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Bivy vs Underquilt
I was in recent conversation with another hammock camper and he suggested
bivy sack with a regular sleeping bag instead of an underquilt. To me this does t make sense but I was wanting to get y'all's opinions. His reasoning was that the bivy is made of gorges therefor will block wind and other elements.
I don't know just seems like it wouldn't work. I'd be interested to hear if any fellow hammock campers have tried this method and what your results were.
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The reason for the UQ is to avoid compression of the insulation, a bivy doesn't fix that problem. I've used my military sleep system quite a few times in my hammock with the bivy. In nice weather it doesn't seem to matter. However in cold or stormy weather it can make you a little more comfortable and compensate for lack of a winter tarp and/or not being able to pitch your tarp to block all the wind and such.
I am assuming you are talking about being in the sleeping bag in the hammock. If you are talking about suspending the bivy/bag under as a UQ then pretty much anything that will shape to the hammock nicely will work.