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  1. #11
    slowhike's Avatar
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    cannibal... i think that even though you want your system to be flexible as possible, most people will have at least one switch planned during a thru hike of the at.
    sgt rock was talking about that this week end at hot springs. you may want to go to his site (hiking headquarters) & ask the same question of him.
    but keep in mind that he's out doors a lot & seems to be a little more warm blooded than most. this past week end as the temps dropped, he was one of the few that stayed w/ shorts & a tee shirt most of the time<g>.

    i would personally lean toward an under quilt & a 3/4 length ccf pad combo.
    this same combo would probably be lighter for the warmer stretches & thicker for the colder times. ...tim
    I too will something make and joy in it's making

  2. #12
    Dutch's Avatar
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    I thru'd with my HHULB in 2003. I really didn't have near the chioces we have today. HH was just developing an UQ. I used a z-rest the entire way. There were a few times I had to lay in a shelter, maybe 5. I regretted every time. I still don't have an UQ and use my z-rest, but that is because I am cheap, cheap, cheap and UQ are expensive, expensive, expensive. I think if I were to do it again I wold have an UQ for my cold weather gear. That's b4 Mt. Rodgers and after Glencliff (if you northbound). No sense carrying it through 60 and 70 degree nights. Realize that gear is important now and it is all you think about. When you start hiking it is what everyone will be talking about. Than after 150 mile it will just be food that everyone will be talking about. Remember it is only 2174 miles and they made the trail way too short.
    Peace Dutch
    GA>ME 2003

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  3. #13
    Senior Member
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    I found that on my AT aborted hike and subsqent section hikes that a nest and a gg 1/4 wide pad worked quite well for me. I have a double layerd hammcok, so dealing with the gossamier gear pad really wasn't that bad. I used the pad and quilt combo in southern N.C. when the weather turned cold and I was warm down past 30. (Although my top quilt was a western mountaineering megalite with the down shaken toward the center.) Once you get into VA (past Mt Rogers IMHO) you can loose the nest as most nights will be too warm. Maybe carry JRB weather shield for those colder nights. Oh and necer dewell on miles way ahead, only concertrate one day at a time. And slowly youll make it.
    Last edited by Bulldog; 09-17-2007 at 19:48.
    NREMT-B, WEMT
    CPR goes up and down, up and down......because my patient's dead.
    Hanger Fromally Known as Ghost93.

  4. #14
    Senior Member Just Jeff's Avatar
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    Here are my thoughts, based on my style of hiking so far...haven't thru'd yet, just a handful of hiking trips and too much thinking/planning.

    I like having a torso pad, but I don't like it under my torso b/c it makes me sweat. But I like having the backup, having somewhere to sit when it's wet or I'm on hard rocks, etc. I even use it as a windblock sometimes.

    BUT - I also use it for the foot/leg insulation in my WarmHammock, which is only insulated to mid-thigh to save weight. So I get the best of both worlds...a pad as backup that's also useful in the hammock (my legs don't cause the sweat my torso does when I use the pad that way), and weight savings.

    You're carrying the WarBonnet - see if Brandon will sell you one of his half-underquilts, then use a torso pad on your feet. That'll be good for most nights...when it's too hot, just loosen the underquilt so you have an airgap to cool you off.

    For the cold nights in the beginning...a few options, depending on where your priorities are - weight, cost, bulk, etc. You could bring the half-underquilt and pad, then add a full underquilt...a JRB NS would be multi-use. Then when it warms up, send home your sleeping bag and use the NS as a top quilt.

    Or you could leave the half-underquilt and just get a thicker underquilt, then switch out when temps warm up. Lots of options there, and you always have your pad as backup.

    So....

    For >35, Warbonnet, half-underquilt, pad, use underquilt as top quilt

    For <35, Warbonnet, underquilt, half-underquilt, pad and something else inside (sleeping bag or thick quilt)
    “Republics are created by the virtue, public spirit, and intelligence of the citizens. They fall when the wise are banished from the public councils because they dare to be honest, and the profligate are rewarded because they flatter the people, in order to betray them.” ~Judge Joseph Story

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  5. #15
    Senior Member
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    [QUOTE=GrizzlyAdams;28466]AS is wise as usual.

    With 5 months to go you have time to develop the experience and comfort level he suggests.

    Then my $0.05 worth of observations
    - sometimes, somewhere, you'll have to go to ground. You've been reading the trail journals and you know that.
    - much of the hike an UQ will be overkill for your under-insulation needs
    - a pad can be multi-use, something to sit on, something to give shape to your pack, etc.
    - a pad is easily rolled and lives outside your pack. Works after getting wet.
    Your pack space needs are smaller, underquilts have bulk.
    - a pad inside of the hammock can be a hassle.
    - pads are usually narrower than you want.

    If it were me I'd be looking for solutions where a pad jury-rigged to be wide enough is on the outside of the hammock, a sleeve in the body or a two-layer hammock. Maybe WBG can advise on sewing a sleeve in the bottom of his hammock design.

    If you went this way, you'd have the upcoming colder months to get thee up to the early portion of the AT and try it out.

