Tips for a beginner?

[Ramblinrev]

There's cheap...and there is value conscious. They are not always the same thing. I hear you about being tight on cash. Been there, done that, got the tee shirt and the hat. I working on getting the tote bag. But the simple fact is, the more you try to "get by" the more you are likely to spend over the long run. That being said, there are several DIY projects for underquilts that don't have to be pricey and will do for the fair weather hanger. One is a mod of a Sportsmen's Guide 50 degree sleeping bag to an underquilt. The Sportsman's guide bag is something like $25. I did the same mod on a Wally World $10 and it seems to work quite nicely. It is rated as a 35 degree bag. It is bulky. But if that is not a major concern, or one of those trade offs you have to live with for cash flow, it seems quite usable. A Wally World blue pad in the claytor pad pocket should help a lot as well.

[warbonnetguy]

a closed cell foam pad will be a cheap option too, the 3/16" thick ones from oware or gossamer gear would probably be the right warmth and not too pricey. it will get kinda cold at night near the coast, and in washington, idaho, wyoming ect. a foam pad will have the smallest learning curve and will be the cheapest non diy option.

[Kshatriya]

a closed cell foam pad will be a cheap option too, the 3/16" thick ones from oware or gossamer gear would probably be the right warmth and not too pricey. it will get kinda cold at night near the coast, and in washington, idaho, wyoming ect. a foam pad will have the smallest learning curve and will be the cheapest non diy option.

Any chance you could link me to something like what you're talking about?

Also, I'm no good at DIY projects. I'm clumsy and easily botch things up.

[FanaticFringer]

What are the cheapest, easiest ways to stay warm at night? I set up the JH in the backyard and slept in it last night to get a feel for it. Although it was 97F all day yesterday, and the night was warm, there was still enough cold to be a nuisance.

I'm using a cheap sleeping bag (Wal-Mart quality) inside the hammock, so that's something I could replace, but good bags can be 100-150 USD, and I'm tight on cash. I've seen some threads talking about underquilts, but they can be to expensive from what I've seen. I'm not using any padding or anything else, just the hammock and bag. I've already spent more on this hammock than I would've liked.

Any suggestions?

Depending on your size, the 24" wide closed cell pad at wal-mart might work for you.
Or get the 20" wide one fron there and get a SPE from Speer hammocks to go along with it. It works great.

www.speerhammocks.com/Products/SPE.htm

[TiredFeet]

Gossamer Gear

If you are only concerned about late spring to early fall, then the 1/8" will probably work good. If it can get much below about 50 to 60 F, then you might want to opt for the 1/4" or 3/8".

I have heard that people like the 1/4" wide pad a lot, they can cut to the desired shape.

[jaiden]

owareusa.com or
http://shop.bivysack.com/product.sc?...=3&productId=8

[Kshatriya]

There's cheap...and there is value conscious. They are not always the same thing. I hear you about being tight on cash. Been there, done that, got the tee shirt and the hat. I working on getting the tote bag. But the simple fact is, the more you try to "get by" the more you are likely to spend over the long run. That being said, there are several DIY projects for underquilts that don't have to be pricey and will do for the fair weather hanger. One is a mod of a Sportsmen's Guide 50 degree sleeping bag to an underquilt. The Sportsman's guide bag is something like $25. I did the same mod on a Wally World $10 and it seems to work quite nicely. It is rated as a 35 degree bag. It is bulky. But if that is not a major concern, or one of those trade offs you have to live with for cash flow, it seems quite usable. A Wally World blue pad in the claytor pad pocket should help a lot as well.

Normally, I would invest in the most value-conscious gear, but money is too tight to even allow that. I just need to make do with what I can get quickly, and cheaply.

I've been trying to find these foam pads from Wal-Mart, and while I've foud nothing in stores, there's this on their website:

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=9856753

Sold out and unavailable. Just my luck.

If nobody else can find the pad available at Wal-Mart online, I'll probably just grab the Gossamer Gear 1/4". No underquilt for now, but I'll look into them later down the road. I bought a better sleeping bag too.

[Ramblinrev]

I guess I haven't seen _that_ pad in the local Wally World, but the camping department is lousy is blue pads for just under $10. That particular one is 19" which seems narrow to me. The other ones I have seen have been 20". Even that is narrow for a hammock in terms of providing shoulder coverage. Of course there are ways of getting around that with the SPE and other creative adaptations.