hammock Underblanket Alternative

[wistuart]

Hi

I'm going to be buying myself a hammock in the very near future and am considering the various options for an underblanket. One possibility that I don't think I've seen discussed is to use something like the small Blizzard Survival Blanket (http://www.blizzardsurvival.com/product.php/111/blizzard-survival-blanket-small). The pack size, price and weight are major pluses for me if it would work, but it's the "if it would work" bit I'm not 100% sure about. I'm confident about the general effectiveness of the Blizzard system going by their endorsements, just not sure about applying the material to the role of hammock underblanket.

Thoughts or experiences anyone?

 

[j.dee69]

Hi, how do you intend to use it laying on top of it or attaching it to the underside of the hammock? if attaching to underside will you leave an air gap? as an hanger myself i'd love for this to work somehow. i've heard from nick at dd hammocks he use's a silver car windscreen cover. i've got a snugpak underblanket but it takes up too much space in the bag. please keep us informed how you get on.

 

[wistuart]

I was thinking that hanging underneath was the most sensible option. The material Blizzard uses is compressable so lying directly on it would seriously compromise its insulating properties in the same way that down or fibre would suffer.

I haven't completely ruled out the Snugpack underblanket but it is fairly bulky, heavy and expensive by my standards.

 

[j.dee69]

Dragons den idea? i wish snugpak or other sleeping bag company's would make a bag that has a system to pull the hammock though the bottom end of the sleeping bag and then clip's to the bottom end of hammock, so you have the sleeping bag above you as normal but them goes under the hammock instead of under your body. what do you think. good idea or bad?

 

[woof]

Sounds like the sort of thing you could use a cheap sleeping bag to make, as they seem to be the folded duvet type, and you wouldnt lose much if it does'nt work.

I'm still on the fence as regards hammocks. As anyone tried the 10th wonder hammock ?.

 

[chas brookes]

Hi
if you follow link below you will find the item you are after some one has done a lot of hard work on this one and beaten you to it

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=30046

 

[w00dsmoke]

For under a tenner ;-)

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=37321&referrerid=5493

 

[j.dee69]

Bugger and i thought i'd make million's from it. oh well back to the day job he he.

 

[j.dee69]

Never heard of the 10th wonder do you have a link for it please.

 

[woof]

Just tap in hammock on ebay, there is loads, and they are cheap.

 

[mjk123]

I think the coccoon idea is far from ideal. The problem with the hammock is that when you're in it the sides of the hammock are taught (like two slackish ridgelines), but obviously your weight keeps the bottom of the hammock down, a bit like an upside down Sydney harbour bridge. Any attempt to enclose the hammock has to allow for this, thus the coccoon is quite large, and long. Different people prefer their hammock at different tensions, of course, which doesn't help manufacturers produce a uniformly suitable product.

Another problem is that a hammock is basically a piece of rectangular material gathered up at opposite ends. When loaded, in the middle the material stretches around the occupier, and at the ends the material bunches up. This makes it difficult to attach insulation directly to the hammock without having the stitching come under enourmous stresses as you move about, or having the bunches simply compress the insulation thus reducing it's effect.

My ideal solution (imaginatively) would be to get someone of equal size and tension preference to lie in the hammock, then paint glue onto the underside of the hammock, then stick wool to the glue. In this way the insulation can be added where needed, it would self adjust as you move about, and there's no cafuffle with trying to attach an underblanket/coccoon without dragging it on the floor or getting the elastic wrapped around twigs. The isulation is never compressed, conforms to your body, and there's no air gap.

My less than ideal but better realisable solution is to sew an underblanket to the hammock in the middle third only, allowing the end thirds to be held by elastics to the hammock rings. This isn't much different to a standard underblanket setup except that by attaching directly to the hammock at several points I'm not relying on streching the longtudinal shock cords too much and I hope to avoid 15 minutes underblanket "tuning" before bedtime

This gives insulation from below only. The next step is either to use a quilt, or even sew a quilt to the inside of the hammock.

For stealth camping, the hammock beats any tent, and up to now I've been warm enough with the group buy underblanket plus quilt. But I'd like if possible to reduce weight and bulk and to cut down the time it takes to make and break camp.

I'm glad someone started this thread; I'm sure that collectively we''ll get some great ideas.

