Snugpak Under Blanket

[cspan37421]

Just received my Snugpak from Amazon today (received very quickly), and it seems as if they finally started including directions. Perhaps the technical writers had a long overdue conversation with the engineers. Apologies if I missed where someone else mentioned this, but I did read the whole thread.
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Okay, let's see if I can attach a picture:
Attachment 137372

Thanks for sharing that. The instructions that came with mine are attached to my post #179 in this thread.
Those instructions are interesting. Their labeling for the 2nd picture of step 3 is off, obviously, but the pix for steps 4 and 5 clarify it (if you really weren't sure! ha)
I don't think that their method would work for any but the shortest hammocks or the longest leads from the center loops. They depict a slip knot loop very close to the side edge of the underblanket. Let's remember this thing is only 83" long - not even seven feet! So the notion that the loop could reach the carabiner or connector to the suspension is a little crazy IMO. If you put the loop at the far end of the cord, that's a different matter, of course, and in essence, it's what I'm planning to do. Even then, theirs is depicted as doubled-over, so the cord would be quite short regardless.

Well, as they say, one night in the field is worth 10 (or 100) in front of the computer. Best to try it out.

[Snaps]

I don't know what the protocol is on resurrecting threads, but I bought and used my Snugpak last week in 50-degree overnight temps using a simple down throw as a top quilt, and I was comfortable after some adjustment.

I'm sending my HH Explorer off to 2Q2Z soon for mod #4, and yesterday I talked to Donna about adding some grosgrain tabs & D-rings along the zippers to support some storage inside as well as, possibly, the UQ outside. I was thinking if I fit tabs on the outside, near the peaks, I could run the UQ shock cords through them and help keep it in place. Any suggestions on positioning or otherwise would be great.

EDIT: This is what I had in mind...

I'd pull one end of each (long) side shock cord out just to thread a double cord lock to use as a toggle, like this one:



...then I'd pull the shock cord back through to its original position. As for the hammock, I'd have some grosgrain tabs added as shown below for the UQ shock cord & toggles to go through:



After that, the shock cords at the ends could go to the typical tie-off spots.

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[Chesapeake]

Here's a vid showing how ive modified mine to make hanging it MUCH easier. It now mimics the suspension of my HG and CDT UQ's. At the time I hand sewed the end channels since I was still learning to sew and that was the hardest part. Now it goes on with a simple S binner on each end and is easily adjustable as well. This is by far the quickest way to hang it, gets the tightest seal on the ends, has the most adjustment and is able to be biased towards your head and feet unlike other mods or the stock suspension. If you scroll up some you'll see how I was previously hanging it using a standard primary suspension w/ a secondary larksheaded to it and no end channels for sinching it up. This method worked, but my current suspension is far better I think. Here's the link, good luck : https://youtu.be/Z6F79IZtGJE

[Chesapeake]

Oh, and the loops on the sides of the UQ will match the location of the asym pull outs on a HH. I had a HH about a year ago and used this UQ with it all the time. There's a couple loops on each long side of the UQ , with one on each side lining up almost exactly with the pullouts, just like how a JRB winter nest has grosgrain loops asymmetrically that match the pull outs of a HH. Doing this also keeps the quilt locked in place and from sliding off your shoulder at night. If you go to the JRB website, on the winter nest page they have a set up video, and in it shows using the loops and pull outs together as well. Its the same process with this quilt. I used it like that in warmer months to keep it just on my shoulder, but when it got colder I didn't so the quilt was as close to as much of my body as possible. I think Pan goes over that as well in the JRB video I mentioned above. Good luck, lemme know if you have any questions about how I did the mod or doing this.

[Snaps]

Thanks - I did see your video on one the previous posts in this thread, I think. I may see if I can get some fabric to add those end channels. As it happens, I have an order on the way from Dutch with a roll of 3/32" shock cord and a variety of cord locks.

I noticed that one of the tie outs on my hammock lined up with the loop on the UQ, and if I had made any effort at all, the one on the other side probably would have, too.


