Cool/cold weather protection

**krasnake** · 08-06-2015, 22:28

I'm new to Hammocking in colder temps and I was wondering how cold I could get down to with a thermarest and reflectix? With a good quality sleeping bag/topquilt of course. And info is highly appreciated.

**IRONFISH45** · 08-07-2015, 00:48

Personal preference. Most of us start with what we have, then some trial and error. I started with a military sleep system and a Thermarest. I fought with my Thermarest because I did not have a double layer hammock. Next I went to a Arrowhead Underquilt, then I DIY a UQ with recycled down. Then my daughter bought me a UQ made by one of our vendors, it fits my bridge hammock perfectly. Yes, in the middle of trying out gathered end hammocks I have switched to bridge hammocks.

Sleeping bag is fine, just use it as a top quilt, zipping into a bag, not much fun unless you are a contortionist. Plus the crushed down offers zero insulation.

Where you Hang and what seasons all pay a roll along with the size of your credit line. Some Hangers find they have moral issues with down, some profess allergies.

Selecting your gear is a very personal endeavor, lots of great ways to keep warm and enjoy Hanging.

I would concentrate on your UQ first, you need to have the area between the ground and your body insulated first and in my opinion foremost. I use a lighter quilt for my top than I do the bottom. If my backside is cold I am cold everywhere. Same with my bed at home, the insulation is between the floor and my mattress.

My daughter is rough on her gear, she uses synthetic insulation and harty fabric, I am fussy with my gear, I use light and not as robust as my daughter. Really it is all personal taste, you need to experiment to see what works best for you.

**krasnake** · 08-07-2015, 00:52

Originally Posted by IRONFISH45

Personal preference. Most of us start with what we have, then some trial and error. I started with a military sleep system and a Thermarest. I fought with my Thermarest because I did not have a double layer hammock. Next I went to a Arrowhead Underquilt, then I DIY a UQ with recycled down. Then my daughter bought me a UQ made by one of our vendors, it fits my bridge hammock perfectly. Yes, in the middle of trying out gathered end hammocks I have switched to bridge hammocks.

Sleeping bag is fine, just use it as a top quilt, zipping into a bag, not much fun unless you are a contortionist. Plus the crushed down offers zero insulation.

Where you Hang and what seasons all pay a roll along with the size of your credit line. Some Hangers find they have moral issues with down, some profess allergies.

Selecting your gear is a very personal endeavor, lots of great ways to keep warm and enjoy Hanging.

I would concentrate on your UQ first, you need to have the area between the ground and your body insulated first and in my opinion foremost. I use a lighter quilt for my top than I do the bottom. If my backside is cold I am cold everywhere. Same with my bed at home, the insulation is between the floor and my mattress.

My daughter is rough on her gear, she uses synthetic insulation and harty fabric, I am fussy with my gear, I use light and not as robust as my daughter. Really it is all personal taste, you need to experiment to see what works best for you.

Thanks for the info man, extremely tight on cash atm and I've got a hang I really wanna go to towards the end of september and I don't wanna get out there and freeze the nighttime temps will be in the mid 40s to low 50s I've slept using my pad set up down to around 50 but I'm not sure how it'll hold up any cooler than that. Just wandering if anyone out there has used a pad and reflectix and was comfortable to a lower temp that 50

**SilvrSurfr** · 08-07-2015, 01:28

The lowest I was willing to go with a ccf pad was 22* F. The colder it got, the more condensation I got. That was the last night I used a pad; I got HG down underquilts after that.

Some people seem to do fine with pads, and don't get any condensation. I'm not one of those people. I get condensation really bad with pads, and so do both my sons. On that 22* F night, I found my youngest son Shelf Life at 3 in the morning, with his TQ/sleeping bag tossed off, wearing just a T-shirt, bathed in sweat and condensation. He was sleeping happily, as wet as he was.

So if you're blessed, maybe you won't have a condensation problem. Unfortunately for me, my entire family seems to have a condensation problem.

You should be able to survive a late September hang easily with pads and a properly rated TQ easily, though I'd practice in the back yard.

**krasnake** · 08-07-2015, 01:33

Originally Posted by SilvrSurfr

The lowest I was willing to go with a ccf pad was 22* F. The colder it got, the more condensation I got. That was the last night I used a pad; I got HG down underquilts after that.

Some people seem to do fine with pads, and don't get any condensation. I'm not one of those people. I get condensation really bad with pads, and so do both my sons. On that 22* F night, I found my youngest son Shelf Life at 3 in the morning, with his TQ/sleeping bag tossed off, wearing just a T-shirt, bathed in sweat and condensation. He was sleeping happily, as wet as he was.

So if you're blessed, maybe you won't have a condensation problem. Unfortunately for me, my entire family seems to have a condensation problem.

You should be able to survive a late September hang easily with pads and a properly rated TQ easily, though I'd practice in the back yard.

So far so good, no condensation at all but the coldest it's been was 49* so that may change with colder temps.

Thanks!

**SilvrSurfr** · 08-07-2015, 01:36

Toward the end of my pad days, I did start experimenting with double layer hammocks. When weight was no object, I'd put a sleeping bag with a ccf pad in the bottom layer of the hammock. On top, I'd have a sleeping bag. It worked pretty well, but I still had condensation. I never get condensation using HG down UQs and TQs.

**dakotaross** · 08-07-2015, 06:52

For the most part, reflectix is just another pad. Might be cheaper and lighter than foam depending. Thicker the pad, the more insulation, but you might also be able to make a wider pad out of the reflectix and that will help on the sides.

**Freestone** · 08-07-2015, 07:10

I just made a no-sew Insulbright underquilt for about $15.00. I haven't tried it in cold weather yet but I've read that others got down pretty low with theirs. With your Thermarest, you should have no problem. If you want to try making one, I can post instructions. It was super easy and took less than an hour.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1438949306.267535.jpg

**krasnake** · 08-07-2015, 07:11

Originally Posted by Freestone

I just made a no-sew Insulbright underquilt for about $15.00. I haven't tried it in cold weather yet but I've read that others got down pretty low with theirs. With your Thermarest, you should have no problem. If you want to try making one, I can post instructions. It was super easy and took less than an hour.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1438949306.267535.jpg

I'd love to try it man.

Thanks!

**WalksIn2Trees** · 08-10-2015, 14:57

I've been down to -10* with a fleece liner, inside a 0* bag inside a 45* bag, using a Reflectix pad. No heat source. Could go lower with a UQ/TQ rather than bags my goal is to set up for -40* since the lowest recorded temp for upstate NY was -34*