Who here is a hammock sleeper?

I pulled out my ENO hammock kit and hit the trail again. It didn't work out very well. I have a tight fitting mummy bag. Last night I could not get comfortable and get the bag zipped up. It was also colder than I expected. So I ended up getting dressed and sleeping under my sleeping bag and on top of my thermarest pad.

This was not the best setup.

Wondering if I would be better off taking a fleece blanket off the bed? Leaving the thermarest at home. Leaving the bag at home.

Another option is to use a mummy bag that goes down to 20 or it is -20..

I guess my question is how will the underside deal with being compressed.

I keep thinking I might be better off going back to my tent. The tent weigh about as much as the hammock setup. The reason I have not is I have been told that I might not find flat areas where I am going, but will have trees.

I have not hammocked much and never below 40° F but from what I've seen on hammockforums.net an underquilt is the way to go. They also make small carabiners with LEDs attached that some folks attach to their zipper pulls so they can find them at night (if that's a problem you're having.)

When its cold I use two pads, my inflatable thermarest and my Z-rest, sort of overlapping. Usually I then use my mummy bag like a quilt, draped over me. I am a pretty warm sleeper though. This has taken me down to about 20 degrees F. For 50 degrees or so I can generally use just one pad, with the bag tucked under me. It takes a non tosser and turner to sleep like this in cool weather.

I have used a fleece blanket in milder weather, it does insulate a bit but not as well. I have found that a sleeping bag no matter what its rating will compress to much on the bottom. My old -15 bag would be to cold on the bottom and sweaty hot above in cool above freezing temps. Still needed the pad. Never used an under quilt, or a reflector.

The trick to getting a tight mummy zipped in the hammock is to partially zip it before you sit down, about up to the navel for me, just so that the but area of the bag is stable when you put your weight on it. Sit on the pad, swing your legs up into the hammock with the hood sort of over your head to keep it from bunching in the small of your back. When you are adjusted right then you can zip up.
One thing I usually do is to put the pad in such a position that when my but twists into the hammock with most or all of my weight on it, it moves a bit in the direction that I am twisting, so that it is positioned right when I am in. this takes practice but it is possible. I am actually faster getting into my hammock than most people are settling into a tent.

Which side of the island did the Hammock People live on?

I'm pretty new to using hammocks but I definitely want to do it more. I've only used it this summer. I'm about to take a trip in October and want to prepare for possibly cool nights in the 40s. What exactly is the "Z-rest"? Is this one? https://www.rei.com/product/829826/th...l-sleeping-pad

If you use a thermarest and a z-rest how do they overlap? Seems like one is on top of the other and that's that?

walter
Yeah, that's the pad. I use the 3/4 length. Just sort of shingled under the inflatable so that there is more coverage on the sides. It works for me, but I am a person who sleeps warm and has a 1/4 inch of body fat everywhere to help out. I use a bag rated for 45 degrees, but also have a set of clothing for sleeping that is warm.
Reason I take two pads is to have a backup closed cell pad in case of a leak in my inflatable.
My best advice for hammocking is to be super flexible, sometimes its best to just put the pads on a picnic bench, or spread a tarp on the ground. I bring a hammock to stealth camp mostly.
There are hammock forums that you can read for lots of tips, some guys are obsessive, I dunno, I never read those, just did it till I figured out how it worked for me.

They were on the side which had trees.

Go to Hammockforums.net and you will learn about underquilts and top quilts. What a difference these make. I still like my sleeping bag to snuggle in but you will need an underquilt to stay warm. I've been down to 18 degrees with no problem.

I toss and turn. I am big. Tall, wide, with a big belly. I don't want to spend any more on gear that I will use for one trip and then maybe not for a couple years.

I am trying to drop gear and weight, but ...

Anyone try using a fleece blanket?

I grabbed the one off my bed. It is lighter then the sleeping bag and larger. Any idea how cold it will go?

think Cabellas or LL Bean had a camp cot , with an insulate layer suspended under the cot
to keep body heat from going away from beneath, similar situation for a hammock in cool weather


Closed cell foam pads are almost non compressible , but wont be any smaller when packed for travel either .

