Could the people who have Coccoons please spare a minute or two to give me some feedback on how they performed and any modifications you think they may need.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Feedback for Coccoons.
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I used mine for half a dozen times and the same problems cropped up every time,no matter how I tried to cure them.
1, A cold patch underneath. I tried suspending the coccoon on elastics but it didn't work
no matter the tension on the support.If it was too tight I lost loft and if it was too slack there was space for a cold spot to develop,I was unable to get an even tension right through the length of the coccoon.
2, The length was a slight probem. It is too long to sit under a 3x3 tarp ,the ends of the coccoon stuck out slightly,,just enough that if it rained it got wet.This was easily remedied by using a 4x3 tarp.
3, The zip caught in the edges of the coccoon,this is a commom fault with sleeping bags aswell so is not really a problem that can be attributed to design or materials of the coccoon alone.
Now the good points.
1, small pack size,I was able to leave the hammock fitted in the coccoon so that when erecting it the coccoon stayed clear of the ground at all times.
2, It's definitely warm enough on top but there was always the cold spot underneath.
3, It's very well designed and manufactured .
How would I improve it?
1, fit some sort of closure on the ends,similar to a cord lock.
2, make the base windproof,I think this would help with the cold spot.Possibly this would put too much of an increase on the price
3, Replace the zip with one similar to the standard army sleeping bag,They don't jam.
Overall an excellent idea and product,as it's a prototype there are inevitably some areas that can be improved,the main thing I'd like to see would be a wind proof base and possibly a little more insulation in the base.
The above statement is not in any way a criticism but feedback to the designer so that if improvements are needed then they can be addressed.
This is only my opinion and should be read as such,Other users will probably have a different veiw,we are after all different and have different needs.
1, A cold patch underneath. I tried suspending the coccoon on elastics but it didn't work
no matter the tension on the support.If it was too tight I lost loft and if it was too slack there was space for a cold spot to develop,I was unable to get an even tension right through the length of the coccoon.
2, The length was a slight probem. It is too long to sit under a 3x3 tarp ,the ends of the coccoon stuck out slightly,,just enough that if it rained it got wet.This was easily remedied by using a 4x3 tarp.
3, The zip caught in the edges of the coccoon,this is a commom fault with sleeping bags aswell so is not really a problem that can be attributed to design or materials of the coccoon alone.
Now the good points.
1, small pack size,I was able to leave the hammock fitted in the coccoon so that when erecting it the coccoon stayed clear of the ground at all times.
2, It's definitely warm enough on top but there was always the cold spot underneath.
3, It's very well designed and manufactured .
How would I improve it?
1, fit some sort of closure on the ends,similar to a cord lock.
2, make the base windproof,I think this would help with the cold spot.Possibly this would put too much of an increase on the price
3, Replace the zip with one similar to the standard army sleeping bag,They don't jam.
Overall an excellent idea and product,as it's a prototype there are inevitably some areas that can be improved,the main thing I'd like to see would be a wind proof base and possibly a little more insulation in the base.
The above statement is not in any way a criticism but feedback to the designer so that if improvements are needed then they can be addressed.
This is only my opinion and should be read as such,Other users will probably have a different veiw,we are after all different and have different needs.
I aggree with Sapper1 100%.
On its own at the moment its not warm enough for me, but I think its got great potential.
Too big in general for me, width and length, creating cold spots, no matter how I set it up.
Maybee a medium and large size could be offered
Please bare in mind I sleep cold though, its just a shame to carry other items to keep warm.
Very easy to get in out of.
Quick to set up, when already in place with the hammock together in a stuff sack.
Small packed size, and weight.
On its own at the moment its not warm enough for me, but I think its got great potential.
Too big in general for me, width and length, creating cold spots, no matter how I set it up.
Maybee a medium and large size could be offered
Please bare in mind I sleep cold though, its just a shame to carry other items to keep warm.
Very easy to get in out of.
Quick to set up, when already in place with the hammock together in a stuff sack.
Small packed size, and weight.
I have 4 nights out in my coccoon and have to agree with Sapper and Addo.
I have used bungee cord at each end and I can adjust the sag to get the tension just right.
