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Thread: Wool Idea?

  1. #31
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pendule View Post
    One more thing I like in the wool blanket is the ability to use it as a pack, in a charming out-fashioned woodsman way :-)

    I plan to try it for a few trips this summer: one big comfy pure wool blanket, roll the hammock and a very minimal gear list in it, use my whoopies to keep it nicely tidy tied, tree huggers as pack straps, et voilà.

    I'll do the maths: modern pack + UQ/TQ vs wool blanket only, I am not so sure the blanket is still as heavy as we think ;-)
    OK...see, I think you're losing some perspective in your passion to defend your choice here, my friend.

    A wool blanket, by itself, cannot function as both a TQ and UQ. You can use it as one or the other. If you intend to sleep wrapped in the blanket, you're still dealing with it compressing underneath you UNLESS you hang it outside of the hammock like a UQ. Even wool compresses. Wet, compressed wool will be fair useless to keep you warm underneath.

    It's not going to be as effective at keeping you warm as using a TQ/UQ combo will. A TQ/UQ combo will MAYBE tip the scales as the same weight of a single, solid, wool blanket...but it won't balance against two of them if you use one on top and another on the bottom.

    Understand...I use the heck out of wool blankets. I'm ex-Army...and I've used wool blankets, poncho liners, and an ICW sleeping bag in darn near any condition you'll find soldiers deployed.

    If you want to use wool, use wool. That's fine. If it works for you...it's a success!

    The attitude here is HYOH. "Hang your own hammock".

    You'll find that most other folks typically won't use a blanket as a UQ/TQ/backpack.

  2. #32
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    Don't get me wrong, I am a very big fan of my 0° Incubator, I would not trade it for anything else for cold camping.

    I am clearly not saying that you can replace the bottom insulation quality of an UQ by a wool blanket all year long… I am not even trying to advocate the use of a blanket as an UQ.

    But for the summer nights when it's just a bit too chilly to go "naked", I think a wool blanket might do the trick and replace UQ/TQ combo. As I said in one earlier post (#9), I tried to sleep wrapped in it, and for the temperatures we have around here these days it is nice.
    I have already admitted that my first experiment did not go well, and the temp should have been around 10-12°C (~ 50-55°F) (and I don't see the point of packing winter clothes in summer when a adequate UQ suffices…)

    That said, I am not the OP, I was just commenting on my recent wool experiments, and my desire to try some "roots/minimal/bushcraft" hammock trips.
    The blanket as pack is just a kind of "historical reenactment", to see how it goes to take a trip to the woods without 1'000$ of space age stuff, cuben gear, titanium hooks, but just a cotton hammock and a wool blanket.

  3. #33
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    Well, I'd agree that during the summer, you may not need an underquilt. And I'd agree that depending upon the weather, a wool blanket may be plenty of insulation period for late spring/summer/early fall when the temps stay high enough.

    Where I live...right now...I would use a fleece blanket and at most a poncho liner underneath me...at most.

    It'll stay plenty warm throughout the summer, and I won't bust out my HHSS pad and undercover until fall when the temps dip down into the 40s or lower.

    I've done the "historical re-enactment" thing both as a rennie and as a buckskinner. Doable...but you'll find that anyone who spent much time at all out there carried quite a bit of heavy, unwieldy gear. Short term camping you can easily do with very, very little. I've spent several nights only with what I carry in my "oh shoot kit".

    A blanket, a good knife, and something to carry water and cook in can be all you truly need for a few days. Even the hammock is a luxury in that scenario.

  4. #34
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    I think a good way to get acquainted with how wool excels is to try it below 20*F... take a wool poncho with the rest of your gear and see what you end up doing with it.

    I also have a couple of Chilean wool sombreros... much cooler in hot weather than you would think, and warm in cold weather too!
    - MacEntyre
    "We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately." - Ben Franklin
    www.MollyMacGear.com

  5. #35
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    Quote Originally Posted by Owl View Post
    Even the hammock is a luxury in that scenario.
    It is the only essential part, I would say, we are on HF after all, not on HardcorePrimitiveSkillsAndSurvivalFreaks.com

  6. #36
    Senior Member alrany187's Avatar
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    Spent my first overnight with just a CCF for underneath and a Jack's R Better fleece quilt liner and wool blanket for top. Temps got down into the 30s, at least that is what my hanging partners all claimed. I was warm and comfy the entire night. The majority of the credit I give to the Jack'sRBetter quilt liner. It should be an excellent start for your summer top insulation.

    Ellis

  7. #37
    Quote Originally Posted by SilvrSurfr View Post
    It's late tonight and I'm multitasking so I'm drawing a blank: why does down lose loft?

    And why must a piece of gear serve multiple purposes? It sounds so self-limiting. A tarp doesn't serve multiple purposes, nor does a hammock, or hammock suspension, or backpack, or alcohol stove. And yet you place this limitation on your hammock insulation - that it must be wearable, can be used around the fire, etc.

    I am not criticizing - just trying to understand your rationale. I despise the cost of down, but you can't beat the weight and compressibility. I am the type that would rather go camping in wet/bad weather than dry, and have yet to get my down UQ/TQ wet enough to affect its insulative properties.

    I use wool any chance I can get 'cause it's a miracle fabric. All these high-tech, lightweight wicking fabrics are great, but in wet weather, I want a nice wool lanolinized sweater on me. This topic interests me greatly but when it comes to hammock insulation and hiking, I see wool as non-viable.

