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  1. #1
    New Member BleedLikeAViking's Avatar
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    Some questions regarding Hennessy Hammocks...

    I was wondering what people's experiences are with the SS-system. I am a somewhat new hanger, but I am looking for a low budget and light weight solution to cold-weather sleeping. Underquilts are awesome, but they are pricey and I do not have the time for a DIY project of that magnitude. I have slept in a hammock before, but only during the summer when the overnight temperature did not get below 60F.

    I will be going on a trip to the ADK High Peaks in January and I will be expecting temperatures to dip below 0F at night. I have read claims that people were comfortable down as low as -10F in the SS-system.

    I sewed together my own hammock, but it is not asym like the #1 SS-system is and I have a friend who is willing to sell me his #1 SS-system at a reduced price.

    I also have an inflatable sleeping pad that I typically use for ground sleeping, could also be used for added insulation, and a sleeping bag that I could use to sleep in.

    My questions are the following:

    Will the SS-system likely fit my hammock?

    Will the SS-system keep me warm on frigid ADK High Peaks nights?

    Thanks in advance for any advice/help.

  2. #2
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    http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...hlight=shelter

    This is a poll which talks about who like them, who does not, why not, etc, etc

    If you read through the posts in the Hennessy section there are some folks who get down to -27f and others that can barely get below 30f.

    For my 2 cents if you expect to go below 0F I would be looking at a CCF pad (closed cell foam) pad to add to my winter camping. Walmart carries them for 15.00 or so. Might want to check out Shug's videos on You Tube. He gives some really good advice for winter hammock hanging no matter what hammock you use.

  3. #3
    New Member BleedLikeAViking's Avatar
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    Thanks I looked at the pole results, I am a pretty warm sleeper (slept in a lean to in a 30F rated bag in the 10sF without being cold) and I think I shouldn't have any problem.

    My friend is also going to include the radiant bubble pad with it, so I won't need that CCF Pad.

  4. #4
    Senior Member FLRider's Avatar
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    First rule of new gear: try it before your life depends on it.

    Hopefully in your yard, but can be done car camping as well.

    At 10*, you can freeze to death pretty darned quickly, and your judgement is one of the first things to go. If I was in your shoes, I'd see if I could borrow the SS before purchase, to try out in as cold temperatures as I could.

    Since it's a friend selling it to you, (s)he should be okay with field testing before purchase, yes?
    "Just prepare what you can and enjoy the rest."
    --Floridahanger

  5. #5
    Senior Member BillyBob58's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BleedLikeAViking View Post
    I was wondering what people's experiences are with the SS-system. I am a somewhat new hanger, but I am looking for a low budget and light weight solution to cold-weather sleeping. Underquilts are awesome, but they are pricey and I do not have the time for a DIY project of that magnitude. I have slept in a hammock before, but only during the summer when the overnight temperature did not get below 60F.

    I will be going on a trip to the ADK High Peaks in January and I will be expecting temperatures to dip below 0F at night. I have read claims that people were comfortable down as low as -10F in the SS-system.

    I sewed together my own hammock, but it is not asym like the #1 SS-system is and I have a friend who is willing to sell me his #1 SS-system at a reduced price.

    I also have an inflatable sleeping pad that I typically use for ground sleeping, could also be used for added insulation, and a sleeping bag that I could use to sleep in.

    My questions are the following:

    Will the SS-system likely fit my hammock?
    Impossible to say, depends on your hammock. How long and wide is your hammock? Remember that the SS#1 is designed as a custom fit for the smaller sized ( for up to 6 ft tall?) HH hammocks like the Backpacker and Expedition. These, #1 and SS #2, will work on some non HH hammocks that are not longer or wider than that for which they were designed. For example, I have found my SS2 fit pretty well on my WB Black Bird, which is 10 ft long I think. It would not work at all on my HH Safari and some of my 11 ft long hammocks. And the #1 would work even less so, probably damage the SS.


    Will the SS-system keep me warm on frigid ADK High Peaks nights?

    Thanks in advance for any advice/help.
    I am a SS fan, though I also quite enjoy PeaPods or JRB MWs on a JRB bridge hammock. And it has- the basic system - gotten a few hardy souls through the might well below zero. But, a base HHSS would NEVER get me through temps such as that. And I think it is designed to get the average user through into the low 30s, or MAYBE high 20s, using one undercover, 1 pad and one space blanket on top of the pad.

