Hot Weather?

[12hrsN2AT]

Between the new Hammock I just received and the LIVELY disscusion on the UL forum, I am starting to become acclamated to hammocks. I was never the type of guy that did one thing and stuck to it, so Hammocking is just another medium to explore forever for me. As in I will now toss it in my pack for hikes. I am also learning the chage over from a tarp person to a hammock person is basicly adding the hammock (for me in hot weather), very little extra weight.
I read so many threads on keeping warm, I wonder if anyone has any experience with desert or tropical heat they could share. Does a hammock get wet underneath from sweat? Are they cooler to sleep on or is a pad needed in warm weather as well?
Sorry for the noob questions, I am sure after using it this weekend I will be better informed.

[Rainman]

I used my HH Backpacker ASYM on an overnight in the Ocala NF in June. It was definitely cooler than any tent I've used. The fly was a bit too close to the netting to let in any real breezes, but it allowed great ventilation. I slept in capilene long sleeves and long underwear, silkweight. I found this to be very comfortable. In shorts and short sleeves it was a bit sticky.

Where are you going this weekend?

[12hrsN2AT]

I was heading to Avon Park this weekend but hunting season is open and I don't have any Orange gear, so I was thinking Ocala or the Lake. I am planning a 5 day hike in Ocala for Oct.-Nov. that I would love some company on. My last 4 weekends have been rained out. (Hurricane Rain). I hope I can leave my car at the southern end of the park and get a ride to north entrance and hike sobo. I think I can do the whole park in 4 days and enjoy it. Is that resonable?

[Rainman]

It's about 70 miles through the whole park. That is definitely reasonable. That's averaging 17.5, which in Florida is just a good workout. I have the maps already from the FTA. Do you know your exact dates yet?

[12hrsN2AT]

It's about 70 miles through the whole park. That is definitely reasonable. That's averaging 17.5, which in Florida is just a good workout. I have the maps already from the FTA. Do you know your exact dates yet?
I would like to earlier but it seems Nov 3rd-6th might work for me.
I'll PM you tonight with details. Thanks for info, just sitting in the nylon hammock today, I was a bit sticky in shorts and a t shirt. I have silk thermals that may work for me.

[peter_pan]

Between the new Hammock I just received and the LIVELY disscusion on the UL forum, I am starting to become acclamated to hammocks. I was never the type of guy that did one thing and stuck to it, so Hammocking is just another medium to explore forever for me. As in I will now toss it in my pack for hikes. I am also learning the chage over from a tarp person to a hammock person is basicly adding the hammock (for me in hot weather), very little extra weight.
I read so many threads on keeping warm, I wonder if anyone has any experience with desert or tropical heat they could share. Does a hammock get wet underneath from sweat? Are they cooler to sleep on or is a pad needed in warm weather as well?
Sorry for the noob questions, I am sure after using it this weekend I will be better informed.

I used my hammock for 14 nights this June all thru NM, AZ, CA, NV, UH, CO on a 9,500 mile Motorcycle trip...There was a great range of weather but many warm nights...I used a Nest under quilt every night, on 70 + degree nights I lay dow for 30 minutes or so with the windows open ( Ends of quilt loose) to cool down then closed the windows, covered and slept the night thru In my experiance on this trip and in at least 120 nights of hammocking one sweats less in a hammock than on the ground....Hammock material itself is breathable and any sweat readily evaporates if in the hammock alone...

The big issue, regarding sweat, is the use of closed cell pad or other nonbreathable pads used in the hammock...( some bottom protection or insulation is needed below 75, 70 for some) ...Personally, I tried about 15 different pad combinations, while many would keep the cold from me I sweated on all of them and often woke 3-4 a night to p and realize I was on a puddle... I even put a cover of fleece over the pad to absorb the sweat, no real help...Note, I sleep under a quilt, not in a bag...This ( sweat Issue)was one of the primary reasons my hiking partner and me made our first under quilts...They work well, allow ventilation as needed and The Nest handles temperature ranges from 30-80 quite well....now I often sleep thru the night or have only one trip.


