Hot Water Bottle.

[KenThis]

I was camping in my hammock the other night and it was the first time I'd noticed the 'cold bum' syndrome that people talk about (at about 4 in the morning).

Next day I started properly looking at under quilts/mats etc. to keep the bottom of the hammock warm and I wondered about using a hot water bottle.

I have a hennessey hammock with a double layer to insert a mat and I thought why not also put a hot water bottle in there? I often use a hot water bottle at home to help ease a spasming bad lower back and was amazed I hadn't thought of this before. Then I thought I might've been the first to think of this but as always someone else got there first...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytj1gZBtEm8

I generally have a hot drink before bed when camping and the weight/space of an empty hot water bottle would be minimal compared to a mat or underquilt. Am I missing something? has anybody else tried this?

On a slightly related note having watched the video above I realised that I've kind of been doing this already.
It may be too much information but I tend to use an old nalgene bottle as a pee bottle for middle of the night camp duty (especially while in my hammock) and it has often surprised me how warming a bottle of pee is in the middle of the night.....

 

[wingstoo]

Water goes cold, by 04:00 it would be as cold as being without one.

 

[Toddy]

Not if it's wrapped up, i.e. insulated. It slow releases its heat that way.
Wrap it in a towel or tshirt and it'll surprise you just how much longer it stays warm.
M

 

[PDA1]

You need to insulate most of your body,not just a couple of square feet. As wingstoo points out,a hot water bottle will be cold by 4am. A CCF mat is pretty inexpensive,and will l do the job well. Some say that quilts are better,but cost a lot. CCF mat is also water and wind proof and almost indestructable, can be used as a sit pad in camp, or to fan a fire to get it started. If a down quilt gets wet, it is useless.I seem to remember that whenever I hiked/camped in the UK,rain was almost a certainty, SO a CCF pad would be my choice. In addition, if you have to go to ground, the pad works there just as well.

 

[Nice65]

Get a mat in there, the squeeze on pressure points renders the loft of the bag useless. Self inflating foam partially inflated work best for me.

And make sure it's a wide mouth Nalgene.

The one I used after a nasty hip operation is clear plastic, my drinker is a glow in the dark green bottle. Quite important to make a definite distinction. We're not all BG types

 

[John Fenna]

I use my camping mat - usually an Aldi self inflating mat or in cold weather a down filled airbed - as an underlayer in my hammock or stretcherbed and in the coldest weather take my stainless steel drinks bottle to bed with me - filled with hot water and wrapped in a spare sock!
No excess weight, lots of warmth

 

[Johnnyboy1971]

I gave up on quilts and went back to foam mats. That way I have the option of hammock or floor. Also I modded a poncho liner to work as a lightweight under quilt, more to cut the wind than to insulate. At this time of year I have also dropped my sleeping bag in favour of softie trousers and a Snugpak insulated poncho liner.

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

 

[Angry Pirate]

Water goes cold, by 04:00 it would be as cold as being without one.

I dunno, I started using a 1 litre nalgene as a hot water bottle for winter camping and it made a huge difference. I'd boil the water just before bed, pour it into the nalgene and put the bottle in my down bag about five minutes before I dived in. The bottle kept me toasty all night (I'd periodically shift it about as it did get very hot) and in the morning the water would be warm to the touch (or at least about body temperature) which meant I used less gas boiling it for my breakfast brew.

 

[IC_Rafe]

Not if it's wrapped up, i.e. insulated. It slow releases its heat that way.
Wrap it in a towel or tshirt and it'll surprise you just how much longer it stays warm.
M

Not sure about this, but the OP seems to be talking about putting a hot water bottle in the sleeping pad compartment of his hammock. Unless he's using an underquilt, that water would very quickly be cold water unlike putting it at your feet in a sleeping bag. I think the OP better looks into getting an underquilt. since a hot water bottle will be doing almost nothing since the airflow around the bottom of the hammock will still cause the bottom of the hammock to be cold.

 

[KenThis]

You're right I had thought about putting it in the compartment with a mat. But now I'm thinking using it in a sleeping bag or folded blanket system where I'd be sleeping on something and have the hot water bottle with me.
I think I'll probably end up with an underquilt but I still think a hot watter bottle might also be useful in the winter.
At the very least the stainless steel nalgene bottle in a sock should make a big difference.

On a slightly unrelated note does anyone go to sleep with a small fire under their hammock setup or use a small fire under their hammock set up before going to bed? I'm thinking some of the hot air would be trapped by the tarp and help keep you very toasty..

I'm also wondering if a foil space blanket suspended between the top of the hammock and the tarp would help reflect heat enough to be worthwhile.

What I really need is to get a thermometer and do some practical experiments...

 

[sunndog]

Nearly everyone that hammocks a lot will agree that a proper underquilt is by far the most comfortable way to go.
My latest down UQ is 500g for a good -5*c rating

 

[Nice65]

Don't put a fire under your tarp mate. They won't trap any heat at all, everything will stink, your tarp will get holes, your tarp might melt, burst into flames and cause you a few more problems than being a bit cold.

 

[Highbinder]

I gave up on quilts and went back to foam mats. That way I have the option of hammock or floor. Also I modded a poncho liner to work as a lightweight under quilt, more to cut the wind than to insulate. At this time of year I have also dropped my sleeping bag in favour of softie trousers and a Snugpak insulated poncho liner.

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

Me too, but I find I have to use two of them, partially overlapped, in order to get the necessary insulation under my core, and also the width to protect my shoulders. I'm a cold sleeper.

I think I'm going to splurge on an Exped inflating mat, their LW sized mats look perfect for hammock use.

/e: Just to say, I use a WBRR, that is to say, a bridge hammock. In a gathered end hammock I find mats a huge faff and I can never stay on them through the whole night.

 

[Jaeger]

Aye Up Kenthis,

Might be worth you looking into chemical heaters - I often heat a boil in the bag meal up with one (in winter sometimes inside my hooped bivvy bag - leaving a vent for the steam to escape during the first few minutes) and then have the luxury of a hot meal and a 'hot water bottle' from the residual heat in the chem cooker afterwards - nice inside yer jacket or against yer feet!

I sometimes use the cookers as a heat source alone to stop some tech eqpt freezing up. You can buy them in bulk reasonably cheap.
I haven't tried using them in a hammock at 0400hrs but the thought of opening a sachet of water and tipping it into a plastic bag as opposed to having to get up/out and lighting up a gas/wood stove sounds more appealing - easier, more practical and safe - (bearing in mind that initial steam issue).