Bottom insulation for SOBO thru

I've been lurking on HF for a while and i recently pulled the trigger on a WBBB dl 1.0, to be used for a SOBO AT thru (yay!).

Totally love the hammock :boggle: but i'm having bottom insulation angst. I want the option to go to ground or use shelters etc. so initially i was going to use a gossamer gear ThinLight.

Reconsidering since so many of ya'll swear by the UQs... ;) For a thru it seems there would be a small weight penalty, a large jump in comfort and packability, but a decrease in versatility. Also, if that thing gets wet, i'm toast! :scared:

Wondering who's done an AT thru with a hammock, what setup they used, and what weight UQ (e.g. summer vs. 3S) would be most appropriate, how you would have done it differently, etc.

Leaning towards a TeWa at the moment but still not divorced from the pad idea. :unsure: Any input welcome! :D

I have never hiked the AT but if I were you I would carry a summer UQ and a torso pad of some sort just in case you have to G2G. CCF is fine but it's bulky. Reflectix packs up quite small (have to get a little creative sometimes) and it's almost as light. I wouldn't wanna be stuck on the trail without a backup plan of some sort for your my system.

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Originally Posted by EBC

Reconsidering since so many of ya'll swear by the UQs... ;) For a thru it seems there would be a small weight penalty, a large jump in comfort and packability, but a decrease in versatility. Also, if that thing gets wet, i'm toast! :scared:

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I never hiked the AT but most of my outdoors comes in the ADKs by canoe.

I made a 3/4 UQ out of 6oz climashield. (one layer only) it wieghs in at 1lb, 6 oz. I've had it out in the driveway at around 45 degrees. I have been wet in syn bags before and stayed warm. I tried a pad in my HH and it is a pain trying to get into that bottom entry and then on the pad. I also sweat so much that my bag was SOAKED. I also cut 5/8" holes in my pad to combat the condensation, i was still warm but also still wet in the morning. The low temps in the ADKs in Oct were in the 30's. Food for thought.
Jason

I was a ground dweller when I thru-hiked the AT, but I've done longish hikes (7-15 days) with a set up that could work.

Buy yourself a 3-season phoenix from Hammockgear.com or a Yeti from Warbonnet. Great 2/3 length underquilts that are both warm and comfortable.

Then for the footbox, get a Gossamer Gear Nighlight Pad. I got the 3/4 length (60" long) and trimmed it down to about 48". It goes into the WB sleeve at the feet, and I fold it in half there. But if I need to go to ground, it makes for a tolerable night's rest. I did this last summer when I stayed at a campground on the Benton MacKaye Trail.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...6%2010/016.jpg

It would make for a decent bail option to sleep in a shelter in really bad weather (which is about the only reason I would sleep in a shelter any more). For your feet, just place your empty pack under them.

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Originally Posted by Bearpaw

Buy yourself a 3-season phoenix from Hammockgear.com or a Yeti from Warbonnet. Great 2/3 length underquilts that are both warm and comfortable.

Then for the footbox, get a Gossamer Gear Nighlight Pad. I got the 3/4 length (60" long) and trimmed it down to about 48". It goes into the WB sleeve at the feet, and I fold it in half there. But if I need to go to ground, it makes for a tolerable night's rest. I did this last summer when I stayed at a campground on the Benton MacKaye Trail.

It would make for a decent bail option to sleep in a shelter in really bad weather (which is about the only reason I would sleep in a shelter any more). For your feet, just place your empty pack under them.

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Nicey! Thanks Bearpaw! That's exactly what i was thinking. Not the ultra lightest option but probably "safer". Recommend a 3 season rather than, say, a summer weight UQ with 1oz overfill?

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Originally Posted by ChrisH

I have never hiked the AT but if I were you I would carry a summer UQ and a torso pad of some sort just in case you have to G2G. CCF is fine but it's bulky. Reflectix packs up quite small (have to get a little creative sometimes) and it's almost as light. I wouldn't wanna be stuck on the trail without a backup plan of some sort for your my system.

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Good call. I'm all about a backup system!

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Originally Posted by EBC

Nicey! Thanks Bearpaw! That's exactly what i was thinking. Not the ultra lightest option but probably "safer". Recommend a 3 season rather than, say, a summer weight UQ with 1oz overfill?

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It gets below freezing pretty easily in the southern Appalachian Highlands by November. I'd go with a three season underquilt. You'll also appreciate it in the higher elevations in Maine and definitely in the Whites. Just my thoughts.

HF Member "Coffee" is one of those weird southboundwards types. :tongueup::D

He did his southbound thru with a hammocks...mostly. He finished late and saw some pretty harsh stuff at the end. Hopefully he will see this thread and chime in. If not, I bet he'd answer a PM about a southbound thru. He's pretty proud of it.