View Full Version : Just curious.. Pad Placement Question
Do any of you sleep on top of a thermarest (or any other pad) inside your bag with you. I hate using a pad in hammock because it slides around so much. But in a bag it could be ok. Anyone ever tried this? Pros? Cons?
Thanks
Ramblinrev
08-13-2009, 13:44
That still requires the agility of a gazelle to get into the bag. Complicated by the rigidity of the pad. In short... no. it is beyond my capability.
A short (3/4?) thermarest works great in an SPE and stays put. Then just use the bag as a quilt.
Ken (my SPE is a DIY)
BillyBob58
08-13-2009, 13:57
A short (3/4?) thermarest works great in an SPE and stays put. Then just use the bag as a quilt.
Ken (my SPE is a DIY)
I agree. Plus you can put some CCF ans/or clothing in the wings to keep your shoulders warm. Then, if you need something for your legs, just use a separate pad or your pack. A pad that just goes under your legs does not cause near the problems as one that is under your back and butt and legs. IOW a full length pad. That short TR will stay put great in a Speer SPE, and then you can just adjust the leg pad as needed, quite easily.
But even a full length pad will work better in an SPE than with out one.
sir_n0thing
08-13-2009, 18:14
This is sort of like my question about using a Big Agnes bag with the integrated pad sleeve... I still think it "sounds" like a good system. I'll know for sure in a few days when my Clark arrives! (WOOT!)
That still requires the agility of a gazelle to get into the bag. Complicated by the rigidity of the pad. In short... no. it is beyond my capability.
Is this why people use underquilts? I'm new to hammocking, but I'd like to camp in weather that get's down into the 40's with my HH. I don't currently own an underquilt, but I do have a CCF pad. Is it common opinion that sleeping on a pad is too tricky?
Last night I was testing my HH ExDeluxe in my backyard in 40* weather and I have a Cabelas Boundry waters 20* bag and a 1/2" Wally World 24" CCF pad. I cut the pad to fit my body style and rounded the corners. and cut V's into the side area that my waist and back meet.
For many reasons, one being a noob, it took alot of work getting it right, wiggling, and moving, add to that I am still learning the best tension for me in the HH. I woke up once with my shoulder cold as I moved off of the Pad, my face was the coldest part though. Going to have to find a facemask that will let me breath..and keep me warm.
Other than morning dew and normal condensation, I slept very well. I do want to extend the pad to 32-36" by adding 4-6" wings on each side as I have broad shoulders and did notice the cold on my arms.
Maybe a second pad going crossways as others have suggested will pack better?
The one thing I noticed was the wally world CCF Pad does not move much while in the hammock. Especially when you are trying to get it to move.
I imagine the experienced hangers here are thinking to themselves, yep, been there done that, thats why I moved to a quilt.
For me, I am seriously considering the HH Super shelter bottom and pad at least. It seems that it would pack much better than an array of CCF pads.
This is sort of like my question about using a Big Agnes bag with the integrated pad sleeve... I still think it "sounds" like a good system. I'll know for sure in a few days when my Clark arrives! (WOOT!)
+1 for using a pad inside the pad sleeve of a Big Agnes bag.
My wife and I both use a BA Lost Ranger bag with 1/2" Minicell CCF pads inside.
http://www.foambymail.com/Minicel.html
(Thanks Brandon for for turning us on to this foam ;))
I do not experience any moisture issues and would say that I am relatively average with regard sweating. I think the reason for this is the way the bag is made and also that I generally always sleep wearing Smartwool base layer on my torso.
Comfort is superb in the BB.
The pad is very well confined by the BA sleep system and to be honest I never really feel it under me in any negative way.
For even colder temperatures we will augment with an additional 1/4" layer of this same Mini cell Pad in between the two hammock layers. I think we can limit this to just the torso area.
