Just another way to look at things. I don't have insulated pants yet so if I can make Rogers I'll probably bring some thick $5 Kmart 100% polyester fleece pants. Can't beat the price unless it's free.
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IMPOSSIBLE JUST TAKES LONGER
Yeah - that's what I like about a shell system. The fleece isn't really windproof, so I've got breathability if I need it. The shell is, but it's not terribly insulated. The system is definitely heavier and bulkier than I'd like, but it also definitely works. And it doesn't cost anything since I already have it
I thought about getting some cheap Walmart fleece pants - probably easier than making the ones I made - but I had the fleece on hand, and I wanted to test out my pants pattern somehow before I tried the insulated pants project.
"Physics is the only true science. All else is stamp collecting." - J. J. Thompson
keith... did you buy a pattern that's actually for insulated pants?
let us know how that goes. i might like to try that myself sometime.
I too will something make and joy in it's making
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