Cold weather hammock

[john_tn]

Has anyone slept in a hammock worth Temps around 30? My hunting partner says he's taking a hammock with no underquilt, just his sleeping bag. Says he's gonna hang it low and build a berm around it to protect the bottom from wind.

 

[SHTF]

Hey John tell your buddy his night is going to be miserable unless he is using an under quilt or sleeping on a pad inside his Hammock. A "Bern" isn't going to keep his underside warm. His logic is seriously flawed.
If he thinks because he is rolled up in a sleeping bag that he won't get cold either, also seriously flawed logic. Id highly recommend he get to some research before he goes and does this as he won't make it in a hammock Long and hate life.

 

[Jmock97]

I use a under quilt in august. U can get by sleeping in a sleeping bag down to 60 maybe 50 that's about it I would at least have him take along a pad.

 

[john_tn]

I told him he would freeze to death. He admitted he got cold in his tent at the same location 2 years ago. I've got a 2 man tent so I'll just plan on the inevitable lol.

 

[goetzc]

As others have said he should do some research or he will freeze without some sort of insulation under him. His weight will compress the sleeping bag enough it will offer very little insulation.

I'd suggest pointing him to www.hammockforums.net

For 30* lows I'd suggest a 20* underquilt and top quilt/bag. That's what I use(20* under and top quilt set) and find it very useful in temps as warm as 50-60* by venting it. I also used it down to -21* this last January along with a costco down throw blanket and army poncho liner. Granted I was in a tightly pitched tarp with doors and banked the snow as your friend suggested to minimize wind.

 

[keepitwiredtight]

Hey John tell your buddy his night is going to be miserable unless he is using an under quilt or sleeping on a pad inside his Hammock..

x2. Speaking from experience.

 

[BobbyMac]

I have a mummy bag that has a zipper that runs through the foot box...I am able to run the hammock right through the middle of my bag making a pod...works great...no under quilt needed...kind of a poor mans setup...I have used it down into that temp range without any problems...Makes a diagonal lay a bit more difficult but I manage to sleep just fine.

 

[twall13]

Everyone is different but I generally agree with the comments above. My brother sleeps really warm and did a 40° night in a hammock with no pad or underquilt, just a synthetic sleeping bag. He said he was fine but wouldn't want to go any colder without something else to insulate underneath him. I know from experience I would have frozen in those temps without my underquilt. I can do 60° without an UQ if I'm in a sleeping bag but I prefer a top quilt and UQ pretty much year round.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

You can't fix stupid. Staying warm with proper insulation is actually easier in a hammock than a tent. Your buddy has no clue what kinda sleeplessness he's in for. I've spent an entire week hunting during a snowstorm that let up for exactly two hours in seven days in Utah. I have a 4 season Clark NZ-250.








Hanging without proper insulation under you is a disasterous idea. The rule is simple (regardless whether you are in a tent or hammock) and you must insulate both above and below or you will freeze your nuts off.

 

[Usmcvet]

He'll have a horrible nights sleep with no insulation under him in a hammock. You need either an under quilt or a sleeping pad. I do the pad with my down bag. I slept in 20 degree weather & had to strip down to my undies.

 

[robtattoo]

Hey John.
This is the cheap UQ I was telling you about last week.

Hammock Under Blanket

It's bulky & heavy compared to a down UQ, but combined with my EE 20° quilt & merino base layer I've handled nights down into the mid teens fairly comfortably. Also, it's $40 not $300

He's welcome to borrow mine to try for a few nights before he commits.
Without some form of underslung insulation, he's not going to have any fun whatsoever. I can handle mid-50s without it, but it's miserable.

 

[SHTF]

Under quilts don't have to be expensive or bulky either. I use one of these and its made with climashield insulation and keeps me warm down into the mid teens. Tell him to get one of these for 90$ Anniversary Jarbidge It works fantastic you do need a small mat for under your feet so your feet don't freeze. Thats what A lot of hammocks users do when using a 3/4 length under quilt. This will keep him nice and toasty. You can get the Footpad to go with this for an extra 10$ from them.

 

[VarmintSniper30]

Under quilts don't have to be expensive or bulky either. I use one of these and its made with climashield insulation and keeps me warm down into the mid teens. Tell him to get one of these for 90$ Anniversary Jarbidge It works fantastic you do need a small mat for under your feet so your feet don't freeze. Thats what A lot of hammocks users do when using a 3/4 length under quilt. This will keep him nice and toasty. You can get the Footpad to go with this for an extra 10$ from them.

Have you used the foot pad they sell with it. How exactly does that work

 

[twall13]

Have you used the foot pad they sell with it. How exactly does that work

While I haven't used their foot pad i have used a similar one. It just slips inside the foot box of your top quilt or sleeping bag and does a good job of insulating your feet. It's dual purpose as a sit pad for glassing as well.

 

[larryschwartz]

Good news and bad news...

Bad news first, if you are sleeping above the ground with your but in the air, be it in a hammock or on a cot, and you don't have some sort of insulation underneath, you are going to get cold! This is from experience in both hammocks and on cots. Your body heat radiates from your body and you don't have any way to keep it near you. The under quilt creates a pocket of air that will heat up and keep you warm. An insulated pad, closed cell foam or air mattress, will either keep the body heat next to your body or provide a layer of warm air underneath you.

Good news, by adding even a thin closed cell foam pad you can trap a good amount of body heat. Especially if you get one that has a reflective side to it. A thicker pad, or an insulated air mattress, will work even better. An even better approach is to lay a reflective pad like the sun reflectors you put in your front of your car, between the bottom of your hammock and your sleeping bag. Many camping hammocks have a pocket or slot under the main hammock body where you can add insulation, and the reflective pad can go there too. You will be amazed at how much of your body heat it will reflect back. I would seriously suggest that your friend gets one and tries it out in a cold environment to see if it works for him. A space blanket can also serve the same purpose but some heat will escape.

 

[larryschwartz]

Mosquito Hammock sells this one. I have used it and it does the job: FOIL PAD - www.mosquitohammock.com

 

[blgoode]

I have top quilts and under quilts of varying temp ratings. The underquilts I have are a 20 degree and a zero degree. Top quilts are 45,30 and 20. Layer as needed. I don't have a tent any longer. Trust hammocks and tarps.

 

[jspradley]

What's the weight on a setup like that blgoode? Does it handle rain pretty well?

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[blgoode]

I feel more confident in this set up with the rain than my ground shelters. No reason to worry about water pooling under you. I have 2 hammock set ups with different type suspensions. And 2 different size tarps. Both have handled rain very well. Here are my weights with all the guy lines attached to the tarps and the stuff sacks and all.

Warbonnet Hammock woopies 1lb 6oz
Warbonnet Hammock cinch buckles 1lb 10.2 oz
Warbonnet Tarp Edge smaller 15oz
Warbonnet Tarp SFly with doors 1lb 7.7
Stakes 3.4oz
Hammock Gear UnderQuilt 20 degree degreess 22oz
My zero degree is a tad heavier.
Engjlightened Ewuipment TopQuilt 30 - 15 oz