do i really need an underquilt
do i really need an underquilt
Depends on if you like sleeping on a pad. There are lots of folks that don't use an underquilt.
Or, you could just go camping in the summer.
Not if you can sleep on a pad. I've pretty much given up on underquillts and attached insulation as 1) too heavy; 2) too bulky; 3) too much fiddling; 4) not compatible with my system (pad as pack frame). I use a 3/8" for down to freezing (maybe a little below) and 1/2" below freezing, both 72X24 and a couple of small rectangles to go under elbows and knees that get off the pad. Both pads are Ozark Trails from Walmart and are very light and efficient - 11 and 15 ounces respectively.
Maybe I'm a wuss, but I need some insulation any time the temperature gets below 70.
Nobody really NEEDS an underquilt.
It's just a matter of taste or budget, and you'd need to weigh whether you'd like to be really really really comfortable in your hammock all 4 seasons.
It's just one of those "really-really-really-nice-to-have" things imo.
"Civilization is the limitless multiplication of unnecessary necessities." - Mark Twain
“I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order.” - John Burroughs
I'd say start with a 30in wide pad and see how low you can go with that, and how bad your "backsweat" tolerance is (some have a problem, some don't). In really cold conditions you'll probably need an underquilt and a pad, so go ahead and get the pad. Pads are lighter for equivalent warmth than underquilts I've found.
Oware sells a 60 by 40(?) don't trim it narrower than 30 to start, most wind up with the pad trimmed coffin shaped, but figure our what works before you hack it up.
If you are taller Ed Speer sells a 72 by 30, properly sized for a hammock, probably because he knows quite a bit about hammocks.
I believe the question is flawed. I use a hammock because it is more comfortable then the ground for me. So by its definition I dont NEED a hammock. I use an underquilt because it is more comfortable then a pad, SO the real question is do you WANT an underquilt?
The question seems fine to me. I think the issue at hand is whether or not one can be comfortable in cold temperatures with a pad. After my initial research into the subject I'd begun to think that I would have to use an underquilt to stay warm enough. With a little more digging, however, I've found plenty of folks who don't use them at all. Combining pads, using something like an SPE (homemade if you can manage it), and approaching your clothing as part of your sleep system seems to me to be a cheaper and possibly even lighter way to keep warm.
Whether or not pads are comfortable, now that's something one can only decide for themselves.
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