However I too found the cold to come from below and have spent quite a few hours re configuring and tinkering. I am out in it next w/end and I am going to insert my self inflating mat underneath me as I did when using my sleeping bag and will see how it goes.
I still believe it to be a great idea and I have used the coccoon as a sleeping bag too when floor dwelling to test it out. For the packed size it performed very well as a sleeping bag and is less than half the volume of my issue sleep system bag.
Another observation I made was the way that if you lay on your back in coccoon mode with the zip open over your face you feel warm air flowing past your face to the outside. Obvious, due to warm air rising, this can be overcome by simply rolling over taking the coccoon with you or even zipping the coccoon shut, slightly claustrophobic with the zip totally closed but bearable.
I have no firm solution for the heat escape problem other than some kind of inner gusset around the neck area but found that popping my swanni jacket over me inside the coccoon solved the problem and also offered the comfort of 'having covers on' whilst sleeping. The same could be achieved using any clothing item that you take with you.
I found that I could store my phone and torch in the coccoon without the need for pockets in the coccoon.
I will eventually try combining my hammock,thermarest and coccoon together in one roll to make things easier(not that it's difficult) to set up.
I will post my new findings when I return from my Easter trip.
I have used bungee cord at each end and I can adjust the sag to get the tension just right.
However I too found the cold to come from below and have spent quite a few hours re configuring and tinkering. I am out in it next w/end and I am going to insert my self inflating mat underneath me as I did when using my sleeping bag and will see how it goes.
I still believe it to be a great idea and I have used the coccoon as a sleeping bag too when floor dwelling to test it out. For the packed size it performed very well as a sleeping bag and is less than half the volume of my issue sleep system bag.
Another observation I made was the way that if you lay on your back in coccoon mode with the zip open over your face you feel warm air flowing past your face to the outside. Obvious, due to warm air rising, this can be overcome by simply rolling over taking the coccoon with you or even zipping the coccoon shut, slightly claustrophobic with the zip totally closed but bearable.
I have no firm solution for the heat escape problem other than some kind of inner gusset around the neck area but found that popping my swanni jacket over me inside the coccoon solved the problem and also offered the comfort of 'having covers on' whilst sleeping. The same could be achieved using any clothing item that you take with you.
I found that I could store my phone and torch in the coccoon without the need for pockets in the coccoon.
I will eventually try combining my hammock,thermarest and coccoon together in one roll to make things easier(not that it's difficult) to set up.
I will post my new findings when I return from my Easter trip.
Thank you for the comments. Did you all use an internal ridge rope, as used by In Wood in his review?
Sapper, as regards the zip, this has been addressed now with a line of stitching down either side of the zip. Unfortunatly you were one of the 3 people who got the first 3 off the production line. From number 4 onwards they all had the modification.
Comments duly noted. Anymore from the rest of you.
Sapper, as regards the zip, this has been addressed now with a line of stitching down either side of the zip. Unfortunatly you were one of the 3 people who got the first 3 off the production line. From number 4 onwards they all had the modification.
Comments duly noted. Anymore from the rest of you.
I have 4 nights out in my coccoon and have to agree with Sapper and Addo.
I have used bungee cord at each end and I can adjust the sag to get the tension just right.
However I too found the cold to come from below and have spent quite a few hours re configuring and tinkering. I am out in it next w/end and I am going to insert my self inflating mat underneath me as I did when using my sleeping bag and will see how it goes.
I still believe it to be a great idea and I have used the coccoon as a sleeping bag too when floor dwelling to test it out. For the packed size it performed very well as a sleeping bag and is less than half the volume of my issue sleep system bag.
Another observation I made was the way that if you lay on your back in coccoon mode with the zip open over your face you feel warm air flowing past your face to the outside. Obvious, due to warm air rising, this can be overcome by simply rolling over taking the coccoon with you or even zipping the coccoon shut, slightly claustrophobic with the zip totally closed but bearable.
I have no firm solution for the heat escape problem other than some kind of inner gusset around the neck area but found that popping my swanni jacket over me inside the coccoon solved the problem and also offered the comfort of 'having covers on' whilst sleeping. The same could be achieved using any clothing item that you take with you.
I found that I could store my phone and torch in the coccoon without the need for pockets in the coccoon.
