Hi,
Has anyone tried the v pad for hammocks instead of an underquilt? I’m thinking about getting a lighter backpack but tq and uq take up quite a bit of space.
Hi,
Has anyone tried the v pad for hammocks instead of an underquilt? I’m thinking about getting a lighter backpack but tq and uq take up quite a bit of space.
MANY folks use pads. Some prefer them. Some survive them. For most, they're comfort and usability in a hammock are lacking.
Tough to keep in place. Must stay put on the pad or your shoulders get cold. Pads are the Devil - except on the ground
I’ll second those comments. I’ve used two different Thermarest Prolite inflatable pads, and an inflatable Klymit Swiss-cheese pad. The Klymit was small when deflated, so that was good. It was also small in use — I’m 192 cm / 6’3” tall … The wider thicker Prolite is more reasonable for my broad shoulders. It’s also about as bulky and as heavy as my DIY synthetic UQ. No real gain, except that if I have to go-to-ground (as I expect to have to do in Southern England this May), the wide Prolite is better than my UQ.
Pads are also ‘sweatier’ than my UQ in my experience.
What quilts do you have? What temps/conditions planned for use? What pack are you thinking of getting? How many days out... (thinking food volume here)? What is the rest of your gear/clothing?
If the choice between an air mat and a UQ is the make-or-break factor on pack volume, it might pay to examine the kit in totality.
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
I have a Loftek synthetic fill 15F UQ and will get the same as top quilt. I have a Granite Gear Crown2 60L. I’ll be hiking the LT starting mid September SOBO, so about 3 weeks. My guess is it will get to around freezing at higher elevations.
If you think you are too small or too unimportant to make a change try
sleeping in a room with a mosquito.
Dalai Lama.
Synthetic quilts at that 15deg rating with 20D shells is certainly going to make it a challenge. I have a 20deg EE Apex TQ with 10D shell so I have some idea about this.
A pair of 20deg down quilts with thin shells will smoosh down to 1/3 the volume of those, maybe smaller. (Wild-azz guess on my part, but probably pretty close!)
That GG Crown 60 is considered a pretty light pack already.
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
I've used a variety of pads with great success - that's why my UQ is for sale. I guess the rest of the crowd just hasn't figured out how to point their cheeks before they sit down.
Maybe give the OP some "pointers"?
Early on I experimented with a few air mats (REI Stratus, TR xtherm and Neo short, Klymit Xlite 'skeleton') at various inflation levels with my Chameleon and just didn't like the combo of GE and air mat... seemed 'wrong' to mess with that wonderful, even support obtained with direct-to-hammock setup.
But I've never tried the Klymit hammock-specific air mat, so maybe they nailed it.
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
I use an UQ, but if i were to use a pad, this is what i would use. I have slept overnight using this method, and it was pretty comfy. I got the idea from a thru hiker i follow on instagram (Kyle Rohrig)
PAD 1.jpg
He uses a z lite pad cut in 2, with the upper section turned sideways to cover your shoulder and torso better. plus its a lot easier to move each section, rather than trying to shift the entire pad while laying on it. a couple other pros to using this pad, is that it doubles as your sit pad, and if you have any issues with calf ridge in your hammock, this will eliminate it.
I’d like to buy down quilts but after my recent gear upgrades I’m afraid I’d be living in the woods full time if I make the switch.
If you think you are too small or too unimportant to make a change try
sleeping in a room with a mosquito.
Dalai Lama.
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