I have a down filled air mattress bag that does the ground insulation thing well ..

3 parts, they use a double layer of tops and if colder you use them both ,

or the thicker or thinner depending on the temperature..

RWB, camp in the back yard , bring a thermometer with you and run the test yourself.

I dont find that without a compression sack they will compress well ..
GooseDown is the best compressible insulation others to try to match..

they are a fuzzy sweater essentially there is a moisture transfer treatment to the polyester

I own a backyard, but it is many miles away from my current location.

I haven't tried hammock bike camping yet but I sleep in a hammock full time at home and also have winter hammock camped. I've had nights in my backyard down below zero. I believe I was using a blue closed cell foam pad underneath me and I was sleeping in a synthetic 0 degree mummy bag. I did have plenty of clothing on as well. I've never tried using an underquilt but know guys talk about using them all the time. The biggest thing is to try out your system in the backyard before taking it on the road/trail.

I saw a post recently about guy talking about having a hard time staying warm using a 32 degree down bag with an air mattress. I spent the night out, about a week or so ago, in my backyard. I was testing out my new down bag I bought at Walmart. It was rated at 32 degrees. I saw 34 degrees and I was warm, even on the bottom. I was sleeping on a closed cell pad thought and not an air mattress. I think your smartest move when it starts to get cold is to ditch the air mattresses and go for something solid underneath you. If not you will probably need extra warmth underneath to insulate from the air in the air mattress.

I hammock camp when I bike and when I ride my motorcycle. I get cold from the bottom in anything below 60 degrees, but find that a car windshield sun screen with mylar cover allows me to sleep comfortably down to 50 degrees. That was with a 60 degree bag (yes 60) and a fleece jacket on and long pants. I do not like to bring too many bulky items so sometimes I am uncomfortable. That for me is outweighed by the ease at which I pack up my camp, ride my bike (lighter), and don't have things strapped on or hanging off the motorcycle waiting to get stolen when I want to go into a restaurant, etc.

Also, I don't have a convenient place to put my tent poles on either the bike or motorcycle so I go with the hammock.

Going to a lower rated down bag is not generally the answer because when you sleep on it, you compress the down beneath you. You definitely need an underquilt or a decent pad. Gossamer gear makes some great foam sheets that you can cut for your pad. Remember that you will need significant insulation beneath you in a hammock long before you would need that much on the ground.

https://gossamergear.com/sleeping/1-4-wide.html

I hammock camp all the time. I use an underquilt since I thrash and toss and turn when I sleep and the underquilt generally stays in place. Pads do not.

I used to use a mummy bag as a top quilt (not zipped up) but now have a dedicated top quilt. Either one is good.

Early in my hammocking experimentations, I took an old heavy Gerry mummy bag, de-hooded, de-zippered it (zipper was broken anyway), and turned it into a makeshift underquilt. Worked OK but the weight of the thing pulled it away from my butt, leading to drafts.

My second, and sucessful attempt at an underquilt, was to take a Ray Jardine style homemade polypro quilt, gather the ends up, and attach it to the hammock suspension. Worked well. I still use it for lounging on the stand in the back yard when it is not summer.

I switched to a down underquilt (3/4 length) to save on space in my pack (most of my hammocking is on foot, for the single over night tour I completed on my recumbent, see this video.)

Whatever you use for bottom insulation either has to be put in a place where it cannot compress (underquilt) or be made of something that will still insulate when squashed.

Did you ever try a double layered bottom hammock like a Blackbird where you can put the foam pad in between the sleeves? My pad stayed in place much better. Some will even use velcro to keep in place or apply something that when dry will give more friction.

Yes. All my hammocks but one are double layered. Pad still crept around. Tried all kinds: cheap walmart blue, Big Agnes insulated air corps, Thermarest something. The only one that worked at all is a big wide slab of very thin foam I got from Oware years ago. Worked ok: good to about 50 degrees, usually colder than that when I camp, even in summer.

This is what I use. A closed cell foam pad will insulate better than the Thermarest. That being said, I do like Thermarest. I still use a closed cell pad with the hammock though. Walmart has one that isn't smooth, but is segmented and looks a bit like an alligator's skin, it will conform decently.

