Hammock camping is increasing in popularity among our local Boy Scout Troops, and as such, we have a lot of dialogue about all the "options" that exist. One idea a guy came up on the surface seems to be pretty good, but I'd like any of your thoughts on this.
A lot of us out-of-shape Scoutmasters look for any and all options to reduce weight and bulk for backpacking to keep up with the younger boys. One area has been the bottom insulation -- having to carry a bulky pad or additional underquilt adds weight and if it could be eliminated would be preferable. Most of us agree that for comfort, we can not have any kind of bottom insulation as long as the night temperatures do not get below 60-65°F (no judging...).
One adult leader stated he wraps his sleeping bag on the outside of the hammock, thereby eliminating the compression of the sleeping bag between the body and the hammock, which causes the drastic reduction in insulation factor. He swears by this, but, whereas Boy Scouts are supposed to be trustworthy, Scoutmasters are polar opposites, so I feel compelled to "trust but verify". In theory, this is feasible, as your bottom insulation would be similar to the top. While I don't believe you could drop to the sleeping bag rating of 30°F, would this work for maybe the upper 40°s?
Have any of you tried this before? Other than the obvious cons of needing an appropriately wide sleeping bag and making sure the foot "seals" adequately around the sleeping bag (or wear thick socks), does anyone have any feedback on if this is indeed a decent option?
Thanks in advance!!!
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