    For car-camping, I love my wool blankies. I've got a wool army blanket that's 50 years old and it is the ultimate survivor tool. But that bad boy ain't coming on the trail with me.
    I dont uses stoves think they are waste of money and pointless. Fire is everything to me. Thats just me. And I agree my hammock and tarp only have one use to stay dry while sleeping and that is it which is fine. But a pack has many purposes to many to go into. An actually If I set my tarp up correctly in the rain I can use it to collect fresh rain water into my bottle. Seems like you guys are missing my point. I dont want an under quilt period. In winter I used my MSS sleep system with all 3 pieces and no UQ and was fine. But the MSS is to bulky on long hikes and a down uq/tq set is at minimum 300. I paid 100 for my MSS and for spring summer and fall I want to see if a 100% wool blanket will keep me warmwith no underquilt to save money. And wool is amazing lol


    Quote Originally Posted by Trooper View Post
    Requiring something in your pack to fill multiple roles is a nice goal, but shouldn't be a dogmatic rule. .
    Seems like I need to make a video of my gear and why I choose the gear I do and why it is important to have more than one use. Am I confusing people?

  8. #38
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    Quote Originally Posted by OutdoorJunkie1992 View Post
    I dont uses stoves think they are waste of money and pointless. Fire is everything to me. Thats just me. And I agree my hammock and tarp only have one use to stay dry while sleeping and that is it which is fine. But a pack has many purposes to many to go into. An actually If I set my tarp up correctly in the rain I can use it to collect fresh rain water into my bottle. Seems like you guys are missing my point. I dont want an under quilt period. In winter I used my MSS sleep system with all 3 pieces and no UQ and was fine. But the MSS is to bulky on long hikes and a down uq/tq set is at minimum 300. I paid 100 for my MSS and for spring summer and fall I want to see if a 100% wool blanket will keep me warmwith no underquilt to save money. And wool is amazing lol



    Seems like I need to make a video of my gear and why I choose the gear I do and why it is important to have more than one use. Am I confusing people?
    OK...so you're wanting to know if we (folks here) believe that a wool blanket, by itself, will keep you warm enough 3 seasons (spring, summer, fall).

    For me...the answer is: probably not.

    For summer, most times, yes. For late Spring/early fall...maybe. Odds are you'll have some nights where it's plenty, and some nights where it's just flat not enough.

    You need to have SOMETHING underneath you that maintains insulative value. While the MSS is bulky, that very bulk is why you're not freezing without an underquilt or it's equivilant. That's because there's still enough uncompressed insulation underneath you to prevent heat loss.

    A wool blanket is much thinner...and wool WILL still compress underneath you. And if you're wanting to use it with you wrapped up in it, that doesn't give you much at all underneath you. Most people need to have seperate top and bottom insulation while sleeping in a hammock.

    You seem set on your solution. The best answer here is...go try it out and see if it works for you. It probably wouldn't work for most...but it might work for you, and that's all that matters.

    And realize...I don't have an underquilt either. During the winter, I use a 20 deg bag (or my military ICW bag), my poncho liner, and the HH Supershelter underpad and undercover combo with a space blanket. It works for me...but doesn't work for everyone. I've used it effectively down to 20 deg with 30 mph winds.

    Not trying to sell you on a UQ...just trying to help you see why folks are giving you the answers you're getting.

  9. #39
    Quote Originally Posted by Owl View Post
    OK...so you're wanting to know if we (folks here) believe that a wool blanket, by itself, will keep you warm enough 3 seasons (spring, summer, fall).

    For me...the answer is: probably not.

    For summer, most times, yes. For late Spring/early fall...maybe. Odds are you'll have some nights where it's plenty, and some nights where it's just flat not enough.

    You need to have SOMETHING underneath you that maintains insulative value. While the MSS is bulky, that very bulk is why you're not freezing without an underquilt or it's equivilant. That's because there's still enough uncompressed insulation underneath you to prevent heat loss.

    A wool blanket is much thinner...and wool WILL still compress underneath you. And if you're wanting to use it with you wrapped up in it, that doesn't give you much at all underneath you. Most people need to have seperate top and bottom insulation while sleeping in a hammock.

    You seem set on your solution. The best answer here is...go try it out and see if it works for you. It probably wouldn't work for most...but it might work for you, and that's all that matters.

    And realize...I don't have an underquilt either. During the winter, I use a 20 deg bag (or my military ICW bag), my poncho liner, and the HH Supershelter underpad and undercover combo with a space blanket. It works for me...but doesn't work for everyone. I've used it effectively down to 20 deg with 30 mph winds.

    Not trying to sell you on a UQ...just trying to help you see why folks are giving you the answers you're getting.
    Ill try it out and if it does not work I will use it for my bed at home. So can anyone recommend a UQ/TQ combo for 4 seasons? Obviously In winter I will have a fleece liner and heavier clothing. But 4 season recommendations? I only want to spend on one set and one time. Thanks for clearing everything up. Guess these peices of gear fall into the sleep system only purpose lol

  10. #40
    Senior Member Trooper's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by OutdoorJunkie1992 View Post
    Ill try it out and if it does not work I will use it for my bed at home. So can anyone recommend a UQ/TQ combo for 4 seasons? Obviously In winter I will have a fleece liner and heavier clothing. But 4 season recommendations? I only want to spend on one set and one time. Thanks for clearing everything up. Guess these peices of gear fall into the sleep system only purpose lol
    I recommend the Jacks-R-Better No Sniveller. It can be an underquilt, top quilt, or a serape. It is versatile and not terribly expensive. Use this for an underquilt and add a $20 wool or fleece blanket for your top insulation. I'd go with fleece because it is lighter.

    Get a small CCF pad--they are good to sit on, kneel on, or put in the small of your back in the hammock. I use the Thermarest Z-seat or a 12x24" section of bright yellow CCF. These are the only obnoxious colored items I carry, in case I need to be found.

    For colder temps, you can get a great underquilt for $189 for down or $129 for synthetic, or you could make your own. Now you can use the No Sniveller as a top quilt.

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