View Full Version : HELP......I've fallen
TN_Hiker
04-05-2006, 14:38
I hate to admit it, but I just placed my order for a HH expedition asym. I have to find out myself what the fuss is about. I did try camping in a cheap nylon netting hammock many moons ago on a Boy Scout trip.......I can still hear the Scoutmaster laughing as I tried to get in that hammock w/ a sleeping bag. I woke up the next morning with a killer backache. Call me stupid because evidently I didn't learn from that mistake and doing the same thing again 20 years later. I welcome any suggestions or bashings (I'm thick skinned) regarding swinging from the trees. Guess time will tell.......
Footslogger
04-05-2006, 14:45
Based on your story ...my guess is that you'll like it. But you may not be willing to use it in colder weather, given all the special accessories needed to stay warm and maintain comfort.
Looking forward to hearing about your experience. I still have and enjoy mine. Added the JRB 8 x 8 tarp last year for better coverage.
'Slogger
NO, no, no---you do not need anything special to keep warm. No super shelter, no under quilt, no under nuthin except an $11 walmart egg crate pad. My experience, plus some other WBer's is the egg crate is all you will need down to about 30 deg.
Your hammock is, IMO, a good decision. Don't fall for the "extra accessory" stuff.
welcome. one word of advice is don't give up... there's a learning curve, we've all been on it, and some learn faster than others. ask questions and we will help... go test the answers, learn from them, experience more trouble, come back and get possible solutions, and test it again and again until you too become a happy hammocker...
[quote=stag3]NO, no, no---you do not need anything special to keep warm. No super shelter, no under quilt, no under nuthin except an $11 walmart egg crate pad. My experience, plus some other WBer's is the egg crate is all you will need down to about 30 deg.
Stag3, Do you use a bag along with your egg crate? If so what kind? Also do you use anything in the summer months?
Just Jeff
04-05-2006, 15:25
Pads work for some, but not for others. I don't like CCF pads because of the condensation, but I'm ok with the Exped DAM. Of course, that's kind of expensive and falls under the "extra accessory" stuff, but it works for me.
FWIW, I think underquilts are more comfortable than pads. Needed? Maybe, maybe not - depends on how well it works for you.
Hana_Hanger
04-05-2006, 16:00
Hi TN_Hiker
IMO I have found that in the beginning most sleep in a hammock wrong.
Or they buy a hammock too small. If you have a large double hammock
lay in it sideways...you lay pretty much flat.
The HH is comfortable but it does not allow me to sleep as sideways on the cloth as I like..but I still use and love my HH for ease of setup and well made quality. I do not think you will be disappointed. :)
I hope you will be happy with your new purchase...Congrats
It takes testing and retesting till you get it down pat for want works for you.
I thought my HH was pretty cool. The main problem I had was the weight and that I was cold from below. Weight is easily solved by buying their Adventure racer. But I am not really willing to use an underquilt since I would be adding weight again. hmmmmm.
[quote=stag3]NO, no, no---you do not need anything special to keep warm. No super shelter, no under quilt, no under nuthin except an $11 walmart egg crate pad. My experience, plus some other WBer's is the egg crate is all you will need down to about 30 deg.
Stag3, Do you use a bag along with your egg crate? If so what kind? Also do you use anything in the summer months?
I used my 32 deg Montbell and was cold on top. I found that strange that my $11 pad worked as well as my $$$$$$ Montbell:confused: .
I'm just now figuring out summer. My next step is a 3/8 inch pad from Bass Pro Shops. 20 x 72, weighs 8 oz. for early summer. From other WBer's it sound like no pad is needed around 70 deg, but I cannot confirm this.
I found it better to use the bag like a quilt (full zipper helps for this).
May-be some one can help, I have used my HH 17-18 nights, most in warm weather/summer. But I have gotten cold even on warm nights (70-75F). I have tried a blue pad in the HH. I do sweat and I am thinking that this is a big part of getting cold.
Just Jeff, Maybe you can add to this, If I had an under pad/KAQ would I sweat as bad at night? If I lay down on the blue pad here in my house, in a few min I am sweating where I am in contact with the pad. So What do you think?
Sandy B
Other people have complained about sweating. I think it is due to the open or closed call pad choice. The WalMart egg crate is open cell and can breathe, thus letting moisture escape. The closed cell (i think this is the harder and shiny pads) do not let moisture through. The same has been said about using a space blanket as an under thing.
