Sleeping bags in hammock not getting proper appreciation

**PA Pathfinder** · 12-28-2009, 02:39

First off lots of good opinions and information here as a newbie in the process of figuring my hammock set up and what fits my budget. I have thought of of something I hear a common thing of the issue of ease of zippering a SB. What about tying a piece of cording to the zipper so once in the bag and in your hammock you can easily just grab the cord and pull the zipper

I been camping in tents since being in scouts and always have had sleeping bags so if i could save s few bucks and use it that would be awesome. Also another thought what about using Mil Surplus Quilts as an underquilt they are cheap and easy to get all one would have to do is get some webbing and sew a few loops on as a mounting system. Here is a link to the ones im thinking of getting and trying http://www.majorsurplus.com/GI-Style...3488C2085.aspx

Just a few thoughts from a newbie any thoughts would be appricated I will eventually make a posting on my ideas for my hammock rig but still figuring a few things out before I make a "final plan" of what I m going to want and would like.

Mike

**HappyCamper** · 12-28-2009, 08:54

Hi PA Pathfinder. Yep, quite a few people make sleeping bags into underquilts. For car camping a lot of sleeping bags will work as underquilts. But for backpacking, most will go to the underquilts made by our cottage industry guys on this forum because they compress small for your backpack and are much lighter.

I was looking for some of the DIY links but didn't find all the ones I was looking for, but here's a sample. Hopeful some others will post you links.

I like the idea of putting a longer cord on the zipper of sb to make it easier to find and zip!

**Just Jeff** · 12-28-2009, 09:01

The problem with zipping a sleeping bag in the hammock isn't finding the zipper, it's getting inside the bag and getting the zipper sides lined up so it can be zipped. I think adding a string will help finding and pullling, but you'll still have to dance around a bit to get everything lined up. Not a huge issue for me so I still occasionally use a sleeping bag, but some people complain about it. Surely isn't as simple as throwing a top quilt over you.

Those quilts would work. You'll have to put some kind of cinching mechanism on the ends to snug them up to your head and feet, in addition to the hanging loops. JRB probably has the easiest solution to that...drawstring channels on each end, with cordlocks at each corner and in the center of the foot side and head side.

**Just Jeff** · 12-28-2009, 09:02

This thread was a great idea, HappyCamper. Gonna make it a sticky so newbies don't think top quilts are the only way to go, simply b/c most of the threads here are on top quilts.

**J_Squared** · 12-28-2009, 09:54

Originally Posted by drewboy

Keep an eye out for killer sales. I got a Golite Ultra 20 quilt for $135 at a sale that Golite had earlier this year. I'm sure that it won't be the last.

I frequently see this quilt on sale but I'm a little confused at the length. I always see a short option only. Is this the only way it comes? From what I found on the Golite website short is the only length. Is it designed to be supplemented with a jacket for upper body insulation? I'm 6-4 so I shy away from anything published with the length as short but I could be sold by getting dual use from a down jacket as part of my sleep system. Wouldn't be much weight savings if I had to carry a down jacket in spring/fall though.

**J_Squared** · 12-28-2009, 09:59

Originally Posted by BigB

Sleeping bags work fine as tq's. However, the same hood that feels nice when your in the bag gets annoying when used as a quilt. IMO.

I agree. Extra weight to carry without any use as well. I'll typically use my bag as a quilt with the hood to the side and wear a hat. I was going to need a hat around camp anyway so its not really extra weight. The sleeping bag hood OTOH is useless extra weight IMHO.

I can't stand the knee constriction of the mummy bag so I always use the bag in quilt mode. Plus, in quilt mode you can go way beyond the temp rating due to all the extra material piled up on top of you.

**drewboy** · 12-28-2009, 10:22

I'm around 5'10" in height and find my ultra 20 length to be just adequate, without a lot of extra margin. I like to be able to pull my quilt over my mouth and nose if necessary. At 6'4" I would be concerned about the length. I also would not rely solely on this quilt for warmth at temps below the mid 30's without supplementing with other worn insulation. There seems to be fairly universal agreement around here that the Ultra 20 does not deserve the rating that Golite gives it. With all that said, I do really like the quilt and it's my go-to piece of gear for 3 season camping.

