Underquilt vs. Super Shelter vs. DIY vs. SPE

[kyletak]

Hey everyone this is my first post to this forum, and (un)fortunately its going to be a lengthy one. My name is Kyle Takeuchi and I just purchased my first hammock and have begun my new camping experience. REI recently had a sale and I purchased my new Hennessy Hammock Expedition A-Sym 20% off of the stock price. I purchased 4 rappel rings and use these with the stock suspension to hang my hammock. I am using the stock rainfly (for now) and have everything bundled up in my snakeskins #4. For 2 weeks (12 days) of June my friends and I backpacked along the AT. We started at Winding Stair Gap in Franklin NC and ended in Gatlinburg TN in the smokey mountains (a little over 60 miles I believe). Prior to my trip I extensively searched through these forums and found that many people need some form of under insulation when temperatures drop anywhere below 60* F (temperature varies from person to person). For my trip I wasn't too worried about temperatures dropping too far below 60 as my trip was during late June and it was HOT. Be it as it may, I decided it wouldn't be in my best interest to neglect bringing some form of under insulation, as it is always best to be prepared for the worst case scenarios. So, I decided to search through my house to try to find some form of temporary pad to use in the hammock that I didn't need to spend any money on, solely to use for this trip. While searching, I came across my moms old yoga mat. I cut the mat down to size and figured it would be ample under insulation for the worst scenario I might encounter on the AT during June. On the second night of our trip we were somewhere near Wayah Bald, and at about 4-5 pm, while still hiking, it started hailing. The pieces of hail were the size of GOLF BALLS. I RAN uphill for a little under a mile to get to the nearest shelter. I set up my hammock that night and thankfully managed to sleep comfortably and warm even though the ground was covered in hail.

With this being said, I will get to my first question. The yoga mat I brought weighed in at around 2 pounds even after I cut the mat down to the size I needed. So, I am now in search of a good SUMMER underquilt I could purchase (or make) to use with my new HH Expedition A-Sym. I am an avid camper/backpacker and thoroughly enjoy being out in nature, however, I do not enjoy being out in temperatures that get much below 45* F. Call me a sissy if you will, but my families heritage comes from Hawaii and I am rather warm natured and am not too fond of the cold. I am looking for some form of insulation system that I can use with my new HH for 3 seasons camping, most specifically during the summer. Please keep in mind that I am only looking for under insulation that will take me down to 45* F. Also, I would like to keep my purchase, or DIY project under $200 if possible. I've searched through various company websites such as JRB, Speer, and KAQ and found several options to choose from. Additionally, the Hennessy Hammock Super Shelter seems as though it would be a good choice as it meets the temperature rating and price requirements I am looking for.

My question to all of you experienced Hennessy Hammock campers is: Are there any good summer underquilts that would meet my temperature and price ranges? If so, could you point me in the right direction please? Or, if not, would I be better suited to use the Super Shelter? Or, maybe an SPE would be my best bet, however that would require a purchase of a thermorest or some other pad. Lastly, maybe it is easier to make myself an underquilt from say, an old sleeping bag (I am relatively good with a sewing machine).

Please let me know if you guys prefer underquilts, SPE, DIY underquilts, or the Super Shelter, and which one may be best suited for my use. I realize everyone sleeps differently, and what may be cold for one person may be blistering hot for another. I am merely looking for suggestions, and mostly to hear what my fellow Hennessy Hammockers are using that works for them.

Thank you in advance for any comments!
Kyle Takeuchi

[G.L.P.]

for me if you are going to be doing alot of backpacking a UQ is the way to go
the HH super shelter is hit or miss if you ask me.. some members have them and love them.. some of us had no luck with it
another reason i give an UQ the nod is the fact you can use it with any other hammock out there so if you usgrade to a WBBB... and you will it will work with the blackbird as well
you can get a nice summer UQ for under $200 at the temps your looking to use it in a Summer UQ will be fine for your needs ... i know Hammockgear you can get a 3 season for under $200 Te-Wa has options at your price range
as does Leighlo and AHE .... it will all come down to taste
for me i really like Adams quilts over at Hammockgear but you really can't go wrong with any of the vendors here ...
also if it was me i would go with Down .. just me but i like that down can pack down small and the weight to warmth ratio is the best you will find in any insulation ...

but there are lots of options out there for the price range you want to stay in


By the way Welcome to the Forums

[NewtonGT]

I have used both a supershelter and a UQ. I like the supershelter alot for warmer temps. the underpad is aweasome . but I have to agree that it is definently hit or miss with most people and the SS. and alot of people love UQ's for the most part. A 3/4 length summer underquilt can be had for around 140 dollars. I know WL has one on sale and leighlo has a nice summer one.

[BillyBob58]

Well, about everything you mentioned will get the job done. A huge factor is how much money are you willing to spend? I guess zero would be best but I see you want to stay under $200.

