Pads vs. Underquilts

[SGT Rock]

Though I absolutly love the No Sniveler - I still use a pad a lot of the time. In warm weather the No-Sniveler becomes the top quilt and I have my pad with me in case it gets cold enough to need it. When I go in colder weather I have a warmer quilt for the top and the No-Sniveler goes under me, but I still have that pad with me in case it gets very cold.

Why - because it works, it is cheap, and it is light. I have a home made pad that weighs 9.6 ounces and is plenty wide for covering my shoulders (28") while also being a 1/2" thick. I have used this pad alone down into the 30s and have used it well below that with the underquilt and JRB weathershield bottom. Plus it is a multi use item. It supports my pack, gives me a place to sit under my hammock in camp, and it keeps me warm at night in a hammock.

If you can afford it and don't mind a little extra weight for an underquilt - go for it. But if you are just getting into hammocking and want a very cheap, light, and good working solution - find a pad at least 24" wide and 1/2" thick and use that.

[Johnny Swank]

That's sort of where I'm coming from. I'll probably sew and SPE and see how that goes, already have an underquilt, and am totally sold on using a hammock sock for fall-spring. I can't see me completely ditching the pad as I use it all the time during the day, is cheap, and I already have several that I've partially hacked up for other purposes.

I think that if I were to do another thru-hike, I'd probably go with a hammock and a pad for the whole thing, hammock sock for the shoulder seasons, underquilt for shoulder seasons then just use that as a top quilt. I'm probably going to sew up a summer hammock sock with either a sil-nylon or .75 bottom and noseeum/tulle top. Worst case scenerio would be be having to use trashbags filled with leaves or a space blanket underneigth for a couple of nights until I would switch out for warmer gear.

All this is conjecture at this point, as I'm not planning on any longer trips for at least a couple of years. Just like picking the minds of folks who have more experience than I have.

I might throw together a double layer (like a Zhammock w/o netting) out of the 1.1 oz nylon I have on hand and shove a pad in between to see how it feels. If it would keep everything in place, that would probably be my hammock of choice. I'm around 210 lbs, and usually drop down to about 195 for a long trip.

[SGT Rock]

Speaking of thru-hike plan. This is sort of how I plan to do it in '08.

Start with the JRB No-Sniveler, my Mummy Pad, the JRB Weathershield, and the Hungy Howie Quilt. 61.4 ounces of sleeping bags, pads, and such - comparable to someone starting with a 15 degree bag and a thermarest. With the colder weather possible at the start - I will have all that available for staying comfortable and warm.

When I get to where I think it is OK to drop some of that - I'll send the Weathershield home. Probably around Erwin. That will drop me down to about 46.5 ounces of quilts and pads.

Then about Pearisburg I plan to send home my Hungry Howie quilt and suspension system and just have my No-Sniveler and pad - that makes it about 27.6 ounces for a pad and quilt. That is a dang good weight and should carry me for a while until I get near the Whites.

[SGT Rock]

Follow up on that last post with my plan to get those items back. I plan to get my Hungry Howie Quilt and the suspension system back before the Green mountains, and plan to get my weathershield back before I hit the Whites.

[blackbishop351]

Completely off-topic here, but....there's something terribly funny about Sarge and Risk being listed as "Junior Members", while somehow I'm a "Senior Member"....

[Johnny Swank]

Sounds like a good plan. I usually tell folks to hang onto the majority of their winter gear till they get past Mt. Rogers though.

You also might want to check into making a hammock sock instead of the Weathershields. If made out of .75-1.1 oz nylon, it won't stop much in the way of splash but would be breathable and keep the wind off of you. I'm going to sew one with a silnylon bottom/1.1 oz top and see if the condensation is an issue. If it works, that would also suffice as both a groundcloth and sorta-bivy for use inside of shelters or on the ground. I used a 1.1 nylon one on top of a groundcloth with good results for a couple of nights on a recent trip down the Cape Fear River. It let me keep my water bottles and water-testing meter out of the sleeping bag but still above freezing temps. I need to weigh the sock, but I've guessing its about 7-8 oz.

[SGT Rock]

I plan to cross Mt Rogers in May. I've been there and done that. Once in early May I got a nice ice storm while camping on the southwest side of Mt Rogers itself. I think I would have been fine in my rig with underquilt, quilt, and pad. I sort of think the weathershield is going to be overkill at the start of the hike, but better safe than sorry. And I can always keep it longer depending on what the weather is doing in '08.

[SGT Rock]

LOL - Junior member. I expect I'll be a senior member within a month.

[Just Jeff]

Completely off-topic here, but....there's something terribly funny about Sarge and Risk being listed as "Junior Members", while somehow I'm a "Senior Member"....

Haha - yeah, we really pay attention to those things too!! I think it only takes 100 posts to be a senior member, though - Rock will be there in no time. Risk doesn't post as often...maybe I'll go change his to "genius guru" or something...