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  1. #1
    New Member jlancon's Avatar
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    Option to replace pads/underquilts at moderate temperatures

    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!!!

  2. #2
    Senior Member CatSplat's Avatar
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    The "wraparound sleeping bag" technique is commonly known around here as the "Pea Pod" technique, named after Ed Speer's creation.

    There are quite a few threads here detailing the PeaPod technique and DIY options from regular rectangle bags, here's a few:

    https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...-bag-as-peapod
    https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...-sleeping-bags
    https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...Peapod-Systems
    https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...ight=redoleary


    If you already have a rectangle bag which has a foot box that can be zipped open with the rest of the bag closed, you're off to a good start. The downside is that a PeaPod tends to make laying diagonally more difficult.

  3. #3
    Senior Member pgibson's Avatar
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    It can be done and will work some what, but keep in mind that systems like the pea pod use a bag that is much, much wider than most standard sleeping bags so that you can still lay in the hammock on a slightly diagonal. A standard sleeping bag just does not have the same sort of width to allow that easily....so you're going to end up laying in line with the hammock and have a lot of banana feel to the hammock. If your just looking to stay warm into the upper 40's then a summer set of quilts (top and bottom) would likely weigh less than your 30° bag that you're trying to make due with. Crunch some numbers and find out what the difference would be for yourself. More than likely you will find that you could cut some weight and bulk and get a better nights sleep than the guys being bent into a banana to get a sleeping bag to fit around them and their hammocks.
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  4. #4
    dakotaross's Avatar
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    I'm curious as to the need to eliminate the bottom insulation. You carry it when you carry a tent. Hammock and tarp should be less weight than the tent that they substitute for. Just checking to make sure you're not of the mindset that insulation underneath is an "additional" element needed for hammocks.
    "I wonder if anyone else has an ear so tuned and sharpened as I have, to detect the music, not of the spheres, but of earth, subtleties of major and minor chord that the wind strikes upon the tree branches. Have you ever heard the earth breathe... ?"
    - Kate Chopin

  5. #5
    Senior Member MAD777's Avatar
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    I too don't believe that you will end up saving weight. A top quilt, partial underquilt & foot pad wouldn't weigh more than a bag big enough to work with a hammock.
    I have never used a peapod but I have always seen them associated with extremely cold temperatures. The object there is to eliminate any possible drafts.
    If used in warmer weather, I would also be afraid of condensation.
    Mike
    "Life is a Project!"

  6. #6
    Senior Member hutzelbein's Avatar
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    I have tried it with my semi-rec sleeping bag, and it works to some degree, but depends on the hammock. Of course you will not be able to use a hammock with integrated mosquito netting. You will also need a fairly short and narrow hammock because ideally, you should be able to close the bag on the foot end. This is only possible if it's close to the hammock end. Also, the sleeping bag won't hold as much warmth as if you used it without the hammock, because there will be more and larger openings.

    That said, I agree with the others: an underquilt and top quilt should not be heavier than a sleeping bag and pad usually taken for tenting. I think you are trying to save weight in the wrong place. The HG Burrow 20° 74" top quilt weighs 17.3 oz, the HG Incubator 20° Standard weighs 22.0 oz, which would be 37.3 oz. With this combo you would need no additional insulation, it should work with any gathered end hammock, and you would be warm down to 20°. You could save weight by e.g. mixing a 20° underquilt with a 40° top quilt - or go for a shorter underquilt. Most sleeping bag / pad combinations carried by tenters would be heavier and bulkier...

  7. #7
    Senior Member Boston's Avatar
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    For winter/cold weather camping I have thought about using a small hammock pattern, like Sgt. Rock's "Ghost Hammock", and converting a sleeping bag or making a pea-pod for it. The narrow width mean a mummy stye bag should fit, and the short length mean's you don't need huge holes for the hammock to run through. It would cut down on the bulk of high loft TQ and UQ, and the ghost hammock is surprisingly comfortable. I made a 1.9oz/sq yrd version that only weights 7oz.
    Last edited by Boston; 05-02-2014 at 13:57.

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