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[Dublinlin]

I used my SnugPak Underblanket for over a year before I made any appreciable alterations to it. The second winter using it, I added cinchable draft collars on each end that I made out of fleece and scraps of Climashield and I replaced the inner end cords with lighter elastic cordage and lengthened the outer side cords and added a mini binder to make them easy to clip to the end of my hammock. The draft collars totally sealed out any drafts, not that I had a major issue with drafts to begin with. My hanging buddy did have problems sealing the ends of HER SnugPak fully, so I solved her problem by adding cinchable draft collars on hers and figured might as well add them to mine while I was at it. I like the cinchable insulated draft collars!

[Pigfoot]

After reading all this, I went out and bought the Snugpak UQ $50 through Walmart. For being so inexpensive, it really is impressive. Attaching it is a bit primitive out of the box. but a little dutch hardware should fix it up nice. after that.....nice summer quilt. don't know if I would take it below 50 degrees, but ill try it when I have some back up. just in case.

[Barbi520]

I've seen a few posts about making DIY under quilts out of SnugPak Jungle Blankets and had thought about trying that myself, until I looked on line and found that SnugPak actually sells a hammock specific Under Blanket. (Maybe they heard folks were making them out of the Jungle Blanket, so they developed one themselves to market ready-made?) At any rate, the ready made one from SnugPak was pretty economical so I decided to give it a try, even though I'd already ordered the plain Jungle Blanket. I have both now and the Hammock Under Blanket is much loftier than the Jungle Blanket. The Under Blanket fits beautifully on my WBBB XLC.

My underblanket arrived by UPS after dark last night in the midst of a torrential storm. I already had my WBBB XLC and SuperFly up in anticipation of its arrival. I quickly scrounged four small carabiners and ventured out into the night with my newly delivered SnugPak UnderBlanket. In the dark, in a storm, holding my flashlight by my teeth, I put the new underblanket on my hammock in only a few minutes and crawled in for the best night's sleep ever in my WBBB!

Doing mostly cool and cold weather camping, I have always used a closed cell pad because an underquilt won't yet fit into my budget. I have a DL hammock and always considered the pad comfortable...but, you'll never catch me using it ever again! The underblanket is awesome! There were absolutely no chilly spots anywhere in my hammock, unlike my pad experiences! The wind was blowing mercilessly, beating my tarp against my hammock and the temperature dropped from 61 degrees to 43 degrees in just a few hours as a cold front moved in. It remains to be seen how well the blanket insulates at lower temps, but I was way warmer at 43 with this underblanket than I've been at 43 in the past using a closed cell foam pad. I could lay any which way without encountering a cold spot. Once, early in the morning, I did notice my shoulder feeling cool but, unzipping my bug net and reaching outside for a quick feel, I found the underblanket had shifted off center. Without even sitting up, I was able to snag it and easily slide it back into position, instantly eliminating the cold spot. I doubt shifting of the underblanket will be an issue in the future when I can rig the underblanket in daylight and am more familiar with how to rig it properly to begin with!

I'm sure the SnugPak Under Blanket can't hold a candle to the down underquilts in warmth, lightness, or compact-ability...but it is definitely a step up in the right direction over a closed cell pad and at $44.95, ready to hang, it is very affordable!

I had already bought the SnugPak Jungle blanket before realizing SnugPak makes a ready made hammock underblanket, so, I thought I would lay them out together for a photo so you can see how they compare with each other size-wise (in case you'd rather DIY). The ready made underblanket is oval in shape. At its widest point is is the same width as the SnugPak Jungle Blanket and it is ten inches longer than the Jungle Blanket. In addition, it feels about three times thicker. It has a lot more loft. In the photo (which I will attempt to attach here) the black Jungle blanket had been sitting out fluffing for several days whereas I'd compressed the olive UnderBlanket back into it's compression bag earlier today and pulled it out moments before this photo was taken. The Underblanket comes with shock cord at four points. Down each of the long sides, shock cord runs through a continuous channel with a cinch attachment mid-length on each of the long sides.

Attachment 119267Attachment 119268

[Barbi520]

This was a really entertaining and informative thread. Now I don't feel like something is wrong with me when I am out in the dark back yard at midnight experimenting with hammocks! Have several Snugpak products.
Pleased with them all!

[Hefty Hanger]

my first hammock was snugpack, bit short for me. Thinks only 8'. Still use the UQ in the summer car camping. Only thing Ive done to it in 5 years is tied both inside cords together on each end. Then both outside cords. threw a biner on for ease of deployment.