Warmth @ night

[Amin E]

Hello,

I just started using the Kammock hammock as a shelter and used a sleeping pad (therma-rest) and a 35 degree sleeping bag I was very cold in low 40s weather.

Are there any super light weight options that I can take to give me good insulation and warmth at night? A fleece or something?

[Kevin Babione]

I made the switch from a sleeping pad in my hammock to an underquilt because I wasn’t comfortable with the pad in my hammock.  Tell us a little more about your sleeping pad – I’m pretty confident you were cold because of the lack of insulation beneath you.  You sleeping bag didn’t provide much under you (other than draft protection) because you squished the insulation with your body weight.  With the underquilt beneath your hammock you get the full benefit of its loft and insulation.

[Amin E]

My pad is thermarest brand, it probably shifted during my sleep.

So why does the under quilt not get squished with my body weight like the sleeping bag? Does it attach or something outside the hammock?

[Matthew / BPL]

An under quilt is the way to go in a hammock. It hangs under the hammock.

You will find that many/most UL backpackers don’t use sleeping bags these days, at least until well below freezing. Insulation needs to lift in order to keep you warm so that part of a sleeping bag isn’t particularly effective at keeping you warm. This holds true for sleeping on the ground or hanging in a hammock. Quilts are particularly nice in a hammock where it can be quite awkward to get into a bag.

Pads in hammocks have problems. They aren’t wide enough to wrap around your shoulders and they can be difficult to stay on top of. An underquilt will wrap nicely around you and stays lofted.

You should poke around Shug’s YouTube channel. Look at his playlists, particularly the noobs one and the insulation series. While there, you might enjoy seeing his thoughts on boiling water because they are quite funny (at least to me). https://www.youtube.com/user/shugemery

[Matthew / BPL]

also, which Thermarest pad are you using?

[dirtbag]

here.. Look. Underquilt attached to outside of hammock. It will swaddle you like a baby and keep you so toasty warm and cozy that you can forget about waking up early to catch sunrise or start hiking!!

[Dale Wambaugh]

An underquilt is the warmest, but also the most expensive and adds some bulk too.

I have used an under cover, which is basically a wind shell for my hammock, using the lightest wind resistant fabric. All it needs to be is an appropriate size piece of cloth with  gathered ends and some shock cord or line to suspend it. This is basically a hack from the Hennessy Super Shelter. It works best when you get a good seal between the under cover and the hammock. I had one made from silnylon and it has a head hole so it can be used as a hoodless poncho for multiple use.

 

You can buy the Super Shelter foam insulation separately (https://hennessyhammock.com/collections/insulation). Hennessy makes a reflective insulation panel too. You can do a hack of that concept using a automobile windshield reflector. I use the foam insulation with a space blanket sandwiched between the hammock bottom and the foam insulation.

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