 

[alpha_centaur]

This might be a really silly question but could somebody not just make an insulated hammock? Rather than an attachment for adding onto your current one

 

[Carbuncle]

This might be a really silly question but could somebody not just make an insulated hammock? Rather than an attachment for adding onto your current one

Et voila!
http://www.tothewoods.net/HomemadeGearDownHammock2.html

Looks a nice idea, but not very flexible (weather wise) and won't save much in terms of bulk/weight. On the main subject of the thread, I'd be interested to see how it (the foil thingy) works, but I'm a touch cynical, given that the requirements aren't that disimilar than for a sleeping bag, and you don't see too many people using them for that! The underquilt/top quilt is a touch on the bulky side, but when you bear in mind that it replaces a thermarest and sleeping bag it's pretty good, and it works (very well, too).

I've got a coccoon on order from the group buy though, and I'm really excited by it. I've really fancied one of the speer peapods for ages, but they cost a fortune. The execution of the coccoon seems a little different (I'm planning on running some shockcord inside, between my carabiners at each end of the hammock, and open the zip up at the side) but everyone seems enthusiastic. In anything other than midgey hell it should be superb.

 

[j.dee69]

This might be a really silly question but could somebody not just make an insulated hammock? Rather than an attachment for adding onto your current one

That not a bad idea but in the summer months you will still be carrying all that extra weight when you don't need the insulation

 

[Thijzzz]

Blizzard Survival Blanket

I think that the guys at www.hammockforums.net have thought about it, (maybe) tried it and dismissed it.

I haven't tried it, but this springs to mind:
- Thin, prone to rip material, with your weight on top = 1 little hole can become a big rip?
- That same material seems difficult to attach to straps or something to connect it to the hammock.
- To insulate, it must keep air trapped underneath you. Therefore, there must be a little bit of room between hammock and blanket. With thin, floppy material that will be difficult.
- A good gush of wind and any air trapped in the "in between" will be blown or pushed out.
- Think about the wrinkly sounds this material makes. My brother spent a night in one of these. He slept great, but every time he turned around in his sleep he woke everyone up with the aluminium-foil-sounds. Imagine it's a bit windy or you turn over in your hammock....


I think there has been talk about using an emergency blanket here or on Hammockforums, but the a thicker kind like this below:

Though I think it won't hold much air, it might be worth a try.

 

[wentworth]

I have made a few insulated hammocks. The hammock, plus down insulation and suspension weighs in around 600grams. Insulation runs from my head down to my knees. My design was a cross between JustJeff's and Risk's.
Even in warm weather, you always need some insulation underneath. Well, unless you're in the jungle perhaps. In summer, I've slept in just the insulated hammock with no top cover. My heat goes into the down and is then radiated back up, keeping the rest of me warm.

If you google "Garlington insulator", you'll find that suspending a waterproof piece of nylon under the hammock, then putting semi inflated garbage bags and space blankets has been tried. One problem with waterproof or non breathable materials under you is that you will wake up in a puddle of your own sweat.

Someone mentioned all the different bumps and curves that occur on the underside of a hammock. A regular underquilt can't really compensate for this, but Ed Speer's Snugfit has around 30 darts strategically sewn into it to match the sleeper. Very expensive, but it is the only quilt I've tried that does not compress.

The Speer Peapod needs a top quilt inside to fill the dead airspace. Apparently the Cocoon has been used by itself, so let's hope it can be used stand alone!

 

[jabbadahut]

I am literally, any day going to buy myself a hammock and the insulation was a concern of mine, i thought the DD hammock with its double layer to put a foam mat or quilt into would take care of the keeping warm in the middle of the night scenario.
is the double layer idea not efficent? what would be best to use between the layers? foam mat, inflateable mat or quilt......?
glad i read this as i dont want to waste money. i hate waking up cold

 

[Hammock_man]

The use of a mat in the double bottom of a DD works very well indeed. Its when the temp really begins to drop that folk look for an extra layer.

Would you camp in a tent with just a CCF mat in winter? Its not enough for me, which is why folf look for that bit extra. Also a tent can get rid of a lot of wind chill, a tarp may not be so good. Come back to that extra layer to the hammock "Skin"

 

[jabbadahut]

Thanks, thats put my mind to rest, looks like i will be ordering my hammock after all,

 

[wentworth]

I find that even when using a closed cell foam mat in a double layer hammock, I still wake up with sweat underneath. Others seem not to have a problem. It has to be either two mats side by side or an extra wide mat so your shoulders don't get cold.
The nice thing about the double layer is that it keeps the mat in place, in a single layer it will be sliding out from under you.
I would think that a mat like Exped, which has channels in it would help reduce the sweat issue.
Hennessy uses open cell foam in their undercover. This would allow sweat to escape too.