After decades of backpacking with tents I just acquired my first hammock -- a Blackbird 1.1 double layer. I have 4 nights of hanging experience in this model, having borrowed one from a very generous & trusting forum member. I will be using pads for the forseeable future. In my first trip (October 2012 in Kentucky's Red River Gorge) I used my old Thermarest self-inflator with half a Z-Lite crossways under my upper torso, both placed between the double layers of the Blackbird. I had difficulty keeping the partially-inflated Thermarest positioned under me, and fortunately the overnight temps didn't dip below 40 degrees. For top insulation I used my 32* UL Mont-Bell superstretch down SB as a TQ with the bottom third zipped up.

I'm looking for a method of securing the position of these pads under me while I sleep. I'm a back-sleeper and don't move around much. I'm open to any ideas including an SPE, though I want to keep additional purchases (and additional weight) to a minimum. I started this thread to focus on the possibility of sewing a pad sleeve for holding my pads in place.

What are the advanatges/drawbacks to sewing a pad sleeve into the hammock?

With a double layer hammock, would you simply sew through both layers?

If the pad sleeve involves sewing on additional material, to what surface should it be sewn? I assume it would be the inner layer, but would that be the top side (where I reside) or the bottom side (keeping the pads between the layers)?