Hammock underquilt for thru

[geomaniac]

I am gearing up for a 2014 thru. I plan on using my warbonnet black bird hammock with a 3 season 3/4 length under quilt rated to 20 degrees. For those of you that use hammocks, Do you think this setup will be ok for a early March start?

[kayak karl]

you will be cutting it close, but you have this winter to test it out.

[geomaniac]

Thanks Karl, I am toying with the idea of buying a full length under quilt, but just not sure it I need the added weight. I will be doing some testing this winter for sure!

[gunner76]

Add a hammock sock and you should be fine.

[CarlZ993]

I didn't bring my hammock (new to it) on my thru this year. Started 3/21. There were several nights where the temperature dipped below 20 deg. From what I understand, those that started earlier had even more frigid weather to deal with. You probably would have been quite cold this year in the beginning. I guess it largely depends on the weather pattern of the specific year and how well you deal w/ cold.

[geomaniac]

Thanks for the input guys, I guess I can wait until I am about ready to leave and decide then. Im not familiar with a hammock sock, Is it kind of like a tarp that encloses the whole hammock?

[Grits]

Brandon has one he calls the travel sock, for the weight well worth it. http://www.warbonnetoutdoors.com/blackbirds.php

[geomaniac]

Wow Thanks, I dont know how I missed seeing the sock on Warbonnets website.

[Flounder940]

I saw temps in the lower teens and a personal low of 5 degrees in early March this year while on The AT. I had a Jacks R Better Mt. Washington 4 zero degree underquilt and was toasty warm.

[kk4df]

I use a 4 season 3/4 length UQ, and it has kept me warm on some very cold nights. Mine is the the JRB Greylock 4. I do have a sitpad that I put in the bottom of my TQ underneath my feet to help keep my feet warm.

[kayak karl]

I saw temps in the lower teens and a personal low of 5 degrees in early March this year while on The AT. I had a Jacks R Better Mt. Washington 4 zero degree underquilt and was toasty warm. great quilt. did jan and feb on AT with that quilt paired with High Sierra Sniveller.

[geomaniac]

My biggest problem is that my feet get cold with my current setup. Ive tried pads, and using my empty pack..nothing works except to tuck my feet under my quilt..kind of in a fetal position. I think I may have to start with a full length quilt and send it home when the weather warms enough. Although, maybe a foam pad would work and do double duty as a sit pad and a sleep pad If I need to go to ground.

[Shonryu]

+1 on the sock. I live down the street from Jacks R Better and love their produts. The quality js top notch and i dont have one bad thing to say about them or their products. Ive managed to learn a lot from them. The Jacks are great guys.

I used to use a Washington and a Nest full length UQ but in order to drop some weight I moved to using a Hammock Gear Phoniex 3/4 UQ with an extra 2 1/2 ounces of down fill added that has taken me down into the teens with a sock. They weight less than the JRB greylocks. So far the Phoniex UQs are the lighest Ive found on the market and Adam uses a 900 fill. If I remember my JRB were 800 and they run around the same price.

I also use a gossamer gear nitlite torso pad for my legs, to structure my pack, and incase I go to ground. I always sleep with my pack in my hammock and in colder temps I'd lay it on top of my torso pad with whatever clothing I wasn't wearing to act as another layer and just make sure my feet were snug in the footbox of my TQ. Never had an issue laying Asym in it and I have a tendency to get cold fairly easy.

Also what your sleeping in at night can also help. The torso pad comes is at 4.6oz and its not the most comfortable when you have to go to ground but it beats laying on shelter hard wood floors any day. I also recently bought a Klymit inertiat x torso light pad that I plan on doing some experimenting with. It weights in at 5.7oz but adds some more versatility by having a more module system. It doesn't have an r value but I've had a full length that I've used a lot for ground camping and its done its job. In a ground configuration I'd use the nightlite pad for my legs and the xlite for my upperbody to add more padding between me and the ground.

[AngryGerman]

You should be fine if you are a warm sleeper and some sort of insulation under you. I used a 40 degree bag with a Thermarest ridgerest pad cut down to 50 inches into December this past year while passing through the SNP. I changed out for a UL 0 degree bag and a UL self inflating pad in Catawba and sent the hammock home. Temps were getting brutal and I was fine with shelter hoping in the winter; hardly anyone on the trail and using the shelters then. The hammock sock will work great for you and can be sent home by the time you hit Front Royal or Harper's Ferry. Good luck with the research and hike!

