I don't need a UQ!!!

[gargoyle]

Its summertime, and we are all dealing with heat issues, but I tried something today I have not seen. I was in the process of cutting up a down coat and fitting to make an uq. During this, I slid the coat around my hammock, and it fit, jumped in the hammock and slid the coat down around me. The coat covered my legs and waist. So the wheels got turning and I grabbed a vest and wrapped it above my head, around the hammock and zipped it on. Now, I lay back, reach down slide the jacket up to my hips, reach up and pull vest down over my head, totally covered. I spun the vest around to align the hole for the sleeve directly around my head. I could stick my head out, allowing more breathing room, and reducing any problems with condensation.
Now maybe someone has already tried this, but I haven't seen it during my short time here at HF. Seems to me that this would eliminate the need to pack extra sleeping bags, uq, and top quilts. Plus you have a functional piece of clothing to wear during the day.
So, then I took it one step further and grabbed my north face mummy sleeping bag, unzipped it a few inches at the foot end, pulled the hammock suspension through the opening, hooked the hammock back up and jumped in. After getting all situated in the hammock, I slid the bag around me and got complete coverage from the bag, feet to head. Now this was just slighlty snug around my knees, but certainly doable. About the only drawbacks I could see were it might limit how much leg spreading room I had and possibly bag dragging on the ground when I sat up to push the bag back towards my foot end. I would just have to be careful at this stage to insure I picked up on the bag as I sat up.
I could also remedy this problem by hanging my hammock a few inches higher.
Then, I pulled the vest down around my head again, creating a complete wrap around me, head to toe. I also had my blue ccf in the double layer, so I'm thinking that this would give me excellent warmth.
gargsleepbag 019.JPG

gargsleepbag 021.JPG

sorry about the bad picture quality. you can only put so much lipstick on a pig...
I've looked around HF and didn't see anyone with this type set-up, maybe its been done before?
A couple of things I liked about this was the fact you can wear the jacket or vest during the day, foregoing its not wet with rain, then wrap it around you at night, no need for topquilt or uq, less pack weight, and the price. I already had the sleeping bag,vest and down jacket. I didnt get any pics with the jacket. These were both XXL jacket and vest, for obvious reasons.
The bag was not compressed when in position, so I think R-value would not be comprimised.

[gargoyle]

A couple other thoughts about this set-up. If I were forced to the ground, (no trees) I have a bag to sleep in. And I'm not fighting with the blanket or top quilt, tucking or adjusting during the night. And since I'm completely cacooned, I don't worry about UQ moving around.

I slept in it last night, only a few things I would want to modify.
1. Zipper mod. Add a triangle of fabric along length of zipper, making bag slighlty larger and roomier. Make it adjustable with a bungee cord and toggle-style cord lock. This would allow me to vent the bag in warmer situations. I was thinking possibly a fleece material here. And do a matching zipper mod, so that it would be removable. Leave tail end of fleece/zipper mod loose, so I can stick my feet out if I get hot.
2. Foot box mod. Slit the foot box of the bag a few inches, stitch it up with some grosgrain, leaving it open enough for the suspension to pass thru. and tying on elastic bungee cord to foot end to keep everything in place.

My bag can be spun around to different sides, (i.e., zipper up, mummy hood on top, or bottom, mummy hood drawstring pulled tight or loosened up as weather dictates). And with the zipper mod, I could open or close the zipper, depending on how the tempature is. Opening the zip in warmer weather would allow the bag to sag some on the bottom, providing ventilation, same as adjusting the uq's bungee cord.

Now to make a stuff sack, black bishop-style, to cram the whole set-up into, hmmmm. Once to camp, hang one end and pull, tie up other end and all done. I'll make a bishop bag with extra room and a few compression straps. That should make for easier packing. Or...., a bishop bag inside a bishop bag, one for the hammock, and one for the sleeping bag. That way if I wanted to just hang in the hammock during the day without the sleeping bag, I could just leave SB stuffed in its own bag.

Granted, this set-up would only work with top-entry, gathered end hammocks. Any hammock with attached mosquito netting are out of luck.
My ridge-line suspension/mosquito net support still is functional, just tying ridgeline on after bag is in place around hammock.

"GARGOYLEBIRD "sleep shelter.. Patent Pending?

[NCPatrick]

I like your vest idea. I'll have to see if mine can cover as much (mine is size L, not XXL).

Sounds like you're making good progress figuring out what works for you.