Originally Posted by J_Squared

I frequently see this quilt on sale but I'm a little confused at the length. I always see a short option only. Is this the only way it comes? From what I found on the Golite website short is the only length. Is it designed to be supplemented with a jacket for upper body insulation? I'm 6-4 so I shy away from anything published with the length as short but I could be sold by getting dual use from a down jacket as part of my sleep system. Wouldn't be much weight savings if I had to carry a down jacket in spring/fall though.

**ice man** · 12-28-2009, 10:38

O K, now I admit to being a newby at this hangin' around stuff, and mostly use it for when it's blazin' hot out. Now, I got a question....Do you stand up and "put the bag on" then lay down in the hammock, or put the bag in the hammock and fight your way into it?

**Cannibal** · 12-28-2009, 10:43

Ya know, I avoided reading this thread cause I thought "Eh, another sleeping bag vs. quilt thread. Who cares?" But, wow are there some passionate folks about their bags. Almost makes me wish I still had a few.

I'm lucky, I guess. After a few years of using hammocks, I still sleep like a motionless log in them. I don't worry about tucking anything except a certain something after a midnight calling. When I first got into this hammock camping thang I had a couple of old bags laying around. I hadn't been camping, much less hiking, in many years at that point; save a few beer drowned camping trips with hooligan friends. They weren't of the best quality, but they were respectable in their day and they filled the initial need. What got me into quilts? My first camping hammock; it was a Hennessy. Oh the joy and elation of the bag and pad dance in a Hennessy. That glorious feeling of accomplishment when after an hour of struggling, I finally found comfort. Oh yeah, that was the life for me.

Once I started reading about quilts, it just made perfect sense. I'd been using blankets for years to sleep and considered myself an expert in their use. The simple addition of insulation wasn't bound to complicate things too much in my mind. Sure enough, I excelled in the art of quilt use and quickly realized their benefits. Such as the previously mentioned 'tucking' in the wee-wee hours. How many of the fellas here have had the "zipper experience" in their lives? I bet the ones that have remember it well. Probably even remember what you had for lunch on that fateful day. Well, the notion of that happening with the heavy duty zippers on sleeping bags, heh, no thanks! With a quilt, it's just a simple lift of the quilt and lean out of the hammock; getting re-situated is child's play.

The quilt provides everything the bag cannot. "Mummy bags are warmer". What gives you that idea? The footbox of my quilts forms the same shape as the footbox of a mummy bag, thereby providing the same heat retention in a confined space. My underquilt serves to seal the deal around the edges and shoulders; it even conforms to my shape. I'll give a nod to those who are restless sleepers and find themselves requiring a tuck here and there, but since I'm not one of those people, I can't really relate.

My quilts have no zippers to damage me or my hammocks. I never have to struggle to get under my quilt and more importantly, I can be up and out of my hammock in a flash if need be; no searching for a zipper and hoping it doesn't catch on the bag's fabric shell while the Bogeyman stalks me from the edges of my campsite.

All in all, for me, there is really no comparison. I don't see myself ever going back to sleeping bags. I have yet to find myself out in frigid temps saying "Boy, I sure wish I had a sleeping bag" or "I wish I had to expend more energy getting into my hammock". Do sleeping bags work for hammocks? Of course they do. Do washboards work for cleaning your clothing? Yep! Do you want to trade your washing machine in for one, probably not. I feel the same way about my quilts vs. sleeping bags.

Everybody is entitled to opinions and this was mine.

**oldgringo** · 12-28-2009, 12:10

Originally Posted by Just Jeff

The problem with zipping a sleeping bag in the hammock isn't finding the zipper, it's getting inside the bag and getting the zipper sides lined up so it can be zipped. I think adding a string will help finding and pullling, but you'll still have to dance around a bit to get everything lined up.

I put a drop of hot glue on the zipper track about an inch from the bottom so it won't unzip all the way and separate. That helped a bunch.

From that point on though, zippers are a pita. Not only do the tracks have to be somewhat matched up, tension needs to be maintained from the already zipped portion. And then, there's the whole zipper snagging deal...flesh and fabric.

A note: El Cheapo Coleman bags have solved the snag...they have a little plastic gizmo they call a zipper plow that pushes fabric away from the zipper. Simple, cheap, and it works.