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Reviews > Shelters > Shelter Accessories > Speer Hammocks Segmented Pad Extender > Ken Bigelow > Long Term ReportSpeer
Hammocks Segmented Pad Extender
Long Term Report January 2, 2006  Name: Ken Bigelow Age: 27 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 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 lightweight 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:
Field Conditions: For the final four months of testing, I have used the Speer Hammock Segmented Pad Extender (with my Hennessey Hammock) in Zion National Park, Canyonlands National Park, the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, Yellowstone National Park, Arches National Park, the Wasatch Mountains and the Uinta Mountains. The terrain has varied greatly and has included wet and muddy corridors, slickrock, steep and rocky terrain, snow-covered trails and plain old dirt paths. Temperatures have ranged from 15 F (-9 C) to 80 F (27 C). I have seen all types of weather including sunny, light snow, heavy rain and hail. The elevations experienced have been between 4,000 ft (1,200 m) and 11,000 ft (3,300 m). Long Term Review: The Segmented Pad Extender (or SPE) provides a lightweight method to increase insulation, specifically designed for hammock users. The SPE has multiple configurations, which allow users to custom fit the insulation to adapt for different sleeping styles. For a more detailed description of the SPE, please see my initial report and my field report.  SPE with Foam Inserts & Rolled Up Clothes in the Wings The wing inserts are another story. They still tend to slide out during the night. Doubling up on the inserts provides considerably more resistance to the inserts escaping from the wings, but does not completely solve the problem. To compensate, I sometimes use rolled up clothes in the upper wings and put the inserts in the lower wings. This way I always have more insulation around my upper body, which is where I prefer extra warmth. If the inserts around my lower body come out, it is not as noticeable. On the rare occasion where the inserts stay in the wings they insulate just as well as my sleeping pad, but do leave a cold spot between the wings. This is only noticeable when I toss and turn, but I am not a stationary sleeping so it does become slightly annoying. I still have problems packing the foam inserts in my pack without them getting in the way. They are lightweight, but I have problems locating a good place for them inside my pack. This means they often end up outside my pack and are subjected to the elements. I would like to see alternative material for the wing inserts (perhaps down or inflatable) made available. Both perspiration on warmer nights and condensation dripping from the rain fly on cold nights have exposed the SPE to moisture. The nylon fabric collects the moisture and leaves it feeling damp. I let the material air dry before storing it and have not seen any mildew or mold buildup on the nylon. I have also washed it once and it showed no signs of deterioration at all. In fact, I have been unable to locate any sign of the ripstop nylon fabric tearing, ripping, or being damaged in any way after six months of testing. The foam inserts have held up just as well. This surprises me as I've tried bending, rolling, cramming and numerous other methods to try and make the inserts pack away easily. While camping in Arches National Park I had no trees for hanging my hammock and resorted to using a tent. I decided to use the SPE to double up on sleeping pads as the forecast called for low temperatures. Normally (in my hammock) the wings wrap around my sides enclosing my body on three sides with insulation, but on the ground the wings only succeeded in providing a wider pad for my back. It was an interesting couple of nights. I had not used a tent in almost a year and was immediately reminded of why I tried hammocking in the first place. I'm sure the two pads were more comfortable than one, but it was in no way as comfy as hanging in the hammock. The double insulating layer underneath me was actually quite warm, but my shoulders, which were now conditioned to extra insulation, were cold most of the night. I ended up using some of the rolled up clothes I had stored in the wings for additional layers. I did not find the SPE particularly helpful for this scenario (although it certainly wasn't designed for this purpose) and will stick to using it strictly when sleeping in my hammock. Summary: The SPE has been a lightweight mechanism for increasing insulation in a hammock. It is adjustable and I can customize it to fit my sleeping style. The foam inserts do tend to escape from the wings during the night and I would like to see this problem fixed (maybe through an elastic cord around the wings' openings). The SPE appears to be quite durable, but does absorb some water. Things I like: • Lightweight • Durable • Adjustable for a customized fit of my numerous sleeping positions Concerns: • Foam inserts easily slide out of the wings • Fabric does absorb some moisture 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 > Long Term Report | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||