JMHO...and I'm biased.
Pan

[Youngblood]

Pan,

How do you think people sleeping on vapor barriers on the ground survive the night with all this puddling sweat? Think you should contact the powers to be and have all closed cell foam pads, self inflating pads, down air mattresses, air mattresses, etc removed from the market place before they seriously injury the world's population... or is it just a hammock thing where you have an alternate product?

You exaggerate the situation. When one sweats to the degree you often describe it is because they didn't use wicking material to handle the small amount of insensible perpiration that one generates and or didn't reduce insulation when they where overheating and generated a lot of sensible sweating. You will sweat with your underquilt if you don't ventilate when it is too hot, which is why you 'open your windows'. Your breathable underside insulation will handle sweat generated by overheating better than non-breathable underside insulation but it is not correct to say you will sweat profusely if you don't use breathable insulation underneath you because, as we all know, it has been done successfully many times by folks sleeping on the ground (and in hammocks). I consistantly sleep in hammocks using appropriate non-breathable underside insulation without puddling, as have many others. I also do fine in those regards when sleeping in tents or shelters as long as I take appropriate action with my insulation to avoid overheating. It is not rocket science, it is not restricted to hammock use and it has been done successfully by backpackers, campers and folks in beds for many, many years. It is second nature for most people when they are sleeping to partially or totally remove blankets or sheets when they are too warm and to retrieve them and maybe even bundle up when they are too cool... just as it is second nature for most folks to wake up when their bladders are full, get up and go relieve themselves.

Youngblood

[peter_pan]

Youngblood,

12hrsN2AT asked about hot weather issues and hammocks… He specifically asked about sweat… I answered with my experiences… Just what WB forums are all about.

Sweat is a real issue for some, particularly from the back and butt…Some of us sweat this way…kicking off a top cover does little to solve this type of issue….for interested readers, think of an hour spent on a naugahyde ( sp ) chair on a warm day, sweaty for some/many … No amount of venting above you really helps the back and bottom…for those of us built this way, it is rise with damp/wet shirts, pants etc. and find an inconspicuous way/place to pull sweat plastered drawers for the skin to which it is adhering.

Taking this issue to a hammock with closed cell foam, especially foam wrapped to add coverage to the shoulders , arms, hips and have it kept tight to you by the curve of the hammock is certainly an issue for some/many, myself included…

I have nothing against cc foam pads or self inflating pads for ground sleepers, they make sense here since there is less than half the actual contact area of pads in hammocks…prior to hammocks I too used these pads and sleeping bags which absorbed and somewhat masked this issue on short weekend hikes… And yes, venting to keep from over heating is well advised to all…Further, I have nothing against pads in a hammock either. I tried some 15 different combinations of pads , reflectors and reflectex, many with wings, before giving up and investing the time, effort and money to develop an under quilt solution.

Your comment, "Think you should contact the powers to be and have all closed cell foam pads, self inflating pads, down air mattresses, air mattresses, etc. removed from the market place before they seriously injury the world's population... " was never stated or implied by me in post # 6… I did not bad mouth any products.

My point relevant to hammocks is venting the bottom is important also…Warm and dry is the objective state we seek….some approaches are equally warm but significantly unequal in breathability and/or venting options.

It is instructive to realize that Jacks R Better was not the first to recognize the benefits of exterior bottom insulation… Ed Speer has been making and marketing the Pea Pod for his and other top loading hammocks for many years… There are many who made their own under quilts and posted the benefits of them on this and other sites, a notable pioneer was Canoe Blue.

It may also be instructive to clarify that you are a staunch defender of the pad, and have been so for some time. Further, although it is not always clear, you are also the designer and partner with Speer Hammocks of the SPE, which requires some form of non- compressing pad to provide the insulation… Is it not appropriate that I ask your question, "…or is it just a hammock thing where you have an alternate product?"

12hrN2AT and others, if you have suffered from sweaty back/butt consider my comments…Again , clearly stated as JMHO…And please, again, do realize, I am biased.

Pan