Hammocking, how do you keep your a**e warm?

[wanderinstar]

just one comment about that Asa. They are 18" wide. How big are you across your shoulders. I personally am 30". Your back may be warm but your shoulders certainly will not.

 

[Leonidas]

Whilst I have recently bought an underblanket for the winter, (Not used it yet) I use what I already have on me for the rest of the year...

I always carry a poncho, and with poncho liner attached, slung underneath the hammock utilizing paracord and a couple of prussic knots, it works extremely well and I'd rather have the poncho than the thermarest in case it tips it down on the hoof.

All you are doing is creating an insulated barrier beneath your hammock, which only needs to be just taught enough to stop air movement beneath you as you sleep.....


Try it you might be pleasantly surprised and little or no extra weight to carry

Tom

 

[hertsboy]

The only problem with those is that they don't breathe very well. I've never tried one but I've heard they're not good for condensation leading to dampness on your doss bag.

I did try one of these - no problem with condendation - but they are very thin and don't give much insulation at all. Also, it slipped all over the plave.

 

[hertsboy]

Has anybody tried one of these from Endicott's? http://www.endicotts.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=1373 I like the idea of it folding flat, Just wondering if there was any feedback?

I haven't tried one - but I see that they are only 18 inches wide. A standard sleep mat is 20 inches wide and that's barely wide enough to cover my bum in a hammock (and I am skinny!).

I am thinking of cutting bits of a second sleep mat and adding wings to the one I use - I think about another 4 inches on each side to cover the distance from my shoulders to my backside.

That should cover me nicely and also make the mat fit better in the hammock, thus minimising slipping.

 

[hertsboy]

Whilst I have recently bought an underblanket for the winter, (Not used it yet) I use what I already have on me for the rest of the year...

I always carry a poncho, and with poncho liner attached, slung underneath the hammock utilizing paracord and a couple of prussic knots, it works extremely well and I'd rather have the poncho than the thermarest in case it tips it down on the hoof.

All you are doing is creating an insulated barrier beneath your hammock, which only needs to be just taught enough to stop air movement beneath you as you sleep.....


Try it you might be pleasantly surprised and little or no extra weight to carry

Tom

That sounds like a great idea - especially with some dry leaves or clothing placed between the ponch and the hammock.

 

[phaserrifle]

I stick my wooly hat under my backside. seems to work OK, and I wouldn't be using it for anything else (I can't sleep in hats, they do something painful to my hair, never quite worked out why)

 

[woodspirits]

was out last weekend in my hammock, lots of wind and rain but a german army kip mat kept the chill off fine, very versatile bit of gear.

steve

 

[Chrisps]

I have used a full-length Alpkit Airic in the double layer bit of my DD Frontline and that worked fairly well on a very cold, wet & windy night. Since then I have unzipped a 13yr old Snugpak synthetic sleeping bag (which I finally replaced this Feb with a down bag after years of faithful service) and stuck it ind the DD double base layer and that is really cozy!

 

[unsponsored]

I've made a couple o down underquilts after finding that even when i was hammocking in the middle of summer in France my bottom was still getting cold. It's amazing how quickly you get chilled. I have made mine wide enough so that it kind of wraps around you slightly (a good 40" wide) so you get warmth on your shoulders/sides.

I used a light weight sleeping bag - rab quantumn 250 as a top quilt at the minute. I have the materials ready to make my own top quilt. Black and red pertex quantum with 800 fill siberian goose down! Lovely

Underquilts dont move as much as using a foam sleeping mat, especially if you are a restless sleeper and dont have a two layer quilt.

I couldn't find anything suitable in the Uk or Europe and the primaloft/sythetic ones are way too bulky for my liking.

 

[MartinK9]

I use Vet Bedding from work.

Good for ground dwelling as well

 

[javi]

Whilst I have recently bought an underblanket for the winter, (Not used it yet) I use what I already have on me for the rest of the year...

I always carry a poncho, and with poncho liner attached, slung underneath the hammock utilizing paracord and a couple of prussic knots, it works extremely well and I'd rather have the poncho than the thermarest in case it tips it down on the hoof.

All you are doing is creating an insulated barrier beneath your hammock, which only needs to be just taught enough to stop air movement beneath you as you sleep.....


Try it you might be pleasantly surprised and little or no extra weight to carry

Tom

Yep I really like the idea of this - classic multi-purpose kit approach. I've been hankering after a US poncho and liner for a while and your idea makes that combo even more useful.
Thanks for sharing - I'll be giving this one a go...

 

[TeeGeeBee]

Some use Thermorests but they tend to slip around. Some use close cell mats and DD hammocks, the base is in two, so you can slip in some insulation and it's no bother the the sleeped. I use an underblanket; toasty warm, doesn't get compressed but more bulky.

TGB

 

[steven andrews]

I sleep in a gonk bag, on a kip mat, on the floor. My *rse is lovely and warm.

 

[ocean1975]

I have managed for forage some roof insulation from work,it's the new stuff that is quite thin and silver foiled and has more insulating properties than your normal insulation(no itchy fibres lol).I have a dd camping hammock,so there for i can slid the insulation in between the zips of the hammock,failing that i could cocoon myself in it with the foiled insulation in the hammock with my sleeping bag on top of that and also my thermarest inside the bag Not tried this yet but over the christmas holidays i will All the best in your search for wot works,will re post and let you know how i got on

 

[richgg]

I use a thermarest in my DD frontline hammock, with the special forces snug-pack 2 combo bag and it was nice and warm last week, I just need to get a zip made for the front of my bivi bag its a pain to get in and out at the moment!

 

[Shewie]

I have managed for forage some roof insulation from work,it's the new stuff that is quite thin and silver foiled and has more insulating properties than your normal insulation(no itchy fibres lol).I have a dd camping hammock,so there for i can slid the insulation in between the zips of the hammock,failing that i could cocoon myself in it with the foiled insulation in the hammock with my sleeping bag on top of that and also my thermarest inside the bag Not tried this yet but over the christmas holidays i will All the best in your search for wot works,will re post and let you know how i got on

It'll be interesting to hear how you get on with this, I'm expecting some condensation issues against the foil leading to dampness but it's worth a go.

 

[Asa Samuel]

I have managed for forage some roof insulation from work,it's the new stuff that is quite thin and silver foiled and has more insulating properties than your normal insulation(no itchy fibres lol).I have a dd camping hammock,so there for i can slid the insulation in between the zips of the hammock,failing that i could cocoon myself in it with the foiled insulation in the hammock with my sleeping bag on top of that and also my thermarest inside the bag Not tried this yet but over the christmas holidays i will All the best in your search for wot works,will re post and let you know how i got on

Is that that stuff that is like bubble wrap coated in foil? We used some of that to insulate a caravan once and it worked pretty well in there.
I can see the point of condensation though, but it's always worth a try

 

[Ogri the trog]

Over on Hammockforums.net there are many threads about all sorts of insulation. Folk have used all sorts of building fabrics, loft insulation, fleeces, inflateable mats, modelling balloons and so on.
Some of the fabrics are prohibitively expensive to buy just to try out, but with extended experimentation, eveybody finds something that works; which is, I think, half the fun - its a constant challenge to yourself and the elements to get light/small/warm/cool/easy to erect, all in one package...
My current set-up only ticks "Warm" so far - all other targets remain elusive.

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[gowersponger]

loft insulation iam looking at buying a cheap 15 quid hammock any one ever had or uses one of these

 

[Shewie]

loft insulation iam looking at buying a cheap 15 quid hammock any one ever had or uses one of these

Which one is it ?