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Reviews > Shelters > Shelter Accessories > Speer Hammocks Segmented Pad Extender > Ken Bigelow > Initial ReportSpeer Hammocks Segmented Pad Extender
Initial Report  Personal
Biographical Information:
Name: Ken Bigelow Gender: Male Height: 5’ 9” (1.8 m) Weight: 205 lbs (93 kg) Email address: krb84108 (at) yahoo (dot) com Location: Salt Lake City, Utah, USA Date: June 13, 2005 Backpacking Background: I was first dragged on a backpacking trip eight years ago and have been addicted to it ever since. My adventures vary in length from a weekend to over two weeks. I am slowly shifting my backpacking style to a light-weight approach. I recently upgraded to a hammock to reduce weight. From spring through fall I typically backpack in the mountains or desert, while in winter I often go snowshoeing. I typically see a wide variety of climates ranging from 10 F (-12 C) with snow to 90 F (32 C) and sunny with just about everything in between. Product Information:
Product Description: The Speer Hammock Segmented Pad Extender (or SPE) is made of a Grey colored "lightweight, breathable, ripstop nylon". Each side has a double set of wings at both the shoulder and hip regions. The design permits the user to slide in one or more sleeping pads, up to a total thickness of 3 in (7.62 cm), into the 20 in (51 cm) wide main panel. The user can also add closed cell (CC) foam inserts, rolled up clothes or even leaves into the wings for additional insulation. The wings on the SPE are designed to extend any 20 in (51 cm) wide sleeping pad to 30 or 40 inches (76 or 102 cm) wide at both the shoulders and hips. When placed in a hammock, this extension is unique in that the additional width can actually wrap around the sides of the user. This means that hammock sleepers can have insulation on two or three different sides, which should greatly increase the amount of heat retained.  The SPE is quite versatile and can help users adapt it to fit their individual needs. The foam inserts can be arranged in a variety of ways to adjust to the users needs. They can be inserted into both wings on one side, both wings on both sides, and even doubled up in the wings for superior insulation and cushioning. For example, a side sleeper may want better insulation on one side in order to sleep warmer and more comfortably. To accomplish this, the side sleeper can add insulation to the desired side by placing an insert into each wing, a double layer of inserts into each wing or a combination of these. Add some rolled up clothes and the possibilities increase dramatically. In the previous example, as many clothes as can fit in the wings can be used as the only wing insulation or in any number of combinations with the inserts to keep the side sleeping person on the pads nice and toasty. The user only appears to be limited by the amount of insulation they can find or carry. The provided inserts slide into the wings quite easily and the process takes virtually no time. Putting in double inserts requires more effort than one, but still takes only a matter of seconds. I would have to describe inserting pads into the SPE almost exactly the same as inserts into the wings. One pad is pretty effortless, while more than one takes a minor struggle. This was, of course, done in the warm, well-illuminated confines of my home. Putting the SPE over two pads could be more difficult with just my headlamp providing light while I am cold, hungry, and tired. I go hiking or backpacking in Utah almost every weekend from the spring through the fall and will bring the pad extender on every trip. This summer I plan on hiking the High Uintas Wilderness, the Wasatch Mountains or Fish Lake National Forest at least once a week. I also have a weeklong trip in Yellowstone National Park set for late August. In the fall I expect to hit Zion National Park and the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. The terrain will vary greatly and will include wet and muddy corridors, slickrock, steep and rocky terrain as well as plain old dirt paths. Temperatures should range from 30 F (-1 C) to 90 F (32 C). I will likely see all types of weather ranging from heavy rain to sunny. The elevations experienced should be between 4000 feet (1220 m) and 12000 feet (3658m). Testing Plan: I'll use the Speer Hammock Segmented Pad extender in my Hennessy Hammock Explorer Ultralight-Asym or on the ground when unable to hang the hammock. I plan on using both my Exped SIM Light 3.8 and closed cell Therm-A-Rest Ridgerest pads as padding material for the main panel of the SPE. At some point in the test period I expect to use rolled up clothes or some other form of insulation in conjunction with the wing inserts provided. I tend to sleep on my side, but often toss and turn during the night. I will attempt to evaluate the best insulation setup for the SPE to fit my sleeping style. Over the course of the test period I also hope to answer the following questions in regard to the SPE:
I would like to thank Speer Hammocks and BackpackGearTest for the opportunity to test the Segmented Pad Extender. Read more reviews of Speer Hammocks gear Read more gear reviews by Ken Bigelow Reviews > Shelters > Shelter Accessories > Speer Hammocks Segmented Pad Extender > Ken Bigelow > Initial Report | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||