I will eventually try combining my hammock,thermarest and coccoon together in one roll to make things easier(not that it's difficult) to set up.
I will post my new findings when I return from my Easter trip.
Ok folks hot off the press are my findings of my coccoon sleep system after the easter trip.
I inserted my multimat self inflating mat (650g) and what a difference it made. I have just spent 2 cosy nights in my hammock and was toasty warm. It went cold on both nights due to clear skies and my thermometer read about 4 degrees (it is uncalibrated though and used as an estimation only). I used the coccoon with shock cord at each end and a mini carabiner to allow me to adjust to the desired tension.
I went to bed at midnight on Sunday night after a couple of ciders in front of a raging campfire so was warm and watered
. Immediately upon entering the coccoon and zipping it up I felt warm which was a good sign imo. I opted to not use my swanni jacket as a cover inside to test how the coccoon coped on it's own and was very pleased with the results, however I woke at 3am to water a tree and decided that although warm, would be more cosy with a cover over me that I could tuck under my chin. The second night went to the same pattern both before bedtime and during and I used my swanni jacket from the offset as a cover within the coccoon.This was a simple solution for my 'coccoon coldness' and I am glad that I didn't dismiss the coccoon as a sleeping option. The convenience of getting in and out of the hammock makes life so much easier than a sleeping bag imo.
An internal gusset would be a worthy addition to the coccoon, I noticed my daughters Aldi bag has one and I don't think it would be too difficult to incorporate at manufacture.
I find that the ends of my coccoon fit snugly and doesn't allow critical heat loss.
If anyone has any questions please do post them up and I'll try to answer them
My apologies, I started asking questions over here:
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?p=527591
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?p=527591
I've now spent two blocks of five days using the Cocoon in cold to moderate weather. I'm sure that most of what I have to say has already been covered but here's my ha'penn'orth anyway:
I do not seem to experience 'cold spots' around my kidneys/back from the admittedly large gap under my hammock. This seems to be unlike some others here. In use during March and April, I was perfectly warm and used no extra insulation other than the clothes I was wearing. Unfortunately, I didn't think to string up a ridge line through the length of the Cocoon: that would've partially solved the problem of sleeping with a face full of nylon!
I used two lengths of paracord to tie it up to my tarp - this worked fine, preventing the Cocoon from slithering down to one end or the other during the night.
My main issue was with the zip catching on the fabric of the beast. It was not a life-threatening thing - merely an inconvenience but one which occurred all too regularly. Looking at sleeping bags, some seem to have either rows of stitching or even a slightly stiff piece of fabric to prevent the bag's fabric ballooning into the path of the zip.
An internal pocket (or rather, two, one at each end) would be a real boon for specky geeks like me; they would also provide a convenient place to park a headtorch.
All in all, I rate it as a good bit of kit - warm and more compact than my usual hammock-dwelling sleeping arrangements - though perhaps lacking the flexibility of a sleeping bag/mat/hammock combo. It's great when you are guaranteed trees from which to dangle. Would it make the cut for a prolonged trip into the wilds? Probably not. This is simply because my wanderings do take me away from the woods quite a lot of the time and I'm not a great one for getting up close and personal with quite so much black nylon.
I do not seem to experience 'cold spots' around my kidneys/back from the admittedly large gap under my hammock. This seems to be unlike some others here. In use during March and April, I was perfectly warm and used no extra insulation other than the clothes I was wearing. Unfortunately, I didn't think to string up a ridge line through the length of the Cocoon: that would've partially solved the problem of sleeping with a face full of nylon!
I used two lengths of paracord to tie it up to my tarp - this worked fine, preventing the Cocoon from slithering down to one end or the other during the night.
My main issue was with the zip catching on the fabric of the beast. It was not a life-threatening thing - merely an inconvenience but one which occurred all too regularly. Looking at sleeping bags, some seem to have either rows of stitching or even a slightly stiff piece of fabric to prevent the bag's fabric ballooning into the path of the zip.
An internal pocket (or rather, two, one at each end) would be a real boon for specky geeks like me; they would also provide a convenient place to park a headtorch.