On the pad subject, for a while I used a big agnes aircore, but within twenty uses all the insulation came loose and clumped at the bottom. Not sure if it was because of the stress it was under in the hammock or not. Sure was comfortable though. Won't use that again.

I actually sleep in a hammock year round, glad to hear that at least one other person does the same.

In the summer when its really hot I will toss and turn, but don't use a pad, just something to keep the skeeters from biting through the bottom. In the winter, when I am asleep friends have actually lifted me up by the heels with no bending. Its like I am a vampire or something

I use an ENO with slap straps, fleece under, lightweight Lafuma, something untucked. always a light layer clothing and fleece top zipped up, wool cap, I also tie a line above and depending on the weather, I use a mosquito net tucked in around, and sometime a small tarp above. I have never slept below 50 degrees but up at the Meadows in Shenondoah, the wind is what nipped the most. In that cape. I used the tarp a bit tucked under for shielding from wind, fleece, them my bag.

I camp in a Hennesy Asym (zipper version, can't stand the thought of that velcro sound if nature calls late at night). I started out using a 1-inch thick Thermarest but it was still too cold most of the time- no protection for the shoulders. I took it on my first tour down through Big Sur and froze every morning. Had to go for a brisk hike at dawn every day to warm up which actually spawned a nice tradition.

After that, I bought a Jarbridge 3/4 underquilt from Arrowhead Equipment:
https://www.arrowhead-equipment.com/kick-ass-quilts.html

Mine is the three season version. They seem to have a yearly sale and I picked it up for about 80 bucks. I wanted to try an underquilt but they're all a bit expensive, so the Jarbridge seemed the least risky.

I've really loved it. Much warmer and cozier than the pad ever was. It's very lightweight but packs kinda large- about as large as my cheap "20deg" synthetic mummy bag. Still worth it. I might get one with their "climashield" insulation which they state packs smaller. I went on an 8 day trip around central coast in California in March this year and temps at night were pretty chilly and a bit damp (upper 40's to low/mid 50's). I hadn't even tried it yet but I generally slept pretty cozy. It's definitely been a big improvement over the pad. My weak point is probably my tarp which is stock and doesn't have a ton of coverage when the cold winds kick up, but it still works fine.

The Jarbridge was a little akward to use with the Hennessy due to the HH's tie-outs. I sewed some fabric patches on the Jarbridge and poked a pair of grommets through the patches (which were just to reinforce the grommets so the the UQ wouldn't tear), then ran a small loop of paracord through the grommets. The HH tie-outs go through the paracord loops and thus the Jarbridge fits the HH nicely.

You can sorta see it here, under my calf:


The other disadvantage is the lack of flexibility with "going-to-ground". That gossamer pad linked above looks great; I may have to try that out. It might at least help a little in that situation. Not much, but definitely better than the UQ.

I also use an REI inflatable pillow to put under my knees to prevent accidental hyper-extension while I sleep. But sometimes I sleep on my side.

I've now done two tours about 8-10 days each plus loads of overnighters, weekenders, and extended weekends with the HH and really like it. I still don't feel like I've mastered it, though.

Best hammock out there is the Bear Mountain Bridge Hammock (BMBH) by Jacks R Better. This hammock has a completely flat lay with a built in bug screen. Instead of using an under quilt, you have the option to slide your Neo Air or Big Agnes pad into the sleeve to create that insulting value on the bottom side. I have tried an under quilt and not a fan. The down quilt is susceptible to getting wet when fog and blowing rain comes in under your fly. IMHO, the warmth factor per cubic inch of bulk does not justify the cost or space in your bag. My therma rest is only two ounces heavier than the under quilt and can be used on the ground if I need to set my fly up on the ground due to no trees for the hammock.

Http://www.jacksrbetter.com

I like to unzip the foot vent of my mummy bag and put the hammock (I use an ENO) right through. That way compressing the bag isn't an issue. If you bring an extra blanket or bag liner or something, you'll still have something to snuggle up in. Anyone else ever tried this?

you may sleep warmer than I