DIY Insulated Hammock

**FloridaMan2** · 03-09-2023, 14:37

I decided to have a go at an insulated hammock and figured I would share it since I have had a chance to spend several nights in it and think it is working out well.

The hammock body was made out of 1.6 hyperd and was made simply by putting a double rolled hem around all the edges. The ends were gathered using the Just Jeff gathering method to pull in the sides a bit and provide some extra slack in the foot end, and I secured with a continuous loop sheetbend method that I found online for a sewless hammock. (I will probably do all my hammocks this way from now on)

After I got the hammock gather the way I liked it I took a piece of soap and went around to mark where I wanted the insulation.

Then I untied the ends and laid out on the floor and used the soap line to cut out the 3.6 oz apex climashield that I used for insulation. Then I laid out 1.1 oz calendered ripstop and gave a generous overlap. Here is what it looked like and at this point i wouldnt have changed a thing.
20230106_121831.jpg
Now I pinnned everything together and retied the ends. If i had it to do over again i would have gone ahead and sewn the calendered fabric to the insulation, but instead after I got it pinned like I wanted, I sewed it to the hammock body using a zig zag stitch to add some compliance.

More to follow....

**FloridaMan2** · 03-09-2023, 15:06

I also added some knotty mods but instead of making them adjustable I just figured out where I liked them and tied them off.

Here is what the final product looks like:
20230211_154443.jpg

For bug protection I had to cut the end off and attach a sleeve out of a silpoly remnant to fit over the insulation.
20230211_153920.jpg

Overall, I have been very pleased with the hammock. Its comfortable and warm and there are no drafts and the setup is not finicky. Its also material efficient. Iy cost about the same to make the entire hammock than it would to make an underquilt with an ultralight inner fabric.

The only two things I would change is I would go with a 5 oz insulation since there isnt as easy to overheat on the underquilt as the top quilt, and I would have sewn the insulation to the outer shell prior to sewing to the hammock body.

**Kmazuro** · 03-10-2023, 06:32

That’s awesome! Great job.
kris

**psyculman** · 03-10-2023, 07:00

Good thinking on that. I did something similar, but had a friend laying in the hammock and marked it out with it being loaded. Helped get the exact needed outline for coverage. Still using it for several years with no apparent weakening from stitching.

**Otter1** · 03-10-2023, 08:44

Sweet!!!

Did you allow extra material / differential cut for the insulated section?

**FloridaMan2** · 03-10-2023, 09:11

I was laying in the hammock when I did the outline so it was loaded as well. I dont think it would work any other way. One thing that I didnt necessarily realize is how much position changes with foot elevation. I set the hammock up to be as comfortable as possible which put the foot end slightly elevated, when the hammock is level the position of the insulation is not quite right. As it turns out it makes for a good indicator because I know if Im centered in the insulation that I have the right setup, so it turned out to be a good thing in the end.

**FloridaMan2** · 03-10-2023, 09:21

Originally Posted by Otter1

Sweet!!!

Did you allow extra material / differential cut for the insulated section?

I did and it took more than I thought it would. I didnt calculate it I just determined by laying in the hammock and adjusting pin positions prior to sewing but as it ended up the insulation ended up being about 1 inch past the outline and the outer shell about 2 inches past the outline of the insulation. The shell is a bit loose to the insulation which I actually like. I personally dont think there is a penalty for going a bit big on the differential on the outer shell which is why if I make another one i will go ahead and sew it that way to the insulation then I have something a lot less squishy to then pin to the hammock. Plus it will give a better purchase to the insulation. The way I did it I am afraid that the insulation might pull away at some point.