question to hammockers

[Paul Wozniak]

I have just recently completed a Speer Hammock kit and it rides great. For now, I am planning on just 3 season use. Spring is approaching here in Michigan.

Question: will the following setup take me relatively comfortably to 45F?

-Speer Top Blanket II, 1.5 in loft.
-2 sheets of 1/8" Speer evazote-type foam, one full length, one doubling the width at the torso.
-Smartwool microweight shirt and long johns

I will initially take backup warmth while I explore the range of this setup. Am I pushing it? Would loosely attaching poncho to the bottom as a windblock provide much benefit?

Thanks for all the great help provided here.

[Douglas Frick]

>I have just recently completed a Speer Hammock kit and it rides great. For now, I am planning on just 3 season use.

I did a bit of testing before I took my hammock out in the winter. The results might be of use to you, although the temp range for most of the tests was much colder. I posted the details in this thread.

>Question: will the following setup take me relatively comfortably to 45F?
>-Speer Top Blanket II, 1.5 in loft.
>-Smartwool microweight shirt and long johns

I use a Jacks R Better Nest 2.5-inch down quilt over synthetic underwear to below +40F, so I think this will work. You'll probably carry an insulated clothing layer as well, and you can always lay that on top if you're a bit cold.

>-2 sheets of 1/8" Speer evazote-type foam, one full length, one doubling the width at the torso.

This should work. I've used a single Gossamer Gear ThinLight 1/8" pad (Evazote) down to +40F, but I was also wearing my Patagonia Micropuff pull-over. Your extra pad will provide more insulation than my crushed Polarguard. I find that pads in the hammock are a bit of a pain to arrange, but it should be easier to place them in your Speer hammock than in a Hennessy. You may get some condensation on the pads, but hopefully most of the moisture will go out through the top quilt. Your wool base layer will help with that.

>I will initially take backup warmth while I explore the range of this setup. Am I pushing it?

I think your setup will be about right for lows of +45F, so with backup warmth (such as a fleece clothing layer and maybe a fleece blanket) you should be able to test those temps and colder in comfort.

> Would loosely attaching poncho to the bottom as a windblock provide much benefit?

A bit. If the wind is getting in around your pads (unlikely, if you tuck in your top quilt) or you're feeling cold spots where you have only one layer of pad, then I'd give it a try. I'd sling it close rather than loose to reduce convection. I know others with the Hennessy Hammock SuperShelter just use the silnylon under-cover as their bottom insulation in warm weather, so the poncho would be equivalent. I recommended bringing a fleece blanket as backup while testing. If you are cold, using the poncho to sling this blanket closely under the hammock will probably add 20F to the comfort range.

If you find having pads in the hammock annoying or if there is too much condensation accumulating on the pads and chilling your skin, you can use the poncho to sling the pads underneath the hammock.

If possible, spend a few nights in the back yard or a local park. You can quickly test several different configurations with the convenience of being able to bail if you get too cold, and then you won't have to carry much backup warmth weight on your trip.

[Paul Wozniak]

Geez Doug,

Did I mention the great help available on this forum?

I have scanned the thread you provided and marked it as a "favorite" to keep as a reference. Thanks for it, and your comments. I'm pretty jazzed to begin using the hammock. At some point I'll report on the experience.

Paul

[Gene .]

Something first time hammockers fail to take into account, or ground sleepers for that fact; is the fitness level of the individual. When I am at my fittest I can sleep on anything, anywhere, with a minimum of insulation over my appropriate clothing that I'm wearing. When I am less than fit, I freeze wrapped up in -20f down bags at 45f.

So my point is, no one, except the user, is going to be able to actually tell them how warm they will be in any kind of weather. Practice at home and you'll dial in your 'system'IME. I have 7 years in my hammock just so you know, and I'm still surprised occassionally by the weather…..Tuesday here in NJ I was sleeping outside in my hammock it was 70f, today it's 25f and hailing for the past 12 hours with 4" of accumulation. If I headed out on a trip thinking last week's forecast was 'golden' I'd have been caught much unawares, without proper cold weather gear to be comfortable through a day, let alone a night like we're in for here…

[Gordon Dunn]

Paul,

Your set up should be good to 45* if you choose your site & orientation correctly. Choose a sheltered site & hang perpendicular to the wind so your tarp blocks the wind. Hang lower to the ground and tighten your tarp closer to your hammock. Don't forget to use your rain gear if needed. I've had less in the 30*s.

Check out

http://www.hammockforums.net/

http://www.tothewoods.net/JeffsHikingPage.html

http://www.hammockcamping.com/Free%20Reports/DWombleFoamPads.htm

Happy Hanging
Egads / aka Gordon

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