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  1. #71
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    For anyone that has a little bit more money to devote, I'd encourage you to look at Dream Hammock and Dutchware.
    The options for customizing are truly amazing.
    It's very cool to carefully consider all the options and make a design based upon your personal likes and dislikes.
    I have never had a Hennesey or a Warbonnet but their color choices are very limited as are the fabric choices.
    Imagine having something like 50 different fabrics to choose from...multiple colors for each part of the hammock...
    I'm not saying clown colors, but for instance, I wanted the outside fairly neutral without being Olive Drab or Coyote Brown. So I went for a medium gray. And the inside I wanted some color. So that's like a lime green. And the top cover, I wanted something that would make a pleasant light inside so I got robin's egg blue, similar to a favorite tent of mine.


    I got a fabric on the inside that's very soft and has a bit of texture so I don't slip around much. I feel this was a really good decision.

    And the exterior fabric is very durable and wear resistant.
    Plus you get to customize zippers, vents (bugscreen on the top cover)
    For example, instead of a little triangle vent screen at the peak, I got a vertical strip of net, and so I can see outside all the time and my breath is vented right out near my face so I don't get condensation issues.

    I got the DH Sparrow double-layer. (The Dutchware Chameleon is similar.) Dream Hammock's customer service is great. They are a small family-run shop in Ohio and this is all they do. Their communication is great and they really help you to make decisions and guide you through the process.
    I like to get the highest quality gear I can. I keep my gear for a LONG time. My Moss and Eureka tents date back to 1987 and 1984.

    I had the Ensolite pad in there when temps were around 8 degrees F at night and I was comfortable with my Trailwinder (SLD) underquilt. When temps are in 20s and 30s, I don't find a need for the pad.
    Last edited by blackdoghang; 03-11-2022 at 10:39.

  2. #72
    I can totally appreciate the customizable appeal, but as a newbie hammock camper that same ability to customize everything gives me a sense of paralysis as there are simply too many choices!

  3. #73
    Member
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    My underquilt is in for repair and I'm using only a blue ensolite pad for insulation. Temps are only in 40 F range, but when that pad is not under any part of your body, it is cold. It's almost impossible to have a standard 24" wide pad provide adequate coverage for the various positions you will be in during eep.

    I think it's fine as a supplement to an underquilt, but hangers who are new to this should not plan in the pad being adequate by itself.

  4. #74
    all secure in sector 7 Shug's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by blackdoghang View Post
    My underquilt is in for repair and I'm using only a blue ensolite pad for insulation. Temps are only in 40 F range, but when that pad is not under any part of your body, it is cold. It's almost impossible to have a standard 24" wide pad provide adequate coverage for the various positions you will be in during eep.

    I think it's fine as a supplement to an underquilt, but hangers who are new to this should not plan in the pad being adequate by itself.
    Pads can be doubled up to increase insulation. See video below at 6:00 minutes in.
    It really helps to have an SPE (segmented pad extender) or Eno Hotspot. https://www.rei.com/product/830279/e...ping-pad-wings to hold the pads together. Though tape or the likes will work.
    Shug


    Whooooo Buddy)))) All Secure in Sector Seven

  5. #75
    Member Boston Fan's Avatar
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    So I just got back from a trip to Payson AZ and can vouch for the pros and cons of using a pad. I experienced them both when the nights dropped below freezing and I had expected the low to be in the 40s. With a pad inside and an underquilt, we were able to keep our backs and backsides warm, but could definitely feel cold spots on the areas where the body wasn't on the pad. Having a double layer made it easier to keep the pad in one place, which reduced the amount of Twist and Shout (or is it Twist and Curse?) while wrangling the pad, pillow and sleeping bag.

    Bes to you!
    There is a skinny healthy guy inside me screaming to get out, but I can usually shut him up with a dozen Boston Creams from Dunkin Donuts.

  6. #76
    Senior Member BillyBob58's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by blackdoghang View Post
    My underquilt is in for repair and I'm using only a blue ensolite pad for insulation. Temps are only in 40 F range, but when that pad is not under any part of your body, it is cold. It's almost impossible to have a standard 24" wide pad provide adequate coverage for the various positions you will be in during eep.

    I think it's fine as a supplement to an underquilt, but hangers who are new to this should not plan in the pad being adequate by itself.
    Quote Originally Posted by Shug View Post
    Pads can be doubled up to increase insulation. See video below at 6:00 minutes in.
    It really helps to have an SPE (segmented pad extender) or Eno Hotspot. https://www.rei.com/product/830279/e...ping-pad-wings to hold the pads together. Though tape or the likes will work.
    Shug


    Ditto on the SPE. In my case, the old original Speer SPE ( Ed Speer and Youngblood were impressive designers, PeaPods and Snugfits and SPEs and of course, hammocks!) Using only a 20" wide pad, and counting on it's wings filled with various thickness of CCF pad strips or just clothing, to provide side insulation, I have had pretty darn nice success with all types of hammocks, including one GE(a Speer). A large advantage, seemed to me, over trying to use a wide enough pad, is that using a 20" wide pad with side wings provides a hinge right about at the width of my body. Which allows the pad to wrap around me somewhat like an UQ does, without causing creases in the main pad. More or less.

