Underquilt Suspension Ideas - Non-Conventional?

[Phantom Grappler]

Shadinsb, was your underquilt suspension not working good enough? Dude man-atl, if I'm reading write says use both your new way supplemented by the suspension that's there now. Before discounting SilvrSurfr---study underquilt suspensions. Watch Shug's ten part series on how to hang a hammock. There is at least one of his videos all about underquilts: how to tension the main suspension and how tight. Correct tension for end cords and stopping accordion effect. Fronkey has some great underquilt pointers in his YouTube videos. And if none of that works one of Hammock Forum members and maybe he is a vendor FireinmyBones has a new hammock with a built in underquilt. I think you will find a solution that works for you; wether new, old, innovative,standard or hybrid. Or even a reliable standard--pads

[Elementalscape]

Shadinsb, was your underquilt suspension not working good enough? Dude man-atl, if I'm reading write says use both your new way supplemented by the suspension that's there now. Before discounting SilvrSurfr---study underquilt suspensions. Watch Shug's ten part series on how to hang a hammock. There is at least one of his videos all about underquilts: how to tension the main suspension and how tight. Correct tension for end cords and stopping accordion effect. Fronkey has some great underquilt pointers in his YouTube videos. And if none of that works one of Hammock Forum members and maybe he is a vendor FireinmyBones has a new hammock with a built in underquilt. I think you will find a solution that works for you; wether new, old, innovative,standard or hybrid. Or even a reliable standard--pads

The conventional suspension was actually working fairly well.
Before I was sewing on my bugnets, I was doing this:



It worked well, but with an integrated bugnet the ridgeline is not available for this. I can still go over the net and ridgeline, but then I think wear and tear will be worse on the net. There are a few ways of dealing with this that I'm aware of. How I have it now is conventional, with an additional length of shock cord that goes over the ridgeline about a foot from each end and attaches to each suspension line in order to angle it up. Everything is independently adjustable. This also works pretty well, but trying to get the lowest part low enough not to compress while not having gaps at my back has proved difficult. I get really close, but it's like adjusting one thing means adjusting something else, and on and on. The hardest part is keeping the bottom from getting too tight as I angle the suspension lines up to remove the gaps at my back.
Part of the problem is a lack of draft tubes. I know there are gaps at the end channels that draft tubes would solve. Yes, I've adjusted them looser, tighter and everywhere in between, they need draft tubes. The head end isn't as bad as the foot end, but it's my back that gets cold. Maybe the whole thing is simply built wrong. It's just a rectangle of Climashield, no darts, differentials, etc.

I've watched the vids (whooo buddy), fiddled with my own underquilts and researched these forums fairly extensively. All of this is what got me here.

I was able to afford a new drawing:


My main concern is getting the distances slightly off between points, causing either the hammock or underquilt to bunch.
My other concern is that the hammock edges simply aren't tight enough for this and everything will sag, even with ground tie-outs employed - which I dislike and don't use.

[Elementalscape]

My other concern is that the hammock edges simply aren't tight enough for this and everything will sag or bunch, even with ground tie-outs employed - which I dislike and don't use.

This concern now seems very valid and probably makes SilvrSurfr completely right.
I can't picture the hammock edges holding up any weight without doing some weird sagging and I'll probably just be putting extra stress on the bugnet.

[brianb]

I had to draw this on my phone so hopefully you can make the mental leap.

I'm testing a small DIY UQ now that's about the size of a CCF pad cut in half lengthwise. It's rectangular and primarily hangs from the two opposing corners. So a single line that hooks onto the main hammock suspension on each end. The head end is a static line, the foot end is shock cord. The other two corners attach to small loops seen on the hammock. The one near the head end isn't static now, but will be next time I change the configuration.

This isn't the same as you referenced, but it's not the the conventional UQ setup either. I've gone this route because of the smaller size. Similar constraints to sleeping on a pad, if you're not on the UQ you're getting cold spots. I needed to keep it on the same angle as my torso to maximize coverage.

[Kvothe]

I think you can make your idea work. With enough tries and little changes, you could be able to get everything just right. However, I don't think it.would be an improvement compared the conventional suspension. Using so many attachment points will add a little bit to weight. And in order to get it just right, it will be to your personal measurements, so it wouldn't work for.someone else without additional calibration.

As for your concern with the bug net: you can use triangle thingies, that mostly eliminate the wear on the bug net. I just tried a zing it whoopie sling over the bugnet, holding up the suspension and it worked just as well as using the prussiks without a net and I felt like the pressure on the bug net was minimal.

Bottom line, I think it's a cool project and I am curious how it will turn out. But I think the value is more the act of creating it, not an improvement or a better solution.

[Yojimbo]

I have been using a similar method to the OP for awhile now with my LeIghlo UQ and my DangerBird. The DB comes with four tabs on each side of the hammock. The UQ has short adjustable lengths of bungie to attach the points new the ends of the hammock (these are basicslly in the same point that a triangle thingie would be ) and matching tabs on the sides. At first I only used the shoulder and knee points but have started using all four point in the middle. Please note I generally use my side pull outs. And the points in the middle are also the pullout points.

Advantages are not having the adjust each time I set up. Also i can leave the U Q atrached as I take down the hammock, use a lerge stuff sack and redeploy later all together quickly.

As far as concern about pulling down the sides of the hammock. Has not been an issue. I think this is due to the points near the ends are pulled fair taught just by the nature of how a hammock hangs.

[CountryRoads]

This thread got me thinking and I wonder if something like this would work.



That zig zag of shock cord could be cinched to get the right amount of tension and the ends of the UQ could attach right to the end of the hammock. It may cause the hammock to take a funny shape when you're not in it but that wouldn't bother me. Just food for thought. I'm not sure if it would work.

[CamoDeafie82]

This thread got me thinking and I wonder if something like this would work.



That zig zag of shock cord could be cinched to get the right amount of tension and the ends of the UQ could attach right to the end of the hammock. It may cause the hammock to take a funny shape when you're not in it but that wouldn't bother me. Just food for thought. I'm not sure if it would work.

At that point it might be simpler to do an integrated insulation system like theclark5's set up.... where only the long sides are sewn to the hammock body...short sides I think are cinched as usual. It's not a bad idea though...especially if the weight is going to be the same as the conventional shock cord suspension through all four side channels... On the other hand, the zig-zag could in theory be loosened up for extra insulation if needed....

[CountryRoads]

At that point it might be simpler to do an integrated insulation system like theclark5's set up.... where only the long sides are sewn to the hammock body...short sides I think are cinched as usual. It's not a bad idea though...especially if the weight is going to be the same as the conventional shock cord suspension through all four side channels... On the other hand, the zig-zag could in theory be loosened up for extra insulation if needed....

I've been playing around with a piece of climashield, trying to get it just right so the insulation is flush with the hammock but not compressed. This system would be fixed so if you changed your angle a little it might affect the integrity of the insulation. With the shock cord though, it would be easily adjustable. With the standard UQ suspension I can usually get it nice and tight to the hammock, but there have been some occasions where I just can't get rid of a cold spot. And I didn't think of being able to add extra insulation. That would be a plus.

[Twokag]

https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...nket-hand-sewn

I made this last week. It might be bigger than you want, and is definitely not perfected. I tested it out the other night and it kept me warm.

Basically I clipped the UQ directly to the hammock. The head and foot ends on the sides fold under. Any excess hammock material gets pulled under and toward the center, which does not seem like a bad thing to me. If it was a smaller quilt, I might have a problem with positioning it.

I have shock cord along all 4 sides to cinch it up as needed. If I loosen the tension on the internal shock cord on the sides, it falls away from me and gets more venting.