I'd like to take the time to disagree with most of what has been written here in favor of underquilts, as the suppositions made don't take one huge factor into consideration. The learning curve of a Hammock and where you are on that curve.
If you are considering this set of choices you are just starting out and there are many things you will slowly learn over time. But the question is being put to a highly enthusiastic and experience audience. Many here are experts. Some forget or discount the impact of their earliest days hanging.
I think it is an excellent choice to buy your first hammock in a double layer first of all, and one that is designed for the option of a mat between the layers. It opens up choices, it can mitigate problems. I've now been to five state parks where they told me "no hammocks" (looking at you state of Virginia and especially Florida) A pad and tiny tent saved the day, though there was nothing comfortable about it. Given the choice between sleeping on a mat under a tart or sleeping on hard ground - a mat is disaster relief of sorts.
Some people prefer double layer for insects, though I personally find single just as good and saving the last grams of weight is also a specialized approach, that takes dedication and experience to do well. Perhaps you will do all sorts of camping instead of long hikes, and may find (like myself) that weight savings is low on the list of priorities, far below reliability. Nobody has ever been stopped by extra weight. It's simply a nice thing to get into if that's your sort of thing. People have frequently been stopped by equiptment failure.
So start with the double layer and what you already have. After a while you will know more about hammocking in general and start to gear up according to your particular preferences, born of personal experience. You will know better for example if you are a warm or cold sleeper, and maybe save some money by getting the right gear the first time around.
And the best part will be at some point down the line, which each of us reach differently. That day, after your first trip with an underquilt, where you get to say "why on earth did I wait so long!.
It's a yourney. Skipping steps can be expensive.
Bookmarks