winter hammocking

[MJN]

Im trying to think of something i could use from my house for extra insulation that will actually keep me warm. I was thinking of making a pad out of half an old sleeping bag or soemthing of that sort. Do you think this would keep me warm in the teens or twenties with a 20 degree rated sleeping bag?

[Cheers]

Ever check out the Speers Hammock Peapod? You should, might give you some ideas.
Here's a link for you... http://www.speerhammocks.com/Products/PeaPod.htm

Cheers

[MJN]

Thanks! but im not looking to spend alot or any money on anything else besides what i already have, I could not find the peapod but i have checked out other underquilts which are in the hundreds! I'de rather go cold. would a regular sleeping pad be enough for a hike to the shenandoahs at the end of november be enough?

[MJN]

I could not find the peapod but i have checked out other underquilts which are in the hundreds!

I could not get the site to work at first but now i have. The pea pod looks so warm! but I am not planning on spending that kind of money

[sylvia_claire]

Ever check out the Speers Hammock Peapod? You should, might give you some ideas.
Here's a link for you... http://www.speerhammocks.com/Products/PeaPod.htm

Cheers

Thanks! but im not looking to spend alot or any money on anything else besides what i already have, I could not find the peapod but i have checked out other underquilts which are in the hundreds! I'de rather go cold. would a regular sleeping pad be enough for a hike to the shenandoahs at the end of november be enough?

this message is too short

[WILLIAM HAYES]

rig half of your bag as an underquilt cinch up ends of the bag to each end strap of the hammock use the other half as an over quilt do not sleep directly on the bottom half of the bag in other words dont use it as a pad inside the hammock leave a small gap between the bottom of the hammock and the sleeping bag so you dont compress the bag when you get in the hammock for extra warmth get a blue closed cell pad from wally mart for use inside the hammock as a pad you will stay pretty warm

[take-a-knee]

I could not get the site to work at first but now i have. The pea pod looks so warm! but I am not planning on spending that kind of money

Well, if you stay warm in a hammock you'll likely have to write a few painful chicks or freeze your arse off. About the most affordable/cost effective thing, especially if you already have a thermarest, is an SPE (segmented Pad Extender) from Speer Hammocks. It has "wings" for additional pieces of insulation to insulate your shoulders and arms, increasing the 20 in width of the pad where it is needed. Only $35 and 3oz. There is NOTHING that compares with down underquilt though.

[MJN]

Well, if you stay warm in a hammock you'll likely have to write a few painful chicks or freeze your arse off. About the most affordable/cost effective thing, especially if you already have a thermarest, is an SPE (segmented Pad Extender) from Speer Hammocks. It has "wings" for additional pieces of insulation to insulate your shoulders and arms, increasing the 20 in width of the pad where it is needed. Only $35 and 3oz. There is NOTHING that compares with down underquilt though.

Thanks for the suggestion, I think i am just ganna wing it with a closed cell sleeping pad and a wool blanket or something of the sort under my sleeping bag. If its to cold ill just use my tarp as a shelter and move to the ground.

[Compass]

At the 25*F point you will need atleast 1.5 inches of Pad or 2" thick of underquilt. If breezy then more will be needed. Use both and you have a ground/Shelter option and you will be comfortable.

Do a home/backyard Test all night with a bailout option and backup extra padding to see what warm really feels like. Once you get cold it is a slow process to warm up. Remember, after a long day of hiking a tired body does not make as much heat as a charged body full of glycogen/blood sugar. Add 20% to a home test for actual field comfort

[Compass]

The blue Walmart Pads are 26" wide which is normally enough width. Most other pads are 20" wide which as "take-a-knee" mentioned is inadequate.

[kayak karl]

Thanks for the suggestion, I think i am just ganna wing it with a closed cell sleeping pad and a wool blanket or something of the sort under my sleeping bag. If its to cold ill just use my tarp as a shelter and move to the ground.

wool blanket is too heavy to carry. two closed cell wal-mart pads should do the trick if you can stay on top of them. when testing go the whole night. it makes a big difference. the right underquilt will take u below zero if done right. wind or not.