If you were fine with the yoga mat comfort wise, then an SPE and pad will be your cheapest option by far. But you will have to make an SPE as they are no longer available. You WILL not need a Thermarest inflatable pad in your hammock. An uber cheap WM blue pad will work fine in an SPE. There is also some inexpensive minicell pads you can order on line that will work really well.
http://www.foambymail.com/Minicel.html
http://www.a1foamandfabrics.com/

In the temps you are planning for, you may not need anything under your legs, or maybe just your pack. So, you can spend maybe ~ $10(?) for one WM pad, and cut it down to torso or 3/4 length, and use the left over pad to cut the pad sections to go into the wings of the SPE. If you can find a used SPE or find the details so that you can DIY for an exact copy, you will find it to be an excellent aid for pad use in a hammock.

Like GLP said, not every one likes the HHSS. I am one who kind of loves it, especially for the price and especially if you can find a used one or on sale as they occasionally are. For list $129 and 16 oz, you get an good ( for ME ) system into the 30s, which is easily extended to much colder temps just by adding a jacket or other stuff under the pad, or real light stuff on top of the pad. It's biggest benefit is the built in added wind and rain block, from the undercover(UC) which is also part of the insulation system. But for some people they just don't work, for some they work just fine, so there you go! ( I have 3 now! course, I have several other insulation styles also, and am quite fond of them). If you go this route, BE SURE and add the $3, ~ 2 oz space blanket as required per HH. Also, I don't know if HH would switch out, but I highly recommend the significantly wider pad that comes with HHSS #2.

Other than that, any of the UQs from the vendors here, if they fit your budget, should more than get the job done for you, assuming you are able to keep them dry for sure. And you should have no trouble doing that. They should all pack down smaller than the HHSS (or a CCF pad), and weigh a bit less, especially the torso length models. Only drawback is you won't have the built in wind/rain block of the HHSS UC unless you add the cost and weight of a separate UQ protector (like 2Qs). Or at the very least buy a larger- and heavier- tarp. But all of these approaches work well for me. I also love a PeaPod approach, but that cost a lot more than your budget. Though, some people are able to rig their sleeping bags to make a good faux PeaPod. See Shug's post on this, for one.

Good luck with your search! It sounds like your 1st hammock trip was an enjoyable experience!

[burleyolebear]

Kyle,
Welcome. I use a "Jumbo Deluxe" automobile windshield sunscreen http://www.amazon.com/Auto-Expressio.../dp/B000CAINEI for my under pad(fits perfectly into the pad pocket on my hammock, you may need to trim it a little) and a poncho liner. It's pretty much just a piece of reflectix insulation with bound edges. It weighs about 4 ounces for the whole thing and I've gone as low as the high forties with that and a poncho liner while wearing my long underwear. It doesn't compress well, but it folds up pretty compactly. You can find them at Big Lots for $6. Good luck.

[PDA]

+1 on what Billybob58 says. I use a Walmart blue pad (5.88) cut in half, overlapped and held together with two bits of mason line. gives a body pad 36"long by ca. 30" wide. works famously and only weighs 15 oz. Anything else is expensive luxury for wusses.

[ChrisH]

Hi, welcome to the forum!

I would go with a Summer Incubator from HammockGear.com. You get 900fp down and a really great quality quilt. If you don't get an UQ now, you will realize that you should have down the road, like most (not all) people. Much less fiddle factor than most (if not all) the other options.

Btw, don't let anybody tell you a WBB has to be your next hammock. There are many other hammocks out there that are just as good if not better. I would recommend trying 2 or 3 other hammocks and draw your own conclusions from the experience.

*This is my opinion, YMMV/HYOY.

[Simon]

Nothing to add other than if you go the DIY route there are some excellent instructions here http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...highlight=PLUQ

It's for a DIY quilt made from a poncho liner but you could easily adapt the instructions for making an UQ from an old sleeping bag etc.

HTH.

[kyletak]

Thank you everyone for the quick responses! I am so pleased to hear that my budgeted $200 for my insulation system is potentially too much depending on what I opt for. I will try some of the less expensive options before I fork out the cash for an underquilt or supershelter. I am however still interested to hear what everyone else uses for insulation during the summer months in temperatures that range from 45* F to HOT. Making my decision will be sooo much easier with more advice!

All advice is welcome and encouraged!

Thank you,
Kyle

[Owl]

Here in Kansas...it seems that summer weather is hot...only. LOL!

With that said, my last trip out, I didn't use any actual under insulation...I've got a sleeping bag that I slept on top of inside the hammock and a poncho liner that I COULD have used as a blanket had I needed one.

Temps at night were down to about 70* in the wee hours.

I don't have an UQ...I've used the HHSS so far with great success in weather down to the upper 30s and surely could have gone lower. My only issue was with the noise of the space blanket, but that should be cleared out now that I've picked up a higher quality reusable one.

I plan on trying the HHSS pad only for temps below 65* down to the 50s when fall arrives...below that it'll probably be the full HHSS setup again.

But there are a lot of folks out there who use pads inside the hammock...and that's definitely a cheaper option most times.