[scope]

What works is getting down on skin, so the idea of a full-length UQ is understandable, but not nearly as it would seem to be. If you've already got a 20 UQ, you certainly shouldn't need another 20. Either get a full-length zero, OR what might be better is to get some down socks from AHE or Goosefeet.
arrowhead-equipment.com
goosefeetgear.com

[frogmonkey]

I, too, am gearing up for 2014 and would also like to us my hammock, but I plan on leaving the very beginning of February. I have a Hennessy Ultralite and have been looking at different underquilts. For weight considerations I was considering the Baby Orca w/Climashield (http://www.outdoortrailgear.com/featured/baby-orca-underquilt/) along with my sleeping bag that's rated to 20F (for women), but this thread has me wondering if it'll be enough. I have a Big Agnes Q-Core sleeping pad I can use as well. Any thoughts?

[kayak karl]

I, too, am gearing up for 2014 and would also like to us my hammock, but I plan on leaving the very beginning of February. I have a Hennessy Ultralite and have been looking at different underquilts. For weight considerations I was considering the Baby Orca w/Climashield (http://www.outdoortrailgear.com/featured/baby-orca-underquilt/) along with my sleeping bag that's rated to 20F (for women), but this thread has me wondering if it'll be enough. I have a Big Agnes Q-Core sleeping pad I can use as well. Any thoughts?you will need a pad or quilt. when you lay ON a bag you compress it and lose all R factor. febuary i saw 0-20 degree nights a lot. this is feb 4th. my hammock is across front of shelter. maybe 5 degrees.
http://www.trailgallery.com/photos/6625/tj6625%5F020909%5F042059%5F416972.jpg

[frogmonkey]

you will need a pad or quilt. when you lay ON a bag you compress it and lose all R factor. febuary i saw 0-20 degree nights a lot. this is feb 4th. my hammock is across front of shelter. maybe 5 degrees.


Should I do an underquilt and the sleeping pad along with my sleeping bag? I do plan on heading to Shenandoah as soon as it's cold and snowy there to test out my setup, but I'd rather set myself up for success on my maiden voyage.

[kayak karl]

the first time i ever hung all night in a hammock was 12/31/08 on Springer Mt. it was 9 degrees. i used a JRB Mt Wash 4 (0 degree) and a 0 degree bag. i didn't have a clue what i was doing and there are a few members on here that will attest to that :) but i was warm!

[geomaniac]

I love the down socks idea..I am also going to look into the hammock sock idea too. Thanks!

[kayak karl]

I love the down socks idea..I am also going to look into the hammock sock idea too. Thanks!
if anyone has ever worn down socks you know the bottom of feet get cold if you stand in them. same is for the side of feet that are compressed against hammock. see if it has worked for anyone else before investing.

[scope]

I wear them. My heals get a little cold, but the heat circulation is much better. I don't stand in my hammock. Sorry, that was kind of smartaxxy wasn't it?

[Nooga]

I use a Hennessy hammock and bought a Jacks R Better under quilt. The under quilt is well made and works well. I had to work some to get it to fit snuggly with the bottom of the hammock, to avoid air pockets. If not, I had the sagging diaper effect because the Jacks R Better are designed for a hammock with a consistent shape and the Hennessy tappers on the ends. My major issue with hammocks in cold weather is the added weight factor, when I compare the weight of the hammock, and the under quilt vs weight of my tent and neoair. The other issue is if you want to come to the ground, such as a shelter, you don't have a sleeping pad. I guess you could also carry a pad, but that's just more weight.

[1azarus]

i third the sock... for the weight it provides the most warmth. i tend to leave my head out of the sock when i can, but when really cold i do cover all the way up. i would try the 3/4 length underquilt... with the sit pad you mention-- it is helpful if the pad is a part of your pack system. i use a gg pack, so i get that pad for free, weight-wise. i put the pad INSIDE my sleeping bag so i can find it with my feet. another alternative is the jrb driducks poncho mod. in real cold weather i use the sock... in spring/fall i use the driducks poncho. i am short (5'-6") and you couldn't pay me to carry a full length quilt. ever.

[Nooga]

Brandon has one he calls the travel sock, for the weight well worth it. http://www.warbonnetoutdoors.com/blackbirds.php

Sorry to be a dunce, but i looked on the website and cannot find a travel sock. Can you help me better understand the sock. Do you sleep in it or does it cover the hammock. I love sleeping in the hammock, but am a cold sleeper, so it is only a warm weather option for me. Would love to be able to extend it to lower temps.

[frogmonkey]

Sorry to be a dunce, but i looked on the website and cannot find a travel sock. Can you help me better understand the sock. Do you sleep in it or does it cover the hammock. I love sleeping in the hammock, but am a cold sleeper, so it is only a warm weather option for me. Would love to be able to extend it to lower temps.

http://www.dream-hammock.com/WinterSock.html
Checkout this website to get a visual of what a sock looks like. Basically just a cocoon that goes around your hammock.

[geomaniac]

I wear them. My heals get a little cold, but the heat circulation is much better. I don't stand in my hammock. Sorry, that was kind of smartaxxy wasn't it?
I dont think Ive ever tried to stand in mine either, I bet there have been people who have.:-?

