i have been using ww ccf pads and am getting iritated by the itchiness that i get from them and sweat. I am considering using a silk top to counteract this but i am wondering if any one has a pad that they think is very comfortable as it is, even with out wearing a top.

sew or glue breathable ripstop to the pad. i like it on both sides. much more comfy


i have been using ww ccf pads and am getting iritated by the itchiness that i get from them and sweat. I am considering using a silk top to counteract this but i am wondering if any one has a pad that they think is very comfortable as it is, even with out wearing a top.

defineately been thinking about that.. can you just hand-sew it on? I have been thinking about doing the same with a silk sheet

sew or glue breathable ripstop to the pad. i like it on both sides. much more comfy

Curious....do you just glue it around the edges or slather it on the entire pad? I've had some minor condensation issues. Also, why do both sides? Wouldn't putting nylon on the underside of the pad make it more slippery?

Miguel

i have been using ww ccf pads and am getting iritated by the itchiness that i get from them and sweat. I am considering using a silk top to counteract this but i am wondering if any one has a pad that they think is very comfortable as it is, even with out wearing a top.


Since you are apparently prone to back sweats, You will always have this issue.... cover it in absorbant material and it will become sweat soaked.... and on a long section, get ready for the stink..... I may be biased ....but believe me I went through this process in 2003 on a 650 section hike.... later I tried 18 different pad, fleece, poncho liner and mylar alternatives in all shapes....before going to UQs... There is a reason that breathable and external bottom insulation work for those who sweat.

Pan

A material that has always interested me and would make a great pad sleeve is the "brushed knit Nylon plus tough stretchy urethane film" fabric that Stephenson's Warmlite uses on their sleeping bags:

The website says:
The bottom interior is FUZZY STUFF, a very comfortable brushed knit Nylon plus tough stretchy urethane film. It wears much better than coated fabric, is best for comfortable long life sleeping bag inside bottom, VB sox, glove liners and clothes. The surface feels like soft flannel, but wicks sweat across it’s surface even faster for rapid drying and comfort

Kinda heavy at 2.2oz per yard but you wouldn't need that much to cover a pad and you could use lighter 1.1oz on the back of the pad to save weight. It's only like $8 a yard an I would say that a yard would cover the pad, or at least the top section you lay on.

From the start, I clipped a light fleece throw (Campmor, ~$12 and 13oz) to my Oware pad to prevent condensation. It's an idea I got from Sgt Rock's site and it appears to work. But in this relatively low humidity region I don't seem to get much condensation without the fleece either.

Since I don't think there's much insulative value in the throw and it and the clips add a whopping 14oz to the system I don't use it much any more. I do have some ideas to cut it to a smaller size but for now I'm leaving it at home.

As a minimum, I sleep in SmartWool long underwear and they seem to take care of condensation/sweat issues. But then, this is the arid Rocky Mountain West...

FB

yeah, i believe if i change my sleeping clothes the problem wont be a big issue. Over the summer i would camp wearing synthetic shirts, which did fine, but its my polypro thermal top thats been giving problems now. I am thinking of getting a silk top, or maybe a silk sheet from somewhere like campmor. plus, i got a short big agnes insulated air core pad on the way...

getting comfortable with the pad..
in a hammock is, IMHO, not possible.
Its cheap and leightweight, but outside this, it has not much value for me.
The advantage of a hammock is that it curves and conforms to the shape of the back and thats what a pad will never do.
I´d rather buy a cheap (preferably rectangle) synthetic filled sleeping bag, cut off along the long sides to get it down to 48-50" width to reduce its bulk and pay someone to re-sew the edges.
Then poke holes into the fabric at the four corners. Then a bit of shoelace throught the holes and with some shockcord and carabiners I have something comfortable to sleep in.
OK, it would be easily one pound heavier, but what is a lightweight sleeping item worth if it doesnt provide a good nights sleep.

Then poke holes into the fabric at the four corners

Walmart sells a grommet making kit for $5 - better than just poking holes.

I wonder if a child's bag would work without the need to cut and sew

Walmart sells a grommet making kit for $5 - better than just poking holes.

I wonder if a child's bag would work without the need to cut and sew

probably for a torso length UQ.

i have been using ww ccf pads and am getting iritated by the itchiness that i get from them and sweat. I am considering using a silk top to counteract this but i am wondering if any one has a pad that they think is very comfortable as it is, even with out wearing a top.

i covered both sides with ripstop and it is comfy. the ripstop feels great against the skin and is light. having ripstop on the bottom should not be a problem as you can manouver it into place under you easier. it is inflateables that feel like they are sliding around on the hammock, not ccf's.

any buckeling effect at the hips can be almost completely eliminated by cutting long acute triangles out of any area that has buckeling problems.the longer and more acute the better. mine go way under my body, and almost touch eachother in the center, but close when you lay on it. make them long and very acute, then make them progressivly wider(less acute) until buckeling is gone. if you make them too wide to begin with, they may not close all the way and leave an open spot. i don't think you can make them too long though.

You might try a double layered hammock where you can place the pad between the two pieces of fabirc making up the hammock body. I like to use a Gossaimer Gear 1/4 wide/long thinlight pad. Another way is to poke small holes throught the pad (I would say no more the 3/8" wide, but do this to a cheap pad first to see if it works for you.)

My double laryer hammock is a modofied risk zhammock (heres a link to his plans http://www.imrisk.com/zhammock/zhammock.htm