Z-Liner mod

I have noticed that inside the pockets of my NX150

Down in the corners there are openings to each other side-to-side not, for/aft.

When I set up the hammock each time I have to slip my hand down
and organize the pads so they are not bunched up over to one side leaving a bare spot(s).

The thought is to add some sort of attachment to the corners of each Z-pad
that would run through the openings and attach the corner of one pad
to the same corner of the pad next to it.
Thus holding it in a perpetual organized state . . . sort of.

I wish to have a double pad in each pocket, so will fabricate the second set my self.
And then make a thinner than normal UQ to help the whole unit get to a colder temp.
Thinsulate, Climashield, or some filler like what is used in my vest,
which keeps me quite warm, and as it fits snug or tightly
I can see the value of keeping it all closely raped.

You could also consider a universal insultex UQ from Tree To Trail Gear and MacEntrye as your thinner than normal underquilt.

That should also give you the continuous coverage that you are looking for to bridge any gaps in your Z Liner pads.

Cheers

Brian

Thanks for the tip on the opening in the corners of the pockets. The problem I've had with the z-liner is keeping each of the pads "organized." Seems like the corners of the pads tend to creep away from the corners of the pockets ..... leading to one or more cold spots.

Running with your idea of trying to attach the pads, I attached a small strip of velcro to the bottom corner of each pad and connected the bottom corners of opposing pads using velcro through the opening in the corners of the pockets. So far this has kept the z-liner pads organized even when I put a few items in the pockets. I'm hopeful this little modification will provide to more consistent bottom insulation performance from the z-liner.

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Hey thanks for posting on the Z-Liner guys. I got my NX-150 this summer. I'm good with the pockets filled with misc. Items like clothes and gear down to about the high 30's then I have to start insulating underneath with a thermo rest pad. Ive been down to 14°with this, its ok but anything touching the sides is freezing. those that have the Z-liner do you think there is enough bang for the buck or would you have rather bought a down underquilt instead? I can't decide if I should get the Z-liner or a hammock gear winter incubater.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by wolf track

Hey thanks for posting on the Z-Liner guys. I got my NX-150 this summer. I'm good with the pockets filled with misc. Items like clothes and gear down to about the high 30's then I have to start insulating underneath with a thermo rest pad. Ive been down to 14°with this, its ok but anything touching the sides is freezing. those that have the Z-liner do you think there is enough bang for the buck or would you have rather bought a down underquilt instead? I can't decide if I should get the Z-liner or a hammock gear winter incubater.

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Get the incubator, IMHO Clark missed the boat with the ZLiner. I made little squares of refectix (shiny car sun shield stuff), weighs almost nothing, to put in the pockets, that along with my Te-Wa gets me mid 20's . The Z-liner was cold (to me) around 40. Sold the Z-Liner 2 weeks after I got it.

Generally, gaps between any underquilt and the bottom of the hammock potentially lead to heat loss, cold spots, etc. I think one of the challenges with the z-liner is that it essentially comprises seven mini underquilts. The challenge for me has been ensuring that the pads are distributed where they need to be in the pockets with as few gaps as possible.

Each z-liner pad is firmly secured with velcro at the tops of the pockets - this part is great. The remainder of the pad is left to "float" in the pocket. This is where I believe it would be nice if there was a way to provide stability to the floating portion of the pad to keep it next to the back of the hammock as well as close to adjacent pads.

Adding the velcro to the bottom corners of the pads and connecting the bottoms of adjacent pads has seemed to improve the z-liners performance/consistency (still evaluating).

Just to let you know, I am not a survivalist, I must be comfy and toasty so any cold spot or lack of perceived warmth will bother me.

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Originally Posted by patentdoc

Generally, gaps between any underquilt and the bottom of the hammock potentially lead to heat loss, cold spots, etc. I think one of the challenges with the z-liner is that it essentially comprises seven mini underquilts. The challenge for me has been ensuring that the pads are distributed where they need to be in the pockets with as few gaps as possible.

Each z-liner pad is firmly secured with velcro at the tops of the pockets - this part is great. The remainder of the pad is left to "float" in the pocket. This is where I believe it would be nice if there was a way to provide stability to the floating portion of the pad to keep it next to the back of the hammock as well as close to adjacent pads.

Adding the velcro to the bottom corners of the pads and connecting the bottoms of adjacent pads has seemed to improve the z-liners performance/consistency (still evaluating).

Just to let you know, I am not a survivalist, I must be comfy and toasty so any cold spot or lack of perceived warmth will bother me.

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I agree with all of this, but even had that been addressed by Clark I still feel as if the pads were just not warm enough. I guess it depends on what you want for temperature rating, but if you are judging warmth based on the incubator, the Clark will fall VERY short.

I second the warmth and weight of down is hard to beat and is the standard by which all insulation tends to be measured. Hard to go wrong with a down underquilt.

That being said I haven't really given synthetic insulation too much of a chance before.

If I had enough time and money I would love to compare the z-liner (with and without any modifications) to a "one-piece" top quality synthetic underquilt maybe like the KAQ.

I don't think connecting the bottom corners of the pads helped significantly. The pads are significantly longer than the pocket depth so attaching the bottom corners does not help keep the insulation near your backside. After spending the evening around 40 degrees, it was still cooler than I was hoping for. It wasn't cold and would likely be acceptable to many, but for me I prefer a bit more warmth - I like to be toasty.

Thats about it for the experimenting - back to down I go ......