All in all, I rate it as a good bit of kit - warm and more compact than my usual hammock-dwelling sleeping arrangements - though perhaps lacking the flexibility of a sleeping bag/mat/hammock combo. It's great when you are guaranteed trees from which to dangle. Would it make the cut for a prolonged trip into the wilds? Probably not. This is simply because my wanderings do take me away from the woods quite a lot of the time and I'm not a great one for getting up close and personal with quite so much black nylon.
I dont understand that Tiley. The first 3 that went out before Christmas, didn't have the extra stitching down the sides of the zip. But the ones that went out after Christmas, of which yours was one, were supposed to have the extra stitching to prevent the zip snagging.
There is also a pocket in the later ones, I know, it opens from the side instead of the top. With regard using paracord to stop it moving up and down. I think you would be better using shockcord. As, due to the length, it has had to be made in 2 pieces and with no give in the length it may cause strain on the stitching in the middle. Hope you understand what I am saying.
Thank you all for your feedback, very useful.
There is also a pocket in the later ones, I know, it opens from the side instead of the top. With regard using paracord to stop it moving up and down. I think you would be better using shockcord. As, due to the length, it has had to be made in 2 pieces and with no give in the length it may cause strain on the stitching in the middle. Hope you understand what I am saying.
Thank you all for your feedback, very useful.
That's the badger! My zip snags on the draught tube, not the main bulk of the bag itself. As for the pocket, I'll see if I can find it. I'll follow the advice about the shock cord, too.
Please don't get me wrong: it's a great piece of kit and one which I will take as long as I know I'm guaranteed some trees from which to dangle!
Although I've not slept in it yet, my only bug bear is the snagging zip, its really bad. It was almost impossible to get out of in testing, which was most annoying.
I don't have a problem with the zip at all tbh. Saying that though I always automatically shield the zip with my fingers when I use the zip on any sleeping bag.
If your inside and are trying to unzip the coccoon put your fingers all the way up to the zip to kind of plough the material away as you use the zip.
hth
If your inside and are trying to unzip the coccoon put your fingers all the way up to the zip to kind of plough the material away as you use the zip.
hth
What Bodge said above - I found the zip a bit tricky when I first got in the Coccoon, but then found myself instinctively holding the gusset (?) out of the way with my left hand as I was closing/ opening with my right. In general, I found the setup quick and easy on both my ENO double nest and my new DD Travel hammock (which is far superior, incidentally). Rigged the end loops with paracord and found that to be perfectly sufficient although I'm sure you could go to town with more robust and permanent solutions. Shame it's been so warm at the moment (shouldn't say that should I?) as I haven't been able to test the Coccoon in anger - however, in a chilly breeze hanging in my garden it sure was nice to have some bottom insulation! All in all, very pleased with this professionally-made bit of kit - I will definitely be making efforts to have a 'proper' hang soon.
Last weekend I spent a night out in the coccoon at 1 deg C.
I was wearing thermal tops and bottoms, a fleece vest and a beanie. I sewed a thin tube of silnylon to each end of the hammock so that I could insert a drawcord. This allows me to cinch up the ends so no warmth can escape there.
I closed up the zip so that there was only a 1 inch gap above my nose.
No ridgeline was used. The coccoon draped over me so there was no big dead air gap to cool me.
I slept very warm that night. By limiting any air gaps in the sleepingbag, the warmth from my breath was trapped by the insulation. I think the "don't breath into your sleepingbag" thing is overrated in my climate at least. It didn't condense, nor did I feel any extra weight from moisture when I packed up.
I think this played a large role in warming any dead air space that was left under me.
I was wearing thermal tops and bottoms, a fleece vest and a beanie. I sewed a thin tube of silnylon to each end of the hammock so that I could insert a drawcord. This allows me to cinch up the ends so no warmth can escape there.
I closed up the zip so that there was only a 1 inch gap above my nose.
No ridgeline was used. The coccoon draped over me so there was no big dead air gap to cool me.
I slept very warm that night. By limiting any air gaps in the sleepingbag, the warmth from my breath was trapped by the insulation. I think the "don't breath into your sleepingbag" thing is overrated in my climate at least. It didn't condense, nor did I feel any extra weight from moisture when I packed up.
I think this played a large role in warming any dead air space that was left under me.
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