Quilted Trousers for Hammocking

[Bushcraftsman]

Afternoon all,

I had a bit of a brainwave the other day, I have a craghoppers compresslite jacket that I love because of how warm it is and how small it packs down. I take it pretty much every time I go camping. My thought was, instead of taking a bigger sleeping bag for colder temps, I could just keep the smaller sleeping bag and just wear the quilted compresslite jacket whilst in the sleeping bag to basically add another season, and then figured I could do the same if I got some quilted trousers? Id take the jacket and trousers anyway for wearing whilst sitting around at night in the cold. But then you could wear them to sleep in giving you that extra warmth for no extra bulk (can still use the summer sleeping bag)

does anybody do this whilst hammock camping? or any camping for that matter? I tend to think hammock camping is a lot bulkier than ground dwelling until you start getting into down UQs and bags etc, which my budget (as im sure a lot of others doesn't) doesn't allow for it. So anything I can do to reduce bulk is a good move for me!

Just a thought! Was interested to see if anyone already does this or similar

I should also add, generally I don't like sleeping in clothes whilst camping, I still strip down to my boxers/long johns, but I'm thinking if necessary I could. I know at least with hammock camping its not as simple as just put on more clothes and youll be warmer as I've had friends layered up to the 10th degree whilst out hammocking with me and I've been in my boxers and they've complained about being cold and I was fine.

 

[Johnnyboy1971]

How about a pair of Softie trousers.

 

[Hammock_man]

Softie trousers and a softie jacket make fantastic PJ's. Very thin cotton underneath and its is bliss.

 

[Bushcraftsman]

They look quite good actually! Are they similar material to the snugpak softie sleeping bags? quite thin but surprisingly warm?

 

[BJJJ]

Have you seen the musuc bags, I have an original that fits the bill perfectly.
https://www.selkbag.eu/en/public/lite.html

 

[ValeTudoGuy]

I wear a tank suit (quilted liner) while sleeping outdoors. I tried it in the Hammock the other weekend and was warm in a very cheap and nasty sleeping bag.

 

[petrochemicals]

In ultralight circles a coat and trousers are considered obvious, why carry 2 lots of insulation. Just be careful of the feet, try sticking them in a jumper or something. And a hat.

 

[wicca]

As already suggested...

Softie jacket and trousers grade 1 £40 the pair..Good value and mortgage not required.

Minus 0 something silly..Tent fabric frozen 5 nights. 3 Season sleeping bag, ground mat, wooly hat and socks.
Toastie in boxers,'T' shirt and above softie kit.

 

[SaraR]

Try it out! Because the hammock wraps around you a bit, you tend to need more insulation than in a tent as you compress the insulation if it's in the hammock with you.

 

[Scotty Von Porkchop]

Wearing extra insulation does work but it's worth remembering that the compressed insulation won't be doing much if anything to keep you warm when between you and the hammock body. Clothing augments the top quilt very well but not much underneath: you'll still need a warm enough pad or underquilt

 

[Barney Rubble]

I'm another fan of the British army softy trousers. They're cheap, pack down nice and small and work really well in the hammock. I used them through the winter in conjunction with a cheap gooutdoors Down jacket and a 2 season sleeping bag (underneath I'd just have thermal underwear on). Admittedly the winter was quite mild here in Kent but it still worked a treat and was a lot easier to carry than a whopping great 4 season bag.

Like you I'm not keen on wearing clothes in the sleeping bag but sometimes it can work in your favour.

Tip: Shop about, you should be able to get a brand new pair of softy trousers (plus stuff sack) online for less than £20. I had good service from BritishMilitarySurplus.co.uk who seem (or atleast they claim) to source their gear direct from MoD. I've had a few things off them and have found their surplus kit to be good quality.

 

[Hammock_man]

Plus one for a good CCF mat underneath first.

 

[Tonyuk]

Craghoppers also do a pair of lined cold weather trousers im sure that are similar to the softies but probably a bit more durable. The outer fabric on softies is a bit thin, and if you need to get out of the hammock during the night to water the fauna you don't want them catching on something and tearing.

Tonyuk

 

[Bushcraftsman]

Thanks for the advice guys! I definitely think I'm going to get myself a pair of softie trousers for when the weathers not playing ball! The craghopper ones I saw as well but a lot of people that review them say they are just too warm and rarely wear them, I like the sound of the softie ones because I could wear them under my craghopper outer hiking trousers when sitting around at night (so as to not risk catching them on stuff) and then just take the craghoppers off when getting into the hammock. I already have a snugpak underquilt for the hammock but found that from about November time I started needing extra insulation to avoid cold spots.

Previously I just either used a CCF matt underneath or I folded over a fleece sleeping bag liner and had that underneath me which worked quite well. My system at the minute for COLD weather (-7 to -10) I used Snugpak UQ, then I put the fleece liner under me in the hammock, then I was wearing thermal long johns (begrudgingly) and then I had my snugpak sleeperlite unzipped as my top quilt, I got some water from a stream, boiled it and poured into my british army cantine (thick plastic ones) which obviously purified water for the next morning and also acts as an excellent water bottle when chucked in 20 minus before bed and keeping between my legs during the night, staying warm for a good few hours - two birds with one stone...or bottle!

Now that system seemed to work for me but as you can see theres just a lot of "stuff" to carry, so I'm trying to look at shedding a few excess items.

Are the softie trousers the same as the snugpak softie sleeping bag material if anyone has tried both items? When I got the sleeping bag I was a little apprehensive because it was so thin, it doesn't loft very thick but I was amazed at how warm it actually was. my next sleeping bag will be one that lofts nice and thick but still packs down relatively small

 

[Johnnyboy1971]

The softie trousers are pretty durable. For sleeping I just swap my day trousers to the softie and if it's really cold I take my softie boots. Whatever you decide get the best insulation you can for under you, be it hammock or floor and that will make an enormous difference. I have just swapped to one of the insulated Exped mats and been able to drop a season on my sleeping bag.

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

 

[Bushcraftsman]

I've got the NEO AIR X-Lite as my matt for ground dwelling, packs down to no bigger than your hand, in length and width and weighs about as much as an empty plastic drinks bottle! Yet when inflated it goes up to 3 inches. Very very good sleeping matt. I used it when hiking hadrians wall and it was the best investment I could have made to get a good nights sleep

 

[wicca]

I'm not a fabrics wizard at all Bushcraftsman, but in answer to your question about the softie trousers/Snugpak sleeping bag I would say the same or almost identical anyway. You can stuff the trousers into a small stuff sack for transport and they tend to 'loft' when unpacked. I get my softie jacket and trousers into a (approximate) 8x10 inch sack. With a bit more effort I could probably squeeze them smaller but don't need to as they pad out a space in the bottom of my Bergan at that size.

 

[Twodogs]

I just picked up a pair of these

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HH-Helly-...583833?hash=item5b2ec36f19:g:5N0AAOSwiDFYLrYr

 

[Bushcraftsman]

Twodogs, are they basically sweat pants? hard to tell from the picture!

 

[Twodogs]

Fiber pile mate ...same as the buffalo gear but without the pertex outer...
Will wick away damp and breath well