View Full Version : Approach Friday night - Will we be warm you think?
My husband and I are going to do a slow trip from the top of the Falls to Springer Friday night and Saturday. We know it's gonna be cold and raining on Saturday. We're going anyway and are absolutely tickled pink about it.
We have a Clarks Hammock (2 person) with no underquilt yet, but I do have a brand spanking new Western Mountaineering 0* Kodiak Down bag and a Mountain Hardware 4* Torch Synthetic bag for him, plus I also have a bag liner and big puffy socks and tights and long johns... do you think we'll freeze to death? I could add a small down throw to the top of us.
I know it isn't going to be THAT cold, but wind chill is always a consideration and I know hammocks are generally colder. I usually tent but the hammock is new so this is a little baby shakedown. We haven't used it before. I have both an air pad and a closed cell pad that we will bring as well to help with cold butt syndrome. Do you think that will be sufficient?
bigcranky
03-15-2017, 16:25
It's the underneath part that will get you, but there is a cheap solution.
The problem is even with all that insulation, your body weight will crush it and you'll get cold. The solution is a simple closed cell foam pad under you, inside the hammock. These are pretty cheap at wallymart. I've never used an underquilt, just a CCF pad, though admittedly I hammock in warmer weather. But I did spend a cold couple of nights in VA in March with a 10F down bag and a large foam pad and I was toasty warm at night.
Great! I have one already from tenting. Only issue is I only have one and there are 2 of us. Might need to grab a second one for him too. The 2 person hammock has separate sleeping compartments for us.
BuckeyeBill
03-15-2017, 16:32
By not having a under quilt, your back side will be cold even with your 0* bag. This is caused by the compression of the down by laying on it. You can get by with some kind of sleeping pad under you, an inflatable type would be best at this time of year. Your only other option would be making a under quilt of some fashion. If you go this route, make sure you can pull the ends of the quilt up as close to the ends and sides of your hammock as possible. Good luck and have fun.
BuckeyeBill
03-15-2017, 16:34
Sorry about the repeat. Was posting while the others were.
By not having a under quilt, your back side will be cold even with your 0* bag. This is caused by the compression of the down by laying on it. You can get by with some kind of sleeping pad under you, an inflatable type would be best at this time of year. Your only other option would be making a under quilt of some fashion. If you go this route, make sure you can pull the ends of the quilt up as close to the ends and sides of your hammock as possible. Good luck and have fun.
I have a CF pad and also an inflatable pad I use for tenting, so I will employ both of those. Maybe use the down throw as an under quilt if I can rig it somehow.
Tipi Walter
03-15-2017, 16:39
All this is simple to resolve---Set up tonight in the backyard or heck just throw a bedroll on the back deck or porch and sleep out every night until the trip. You'll find out quick enough.
All this is simple to resolve---Set up tonight in the backyard or heck just throw a bedroll on the back deck or porch and sleep out every night until the trip. You'll find out quick enough.
I wish I could. We have not a tree the first in our backyard. I live in a house-sized cubicle. I already know how my tent sleep system works so sleeping on the deck wouldn't help. It's the hammock that's a new endeavor. It's only a couple of nights until we go and it's only for one night, so worst case.... we are cold and don't sleep. I can survive it. Just want to make sure if I have the means to be warm with the gear I already have, that I have the knowledge to know to take it and use it instead of being cold and miserable for no good reason.
Farr Away
03-16-2017, 11:30
Another thing that could help is if you have big enough tarp to more or less enclose your hammock - so it's kind of like a tent around the hammock. Also pay attention to prevailing air movement. You don't want to pitch so the air funnels lengthwise under you. The idea is to minimize moving air under the hammock.
Last resort, if nothing else works, go to ground under a tarp.
-FA