Minimum Temp for no bottom insulation

**litetrek** · 06-14-2014, 16:57

So, I'm back from North Georgia. Took my underquilt and my top quilt. I was a little hot in the 55 degree night temps. I probably would have been cold without the underquilt, though. My underquilt plus top quilt plus hammock takes up around half of the space in my pack. That's the main reason i originally asked about it ... to save some space

**Dedicated Hanger** · 06-14-2014, 17:46

Litetrek, glad you had a good time.

**litetrek** · 06-15-2014, 17:11

Originally Posted by Dedicated Hanger

Litetrek, glad you had a good time.

Thanks. We enjoyed camping in the area around Justus Creek, just North of Cooper Gap on the Appalachian Trail.

Here's something funny that happened. I woke up at 2:00 AM to growling very close by. It wasn't loud enough to be a bear but I thought it might be a coyote or wild dog. I was concerned because it was close and it wasn't going away.

After a few minutes of listening I was a little more awake and realized the growling was coming from my stomach ... a result of eating too much for dinner!

**Dedicated Hanger** · 06-15-2014, 18:46

That story reminds me of one. After tent camping for many years I realized that movement and noises outside the tent, combined with my imagination, made things sound larger than they really were. There was this happy mouse that kept tripping over the tent stakes one year. The tent was moving and until I put a flash light on the little rascal, I thought it had to be a bear. Well, two years ago, when the noise of some thing pounding the ground right beside my ear woke me up, I could tell (and smell) the bear tearing open the packages of hot chocolate I put in a bag and hung in a tree behind the tent. He was stomping on them and tearing them open within a foot of me and was not really frightened when I yelled at him to move along. Once he finished off all the hot chocolate available, he sort of meandered away. The next time (about 45 minutes later) I smelled him before I saw him. He did not make any noise at all when he came back. This time he got my garbage bag (that had used freeze dried bags in it) and walked around licking it while I yelled at him. He looked at me, then dropped the bag and walked away. I feel lucky to have seen him and did not feel like I was in danger. I am a firm believer in not putting any food of any kind any where near my sleeping area. If he can get the food bag hanging in a tree, then he is welcome to it, because there is nothing you can do to stop him. I do like those guys (black bears). They are cute.

**litetrek** · 06-15-2014, 19:25

Originally Posted by Dedicated Hanger

That story reminds me of one. After tent camping for many years I realized that movement and noises outside the tent, combined with my imagination, made things sound larger than they really were. There was this happy mouse that kept tripping over the tent stakes one year. The tent was moving and until I put a flash light on the little rascal, I thought it had to be a bear. Well, two years ago, when the noise of some thing pounding the ground right beside my ear woke me up, I could tell (and smell) the bear tearing open the packages of hot chocolate I put in a bag and hung in a tree behind the tent. He was stomping on them and tearing them open within a foot of me and was not really frightened when I yelled at him to move along. Once he finished off all the hot chocolate available, he sort of meandered away. The next time (about 45 minutes later) I smelled him before I saw him. He did not make any noise at all when he came back. This time he got my garbage bag (that had used freeze dried bags in it) and walked around licking it while I yelled at him. He looked at me, then dropped the bag and walked away. I feel lucky to have seen him and did not feel like I was in danger. I am a firm believer in not putting any food of any kind any where near my sleeping area. If he can get the food bag hanging in a tree, then he is welcome to it, because there is nothing you can do to stop him. I do like those guys (black bears). They are cute.

I was visited by a bear in the Cohutta Wilderness last August. He was cute, but he charged me and got within about 5 feet from me for no real reason other than we were cooking dinner and he smelled it A few minutes later a mother with 3 babies sauntered by. She was laid back since we were about 75 feet from her. After that I'd really rather only see them from a distance. I did not sleep well that night.

**Divigation** · 06-15-2014, 21:18

I find the low 70s to be the coolest I can sleep without insulation. But I have never gotten hot with insulation so I just keep it on like SilvrSurfr.

**NirvanaFan** · 06-15-2014, 22:02

I'm a little late to the discussion, but I've found that anything below 70 or so, I need some bottom insulation.

Originally Posted by Dedicated Hanger

If he can get the food bag hanging in a tree, then he is welcome to it, because there is nothing you can do to stop him. I do like those guys (black bears). They are cute.

Bear canisters do a wonderful job and are mandatory in some parts of the US because people don't successfully hang their food.

**RedStix** · 07-04-2014, 06:46

Originally Posted by FLRider

I am an exceptionally warm sleeper (ground dwelling, a poncho liner and a set of boxers will take me down to freezing moderately comfortably), and I find that my minimum for no under insulation is about 60* with zero wind and nominal humidity or 75* with moderate winds and higher humidity.

I find that a poncho, slung up as an undercover, with a space blanket crumpled up inside (a semi-Garlington insulator) will take me totally comfortably down to 55* and moderately comfortably down to 50* even with moderate winds and rain. It costs me ~1 oz of insulation over my normal rain gear, so it might be worth looking at.

I've survived at 43* with that particular set-up, but I don't really recommend it. I was cold that night, almost cold enough to prevent sleep. 55* to 60* is what I'd recommend for a normal human being.

Hope it helps!

FLRider - can you tell us more about your poncho and space blanket? I am new to hammock camping and don't want CBS, but living in Louisiana I don't really think I need too much under me...

**Nodust** · 07-04-2014, 17:20

Originally Posted by RedStix

FLRider - can you tell us more about your poncho and space blanket? I am new to hammock camping and don't want CBS, but living in Louisiana I don't really think I need too much under me...

I made an UQ with a $5 fleece blanket and shock cord. Just gathered the corners and clove hitched the shock cord on. Use it for my full time sleeping hammock in the 74F AC of my house. I think down to mid to low 60's I would be good.

Will need some testing this fall.

**paper** · 07-05-2014, 07:01

Originally Posted by Nodust

I made an UQ with a $5 fleece blanket and shock cord. Just gathered the corners and clove hitched the shock cord on. Use it for my full time sleeping hammock in the 74F AC of my house. I think down to mid to low 60's I would be good.

Will need some testing this fall.

While I'm not you, and when I am in LA, I'm usually in a Holiday Inn Express

I'd be concerned about wind when using the fleece outside.. I'm far from a pro on hammocks, but I've found that the constant breeze, even just a little, carries away the heat and it's the wind block that seems important, as well as the loft..

I recently made a PLUQ and to add a little insulation and help block wind, I folded over the poncho liner and sewed a single layer of micro fiber sheet to the inside. Thin and light, and hard to blow through, I figured it'll help.. And it won't retain moisture.. Something on that line might be just the ticket to sealing up the fleece, yet keeping it light and block the wind.

Just kinda thinking out loud.

I'm picking up my new sewing machine today and the projects are running around in my head!!

Oh, and there's a lot of paper mills in Louisiana, so I'm down there on a regular basis..