Air mattress

[chowhound]

Has anyone used an insulated air mattress in their hammock? I recently got an Insulmat Max Thermo and have been considering using it along with a Speer SPE in my Clark Ultralight. During last summer's trips I successfully used a Speer SPE and and thermarest, but the Insulmat is lighter, and more comfortable if I should need to go to ground.

Thanks,
Chowhound

[hammock engineer]

There are some over at hammockforums.net that use the exped DAM in cold weather with good results. There is some debate whether the hammock stresses the valves over time causing air leaks.

[briarpatch]

I've used a BA aircore in a Clark lots of times. I fill it about half as firm as I would on the ground. You will need to play around with it to find out how much air works for you.

[grysmn]

Sleep mattress provide proof against mosquitoes in hammocks by protecting the bottom and spreading out the sides. The mattress gives you the option of using Lean to's. I have only used air mattress, my next one will be closed cell foam.

[Jonas4321]

Has anyone used an insulated air mattress in their hammock? I recently got an Insulmat Max Thermo and have been considering using it along with a Speer SPE in my Clark Ultralight. During last summer's trips I successfully used a Speer SPE and and thermarest, but the Insulmat is lighter, and more comfortable if I should need to go to ground.

I use a Stephenson's DAM (their largest model) in my Speer-type home-made hammock when camping in the winter when the temps will be below around 25 degrees at night.

It's not the same as using a hammock without a pad or with just CCF pads, as you ride higher in the hammock, and have to stay on top of the mattress. I have a home-made SPE, which really helps.

I agree that you might want to keep it a little underinflated, as it will conform a little more to the shape of the hammock.

Once I am situated on top of the DAM with some clothes under my knees, I'm warm and conk out for the night pretty quick.

Practice with it before you need it.

Jonas

[BuKu]

From a post that I made on another site:
For most of my three season camping I use a Hennessy "Expedition Deluxe."
Like many, I was having trouble finding the right combination of bag
and pad that worked well i.e. lightweight, easy set-up, provides
enough insulation, holds its position in the hammock while entering
and exiting.
The bag is a Big Agness "Cross Mountain":
http://www.bigagnes.com/str_bags.php?id=cm
with a left hand zipper.
Into the pad sleeve, I place a Insul-mat 3/4 length "max-thermo":
http://www.pacoutdoor.com/2006/index.cfm?action=product&productID=6&groupID=1&fa\
milyID=1 (http://www.pacoutdoor.com/2006/index.cfm?action=product&productID=6&groupID=1&familyID=1)
I line up the bottom of the pad near the lower end of the slit with
the lower portion of the bag to the right. The rigidity of the pad does a fine job of keeping the bag in place.
With the bag's zipper on the left and the zipper's top slider aligned
with the lower end of the pad, it's easy to enter by sitting of the
pad, swing the feet into the lower part of the bag, and cover myself. Because the pad is contained within the bag, I never roll off of it.
I sleep warmly into the upper 30s

[1n the Sun]

Since the hammock doesn't need padding, I use one of those ultra thin and "sticky" yoga mats, which I cut so it sorta stays put within the hammock. Bill found that the thermo rest moved too much and pushed opent he door, letting in bugs.

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

Slowhike over on Hammockforums.net uses a BA insulated air core. The male-dino is consdiering hammocking and will likely be using a thermarest pro4.

[Fiddleback]

There's different considerations here; insulation value, comfort (does it feel good lying down), and dual use (for when you're forced to ground).

It seems to me that an inflatable wins the dual use issue, I'm not sure there's any improvement to be made in the comfort of lying down on a hammock with any pad, and I can't imagine an inflatable besting the insulation of CCF pads of similar weight.

With the varying factors, pad selection becomes a purely individual decision. I can't think of any improvements made in hammock pads during the past few years...maybe the 'technology' is stalled? For improved warmth in a hammock maybe other parts of the sleep system deserve the attention. But again, it all depends on precisely what the individual is looking for from his/her pad...

FB

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

The problem with inflatibles in hammocks (as I understand it - correct me if I'm wrong): The inflated mat raises you up a bit and that make the hammock a bit less stable because the majority of your body can be above the center of gravity.

[Time To Fly 97]

I think foam pads like a Z-rest or other closed cell alternatives are better. They stay in place, conform to the hammock shape and are good insulators.

Happy hiking!

TTF

[peanuts]

never had a problem w/down 7. no loss of stability in my hammock either.

[chowhound]

Since starting this thread I've successfully used my Insulmat Max Thermo on a three day hike on the Ice Age Trail in Wisconsin. It worked great when slightly underinflated. One problem I did have was when a cold front came through after a very hot day. The air in the pad shrunk down and I got a little chilly. Once I blew it up a little I was fine. The Max Thermo also did a better job of keeping the sides of the hammock from compressing my sleeping bag so I didn't need to use my SPE, although in colder weather I probably would. Another plus with the air mattress is its lack of bulk. It packs much smaller than an equivalent CCF pad. I still wonder how effective it would be as temperatures head below 40F. That remains to be tested (by me anyway). My success with the Max Thermo makes me wonder if going to a Stephenson's 28" wide pad would make sense. That should eliminate the need to pack an SPE and associated pads, and should, by all reports I've read, be warmer than the Max Thermo. They are pretty pricy, but still less than a down underquilt, not significantly heavier, and more versatile. Any thoughts?