HELP!!! whats the best insulator for DD Travel Hammock?

[pjk1986]

Hi Everyone.....

I spent my first night in a hammock at the weekend (DD Travel Hammock) and whist it was good fun i would have had a better nights sleep had i not been cold for most of it!!!! I used a snug pack jungle bag and was fully clothed!!! I now realise i should have insulated the underneath..
If any one has any advice on what to use that would be great...

thanks.

 

[Kepis]

I just chuck my sleep mat in betwen the lower layers, keeps me nice and toastie, if the worst comes to the worst, lay your spare clothes or even dry grass, bracken etc in between the hammock layers to keep the chill out

 

[udamiano]

I use some thin foam packing, that you find electrical goods wrapped in. A ultra-light camping friend of mine recommended it to me, as a light weight tent footprint, and i was really impressed with its insulation properties. I now use it on loads of stuff.

 

[PeterH]

The silvered windscreen sunshades are another option but the most common is probably a self inflating mat, but don't fully inflate it or you will spend all night fighting it!

 

[Teepee]

A down Underquilt is by far the best hammock insulator, all things considered except price.

Once you UQ, you don't go back.

If its a double layer hammock like your travel, non compressible foam insulation like sleeping mats/pads work perfectly well and obviously have the advantage of being able to use it on the ground aswell, but they are not as comfy as a good Underquilt.

Just about the best UQ's available-http://www.hammockgear.com/cart/


My Winter Underquilt;

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My summer Underquilt;

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[udamiano]

How much !!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[JonathanD]

Yeah, an underquilt is deffo the way to go. You can then continue to use your hammock in the Winter.

 

[Jinsin456]

I got an underblanket in a swap on herethat was made by a member, can't remember who it was though and although heavy it makes an incredible difference, I have used the foam mat and also a self inflating mat that is excellent on the ground and a really good sleeping bag and I have still been cold. The under blanket is to me an essential bit of kit and I will be upgrading soon to a new one purely due to weight. Have a look for the snugpak underblanket, it was designed by members of this forum akaik and seems to get good reviews and it a bit easier on the wallet at £75.

http://www.ddhammocks.com/products/underblankets

No connection to seller other than a very satisfied customer

 

[PeterH]

One of the things you will find with a mat is that it was designed to lie directly on top of, on the ground, whereas in the hammock you may want the wrap effect. If you google SPE you can find out about the spear pad that has "wings". I have also found an issue bivi bag on the mat in the hammock works really well if you can justify the weight to yourself.

 

[gregor-scott]

+1 for underquilts, I can sleep in my undies and not even get in my bag with mine under me, just use my bag as a top quilt. made my UQ myself too, pretty cheaply as well.

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=75559&highlight=

 

[Nice65]

Last few times I've been out, I've chucked a sheepskin underneath me. No problems with cold at all, but this is (so called) summer.

I've done the self inflating mat thing, but tiny punctures are a problem. I think I've yet to find the perfect solution, hammocking is great because of the low weight and pack size plus ease of set-up, but with an underquilt, full size mat etc it all starts to get a bit bulky.

I may well change my mind when I get an underquilt, I've never tried one.

 

[PDA1]

The most cost effective and lightest insulation for a hammock is a closed cell foam pad. About UKP 5 and keeps you warm down to freezing with a suitable sleeping bag thrown over you. Most pads are only 20" wide, so your shoulders and hips can get cold. You need to extend the pad to the side. See this
http://www.tothewoods.net/HomemadeGearSPE.html
I cut my pad in two 36"x20" torso pads, lay them overlapped and thread a couple of lengths of cheap line through the two to fix the width at about 30" . I find that effective with a -5 bag and a layer of clothing to freezing. I have a single layer Hennessy hammock, so the oad{s} are in the hammock. I don't even notice that they are there in respect of comfort. I see no need whatsoever to pay a small fortune for something which is no more effective as an insulator but may have a marginal improvement in comfort. The pad can be used if you need to go to ground, or as a kneel/sit pad around camp. A very important feature is that a CCF can be soaked without losing its insulation quality, unlike anything with down in it. So ultra light, cheap, bomb proof, reliable, waterproof, high insulating factor. I rest my case.

 

[Elines]

reflective, foam backed radiator foil may be a cheap option until you can get something more permanent

 

[bmartin1uk]

Another +1 for the underquilt - I used to get a lot of condensation/sweat when i slept in my travel hammock (the waterproofing means it doesnt really breath), but with an underquilt i didnt get this. Not entirely sure why - i think it was because under me i was cold, so my body went into overdrive to keep me warm, but on top i was toasty, so i ended up sweating. With an underquilt i had an even body temp and slept like a dream and woke up dry!

 

[sxmolloy]

Underquilt here too. A member on here called "Unsponsored" makes them. Both myself and a mate have one of his UQ's and never looked back, great things.

 

[Teepee]

Another +1 for the underquilt - I used to get a lot of condensation/sweat when i slept in my travel hammock (the waterproofing means it doesnt really breath), but with an underquilt i didnt get this. Not entirely sure why - i think it was because under me i was cold, so my body went into overdrive to keep me warm, but on top i was toasty, so i ended up sweating. With an underquilt i had an even body temp and slept like a dream and woke up dry!

I'm not sure why this happens either but its my experience too. I never really suffered with condensation but I'm definitely drier with an UQ.

 

[Shewie]

A 2/3 or 3/4 UQ is my preferred option up until October time and then it's out with the full length number.

If you don't mind bulk and weight then go for synthetic (Snugpak), if you're not camping ten yards from the car and you want a lighter option then down is the way to go.

 

[mountainm]

I'm not sure why this happens either but its my experience too. I never really suffered with condensation but I'm definitely drier with an UQ.

When hot warm air meets a cold surface the moisture in the air condenses on the cold surface, by using an UQ the cold surface is moved to the outside of the UQ therefore the inside of the hammock "should" stay dry.

 

[Teepee]

When hot warm air meets a cold surface the moisture in the air condenses on the cold surface, by using an UQ the cold surface is moved to the outside of the UQ therefore the inside of the hammock "should" stay dry.

I don't think its that simple Mike, I've done plenty of cold weather hangs with lots of CCF insulation between the layers( Stacked and side by side) and know that its as warm as my winter down UQ.
When I use my 2/rds UQ, the ends of the hammock are completely uninsulated which should cause even more condensation than with CCF, but it doesn't-I stay completely dry in this too.

The only difference between the 2 as far as I can see is a greater amount of dead space surrounding the foam pads due to increased folding, causing convective cooling between the layers.

Just to clarify, this is with my DD travel non-breathable, so the breathability of the fabric isn't a factor in this comparison

 

[gregor-scott]

Last few times I've been out, I've chucked a sheepskin underneath me. No problems with cold at all, but this is (so called) summer.

I've done the self inflating mat thing, but tiny punctures are a problem. I think I've yet to find the perfect solution, hammocking is great because of the low weight and pack size plus ease of set-up, but with an underquilt, full size mat etc it all starts to get a bit bulky.

I may well change my mind when I get an underquilt, I've never tried one.

my Underquilt weighs about 900g including cord and clips and compresses to the size of a grapefruit, not really that bulky at all.