UQ sewn to hammock

[Caminante]

It seems to me that you are in some ways describing a Wooki underquilt, but with synthetic insulation instead of down, and being able to lay directly on it instead of hanging it under another hammock. I don't see why the concept wouldn't work, and we see that people have already done it.

Having said that, I would double and triple-check your 80cm width. That is 31.5" wide which is only about 70% of what I would consider normal width, 44". When you think about the underquilt, remember that the insulation must wrap around your shoulders or you will be cold, even with a top quilt. The top quilt will only truly cover your "top". Even though you tuck the top quilt around the sides of your body and underneath, it will be compressed by the hammock at those points and ineffective, so the underquilt takes over in those areas.

I would be nervous with an 80cm wide underquilt, even if I didn't move a mm while I slept.

[xtrm611]

That's a really cool hammock strung out made. Did he ever post anywhere how he made it?

I second that! Super sweet set up!

[Intimidator]

It seems to me that you are in some ways describing a Wooki underquilt, but with synthetic insulation instead of down, and being able to lay directly on it instead of hanging it under another hammock. I don't see why the concept wouldn't work, and we see that people have already done it.
.

Sounds very similar to the Bonefire Echo hammock. http://bonefiregear.com/

[cougarmeat]

If you do not attach the UQ directly to the hammock you will have more flexibility in setup. If your hammock will have a built-in bug net, you could put it on a pad on a ground sheet and use it as a bivi bag if you reach an area with no good hanging trees. If the UQ is attached directly to the hammock, make sure it doesn't get compressed - loose its loft - with your weight in the hammock. Some UQ's are made so if they are pulled tight against the hammock, they loose their loft. Others are made with what's called a differential cut. The bottom of the UQ is cut fuller than the top. So the top can be pulled snug against the hammock and because the bottom of the UQ is a bit larger, you won't loose loft.

In any case, I recommend a UQP (under quilt protector) - another sheet of nylon (breathable) that attaches below the UQ. It protects the UQ from splashing rain from below, generally keeps it cleaner, adds warmth, and allows for a little sloppier setup. If you are doing this yourself, you won't have anyone to look at the hammock while you are in it to see if things are snugged up properly. The UQP gives you more latitude with your insulation.

It's good that you will be trying these things at home but it is important that you also try them outside.

Once I thought I try the idea of peeing in a plastic bottle in a tent instead of going outside. I practiced at home, in the bathroom, to assume myself that no matter how much water I drank, I would not overflow the bottle. What I didn't notice was inside, in the bathroom, I had a light on. The first (and last) time I tried this outside, in the pitch black dark, the "docking" was more difficult than I thought it would be (did I mention it was really cold).

My point is, what works so well in the comfort of your basement - and that is a good first step - may need some adjustment when you are actually outside.

[voortvarende]

@Jellyfish: no simple answer there. "Normally" we sleep mostly in the valley's (where there are trees) and cross the 3000m line (once 3500m, once (last day) 4000m) during the day. If we sleep in places without trees, we sleep in a mountain refuge. In the valleys min. temperature in sept. are in the order of 10°C (50°F). That is normally...Easy...
BUT: the high passes we climb every day, OFTEN have frost at night. There is a video of 2014 of a man walking one of the lower one's, in August, in a blizard, at -10°C.(14°F). Mountain weather in the Alps is very unpredictable, summer storms with snow and high winds and frost happen even in the valleys. Sometimes we do not see civilization for 3 days. It is NOT the Rockies in winter, but I want to be prepared.
@Caminante: You may very well have a point there. I intend to check how much space I take up while sleeping during previous uses. I think about painting the inside of the hammock then with blackboard chalk: anywhere I touch it, the chalk will be gone...and in the morning I may be very pale. But after several try outs, I will know!!If more width is necessary: so be it! Even If in the end I need a quilt as wide as a "classic" UQ, it still seems like a good idea to me to fix it to the hammock: You ALWAYS need it there, you NEVER need it somewhere else, and fixing it eliminates time loss and weight. If ever I do winter-camping with the hammock (knowing myself: quite likely) then I can still add a second supplementary quilt (down filled??) to beef up insulation?
Also, in stead of 5oz climashield everywhere, I can may be cover "the essentials" with 5oz, the rest with 3.5 or 2.5oz...
But first I need to "measure" my sleeping space. Thanks a lot for pointing that out. Better to measure BEFORE I cut the cloth.
@designer: the differential cut was my plan. UQP seems like a (very) good idea. Another sheet of taffeta nylon? No mechanical strength or water proof requirements, just a splashing guard, some protection against wind maybe, ....And I hear you loud and clear about testing done in "not quite field conditions"!! I remember a rooftent tested on a jeep in a garage in Afrika, and what happened in the bush after. That is exactly why I want to do the 4 day trek organized by the Belgian Army, that I mentioned earlier.

[leiavoia]

You ALWAYS need it there, you NEVER need it somewhere else ...

Weeeeell, here's some good arguments for keeping it separate:

Your hammock fails and needs replacement.
You get a new hammock or have two different hammocks to switch between.
You loan your hammock to a buddy.
Your quilt fails and needs replacement.
You want a better/bigger/smaller/different-style quilt for different seasons or tastes.
You go ahead and make the quilt and don't like the results.
The quilt gets soaked.
The quilt needs washing.
The quilt needs drying.
... etc ...

[jellyfish]

14F to 50F is a huge variation!!!

+1 on an underquilt protector. Now that I have one, I never want to be without one again.


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[bkrgi]

With the 14f to 50f temp potential, I would be prepared for lower temps just cause.
I would take some serious notes and testing on your insulation package what ever route you choose. Being cold will equal misery so I would not skimp at all in this department.
At min I would say a 0f Under Quilt is a must in order to keep a very solid buffer and I would not discount the use of down at all. You can likely get by with a 20f top quilt or bag.

Test test and test some more and still keep testing your gear cause failure in the field far far far from a bail out point is not a option

[Shug]

I second that! Super sweet set up!

He did post this up about his cuben hammock with built in Karo UQ attached.......http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...-UQ-first-ever

[Flash Grundelore]

Thank you all for the input. I was already planning to:
-install two hanging points in my cellar, to familiarize myself with my new "furniture", and to determine my most comfortable laying position...

I would really recommend that you go out to the park [etc] and find actual pairs of trees to hang from. Try several sites. NO two trees on the trail are going to be just what you had set up in your basement. What works fine there might not work in the wild.... You want to get comfortable with dealing with that variation each time you hang your "furniture"