    But what AS said...the most important thing is that you've made up your mind, and you have the kinks worked out of the system.

    Grizz[/QUOTE

    Speaking of pads being too narrow caught my eye. I believe I have pretty sweet solution. Today I bought two Wally world pads ($10) and a yard of ripstop nylon ($6). I butted the two pads side by side and glued a 12" strip of ripstop the length of the seam on one side only. I now have 40" wide pad that folds over perfectly to a 20" pad for packing purposes, with the ripstop acting as a hinge. 40" is too wide and I haven't yet decided exactly how wide I want it or if I want to cut wings. I'm thinking it will roll up better without cutting the wings. I'm really happy with the way it turned out. Maybe I'll post pics of the final product. BTW....I use it with a Claytor hammock with the double bottom.

    Miguel

  6. #16
    Senior Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by GrizzlyAdams View Post
    AS is wise as usual.

    With 5 months to go you have time to develop the experience and comfort level he suggests.

    Then my $0.05 worth of observations
    - sometimes, somewhere, you'll have to go to ground. You've been reading the trail journals and you know that.
    - much of the hike an UQ will be overkill for your under-insulation needs
    - a pad can be multi-use, something to sit on, something to give shape to your pack, etc.
    - a pad is easily rolled and lives outside your pack. Works after getting wet.
    Your pack space needs are smaller, underquilts have bulk.
    - a pad inside of the hammock can be a hassle.
    - pads are usually narrower than you want.

    If it were me I'd be looking for solutions where a pad jury-rigged to be wide enough is on the outside of the hammock, a sleeve in the body or a two-layer hammock. Maybe WBG can advise on sewing a sleeve in the bottom of his hammock design.

    If you went this way, you'd have the upcoming colder months to get thee up to the early portion of the AT and try it out.

    But what AS said...the most important thing is that you've made up your mind, and you have the kinks worked out of the system.

    Grizz
    Speaking of pads being too narrow caught my eye. I believe I have pretty sweet solution. Today I bought two Wally world pads ($10) and a yard of ripstop nylon ($6). I butted the two pads side by side and glued a 12" strip of ripstop the length of the seam on one side only. I now have 40" wide pad that folds over perfectly to a 20" pad for packing purposes, with the ripstop acting as a hinge. 40" is too wide and I haven't yet decided exactly how wide I want it or if I want to cut wings. I'm thinking it will roll up better without cutting the wings. I'm really happy with the way it turned out. Maybe I'll post pics of the final product. BTW....I use it with a Claytor hammock with the double bottom.

    Miguel
    Last edited by Just Jeff; 09-21-2007 at 12:49. Reason: formatted quote

  7. #17
    Senior Member GrizzlyAdams's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Miguel View Post
    Speaking of pads being too narrow caught my eye. I believe I have pretty sweet solution. Today I bought two Wally world pads ($10) and a yard of ripstop nylon ($6). I butted the two pads side by side and glued a 12" strip of ripstop the length of the seam on one side only. I now have 40" wide pad that folds over perfectly to a 20" pad for packing purposes, with the ripstop acting as a hinge. 40" is too wide and I haven't yet decided exactly how wide I want it or if I want to cut wings. I'm thinking it will roll up better without cutting the wings. I'm really happy with the way it turned out. Maybe I'll post pics of the final product. BTW....I use it with a Claytor hammock with the double bottom.

    Miguel
    nice. I picked up 2 of the 20" wide Gossamer ThinLight pads on sale (2nd's), intending to make a 40" wide pad for my Bridge hammock, using duct-tape as a hinge. Riptop will be classier. What kind of glue did you use?

    with the bridge I'll use the full width.

    Grizz

  8. #18
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    Neat idea Miguel...

    Miguel, Grizz,
    IF you are worried about the seam being in the middle, you can use one pad as the central piece and split the other pad in half and the glue like described on each side, so both halves fold into the centre. There's two seams, but they are on the side like wings rather than right in the middle... and it still folds really neat and flat.

    Just a thought...

  9. #19
    Dutch's Avatar
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    This gluing hinge idea is a good one. How is the glue holding up and what kind of glue did you use?
    Peace Dutch
    GA>ME 2003

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  10. #20
    Senior Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dutch View Post
    This gluing hinge idea is a good one. How is the glue holding up and what kind of glue did you use?
    I used contact cement on both materials, one layer. It seems to be bomber. It folds together perfectly. The only problem I had was when rolling it up the upper pad tended to creep on the lower pad making it difficult to roll. I seemed to have solved the problem by folding the pad a bit flatter, basically making about four folds instead of trying to roll it tight. It actually seems to fit on the pack better than when it's perfectly round. I've cut it down (so far) to about 36" and rounded to corners a bit. For now I'll leave it in a rectangular shape as it provides some serious coverage the full length of the hammock. In the hammock it seems more comfortable with the hinged side up....not sure why.
    I do wish I could find a pad that's not quite as stiff as the $5 Wally World pad. It would be more easy to fold.

    Today I'm going to try a 25" wide $10 Wally World waffle pad with some wings attached with velcro, just to see the difference.

    Miguel

    Miguel

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