Getting cool tonight

[willhang1]

36 degrees this morning. I wish I had finished the IX UQ. Oh well, supposed to be colder and even have a light freeze this week. Off to sewing! Will test the UQ this weekend.

[Leslie]

I'm getting excited too. 52 degrees this morning! Autumn has always been my favorite time of year.

Please let us know how your UQ worked for you. I've been sifting through the UQ subforums for a few weeks, getting ideas for making my own. I could use all the input people could give

[mullinax95]

I hung in the backyard last night and had to come in at 12:am because I was cold. I didn't realize it was going to get that cold. There was a slight breeze and my back got cold.

I have a Clark NX-150 (has the big pockets on the bottom) and was wondering what others stuff in those pockets to provide insulation?

[HappyCamper]

Didn't see this thread until this morning! I slept outside last night too to test quilts! Perfect cool weather. Got down to 41degrees for us!

[Cali]

Mullinax95, I recommend getting an UQ or making a plug UQ for your NX-150. You can stuff the pockets with pillows or clothes to help insulate you, but I would get or make an UQ to keep you warm. Good luck.

[grannypat]

My downy goodness worked fine. I just have to remember to keep my arms under the quilt instead of on it! It was 50* when I got up at 6:00. It may have been a bit colder during the early morning hours, but I'm going to say I tested the gear at 50* until I can verify a colder temp.

[Klaussinator]

I saw your post last evening and checked our forecast for the night... low of 47 degrees. Perfect!

I'd been gathering the stuff to make an IX UQ, and decided this would be the night. Finished it at 2am and slept the rest of the night quite cozy outside my shop. Sorry, no pics yet cause I WAS TIRED! I must say, I'm rather surprised at the insulating ability of this design, given the minimal materials used.

Actually, I used the foam wrap that comes around new TVs since I had two pieces that were about 50"x70", instead of the real stuff, so I'm sure my R-values may be a bit lower. Having only two pieces, I decided to use some material for the outside layer that is coated, and sized it to act as the third layer... figured it couldn't hurt. Ended up with ZERO COST, although I might have to spring for some heavier shock cord than what I had on-hand to use. The UQ is made so I can easily add another layer to it --- whenever someone buys another big TV!

Very impressed with how well it worked. The heat effect was almost instant when I laid down, since the hammock had been hung for a while and was already cool. The UQ kept me perfectly comfortable all through the night, even though I really should have had a bit more insulation on the top side . . . guess a TQ will be the next project!

-Klauss

[DemostiX]

<snip>

I have a Clark NX-150 (has the big pockets on the bottom) and was wondering what others stuff in those pockets to provide insulation?

Search in the Clark Forum. The pleated Clark saddlebags are capacious enough to permit thin insulation to fall away from the bed of the hammock. Put more insulation in -- a correctly sized pad -- or use the same amount and something else in to hold that pad against the bottom, squeezing it between the outside fabric and the hammock.

You could use right-size pieces of inexpensive Walmart blue foam pads augmented with smaller, gently and incompletely folded piece of foam. Or glue small thick foam blocks to outsides of the foam pads. Or stuff balled up garments.

Here is Clark's language and current approach with their own Z-pads (climashield) sytem. In a word: Velcro.

"All newer Clark four-season hammocks have velcro in place to install the Z-Liner kit. Six of the pads velcro into the insulating pockets of the hammock. The benefit of installing the pads in the insulating pockets is huge. The pockets keep the pads secure and in place to limit the movement of air around the Z-Liner pad. The pockets also offer another layer of protection against the cold so that strong winds won't compromise the insulation of the Z-Liner pad."

[mullinax95]

Search in the Clark Forum. The pleated Clark saddlebags are capacious enough to permit thin insulation to fall away from the bed of the hammock. Put more insulation in -- a correctly sized pad -- or use the same amount and something else in to hold that pad against the bottom, squeezing it between the outside fabric and the hammock.

You could use right-size pieces of inexpensive Walmart blue foam pads augmented with smaller, gently and incompletely folded piece of foam. Or glue small thick foam blocks to outsides of the foam pads. Or stuff balled up garments.

Here is Clark's language and current approach with their own Z-pads (climashield) sytem. In a word: Velcro.

"All newer Clark four-season hammocks have velcro in place to install the Z-Liner kit. Six of the pads velcro into the insulating pockets of the hammock. The benefit of installing the pads in the insulating pockets is huge. The pockets keep the pads secure and in place to limit the movement of air around the Z-Liner pad. The pockets also offer another layer of protection against the cold so that strong winds won't compromise the insulation of the Z-Liner pad."

Thanks for such detailed information. I was wondering what the velcro was for on the outside of the hammock at the foot location. I'm fixing to head over to the Clark website and do some looking at the Z-Liner kit. After last night I will have to do something because I couldn't get comfortable enough to fall back asleep. Now of course I didnt have a mummy type sleeping bag. Just a big thick blanket in which kept balling up under me instead of covering my back and shoulders. Can you tell Im new yet? lol But I also realize that it going to get much colder than what it was last night. And on top of that the old boy scout in me keeps yelling "Be prepared!"

I hate to spend more money but I don't know how to sew very well and I want it to look and work correctly.

[Resqsarge03]

I am in the hammock right now settled in for a nice night out in the cool evening wonderfulness. the crickets are softly chirping and I am getting sleepy. I slept out here last night as well and it got down to 47 but was toasty warm.
I am using an improvised under quilt that I made for my son out of a kids LL bean sleeping bag I got at goodwill. I cut it down to size and then sewed grosgren channels. I got some bungee too so now I am good to go.
it cost 10 dollars and it's highly effective.
and now I'm going to drift off to sleep. good night.