Garlington insulator and ground-dwellers

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

[/URL]Has anyone used a Garlington insulator or similar piece of gear as emergency insulation for ground sleeping when an inflatable mat failed? Did it keep you warm? Was it comfortable? Did you learn any tricks to make it work better?

For the non-hammocking types who may be unfamiliar with what a Garlington insulator is:
[URL="http://www.hammockcamping.com/Garlington%20Insulator/GIoriginal.htm"]Original version (http://www.hammockcamping.com/Garlington%20Insulator/GIversion2.htm) & improved version (http://www.hammockcamping.com/Garlington%20Insulator/GIversion2.htm)

[russb]

I have used a GI in the hammock and it helped keep me very warm. My back and sides were toasty while I saw my breath in the cold october air. I can't imagine the bags would hold up under the weight of a person lying on them on the ground. In the hammock, the GI is under the hammock and little stress is put on the bags themselves. You could try it at home and see if it takes the weight.

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

Thanks, Russ. I'm looking at this as an emergency insulation solution (like if my BA goes flat and I can't find the leak) - not an on-going solution.

I know the GI works in my hammock, but I'm not always in my hammock. Sometimes my bad leg just won't cooperate for getting into / out of my current hammock and I have to go to the ground. I was wondering if the insulation would get too compressed to be effective in a GI used on the ground.

This may become a moot point as I have a JRB Bear Mountain hammock on-the-way - and the additional handholds and bars may make getting in and out of a hammock possible all the time.