I've been happy with my set up for a while now and I've used the under-blanket and quilt combination to sub zero, still conditions with no problems.
The Winter we had last year has given me cause to wonder how it will cope with worse conditions though, so I though this weekend at Spitewinter would be a good safe opportunity to test out a new set up.
Some time back I bought a "Cocoon" from Addo. He had tried it but found it a bit too baggy for his needs. For what I wanted that sounded perfect.
My thought was that it would double the insulation around the hammock without compressing the under-blanket and reducing it's effectiveness.
Here you see the set up. From the inside there is the quilt in the hammock, the under-blanket and then the cocoon on the outside.
The hammock was deliberately slung a bit lower than I usually have it and I had picked an exposed position, on a ridge directly in the wind. The forecast was wet and windy, getting colder for the second night.
Had I been in just the under-blanket I think it would have been a very uncomfortable weekend.
So how did it work out?
Getting in was a straight forward affair, I had rolled and reefed the mozzie net up which formed a ridge line that raised the cocoon up snugly around the under-blanket.
When in the hammock I found this to be a little too close to my face, so I used a mini crab to clip the mozzie net to the bottom of my gear hammock and give me a bit more breathing space.
I didn't zip the cocoon up fully as I prefer the fresh air to the inside of a bag any time, but I was aware that if needed there was that option.
The first night was wet and windy as predicted. The low position put me directly in the wind but just out of the rain.
At one point I did wonder if the tarp was going to hold up to the buffeting it was getting but fortunately the loops of bungee cord that I add to each of my guy lines gave enough flex that no pegs were uprooted and the tarp itself was undamaged by the strain. No small wonder in the conditions that night.
The only adjustment I made during the worst squall, was to reach out and check that the rain was not hitting the bottom of the cocoon and then pulling the windward side a little higher to reduce the breeze across my face. First test passed with flying colours.
The next night was colder but much less windy. Same set up but now, without the wind, I found myself getting rather too warm. This was soon remedied by unzipping the cocoon somewhat and this second night passed comfortably and without event.
Of course, this needs to be tested in more severe situations but I am at least confident that it will cope with normal cold conditions without much adaptation.
Bring on the Winter...
The Winter we had last year has given me cause to wonder how it will cope with worse conditions though, so I though this weekend at Spitewinter would be a good safe opportunity to test out a new set up.
Some time back I bought a "Cocoon" from Addo. He had tried it but found it a bit too baggy for his needs. For what I wanted that sounded perfect.
My thought was that it would double the insulation around the hammock without compressing the under-blanket and reducing it's effectiveness.
Here you see the set up. From the inside there is the quilt in the hammock, the under-blanket and then the cocoon on the outside.
The hammock was deliberately slung a bit lower than I usually have it and I had picked an exposed position, on a ridge directly in the wind. The forecast was wet and windy, getting colder for the second night.
Had I been in just the under-blanket I think it would have been a very uncomfortable weekend.
So how did it work out?
Getting in was a straight forward affair, I had rolled and reefed the mozzie net up which formed a ridge line that raised the cocoon up snugly around the under-blanket.
When in the hammock I found this to be a little too close to my face, so I used a mini crab to clip the mozzie net to the bottom of my gear hammock and give me a bit more breathing space.
I didn't zip the cocoon up fully as I prefer the fresh air to the inside of a bag any time, but I was aware that if needed there was that option.
The first night was wet and windy as predicted. The low position put me directly in the wind but just out of the rain.
At one point I did wonder if the tarp was going to hold up to the buffeting it was getting but fortunately the loops of bungee cord that I add to each of my guy lines gave enough flex that no pegs were uprooted and the tarp itself was undamaged by the strain. No small wonder in the conditions that night.
The only adjustment I made during the worst squall, was to reach out and check that the rain was not hitting the bottom of the cocoon and then pulling the windward side a little higher to reduce the breeze across my face. First test passed with flying colours.
The next night was colder but much less windy. Same set up but now, without the wind, I found myself getting rather too warm. This was soon remedied by unzipping the cocoon somewhat and this second night passed comfortably and without event.
Of course, this needs to be tested in more severe situations but I am at least confident that it will cope with normal cold conditions without much adaptation.
Bring on the Winter...
