How do you hang with a pad?

[jadekayak]

I use a self inflating tapered pad.

Not as comfy as in hammock alone but I don't wake up frozen.

Also not wide enough at shoulders but I can fix this with ccf and a spe,or hurry up with my UQ.

[Campdavid]

Rounded the corners on my CCF pad with a scissors which helps it fit inside my DL Night Owl much better. Oddly enough, I find a flatter and more comfortable lay with the pad in place.

That said, they can be a pain to manage sometimes. Just made my own version of a no sew PLUQ....cheap, very easy and works well.


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[Algonquin_bound]

I just have not been able to find a way to comfortably use a pad.

The pad drastically changes the whole setup for me. Super comfortable without, but with, the fabric just doesn't move like it should.

Maybe I should try something different. Been using the CCF pad because it's lighter than the self-inflating pads I have. Maybe the more slippery surface on those would work better... The 'stickiness' of the CCF is a big issue, the stiffness probably a secondary issue....

[OSULumberjack]

I never could really get comfortable with a pad. I was usually eventually able to sleep and I didn't usually have problems staying warm, but it was just never really comfortable. I got an UQ and the difference is night and day.

I know others do seem to make it work for them. My wife used to use her big agnes bag which helps because it has the built-in sleeve to hold a pad. At least makes wrangling the thing a little easier. I think I tried putting the pad inside the bag with me and that worked relatively okay.

[DuctTape]

It sounds like you desire the pad to move. Others find this to be a disadvantage with the inflatables. I like the fact the ccf stays put. I also do not move around in my hammock. The static character of ccf is thus a plus.

[sidneyhornblower]

I made an SPE with wings to keep my shoulders covered better. I also cut my CCF pad in half so that one piece runs from my neck to my butt. Then the other piece runs from my butt to about my calves or so. That lets the pad bend more where most of my weight is and I think it's slightly more comfortable. As others have said, however, a pad will keep you from freezing but it's a poor second place in comfort to just about anything else. I trust it to keep me from freezing down to the upper 20s but I dislike the way it changes the hammock's feel. Underquilts are definitely on my horizon sometime.

[jabraso]

Sounds like you are trying to use the sleeping bag as a bag. I tried that too the first time and it was almost impossible to stay on it since everything kept shifting and I couldn't maneuver inside the bag. I tried opening the foot of my sleeping bag and running the hammock through it as a peapod which was much better, but with the air gap between hammock and bag on the bottom it was harder to stay as warm. I liked the convenience of the pod system and the weight savings by not carrying a pad, but I haven't perfected it I guess.

I finally re-tried using a pad on a car camping outing last weekend. This time I unzipped the bag and used it like a top-quilt (as I'd seen suggested on here) and laid directly on the pad. It was much better than being inside the bag and I stayed warm all night.

[Texas Hanger]

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Here's how I do it... I made a hammock with a built in SPE. Insulated Klymit gets me down to 30 easy. No condensation...

[xMagnolia]

My sleeping bag, pre hammock, is a big Agnes with a pocket for the pad. I toss & turn & sleep mostly on my side. This setup keeps everything where it belongs, for the most part. Sometimes, if I get too warm & unzip to the bottom, I have a hard time re-zipping when I chill again, and have to re-adjust a bit.

Charlotte

[Algonquin_bound]

It sounds like you desire the pad to move. Others find this to be a disadvantage with the inflatables. I like the fact the ccf stays put. I also do not move around in my hammock. The static character of ccf is thus a plus.

Not exactly...

I don't want the pad to move, but I find using a pad, prevents the hammock from 'opening up', or giving the natural lay I would otherwise have without it. I get a nasty calf ridge that I normally wouldn't, floppy fabric where it's normally tight, and vice versa. Just a total different experience with the pad.

Luckily I don't need it often. Last weekend was cold, wet and snowing.... this weekend looks to be the early signs of summer. Forecast is looking very warm! What a difference a few days makes....