Living plants underneath as insulation

[Honora]

Hi

I haven't ever tried a hammock. I have heard some people say they can get a bit cold. I have wondered for a long time about pitching your hammock above plants but close enough to slightly compress them. This way, the plants are trapping air so you lose less heat through convection from wind. Any thoughts or experiences with this idea would be gratefully received.

cheers, Honora

[Peter_pan]

Hi

I haven't ever tried a hammock. I have heard some people say they can get a bit cold. I have wondered for a long time about pitching your hammock above plants but close enough to slightly compress them. This way, the plants are trapping air so you lose less heat through convection from wind. Any thoughts or experiences with this idea would be gratefully received.

cheers, Honora

Try not to pick a poison ivy, oak or sumac.....

I don't believe I'd chose to hang over blueberry bushes in bear country either... But Hey....YMMV....

Pan

[jaiden]

There are much more reliable and efficient ways to stay warm that this. However, and idea along the same lines is a garlington insulator filled with dry leaves. I personally prefer pads or underquilts.

[slowhike]

yeah, there are much better ways to stay warm.
i suspect that one issue you would have w/ the plants being against your hammock would be collecting moister in your hammock from the plants.
and you would have to be in some really thick foliage to do much in the way of trapping heat or wind protection.

[Cannibal]

I'd be worried about abrasion from live plants. I've used leaves (dead ones) to build up a little wall around the edges of the tarp and that combined with a UQ is pretty effective in keeping a person warm even in the cold blowing rain.

[slowhike]

yeah, cannibal's right... you don't want anything that's at all stiff or sharp rubbing the hammock... it's tightly stretched when occupied & you don't want anything cutting or abrading the fabric that's holding you up off the ground.