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  1. #1
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    1/4" vs 1/8" pad to use with an underquilt for "just in case" extra cold weather

    I'm in the market for a warmer underquilt for my Ridgerunner, and have been debating between a 0 F degree and a "Scandinavian" (no temp listed but below 0) Lynx from Warbonnet. I'm a very cold sleeper, but using the Warbonnet winter sock plus slipping a space blanket between hammock layers, I think that a 0 degree will work for most of the winter where I live. That being said, I'm a VERY cold sleeper, and have been considering getting a thin pad as a "just in case" solution to add when night temps dip lower than usual. Since it wouldn't be my main solution, I'd obviously want it to be pretty lightweight, so I don't mind hauling it along. I thought I could get a 40" X 80" inch pad from MLD:

    https://mountainlaureldesigns.com/product/1-4-foam-pad/

    and cut it to pretty much follow the contours of my Ridgerunner, like I have with the space blanket. I'm wondering whether I should get the 1/4" or the 1/8" however. Benefits of the 1/8" would be that it would presumably contour better to my body in the hammock, since it's so thin, and not be too stiff. Also it's significantly lighter, so easier to justify carrying along. I wonder how much of a benefit it will add though, compared to the 1/4" thick pad.

    Any advice? I've never used a pad in a hammock before.
    Thanks!

  2. #2
    ObdewlaX's Avatar
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    In my pre-underquilt days, I used a Gossamer Gear 1/8" closed cell pad in the hammock & it worked pretty well other than the width, which is only 19". Having the ability to custom cut to a wider width size, is a big plus.

  3. #3
    Phantom Grappler's Avatar
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    You might be more comfortable with 1/8 pad, as it will more easily bend to hammock contours.
    You can use a zero degree underquilt, for temperatures of 30* and lower—if you are a cold sleeper.

  4. #4
    Senior Member cmoulder's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bansheekitty View Post
    I'm in the market for a warmer underquilt for my Ridgerunner, and have been debating between a 0 F degree and a "Scandinavian" (no temp listed but below 0) Lynx from Warbonnet. I'm a very cold sleeper, but using the Warbonnet winter sock plus slipping a space blanket between hammock layers, I think that a 0 degree will work for most of the winter where I live. That being said, I'm a VERY cold sleeper, and have been considering getting a thin pad as a "just in case" solution to add when night temps dip lower than usual. Since it wouldn't be my main solution, I'd obviously want it to be pretty lightweight, so I don't mind hauling it along. I thought I could get a 40" X 80" inch pad from MLD:

    https://mountainlaureldesigns.com/product/1-4-foam-pad/

    and cut it to pretty much follow the contours of my Ridgerunner, like I have with the space blanket. I'm wondering whether I should get the 1/4" or the 1/8" however. Benefits of the 1/8" would be that it would presumably contour better to my body in the hammock, since it's so thin, and not be too stiff. Also it's significantly lighter, so easier to justify carrying along. I wonder how much of a benefit it will add though, compared to the 1/4" thick pad.

    Any advice? I've never used a pad in a hammock before.
    Thanks!
    You're probably going to get at least some condensation, so test in an easy in/out location before committing to take it deep into the hills. Some people claim buckets of condensation, some get virtually none... you won't know where you fit on that spectrum until you try.

    If in doubt, get the colder rated UQ. Few people complain of being too warm, but the opposite cannot be said.
    Five Basic Principles of Going Lighter (not me... the great Cam Honan of OZ)
    “If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking.” ~ Gen. George S Patton

  5. #5
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    Thanks, everyone! I will go with the 1/8".

  6. #6
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    I sometimes bring a 3' section of the 1/8th GG stuff as backup. If I bring it, it doubles as a sit pad or the frame for my pack.

  7. #7
    dakotaross's Avatar
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    Just FYI - more insulation means you're more insulated, but doesn't necessarily mean you'll be warmer. A zero quilt is plenty of under insulation for what I presume is your NC/VA mountains stomping ground. One of the benefits of down is that it holds a volume of warmed air, which being able to feel that has a physiological (and mental?) affect on how comfortable you sleep. If you're cold before bed, which you likely will be, a pad is going to shield you from feeling that warmth. I think especially since you have the sock, using on the quilt with no pad is the way to go. If using a quilt with a marginal temp rating for the temps you expect to experience, then sure, supplement with the pad. Otherwise, you're sub-optimizing what the UQ can do. And, hey, I'm a cold sleeper, too, and it did take me a while to get dialed in and trust my gear. I do think the WB quilts that fit the RR will help with a whole lot less fidgiting with getting it right.

    If you do add a supplement in the layers, I doubt the space blanket is really doing anything. You might try fashioning a pad out of reflectix (stores like Home Depot have it in 24" wide) which can be very effective. Its thickness is somewhere between 1/8-1/4 and its air bubbles seem to work more like the quilt in trapping warm air. The reflective properties might give you a little extra around the contours of your body, but I don't believe it adds a whole lot, and can be a source of condensation, as can any non-breathable pad.

    As an alternative to quilt + lighter pad would be to use an Exped Downmat. They are incredibly warm and less bulk than the quilt+pad, though more weight than a down quilt and reflectix. Less money than a zero quilt, too. The LW version fits well in the RR sleeve.

    p.s. you never mentioned what you're using on top?
    "I wonder if anyone else has an ear so tuned and sharpened as I have, to detect the music, not of the spheres, but of earth, subtleties of major and minor chord that the wind strikes upon the tree branches. Have you ever heard the earth breathe... ?"
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  8. #8
    HandyRandy's Avatar
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    What I do is use my sitpad for those unexpected cold spots and it works pretty well.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by dakotaross View Post
    Just FYI - more insulation means you're more insulated, but doesn't necessarily mean you'll be warmer. A zero quilt is plenty of under insulation for what I presume is your NC/VA mountains stomping ground. One of the benefits of down is that it holds a volume of warmed air, which being able to feel that has a physiological (and mental?) affect on how comfortable you sleep. If you're cold before bed, which you likely will be, a pad is going to shield you from feeling that warmth. I think especially since you have the sock, using on the quilt with no pad is the way to go. If using a quilt with a marginal temp rating for the temps you expect to experience, then sure, supplement with the pad. Otherwise, you're sub-optimizing what the UQ can do.
    Hmm, an interesting point.

    Quote Originally Posted by dakotaross View Post
    If you do add a supplement in the layers, I doubt the space blanket is really doing anything. You might try fashioning a pad out of reflectix (stores like Home Depot have it in 24" wide) which can be very effective. Its thickness is somewhere between 1/8-1/4 and its air bubbles seem to work more like the quilt in trapping warm air. The reflective properties might give you a little extra around the contours of your body, but I don't believe it adds a whole lot, and can be a source of condensation, as can any non-breathable pad.
    The space blanket definitely makes a huge difference. There have been several nights where I didn't put the space blanket in originally, but added it during the night when I got cold, and the difference is very noticeable.

    Quote Originally Posted by dakotaross View Post
    p.s. you never mentioned what you're using on top?
    I've been using a 30 degree top quilt and a Costco down blanket.

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