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  1. #1

    Pads vs. Underquilts

    Cross-posting this from another post, so bear with me.

    "I can't decide if I like the underquilt thing or not. I'm going to at least carry a torso pad no matter what, and I almost think the weight/warmth is a wash regarding a CC pad compared to a sewn-through underquilt. For me, I really thing the hammock sock is the key to everything by cutting off a bunch of that convective loss from underneigth. I almost always carry a space blanket in the cool months, and might as well use it between the hammock and sock as to leave it in the pack. Could even get all crazy and do a Garlington taco-like setup for a few nights if need be with leaves and empty stuff sacks/trash bags."

    Here's the deal - I have a sewn-through underquilt that I slapped together before my recent trip down the Cape Fear River http://sourcetosea.net/CapeFear/overview.html

    I played with a bunch of different things, and carried a 24x36x1/4" pad, a mummy-shaped inflatable(in theory, pad has a leak) pad, underquilt with probably about 2.5 inches of loft (sewn through, 8" wide tubes), space blanket, and hammock sock. I used a Golite Featherlight ( wildly optimistic 40 degree down bag that I cut down one side to use as a quilt) and a 100 weight fleece liner. Have a MH Phantom down jacket as backup but never used.

    I chickened on on the really cold nights and just slept on the ground as it was already dark and I didn't want to have to climb out of the hammock if things weren't working out. Used the hammock sock as a bivy on top of a groundcloth with great success.

    Now, after all that babbling, I'm still not sure if I like the underquilt thing or not, or if it works out weight-wise compared to the warmth of a couple of CC pads. Granted, I haven't weighed by quilt yet, but I'm considering making a 2-layer hammock like Risk's Zhammock out of 2 layers of 1.1 oz nylon and seeing what happens.

    I think in the end, the best combination for me might me a Warmhammock with about 3" on insulation, a couple of pads (1/8" and 1/4" inch) and a hammock sock. That would still leave me with the overstuffed underquilt that I could use as a top bag. My only concern with intergrating the down into the hammock itself is if it gets wet from water coming down the lines. I haven't been in a real rainstorm yet while hanging and am waiting to see how well that works out.
    Last edited by Johnny Swank; 11-15-2006 at 13:26. Reason: .
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  2. #2
    Senior Member Arkwater's Avatar
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    The 2.5 loft quilt would be good into the teens at least IF it were not sewn thru!
    It would make all the diffrence in the world if it were baffled. IMHO

  3. #3
    You're probably right, but that was a quick and dirty project. It was sewn though seams or nothing with the time I had to put into that. I think it would be fine as a topquilt though because that seems to get bunched up so much more.

    I'm still convinced that the hammocksock thing adds at least 10 degrees and alot of versitility to the whole setup. I can see at least 2 iterations of that being used for fall-spring and bug season use. It was really nice to be able to hang a leg out and not be exposed directly to the cold air outside.
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  4. #4
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    Check out Garlington's site. He uses what he calls his bag of feathers. He sews a bag and stuffs it with enough down to loft about 4 inches. The down may shift a little that way though.

    After I get the hammock, travel pod, skins, and bugnet made I am going to give that a try.

    To me and underquilt is a lot more comfortable. Depending on my money and time situation I would like to have an underquilt with 3+ inches of loft. With that I don't think I would need a pad that much.

    On the other side of the argument for my thru hike I am planning on taking my JRB nest for an underquilt and some sort of a pad. I want a pad anyways for the nights I may have to shelter, as a sit pad, and I like a pad to put on the ground to sit and stand on next to my hammock.
    Is that too much to ask? Girls with frikkin' lasers on their heads?
    The hanger formly known as "hammock engineer".

  5. #5
    I played with doing the bag of feathers thing, and emailed back and forth with Ron a few times. In the end I wanted something that could be used as both a quilt as well as just insulation. That, and I just wanted to sew a quilt just for the heck of it.

    I agree that the underquilt is more comfortable, but I'm just playing with some ideas. If I were to thru-hike again, I'd at least carry a 36" pad for lounging and very intermittent shelter use (hate shelters, only used them about 20 times at the end when the weather went south in NC and GA. For late spring-early fall in a thru-hike scenerio, I'd almost rather have a full lenght 1"4 pad and augement with some other things on the cooler nights. Cold nights-I'd want the underquilt or Warmhammock-type hammock under me, along with a hammock sock.

    I'm just playing the weight/cost/convienence/weather factor here. Mostly the weight. I guess I should actually weigh my quilt and see how much it weighs. It's so much better just thinking it weighs 16 oz!

    I know I'm going to take a weight hit with the hammock, but if it's more than 1.5-2 lbs more I'm going to have to come up with some other solutions.
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    Jeff did a good post on hammock weight setups, I think he has it on his website somewhere. I don't think anything is lighter than just a tarp and sleeping bag. But compairing tents to hammocks I think the weight comes about the same.

    Personally I carry my hammock for the comfort and not the weight.
    Is that too much to ask? Girls with frikkin' lasers on their heads?
    The hanger formly known as "hammock engineer".

  7. #7
    Senior Member Arkwater's Avatar
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    My tent or tarp/ground setups are usually lighter than my hammock setup too.
    Used to think a hammock was a luxury, but as I get older it's quickly becoming a necessity.

  8. #8
    That's the problem. I'm coming from the 8x10 tarp and 1/4" pad side of things. Total pack weight is the issue, and I'm sure I can cut something somewhere to mostly make up for any weight gain.

    I might sew up an SPE real quick and see how that goes. I've got plenty of pads to play with, and that might just do it for me. I'm not planning another thru-hike anytime soon, so this is largely academic. I'd really lean toward the CCP option on a long trip just for the bombproofablilty of it though.
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  9. #9
    Senior Member Just Jeff's Avatar
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    www.tothewoods.net/HammockGroundWeights.html

    These are real-world setups that people use...the hammocks are generally a bit heavier for the same temp range, but not much. And Risk has a 0F hammock setup for under 4 lbs.
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  10. #10
    Senior Member titanium_hiker's Avatar
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    those trash bags filled with air work great- if you can keep them under you.
    just another idea...

    titanium_hiker
    my hammock gear weights total: 2430g (~86oz)
    Winter: total 2521 (~89oz)
    (see my profile for detailed weights)

    gram counter, not gram weenie!

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