[geomaniac]

i third the sock... for the weight it provides the most warmth. i tend to leave my head out of the sock when i can, but when really cold i do cover all the way up. i would try the 3/4 length underquilt... with the sit pad you mention-- it is helpful if the pad is a part of your pack system. i use a gg pack, so i get that pad for free, weight-wise. i put the pad INSIDE my sleeping bag so i can find it with my feet. another alternative is the jrb driducks poncho mod. in real cold weather i use the sock... in spring/fall i use the driducks poncho. i am short (5'-6") and you couldn't pay me to carry a full length quilt. ever.
I am 5'6 too, and certainly dont want to carry unnecessary weight. I need to give the sock a second look. It seems pricy for what it is. I would consider DIY but just sold my thread injector in the process of clearing out my house.

[scooterdogma]

I, too, am gearing up for 2014 and would also like to us my hammock, but I plan on leaving the very beginning of February. I have a Hennessy Ultralite and have been looking at different underquilts. For weight considerations I was considering the Baby Orca w/Climashield (http://www.outdoortrailgear.com/featured/baby-orca-underquilt/) along with my sleeping bag that's rated to 20F (for women), but this thread has me wondering if it'll be enough. I have a Big Agnes Q-Core sleeping pad I can use as well. Any thoughts?

Frogmonkey, I am female and have used the Baby Orca with a Thermarest Prolite pad down into the low teens with a stiff wind. I was toasty warm. I carry both on the AT, also planning a 2014 thru, in case I want to sleep in the shelter. I use a WM sleeping bag rated to 20F for women. Try out your rig in your backyard on a really cold night, I thing you will be happy with your setup.

[Drybones]

As the old saying goes...plan for the worst and pray for the best. 2012 spring was exceptionally hot, I sent all my winter gear home at Fontana. 2013 was exceptionally cold, some single didgit nights, only God knows what 2014 will be like. I'd watch the extended forcast as your departure time approached and plan accordingly, whatever you carry wont be perfect but it'll get you there. Chanced are you'll carry something you dont need for a while or sleep a few nights cold...but you'll warm up quick when you start walking.

[Drybones]

Sorry to be a dunce, but i looked on the website and cannot find a travel sock. Can you help me better understand the sock. Do you sleep in it or does it cover the hammock. I love sleeping in the hammock, but am a cold sleeper, so it is only a warm weather option for me. Would love to be able to extend it to lower temps.

I had trouble finding it too but it's there, 9+ ounces, $85. If you carry a poncho for rainwear it would help to lay it over the hammock. I've done that sleeping in a tent or shelter and it helps quite a bit

[Drybones]

if anyone has ever worn down socks you know the bottom of feet get cold if you stand in them. same is for the side of feet that are compressed against hammock. see if it has worked for anyone else before investing.

Haven't tried them yet but I made a pair of down socks from the sleeves of a down jacket I caniblized to get down for a bag, couldn't bring myself to pay what they wanted for the Goosefeet.

[Nooga]

http://www.dream-hammock.com/WinterSock.html
Checkout this website to get a visual of what a sock looks like. Basically just a cocoon that goes around your hammock.

Thanks for the link, I get it now. Are there any concerns about condensation if you close it completely?

[frogmonkey]

Frogmonkey, I am female and have used the Baby Orca with a Thermarest Prolite pad down into the low teens with a stiff wind. I was toasty warm. I carry both on the AT, also planning a 2014 thru, in case I want to sleep in the shelter. I use a WM sleeping bag rated to 20F for women. Try out your rig in your backyard on a really cold night, I thing you will be happy with your setup.

I got really paranoid about the cold since I'm leaving so early, so I went with a full under quilt and a top quilt rated to 0F. I am going to get a short closed cell foam pad to bring in case I feel like sleeping in a shelter or want the extra insulation under me in the hammock. I'm going to head to SNP in December and January to field test my setup because I don't think it's going to get cold enough where I live to get a good idea of how warm I'll be.

[frogmonkey]

Thanks for the link, I get it now. Are there any concerns about condensation if you close it completely?

I've never used a sock, so I don't know, sorry!

[Xristos]

I ran with a 3/4 UQ - with the sit pad for my feet inside my bag - on my first setup. I wanted to save weight and am a fan of multi use items like the sit pad. I don't see a lot of people sharing this experience but I had trouble keeping the pad under my feet. I would wake up with the pad on top of my feet or to the side or whatever. My feet were FREEZING! No matter how careful I was, or how I rigged it, it always ended up the same way (and I have a narrow footbox on my bag). So I bought a full length quilt. Enough of that *****. I just wanted to pass along my experience - I don't mean to suggest its a bad setup, it just doesn't work for me.