trippclark
12-06-2004, 12:08
This weekend I went out to Camp Barstow, our local Scout camp, for a training course. As I do before every outing, especially in cold weather, I debated my hammock options. I have both Speer and Hennessy along with Peapod for the Speer and JRB Nest for the Hennessy.
The forecast was for a low of just below freezing both Friday and Saturday night.
Since I was not backpacking and did not have to carry everything far, I decided to double-up and try a combination I had not before. I took the Speer 8.0 with tarp (32 oz), the JRB nest (20 oz), the Speer down peapod w/ 1 oz. extra down (29 oz), and Speer down top blanket (16 oz). This totals to 6 lbs and 1 oz for the shelter and sleeping system. All of this was a bit bulkier than I am used to carrying, but was lighter and less bulky than my old ground-based winter system (Cobra tent @ 4 lbs, SubKilo bag @ 2 lbs 2 oz., and z-rest 15 oz . . . total 7 lbs 1 oz).
It is probably obvious, but I rigged the JRB Nest to the Speer hammock first, and then wrapped the whole rig in the Peapod.
I wore what I typically would to sleep if backpacking -- t-shirt, expedition weight long sleeve zip top, fleece "turtle fur" hat, mid weight duofold long underwear pants, thorlo socks.
I am a cold sleeper. Probably a VERY cold sleeper. But with this set up I was completely comfortable on Friday night. It was absolutely perfect. Never did I get hot or cold. On the second night with the exact same set up I was just slightly chilly -- not cold really, but chilly enough to notice.
I did not have a thermometer and could kick myself for this oversight, so I cannot report actual temperatures with any confident accuracy. The second day there was a heavy frost not present on Saturday morning, and on neither day was there ice in the puddles outside. My guess is that Friday night got to perhaps 33 or 34 degrees and that Saturday dipped a couple of degrees less.
For now this will be my sub 45 degree system of choice. If temps are expected much below 30 degrees, however, I'll need to add something else to remain comfortable.
The forecast was for a low of just below freezing both Friday and Saturday night.
Since I was not backpacking and did not have to carry everything far, I decided to double-up and try a combination I had not before. I took the Speer 8.0 with tarp (32 oz), the JRB nest (20 oz), the Speer down peapod w/ 1 oz. extra down (29 oz), and Speer down top blanket (16 oz). This totals to 6 lbs and 1 oz for the shelter and sleeping system. All of this was a bit bulkier than I am used to carrying, but was lighter and less bulky than my old ground-based winter system (Cobra tent @ 4 lbs, SubKilo bag @ 2 lbs 2 oz., and z-rest 15 oz . . . total 7 lbs 1 oz).
It is probably obvious, but I rigged the JRB Nest to the Speer hammock first, and then wrapped the whole rig in the Peapod.
I wore what I typically would to sleep if backpacking -- t-shirt, expedition weight long sleeve zip top, fleece "turtle fur" hat, mid weight duofold long underwear pants, thorlo socks.
I am a cold sleeper. Probably a VERY cold sleeper. But with this set up I was completely comfortable on Friday night. It was absolutely perfect. Never did I get hot or cold. On the second night with the exact same set up I was just slightly chilly -- not cold really, but chilly enough to notice.
I did not have a thermometer and could kick myself for this oversight, so I cannot report actual temperatures with any confident accuracy. The second day there was a heavy frost not present on Saturday morning, and on neither day was there ice in the puddles outside. My guess is that Friday night got to perhaps 33 or 34 degrees and that Saturday dipped a couple of degrees less.
For now this will be my sub 45 degree system of choice. If temps are expected much below 30 degrees, however, I'll need to add something else to remain comfortable.