[BillyBob58]

Sounds like you have come up with a variation on the Speer PeaPod. And he got the idea for that just by wrapping a sleeping bag around a hammock. http://www.speerhammocks.com/Assets/...aPodSystem.htm

As long as you have room enough for comfort, and don't feel too confined, this should work just fine. But also watch out for 2 things. 1: If the sides of the hammock hold the top of the bag above you by 0ne to five inches ( this will vary with hammock width), you won't be near as warm on top as you would be using that same set up on the ground, or using an equivalent bag or quilt inside the hammock.

2: Watch out for either a gap underneath you or conversely a snug fit against your back to the point of compressing loft. Once again, either will greatly decrease warmth.

Once you work those two items out, if even needed, you should be good to go.

[pineapplenewton]

I tried puting my sleeping bag around my DIY hammock but i felt to confined manly in the legs and shoulders and it cut out any ability for a diagonal lie

[gargoyle]

Thanks, Billy. I pondered that air gap myself, but figured if I was zipped up tight for cold weather, then the fleece zipper mod would fill that space. I could also make an alternate down zipper mod to switch out for really cold temps.
I saw Speers pods before, just not the full length version you posted. Thanks.
I also have a much more attractive vest to wear, vs. the sniveller style. Speers idea is practical, just a little goofy for public wear, in my opinion.
Do you or anyone out there, see a problem with condensation with this set-up?
Also, I'm tossing around the idea of adding a weather sheild/sock to envelope this "gargoylebird" system. Which I would suspend above, via the ridgeline, drawstring tight at foot and head end. adding a zipper to allow easy egress. Putting a couple of velcro closable slider pockets to allow it slip on and off the ridgeline. Or just leave it gathered at the foot end and slide it around after bag is in place.
*** Looking for pointers on fabric here, i.e., ripstop vs. dwr for breathability, waterproof, etc.
Zipper would allow for venting, as would drawstring closures.
With every thing I would have, tarp, bag with different mods, ccf pad and weathersheild/sock, I think I'll have a very versatile set-up.

[gargoyle]

Pineapple, I also felt a little confined, and diagonal lay was hampered some, I never said it was perfect. Hence the zipper mod. I'm just tossing this idea out there, to get feedback. I think its practical, I don't need to buy or make another quilt. My North Face SB is a Large or XL, I don't recall, I've had it for a long time. I bought the biggest one I could find at the time. I am 6'-5" and weigh 330. (sigh). So this practice may not work with smaller, snugger fitting bags, I knew that when I posted, just forgot to mention my larger equipment, so to speak.
As Billy mentioned, it would also depend on individual hammock width, along with bag size.
Also with foot box mod, it would allow hammock fabric to spead more normally, yet still giving a fairly weathertight seal. Possibly cutting foot box in a crescent shape to mimmick normal hammock stretch when occupied. You could add a little elastic to foot box mod, where suspension passes thru. Keeping bag snug and still allowing expansion of hammock fabric.

[gargoyle]

Finished my sleeping bag mod.
gargoyle sleep mod 054.JPG
Cut hole in foot box
gargoyle sleep mod 055.JPG
Pushed aside insulation, and stitched up fabric.
gargoyle sleep mod 057.JPG
Added webbing reinforcement.
gargoyle sleep mod 058.JPG
Inside view of bag mod.
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Outside of bag.
gargoyle sleep mod 061.JPG
Gargoyle in bag, with hammock strung thru the new modified bag.
gargoyle sleep mod 060.JPG
Close-up view of footbox.
Still allows me to lay diagonally, although I'm not in the picture. Bag is not tight to bottom of hammock, retaining r-value. Bag does not ride high on top of me, and is maintaining loft. Bag moves with me as I wiggle around in the hammock. This will eliminate cold spots. I can open zipper to vent if I get warm. I can still use the bag normally, if I need to. I can open bottom zip and stick my feet out.
I figured I would play guinea pig, and be the guy who tore up his sleeping bag. Turned out good. Works better than I thought it would.
** NOTE*There is a gap at the foot end, I would do a V-cut next time to allow bag to seal better. Its not a huge hole, and if I get cold feet, I could just wear socks.

[vitamaltz]

Looks good. I have a bag with a full length double zipper and have spent a few nights like this. It's a good way to hang. I think someone mentioned something on Jeff's site about using extra clothes to stuff in the footbox hole to create a thermal seal.

[Scratch]

I like your creativity. Keep it coming!