I'm just getting into hammock camping and i don't have any money to pay for things like under quilts. I was wondering if anyone here has tried to just a winter jacket as a 1/2 under quilt. If so, how did it go?
I'm just getting into hammock camping and i don't have any money to pay for things like under quilts. I was wondering if anyone here has tried to just a winter jacket as a 1/2 under quilt. If so, how did it go?
because of air gaps BUT if you have a weathershield of some type you can place the down jacket and other things between the sheild and the bottom of the hammock and get good results
You don't say which hammock you are using. If it is a Hennessy the Super Shelter is a very good piece of winter gear for the price. It can be augmented with things like jackets and one of our members has taken it down to -23* F.
I may be slow... But I sure am gimpy.
"Bless you child, when you set out to thread a needle don't hold the thread still and fetch the needle up to it; hold the needle still and poke the thread at it; that's the way a woman most always does, but a man always does t'other way."
Mrs. Loftus to Huck Finn
We Don't Sew... We Make Gear! video series
Important thread injector guidelines especially for Newbies
Bobbin Tension - A Personal Viewpoint
I made one with ripstop nylon and whipped ends
I would think your biggest hurdle would be devising a suspension system that would allow multiple use for the jacket. The value of a torso quilt is currently a topic of brisk debate on the forum. As usual, the pros and cons are being discussed with the usual intensity/courtesy that identifies this forum.
If you are interested in 4 season camping in NH I would advise you to look into the less costly underquilt options. Of course the NH winter could definitely benefit from the big boys products (Mount Washington, Peapod etc.) But the cash flow required for those is a matter to consider.
Beyond the value of a torso quilt and the issue of a suspension I don't see any reason it wouldn't work.
I may be slow... But I sure am gimpy.
"Bless you child, when you set out to thread a needle don't hold the thread still and fetch the needle up to it; hold the needle still and poke the thread at it; that's the way a woman most always does, but a man always does t'other way."
Mrs. Loftus to Huck Finn
We Don't Sew... We Make Gear! video series
Important thread injector guidelines especially for Newbies
Bobbin Tension - A Personal Viewpoint
I've used a down jacket extensively as an underquilt for winter camping to augment my Hennessy Supershelter. The key is having the proper support system that keeps it close enough to the bottom of the hammock to insulate you, but not so tightly that it compresses the down. The supershelter undercover has worked well for this for me.
I now am also using a double-layered Warbonnet Blackbird, and putting a down jacket in the pad sleeve between the layers I don't think would work. The layers are too close, and both are weight-supporting.
I don't think a jacket alone will do the trick. What made it work for me is that it supplemented the pad(s) I was using in my torso area where you need the most insulation. You still need some insulation under your legs and head.
I've used the following layers beneath my HH to take me down to 0F:
- Space blanket
- SS OCF pad
- Down jacket
- Exped multimat
- SS undercover
It seems like a lot of layers, but I think the dead-air pockets between them contribute to the insulating performance. The SS undercover rolls up into the snakeskins, the space blanket I stow with the OCF pad, the multimat gets strapped to the outside of my pack, and the down jacket is worn in camp when I'm not in the hammock.
Tough to beat the Supershelter + jacket for a low-cost way of staying warm.
--Kurt
Thanks for the help. Ive been trying to make a hammock shelter system out of the things that i already have. I tried using my tents fly as a tarp but it didn't work out
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