    However, I have used an HHSS at 14F, in wind with no tarp and wind CHILL of 6. And I was plenty warm. Kwpapke was plenty warm, sleeping next to a down wrapped Shug, at minus 27F.

    http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ead.php?t=6740

    http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ad.php?t=51592

    How is that possible if I feel it is only a 25-40F system? It turns out one of the greatest benefits of this system is ease of augmentation, easy to soup it up.

    If you have a more than warm enough bag or quilt, so that you don't plan on sleeping in all of your warm clothing, instead of putting excess clothing in your pack, put it down under your HH pad in the UC. If you are going to sleep in all of your insulation, then you will need to carry extra insulation to place down there, just like you would have to have a thicker, heavier bag or quilt to go below zero. For example, on my 14F night I added one fleece jacket, one down vest and the HH kidney/torso pads(about 3 oz). Since I was quite toasty, I probably could have gone much lower. Kwpapke added a (summer weight?) down bag for minus 27. A down ( or even better synthetic) parka placed in the UC will do wonders. ( items that don't compress so easily, like fleece or synthetics, work better, but down will work.)

    You can also add multiple HH pads, which should work, though I have never tried except with the kidney/torso pads.

    The reason to go through all that trouble is to keep the comfort of the HHSS. But if you don't mind sleeping on a pad in the hammock, you can just add a thick enough pad to boost the HHSS by 20 to 60 or even more degrees. So yes, by using a few tricks, you can take an
    HHSS to frigid temps. It's huge advantage is built in wind proofing + added moisture resistance, all built into the basic system. Keep in mind that some folks are not warm and have a lot of condensation problems. As you can see from kwpapke's experience- and others also- some of us do just fine with a SS.

    Quote Originally Posted by FLRider View Post
    First rule of new gear: try it before your life depends on it.

    Hopefully in your yard, but can be done car camping as well.

    At 10*, you can freeze to death pretty darned quickly, and your judgement is one of the first things to go. If I was in your shoes, I'd see if I could borrow the SS before purchase, to try out in as cold temperatures as I could.

    Since it's a friend selling it to you, (s)he should be okay with field testing before purchase, yes?
    Well said. Be sure and test it where bail out is easy, to make sure it works for you. And put the time in to make sure you understand how to set it up correctly. And once installed correctly, I suggest leaving it on the hammock until warm weather.
    Last edited by BillyBob58; 12-18-2012 at 22:58.

  6. #6
    SilvrSurfr's Avatar
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    I'm a bit skeptical this is going to work for you - the HHSS is customized for the Hennessy Hammock, which is an asym design, like you observed. Is your friend also selling you the overcover?

  7. #7
    New Member BleedLikeAViking's Avatar
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    To FLRider, I would get the system in ample time to test it.

    To BillyBob58, I read through everything that you posted for me and I truly appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions thoroughly. I am a rather short guy, 5'7" on a good day, so I made my hammock to size me. Safe to say my hammock is on the small side. I feel like the SS will fit my hammock just based on my small hammock size. My friend is also planning on giving me the Radiant Bubble Pad that Hennessy offers should I decide I want the SS, not sure how much added warmth that would get me. I have a 30F rated synthetic sleeping bag that I use pretty much all the time except when it gets really cold (I sleep rather warm to begin with) so I could add that under the HH Pad if I felt that I needed it. I could then also have my sleeping pad in the hammock with me if I felt I needed it as well.

    The trip is not going to be backpacking most likely, so weight is really not an issue. Would it be worth to buy the over cover?

    To SilvrSurfr, my hammock is small because I'm small. I do have extra fabric though, so I could make an asym hammock myself if need be. And yes, I am getting the undercover with it. He is giving me the whole system and throwing in the Radiant Bubble Pad as well.

  8. #8
    SilvrSurfr's Avatar
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    I was asking about the overcover, not the undercover.

  9. #9
    Senior Member Cannibal's Avatar
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    I think it is not the best choice, not for those conditions and not for someone learning the SS system. DIY synthetic quilts are not difficult and not terribly expensive to make. That was one of my early DIY projects and I promise you it took much less time than learning to get my SS down into the high teens...and I love the cold!
    Trust nobody!

  10. #10
    New Member BleedLikeAViking's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SilvrSurfr View Post
    I was asking about the overcover, not the undercover.
    I am sorry my mistake, I misread your reply.

    The answer is no, but I would buy it if you think I'll need it.

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