Learning curves

well i am just typing a quick not to try to find some feedback. but i have to give you the story before you can help me out....

....it all started 2 days ago with a trip to algonquin park. a buddy of mine and i decided to try our hand out at trout fishing in North Tea lake as we heard that it was very successful so far this year. we found our site, set up camp, fished, then when it was time to turn it in i headed for my hammock and my friend for his tent...

...and the cold set in...

im talking serious cold, temp got down to 1 degree C.
"not that bad, its May".....which is what i though as well but i had only a summer sleeping bag with me. My hammock was completely inclosed in a tarp to stop the wind (thank god) but i could not stay warm. i had a CCF mat with me but it was no use....

...3 hours after trying to get to sleep i abandoned the hammock and dove into my friends tent for a warm yet uncomfortable sleep.

Now, this could have been a potentially dangerous situation if my friend had not had his tent there. and since i have done lots of other trips before with tents and sometimes solo, i know that i cant have this happen again.

this was the first time i have used my hammock on an overnighter (previously used a friends but he had an UQ).

i need an UQ, i have come to accept that. But i need one that will last me down to at least 0 Degrees C.

money however is still a factor. im hoping with the information given someone can help me pick out a sensible UQ (ie. down or syn, 3/4 or full, 3 season or winter, ect....).

thank you in advance

-OH-

You may have been fine with a warmer sleeping bag.. and something on your head for sure.. I am lucky enough to be able to test my gear in the back yard to give me an idea of temp. rating for certain gear.. Glad it worked out for you and chock one up for experience..

+1 for testing extremes in the back yard. I am not a pad person, but I know that many have used them successfully in the hammock. Maybe you need a warmer bag, or a hat, as mentioned, or perhaps you need a wider pad. the hammock tends to wrap around you, crushing any insulation you are wearing. There are lots of ways to put pads together that will work as a wider pad.

Glad you were ok. Hopefully you can adjust your gear to work for you.

I tend to agree that with a warmer bag you would have been fine. As for underquilts, I recently purchased one from Hammock Gear. A few other places I checked out in my search are:

Te-Wa Underquilts
Leighlo's Hammock Quilts
Arrowhead Equipment
Wilderness Logics
Warbonnet Outdoors

I'm sure there are others, but these are the places I checked out in my search for a underquilt.

Part of the problem may have been your stock tarp. They are sufficient to keep you dry in the rain if you dial them in right. But a wind tarp they ain't. You may want to put together an over cover to use assuming you can get the pad to work right. (I can't.. I end up skating around the hammock trying to stay on them. Even a pad extender did not work for me.) Your shoulders are a key area to protect as well as your butt. The stock tarp function well if you can spread it to give some coverage leeway. But the wind does not care about that. Pitched close the stock tarp still leaves a lot of area exposed to the wind.

i think the risk is just not worth it. once you get pneumonia or your kidneys/whatever get cold you could have health problems for the rest of your life. between me and my wife, we have a jrb hudson river that can be used as an under quilt rated to -4C, a jrb mount washington 3 season convertible rated to -10C, a hammock gear winter incubator rated to -18C and a super shelter. and that's for australia. otoh even the best gear is useless if not set up correctly.