1) I don't like the traditional deal of having a short UQ with a small piece of Closed-Cell Foam (CCF) under one's feet. I've tried it, but found that it is somewhat awkward to ensure that the CCF stays in place under one's heels and between the right side of one's feet and the (cold) side of the hammock. In my experience, the CCF pad has moved around. Also, my heels prefer something softer than the relatively stiff CCF. I've tried it both outside and inside the TQ and don't really like the idea.
2) I've been using a (full-length) HG Incubator UQ, which largely makes the problem go away. But it seems awfully inefficient -- the overwhelming majority of all that wondrous down goes to waste -- it isn't used. AND I've occasionally had cold feet anyway!
3) OK, I got this idea from the BSA Fieldbook 3rd edition (1984), p. 78. Believe it or not, this book recommends that scouts manufacture their own sleeping bags out of Open Cell Polyurethane foam. Part of their recommendation is that you make a separate "foam foot mitten" out of that same foam and have it loose inside the sleeping bag to provide extra insulation for your feet.
I didn't manufacture my own foam sleeping bag, but I did decide to use the "Foam Foot Mitten" idea.
4) So I obtained some 2" thick Open-Cell Foam (OCF). It may be that 1" works fine -- don't know -- haven't tried it. The roll of OCF I obtained (from the "Hobby Lobby") was 2" x 27" x 76". It cost $35 + tax.
5) The BSA instructions suggest using foam with dimensions 1" x 14" x 30". A little math suggested that the BSA dimensions would make a cylinder with diameter 9.55". As I have huge size 12 feet, I wanted something bigger. So I used a circumference of 38" instead of 30". I cut a piece 38" long. Out of laziness, I didn't cut the length of the cylinder (i.e., it remains 27" long, instead of the BSA-recommended 14"). So the dimensions are 2" x 27" x 38".
The BSA instructions suggest using something like 3M adhesive to "butt-glue" the (27" long) edge, which would give a 27" long cylinder with a circumference of 38". For now, I chose not to do the gluing. I just put the foam into the foot-box of my TQ (i.e., so that it is a 27" long cylinder around my feet, calves, and knees).
6) So last night (low temp: +8F) I used this set up with a (3/4 length) 0F HammockGear Phoenix UQ and a 10F EE RevX TQ. My feet were VERY cozy!
Not only were my feet thermally comfy, but I really liked the "cushiness" under my heels and on the side of my right foot.
One unexpected, but delightful, effect was that the foam cushioned the calf-ridge nicely. No calf-ridge numbness!
7) I've only used this setup once so far, so obviously more testing is in order. But I'm really happy so far. The OCF would obviously be somewhat awkward for those who are backpacking. I'm a home hanger/car camper -- so bulkiness isn't really an issue.
I used 2" thick foam because I really wanted to be warm. It may be that 1" thick foam would have been similarly adequate. The 1" foam at Hobby Lobby costs about half as much.
I thought about trying to buy the foam online on Amazon, but wasn't sure about whether it was adequately cushy for my needs -- I felt it necessary to buy from a brick & mortar store so that I could feel it before buying.
If I cut the foam piece so that the cylinder wasn't 27" long, it would certainly be proportionately more compact. The feet would still be exactly as warm. But if you value the calf-ridge cushioning, you'd want to leave it pretty long.
I thought about getting a "hot-knife" of some sort to elegantly cut the foam. Instead did it with a utility knife supplemented by scissors. The cut isn't pretty, but it got the job done. I'd imagine that, if you wanted to glue the edge, you'd want a cleaner cut (i.e., a "hot-knife" might give better results).
Sorry -- no photos -- don't own a digital camera.
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Originally Posted by TZBrown
...great minds...or fools?
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