    Used in a Speer GE, it always stayed in place and gave adequate coverage, and was pretty darn comfy as well. Also in bridge or the Hammock Tent 90º hammocks. Never really tried it in other hammocks in real cold, but in that Speer kept me very toasty at least to 20F(2 stacked but NOT winter pads). In these pics, it wasn't very cold so I didn't have the full compliment of pads an/or clothing in the side wings, but Y'all get the idea. Speer SPE in JRB James River Bridge side position(no pads in leg sleeves, but you can see where they would go):








    Speer SPE in HT90º : (the TQ is hanging over the ridge line outside the net, to my left, in this 90º hammock)


    Speer SPE in HT90º side position:


    You can see that really only the bottom sleeve needs to be filled(for me) to cover my shoulders, but it is close:


    Both shoulder sleeves filled with cut outs from WM Blue pad, in HT90º hammock:






    Quote Originally Posted by Boston Fan View Post
    So I just got back from a trip to Payson AZ and can vouch for the pros and cons of using a pad. I experienced them both when the nights dropped below freezing and I had expected the low to be in the 40s. With a pad inside and an underquilt, we were able to keep our backs and backsides warm, but could definitely feel cold spots on the areas where the body wasn't on the pad. Having a double layer made it easier to keep the pad in one place, which reduced the amount of Twist and Shout (or is it Twist and Curse?) while wrangling the pad, pillow and sleeping bag.

    Bes to you!
    So, did your UQs cover the "areas where the body wasn't on the pad"? If it did, but they were still cold, then I wonder if the UQs would have been warm enough without the pad? The next question would be: would your backsides have been adequately warm with only the pad? (obviously depends on thickness/insulation/R value of the pad). As for "areas where the body wasn't on the pad", see discussion of SPE above, but also, consider this trick which I have found to work remarkably well:
    1: take note of the body areas which are not covered by the pad you are using.
    2: Buy a cheap CCF pad, WM Blue comes to mind, and cut out squares of various sizes.
    3: Place the little squares into your clothing over the offending body areas, preferably between a layer of outer clothing and your inner most clothing layer(probably feels better to not have bare skin directly on the pad)
    4: You can probably get this to work for your feet, by having a piece of pad around your heels, but it will be trickier. Or, you can simply use my version of what Shug regularly does: Put your sit pad into the footbox of your TQ or sleeping bag. This provides huge foot warmth without the condensation problems many people have(but won't help with sweat if overheating of course). I have used my AHE CCF sit/leg pad. Which is quite flexible, so that my TQ's footbox tends to wrap it a bit around my feet and legs. Then, if I turn on my side, or even go fetal, my feet/lower legs will remain covered by that pad. Even if used outside of the footbox, a separate foot pad used with a 3/4 length pad( Just like when used with less than full length UQ) can be moved around to where ever it is needed if a cold spot develops after changing position.

    I decided this "small segments of CCF inside clothing" option was a viable approach when using my 25" wide TR Neo Air X-Therm in my HT90º hammock. Because my weight would cause a very slight left to right curve in the pad, I had to be very careful about where my elbows were, not easy when sleeping. So at first I was thinking I needed a still wider pad. Or, my SPE used inside the hammock. But once I tried this approach, and saw how well it worked, it occurred to me that - just like with my SPE- I could actually get by with a normal 20" wide main pad. All I really needed was a way to cover those few pesky cold spots. Doing the above, no matter how wide my elbows were spread apart, each one was covered by that small piece of CCF just big enough to cover that elbow, and/or whatever other part needed covering(like maybe a knee).

    I admit this is not an elegant solution compared to a large enough, thick enough, perfectly fitted UQ or insulated hammock approach. But it is dirt cheap, it will work 100% of the time(nothing to adjust or worry about keeping dry), and could have saved a bunch of folks many a miserable night due to those danged cold spots. Even if just added to some spot where the UQ is- maybe for unknown reasons- not getting 'er done. Like, say for instance, the infamous cold butt syndrome. Also, if needing to add a pad to an UQ, or just desiring to use a pad alone, allows for using a normal 20" wide pad. With most UQs and most pads, there is a good bit of wasted area being insulated, even while some tiny cold spot might be keeping a person awake.

  7. #77
    Member Boston Fan's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BillyBob58 View Post
    So, did your UQs cover the "areas where the body wasn't on the pad"? If it did, but they were still cold, then I wonder if the UQs would have been warm enough without the pad?
    Cougarmeat,

    That was the primary issue. Our quilts were not sufficient for the weather. I grabbed some pads locally to to make it through the second night, but will definitely bring the extra gear next time. I looked at my heavy bags just before heading out and said to myself "Nah, we're good." Arghh!!!!!!!

    I do like your recommendation for cold spots and will definitely keep them in mind.

    Best to you!
    There is a skinny healthy guy inside me screaming to get out, but I can usually shut him up with a dozen Boston Creams from Dunkin Donuts.

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