Reflectex was : [at-l] Hennessy Asym

[saunterer@jimbullard.org (saunterer@jimbullard.org)]

At 12:22 PM 06/23/2002 -0400, Amy wrote:

>On Sunday, June 23, 2002, at 11:14 AM, ARTCLOUTMN@aol.com wrote:
>
>>
>>In a message dated 6/21/02 10:10:39 AM, buchanan@gtcinternet.com writes:
>>
>><< This is something new to me as well - and only in my hammock!  So why are
>>we sweating in there??  Or rather, not evaporating?  If I can't solve 
>>this, it
>>may be the one thing that gets me back out of the Hennessy. >>
>>
>>Everyone sweats all the time.  The hammock is made of a fabric that does not
>>absorb the water from our bodies.  If we sleep directly on plastic or nylon
>>it will feel wet where our bodies make contact.  Some fleece or other fabric
>>that can absorb some of our sweat will make it more comfortable.
>>Check out
>>Stephenson's website on vapor barrier clothing and sleeping bags (I'm not
>>sure I would be comfortable using those products) but they have carefully
>>designed their products with natural body moisture in the plan.  It is a
>>www.warmlite.com.  Be forwarned that this website has nude models.
>
>It's not just that, Art.  Why are we getting so much wetter in the hammock 
>than
>on the ground?  My thermarest doesn't absorb water either, but when I sleep
>on it on the ground my sleeping bag doesn't get wet under me.  It's definitely
>a much more intense phenomenon in the hammock.

Just an educated guess but I'd say it's because the hammock is cooler.  Our 
bodies give off a moist vapor (when it does it profusely as a liquid we 
call it sweat) and if the area around us is warm enough it 
dissipates.  Cool (or cold) air condenses vapor (dew point and all that 
stuff) and it may be that the hammock is enough cooler that the vapor 
reaches the dew point before dissipating.  Also, ventilation in a tent is 
better because the floor doesn't wrap up around your sides so the vapors 
dissipate better in a tent.  This could also explain why a net hammock 
sleeps warmer (aside from not uniformly compressing the fill under you).

sAunTerer