[papa john]

You could try Reflectix. I have been down to 11* in a Hennessy with the Storm Shelter and a PeaPod. The PP is an excellent piece of gear and well worth the cashola.

[sasquatch2014]

You could even hang a thin tarp under your hammock and then fill that with dead leaves or any such material and that will provide some warmth. I have a Clark so I don't mess with all the under quilt stuff mine has pockets under it which you can store gear in, or, and I do this when really cold out I inflate ziplock bags and stuff them in there. The idea behind all of these, under quilt, a trap stuffed with leaves or the pockets like on the clark are all the same. Help keep your body warmth near you and the cold air outside away from you. Short simple answer anything that will create a zone of "dead air" will help.

[Grinder]

I carry 1 & 1/2 blue pads and criss cross them under my torso. This prevents cold spots on the sides and gives extra insulation where you need it most.

I use a two layer home made hammock which eliminates most of the "stay on top of it " problem

[trippclark]

would a regular sleeping pad be enough for a hike to the shenandoahs at the end of november be enough?

Fo me, no. It would be a recipe for an uncomfortable experience.

Since switching from a tent to a hammock, I have been so pleased that I have made a decision never to go back to ground unless absolutely necessary, but I would not hammock in cold weather without a good insulation system. Yes, underquilts and peadods are pricy, but IMHO they are worth every penny and will last for decades if taken care of.

[Manwich]

I remember reading somewhere somebody attached that silvery-bubblewrap Water Heater Insulator to the bottom of a blue CCF-pad and that worked like a charm.

[Fiddleback]

At the 25*F point you will need atleast 1.5 inches of Pad or 2" thick of underquilt. If breezy then more will be needed. Use both and you have a ground/Shelter option and you will be comfortable.

Do a home/backyard Test all night with a bailout option and backup extra padding to see what warm really feels like. Once you get cold it is a slow process to warm up. Remember, after a long day of hiking a tired body does not make as much heat as a charged body full of glycogen/blood sugar. Add 20% to a home test for actual field comfort

An inch and a half of closed cell pad? There might be a few that use an 1.5" pad in a hammock but I can't think of any posts I've read about such. Certainly not for a mere 25F temp range.

My 3/8" pad is perfectly suitable for 25F with my sleep system. That is, however, its limit as I've felt cold coming through at 22F. Still, if I added my 4oz sit pad (a blue foam piece) I'm pretty sure the temp range would be extended well into the teens or lower.

MJN: There are lots of underinsulation methods used in hammocks. CCF pads are probably the cheapest and easiest although not all like the idea of a pad inside a hammock. None the less, CCF is probably the most effective insulation, i.e., lightweight and cheap. Mine is 7oz and its cost was in the mid-$20's and I've never used anything else for hammock underinsulation. Their main downside is that pads like mine (60 X 40") are bulky to pack.

None the less, the recommendation to do backyard experiments is one of the best and most important suggestions for establishing a hammock sleep system. I always suggest one start out cheap and simple and build from there as needed. The idea of using an old sleeping bag as a pad probably won't be effective for the same reasons that a sleeping bag doesn't provide enough insulation in a hammock...too much compression/too much heat loss resulting from the ineffective insulation.

FB

[scope]

Geez, take whatever you would put on the ground. Remember, the pad on the ground is for insulation, too, not just padding. You do need a wider pad than the typical 20", or use the SPE for somewhat minimal cost (although it kinda sounds like you're on your way out the door). Wool blanket is heavy, but I think I'd take it. Might get away with doubling it over and putting it on top of the pad, then the bag. Don't know how well all that will stay together when you get in the hammock, but have fun anyway!

[psyculman]

hammock forums.com answers any possible question you might think of.

[Hooch]

I know a hammocker who took 4, yes, 4, blue Wally world CCF pads to a cold weather hang and reportedly stayed very warm with them. He uses an underquilt now.

To the OP, definitely go sign up at Hammock Forums if you're not already a member. Pose your question to the High Hammock Council* and I'm sure you'll have plenty of responses in no time.

*This is a joke, no such organization or body of people actually exists.