**Ask a monkey a physics question thread**

[OngBonga]

Which is warmer? The ground, or the air two feet above the ground?

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say... it depends.

[BananaStand]

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say... it depends.

On what?

The National Forest here has been invaded by insidious corporate interests disguised as environmental activists. And they have a stranglehold monopoly on all of the prime campsites in the region. They are also notoriously crowded and loud.

Since the land is public, you can camp anywhere you want. There are some rules. You need to be 200 feet from a trail, 200 feet from rivers, lakes, or ponds. YOu have to be 1/4 mile from any road. And you have to be 1/4 mile from any of the established "corporate" campsites. That leaves a few hundred thousand acres where you can do whatever the fuck you want.

Except, almost all of that is on a steep slope, densely wooded, or really far from a usable water source. It's possible, but not exactly easy to find a suitably flat spot to put a tent.

The solution, hammocks.

I've got this, and I'm fucking dying to try it out.
https://www.rei.com/product/882625/e...lenest-hammock

I can't carry this setup and a tent, so I have to pick one. I'm anxious to try the hammock, but I also don't want to be stuck freezing my ass off all night while I'm 10 miles into the wilderness.

Temps are looking to be in the low 40's overnight and some rain showers are likely.

Assuming that I'm using the same insulating pad, and sleeping bag with either setup, would I be warmer in a tent, or in the hammock

[MadMojoMonkey]

I've got this, and I'm fucking dying to try it out.
https://www.rei.com/product/882625/e...lenest-hammock

I can't carry this setup and a tent, so I have to pick one. I'm anxious to try the hammock, but I also don't want to be stuck freezing my ass off all night while I'm 10 miles into the wilderness.

Temps are looking to be in the low 40's overnight and some rain showers are likely.

Assuming that I'm using the same insulating pad, and sleeping bag with either setup, would I be warmer in a tent, or in the hammock

First of all, I envy people that can use a hammock and not have crippling back pain within an hour. It looks relaxing and practical.

As someone who spent many years in Boy Scouts, The right sleeping bag will make all the difference in all but arctic conditions.
Have 2 - 3 sleeping bags for hot, nice, and cold camping. Hot doesn't really need a bag, IMO, but some still use one.

***
The best insulation is tiny pockets of trapped air swiss-cheesed throughout a material with low thermal conductivity... like foam pads.
Having that insulating pad you mention under you will make a big difference, as you probably know.

Since that's the same in both cases, the actual difference is what's under the pad.
In the hammock, it's unrestrained air... in a tent, it's the ground. The ground has much lower thermal conductivity than the open air.
The ground should be a bit warmer.

[BananaStand]

First of all, I envy people that can use a hammock and not have crippling back pain within an hour. It looks relaxing and practical.

I used to think the same thing. Every person I've ever known who has had a hammock in their backyard admits to regretting the purchase. Either it's uncomfortable, unstable, or both. This has a lot to do with the design of the hammock. Generally those rope-net setups with crossbars on either end are just terrible for human ergonomics.

However, based on the superficial research I've done this far, it seems that hammock technology has come a long way in just the last 8 to 10 years. These gathered-end parachute hammocks are shaped just right so that if you tilt your body so that your spine is slightly diagonal in relation to the hammock center, then you can actually lay perfectly flat.

I actually took a long, heavy nap in this thing over the weekend and was exceedingly comfortable sleeping on both my side, and my back. I only got out because the sun went in, the wind picked up, and I was fucking freezing. I wasn't using an insulated pad, sleeping bag, or tarp though.