Well this is my theory:D . Maybe someone can confirm this or tell me I'm full of it:eek: !!
peter_pan
04-05-2006, 22:44
If after sitting for an hour on a naugahyde chair do you rise and pull the sweat soaked pants from your butt and the stuck shirt form your back ?
If so ,you will have sweat pooling issues on a ccf pad, especially if it is wide enough to wrap around you, thus further restricting ventilation.
The dual ocf/ccf pads just fool you...the moisture is still in the open cell foam... you get to carry the extra weight the next day, if not allowed to evaporate in the morning.
But hey, I'm biased.
Pan
Just Jeff
04-05-2006, 23:03
Sandy B,
Short answer - yes, I think an underquilt will stop the sweating.
Long answer:
First of all, different gear has different advantages and works well with different hiking styles, body types, etc. For example, many people can be comfortable with CCF pads in a hammock, but I can't - I get condensation, as it sounds like you do. Even when I'm a bit chilled I can get some moisture on the pad (i.e. it's not sweat from overheating). The worst time for me was when I was zipped inside my sleeping bag, laying on a pad - I sweated through the bag, so when I rolled over I got a cold spot where it was wet.
I switched to underquilts and never had this problem. I've used JRBs, the KAQ Potomac, and homemade underquilts - they breathe, so the sweating and clamminess is not an issue for me (and neither is trying to wrestle with the pad at night).
There may be a few things you can do if you're hesitant to make the $$$ leap to underquilts, though.
- Did you have anything between your body and the pad? Even a layer of DWR, like the Speer SPE, can help wick the moisture away. Some people have made fleece pad sleeves, and the fleece helps manage condensation. That's basically what Walmart's open-cell/closed-cell combo pad does - the OCF compresses so it doesn't offer much warmth, but it allows ventilation between your body and the non-breathable CCF layer, and probably wicks some moisture as well. If you can handle the bulk, this may be a cheap, lightweight way to fix your problem. It's pretty bulky, though!
- Try other pads. The Walmart egg-crate CCF pad (as opposed to the egg crate OCF on a thin layer of CCF in the previous bullet) might add a bit of ventilation if you use it with the rippled side up. I think this decreases the insulation value a bit - a .5" egg crate pad will only insulate to its thinnest section (about 1/8"), maybe a bit more. But if it keeps you from getting wet, it might be worth the try. A 24"x72"x1/2" one at Walmart is about $10. Also, different pads feel differently against the skin - you might be more comfortable on the big Oware pad, for example.
- I upgraded to the Exped Downmat 7 for cold weather camping and never had an issue with condensation, even when I was slightly overheated. It doesn't really make sense to me since it's still non-breathable...I guess it's because the surface wicks the moisture so well. But I get 2.8" of bottom insulation stuffed into a small bag. I usually use it with a homemade SPE with wings because it's only 20" wide, though...that adds to weight and bulk.
But in the end, breathable underquilts don't cause the moisture problems of CCF pads (unless you're overheated and sweating), they're not as bulky, and they don't require the hassle to get/stay situated at night. They do require more care, more fidgeting at first setup to get rid of the airgaps, and they cost quite a bit more. Also, if you hike w/o a pad you lose the go-to-ground option - may or may not be an issue for you. I find underquilts much more comfy because I lay directly on the hammock fabric than on a CCF pad, too (the Downmat is also a lot more comfy than a CCF pad).
The only way to really find out is to try it out for yourself, though...Have fun testing!
Just Jeff and others-- I may try some of the pads, My next section hike I am going to do the GSMNP. Going to ground/shelted floor is in the plan. I am thinking on the under quilts and may take both. The money is some what of an issue But I REALLY like the hammock and sleep much better.
Thanks,
Sandy B
littlelaurel59
04-06-2006, 20:51
I hate to admit it, but I just placed my order for a HH expedition asym. I have to find out myself what the fuss is about. I did try camping in a cheap nylon netting hammock many moons ago on a Boy Scout trip.......I can still hear the Scoutmaster laughing as I tried to get in that hammock w/ a sleeping bag. I woke up the next morning with a killer backache. Call me stupid because evidently I didn't learn from that mistake and doing the same thing again 20 years later. I welcome any suggestions or bashings (I'm thick skinned) regarding swinging from the trees. Guess time will tell.......
I had one of those nylon netting hammocks years ago.I spent the summer after graduating from college leading hikes at a summer camp in western NC. I used it for 7 straight weeks- my back never touched the ground. I loved it!!!
I don't know what happened to it, but the memories of hanging motivated me to Byer hammock a while back. I know there are lots of different opinions, but as for me, I sleep better in the air.