Under quilts are simply not in my budget at this time and to me represent a bit of luxury that I really won't miss until after I first sleep using one.:rolleyes:
After that all bets are off as they say.:laugh:
-Darrel :)
Just for kicks, I put a CCF pad in an Eagles Nest Outfitter hammock and tried laying in that. It was extremely comfortable, but I was only laying in it for about 1/2 hour. And I toss and turn a lot at night, so it might not be so comfortable all night long...only time will tell.
bear bag hanger
08-31-2009, 08:23
This is why many of us need a double bottom hammock, like some of the Warbonnets and the Claytors. The thermorest tend to be the most difficult pads to stay on top of. A lightweight 3/8 in ccf pad stays put better a thermorest and is warmer. The thermorest has too much air inside it and therefore doesn't hold the heat in as well as a ccf. The biggest difficulty with a ccf is they can be hard to sleep on if you have to go to ground. Underquilts are great, but, for me, tend to be too heavy for backpacking.
BillyBob58
08-31-2009, 09:12
.................
I imagine the experienced hangers here are thinking to themselves, yep, been there done that, thats why I moved to a quilt.
For me, I am seriously considering the HH Super shelter bottom and pad at least. It seems that it would pack much better than an array of CCF pads.
It does indeed. It doesn't compress down as well as down, of course, but not bad.
Bulldawg
08-31-2009, 10:34
The new style thermarest pros have a coating grip of sorts on the bottom, that really makes them "stick" in place a lot better than those of old....
warbonnetguy
08-31-2009, 11:08
i've used a lower leg pad in conjunction with a torso uq where i placed the ccf sit pad directly in the footbox of my tq, it seemed to work pretty well, only done it once so far.
Mustardman
08-31-2009, 11:18
After this weekend, I can offer a big more insight into the pros/cons of the Big Agnes pad-inside-the-bag model, versus the double layer...
My fiance usually uses a BA bag, with the pad in the slot, but this weekend was far too warm for her BA bag, so we each used a Marmot Pounder bag. Since the Pounder doesn't have a pad slot on the bag, she placed her Exped Downmat in between the double layers of her Blackbird.
She hated it :lol:
Inside the Big Agnes bag, she was able to turn and move however she wanted, and the pad stayed put underneath her, but the double layer pad slot of the Blackbird is so ridiculously huge, that there is tons of room for the pad to move around. Specifically, it tends to slide up to the right, towards the shelf, and refuses to remain underneath you.
If there was one design change I'd make to the blackbird, it would be to put some sort of stop on the double layer, to keep the pad from going way up against the shelf to the right, where it doesn't do you any good.
If there was one design change I'd make to the blackbird, it would be to put some sort of stop on the double layer, to keep the pad from going way up against the shelf to the right, where it doesn't do you any good.
I'm wondering if you could deal with this the same way one deals with a sliding pad inside a tent, by painting silicon seam sealing "stripes" every few inches on the tent floor. I know it works in my silnylon tarptents to dramatically reduce the pad creepage to an acceptable minimum. Apply the seam sealer/silcone caulk (diluted appropriately with mineral spirits) with a disposable foam brush to the bottom layer of fabric. The pain-in-the-butt part of this project would be to keep the top layer of the double bottom away from the newly applied stripes for a day or so, long enough for it to cure.
Hangin' Burrito
09-01-2009, 06:01
I took some 1.1 uncoated ripstop nylon and made a "pillowcase" for my ccf pad and it made it sooo... much easier to wiggle into place once your inside the hammock.;)
I combine that with my DIY Primoloft UQ and I'm good to about 20*!!!:D
Any of you considering doing a DIY UQ, I'd say go for it! I made mine for right around $100.( just don't look to closely at my stitching, it's solid but not pretty:laugh:)
cliff355
09-01-2009, 07:45
I hate using a pad in hammock because it slides around so much.
Thanks
I got a Cabelas pad which is essentially a Thermarest, and it is 25" x 76" and a couple inches thick when self-inflated. What I have found is this pad wedges into place in both a Clark NX250 and Eno Doublenest, and does not move at all. It pretty much turns the hammock into a hanging mattress. This thing might fit inside a sleeping bag, but there wouldn't be much room left for an occupant.
It is totally comfortable and would be a perfect setup except it doesn't breathe which can get a little uncomfortable by morning. So, I got an underquilt and this has pretty well solved the clamminess issue.
However, it may be necessary to use both the pad and underquilt when the weather gets really cold here in MN. If so, I'm planning to make a cover for it out of towels to hopefully soak up condensation. This may be a heavy solution, but I'm planning to transport it to the viscinity of my "hangs" by pickup truck.