What temp can you go down to and stay comfortable with the Klymit. I realize that is an individual issue but my AirRail claims a R4.2 value vs the Klymit of R1.3. Not apples to apples but all info in my over analysis is appreciated!Originally Posted by Passinthru
The problem I've had using the Klymit is that it's really designed to be used with a sleeping bag and not a TQ/UQ. All those "holes" are meant to be filled with the down from the bottom of the sleeping bag which partially fixes the problem of compressing the down in the bottom of the sleeping bag you are laying on. In a hammock that just doesn't work.
I've used a couple of different pads, both 3/4 and full size, 20 and 25" in my RidgeRunner. Most of these are Therm-a-Rest but they all are basically the same.
The 3/4 is fine if you've got a TQ with a footbox but the full length is less fussy in positioning.
The narrower pads are fine for side sleeping but you have to be more careful to have it positioned in the center and you've got less room to move in. The 25" are larger/heavier but give you more room to move around in.
I blow my pads up fully and I like the support and I don't feel they make the hammock tippy.
I also have a couple of UQs and I find them a bit lighter but I still haven't mastered setting them up easily to provide protection. The pad is basically set and forget and it just works. I never have to worry about it being loose or wind getting inside. I still haven't given up on UQs and I'll revisit them again in colder weather but I'm enjoying using my pad. And if you ever think about going to ground (which I don't), there's that.
Since you specifically asked about pads and not UQs, I would say my preference is for the vertical tube variety over the horizontal tubes. IMHO Exped makes the Synmat and Downmat which both work well. So do a number of other vendors. I have used the TR horizontal pads and although I like them for ground purposes I think the vertical tubes provide a better hammock experience. This will be especially true when you sell the WBRR and are looking at other hammock options.
The Klymit V-Luxe has an R value of 4.4 I have slept comfortably in the low 40's with it. I don't wear extra clothes for sleeping - just cotton underwear. Also, the V-Luxe does not have openings - some of their foam pad models do but the V-Luxe is an inflatable mattress.
"...With saddle and pack, by paddle and track, let's go to the land of beyond."
Have you considered the Amok Draumr too? I'm a side sleeper myself and the Draumr is a dream to sleep on. With the high R value of an exped 7 or 9 you'd be toasty! Just my 2 cents...
I am a big fan of Exped pads as well. However I would offer a serious caution... the Hyperlight series that I prefer does not have insulated baffles on the edges. In the summer series this can be okay, in trying the winter rated models I found this a fatal flaw. There is essentially zero insulation along the edges.
Personally- I still think the Therma-rest Neoair Xtherm remains the best 'do it all' pad.
It is very well liked by backpackers across the board. Packs small, and delivers in the air.
Worth noting... air pads do not all work equally in a hammock.
I can sleep in zero degree weather on the ground in the xtherm. In the air though call it about 30* to be safe. Air pads just are not built to insulate from convective loss.
The exped has a synthetic insulation in it... and the downmat series is an excellent pad (though heavy and expensive).
That said... I don't really like bridges for deep cold. I prefer to go back to a gathered end for a weekend and be snuggled in an UQ rather than in the open airy bridge if it's below 20*.
However, the nice thing with a bridge/Xtherm combo is that if you're out in that freezing range and you do have a problem... just take the tension out of the whoopies/straps and ease the bridge to the ground and the xtherm will take you to zero. To me that's a nice combo for that borderline trip where I'm pretty sure the hammock will be fine, but if it dips colder than expected or the wind really howls then I have an option to easily correct it.
PS- the regular Neo-Air summer pads... for me they crap out around 45-50* in a bridge. So for the most part that's why I tell folks just to go for the Xtherm.
I also used the Klymit static-v luxe insulated pad and was comfortable into the 40's/ high 30's with a 20 F top quilt.
I actually think that the insulated pad is more comfortable than an UQ. I felt the lay was flatter and less shoulder squeeze (not that it's bad in the ridgerunner but it just flattened it out even more). I also felt like you could lie on your side with more comfort. I tend to pull one or both legs up when laying on my side and when I rest it on the side of the hammock (don't have much choice on the RR as it's fairly narrow in the middle), it was by far more comfortable to have a pad than not. Without a pad you're resting your knee / leg on the side of the fabric of the hammock which feels a bit hard because it's handling the load of the hammock. I think that that specific pad worked well for me because it was a full 30" wide which fit in the sleeve like a glove giving it no room to move around and made it feel like it was part of the hammock.
I do think the insulation/heat of an UQ feels a bit more natural than the pad. The pad wasn't bad, it just wasn't as toasty feeling as the UQ.
That said, I ultimately sold my klymit pad and am solely using an UQ. This was mostly due to weight as the underquilt was a good 20 oz lighter and I'm interested in trying to lower my pack weight. Part of me is still sad to have seen that pad go.
If I'm not mistaken the "5" series, i.e. Downmat 5 and possibly the Synmat "5" series, also lacks insulation in the outer tube. It is good that you added this precaution because I would be seriously POed to purchase a pad that lacked insulation in the outer tubes. I also pay attention to how the tubes are joined together. The better ones are sort of a box baffle compared to a welded through design. This is similar to box baffle versus sewn through in down gear principle.
I would agree that the TR Xtherm is an outstanding pad especially for ground use. And perhaps it works well for bridge hammocks. But I would give the edge to the vertical tube Expeds for ninety degree and gathered end hammocks as they provide much better longitudinal support and wrap around the sides.
Agree with you 100%.
In a bridge the Xtherm is fine... but the vertical baffle pads are much better in other hammocks for sure... critical even.
My favorite pad is actually the Exped Hyperlight Duo- but that's way overkill for most. It does turn a big bridge into a taco of comfort though, lol.
https://1drv.ms/u/s!Apygyt54yYPwg45wui331gDQr2DNjw
I was pretty happy with the regular Hyperlight pads from Exped- and for those of you who are a bit narrower than I... they work. But then I tried the winter model and even when used on the ground (how I discovered the issue) they were a bust. In a hammock that uninsulated strip is very prominent on your shoulders and the edge of your thighs. Enough so that it will wake you up.
I have a REI AirRail that's 78 x 23 x 1.5". I'm wondering if the air rails will help with blocking the draft. With a R4.2 rating, I'm hoping it will add sufficient insulation down to 45*.
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