I take my 3/4 UQ and deploy it. always. Why? well, on my first canoe trip, when the temp went down to 60, I suddenly had CBS (Cold Butt Syndrome). So at 1 AM, I'm rooting around to find my headlight, to find the UQ, to attach it. then lay there 30 minutes, pissed at myself.
SO, I deploy it and then regulate within the hammock. Toss on and off the TQ, a silk liner, a fleece, whatever.
Call me Junior
Pirating – Corporate Takeover without the paperwork
"For a couple of bucks, get a weird haircut and waste your life away" Bryan Adams....
"Hammock hangs are where you go into the woods to meet men you've only known on the internet so you can sit around a campfire to swap sewing tips and recipes." - sargevining on HF
I usually camp in the mountains where the night time temps are going to be below 60*F. I use a double layer of Reflectix down to around 40*F.
I love Reflectix. It's cheap, waterproof, and insulates really well. The down side is bulk. A double layer, 6ftx1.5ft pad packs down to about a 5"dia. x 18" roll. On the other hand, it doesn't have to go inside your pack, is so cheap it's basically disposable, and you can use it for a ground pad in a pinch.
A less bulkier alternative is to use a hammock sock. When you're not sure if an under pad/quilt is going to be too warm, a hammock sock can be just the thing. It's allows you to easily regulate from no insulation, i.e. door open completely, to up to 20*F warmer with the door zipped closed.
Before you get "out there", you probably want to test your equipment in your backyard so you can figure out at what temperature range you need or don't need any under insulation. For me, I would have to be completely convinced that the temp wasn't going to go below 70*F. CBS can be a big buzz kill when you're camping. Been there, done that, lesson learned.
“I held a moment in my hand, brilliant as a star, fragile as a flower, a tiny sliver of one hour. I dropped it carelessly, Ah! I didn't know, I held opportunity.” -Hazel Lee
In Alberta, the summer daily highs range from 65 F to 90F, and the lows from 80f to 40f, so bottom insulation is ALWAYS included in the pack. I personally use a double hammock, with a pad. That has been my go to since I started. I guess I am just too cheap to go uq. They are so nice, though.
Wherever you are.....there you are
Yeah, I pretty much always bring insulation, even in the summer. I remember camping with friends a couple of years ago; it was sooo hot that I didn't bring a sleeping bag because the nights were so warm that it didn't make sense. I actually remember shivering a little bit in my hammock because I didn't have any kind of insulation underneath me when the night got a little breezy. Meanwhile my friends in tents said that they stayed awake overnight roasting in their tents, since there was little or no ventilation.
Since then, I have learned two things:
1. I am an EXTREMELY cold sleeper.
2. Always carry some kind of under-insulation.
I will say this much, I have gotten away with only an inexpensive sleeping bag (not down) in the summer, and that has been enough to cut the drafts underneath so that I can be warm. Problem with that is then you're going to be a bit warm on top, unless you can move the bag out of the way.
I use a custom HG 50 rated UQ.
Sometimes I like to hike and think, And sometimes I just like to hike.
Hiking is'ent about waiting for the storm to pass its about learning to hike in the rain.
I always use an underquilt. If it is very hot, I just rig it to hang low, or push it off to the side. If it is below 70, I get CBS. Pads make me sweat.
I did a test last week. I slept in my open hammock with only my sleeping bag, wiggled inside it and zipped to about my knees. I was very comfortable, and we are not even near summer yet. Temps were probably 80/60. All went well except I woke up with blood spots on the hammock. I think I was killing mosquitoes in my sleep
Last edited by southern9; 05-01-2014 at 16:27.
It depends. I "usually" bring my UQ with me, but I dont always use it. I've had some nights where it was around 80 degrees and I may as well have been swimming in a cloud it was so humid. During those nights I would HOPE a nice breeze would come through to cool my sweaty back, no UQ needed. Still, better to have and not need than to need and not have.
If I'm unsure if i'll need bottom insulation i'll cary a half length pad use it as a sit pad, and then underneath me at night if needed... Better to be safe then miserable all night for a few ounces but thats just my option.
I always joke that in TN, 3 season means Fall, Winter, and Spring. Since the critters and bugs are so bad...not to mention the humidity that I personally dont prefer to go out in the Summer at all. I will occasionally head up to the Smokies in summer but that is only for the slight relief that the somewhat higher elevation brings. I think that the big concern is warmer weather for me is the top quilt, not the underquilt. You can usually vent the UQ enough to keep from burning up, or just hang it to the side of the hammock and pull it under if you get cold. But the top quilt is where I would like to have the lighter layer. You can always vent a warmer topquilt some, but starting with a lighter quilt would be the best solution overall for me.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks