best bag for hammock use

[slowhike]

yep, the BA bags are a wider bag, so if someone chooses to do what i did & remove the bottom sleeve & zipper, the insulated top is still wide enough for a top quilt.
welcome to HF 4ds. another N.C.er! ...tim

[TDunc]

Welcome to the forum, 4D's.

...welcome to HF 4ds. another N.C.er! ...tim

Thanks. NC Born and Raised....

[Mule]

Slowhike, I like your thinking on using the BA for a quilt. My Lost Ranger only has about a 3 inch wide down stuffed area between the zipper and the pad sleeve. I thought if I just unzipped it and used it as a quilt without destroying it for Bivy use it would work. I would just have to deal with the one side having a zipper and sleeve on it, which shouldn't be a problem. I found the BA with a BA insulated air mattress used as is was somewhat of a hassle. Even though the pad is always right under the sleeping bag, in a hammock, you yourself might be slipping off the pad and taking the insulation with it, so I had to be real careful to get everything exactly right under me, then i slept like a log.
I am now even thinking of leaving my BA at home and taking my 15 degree Marmot used as a quilt along with a Oware pad AND a Speer SPE with just 1/4 pads and a ridge rest in the middle under the Oware pad. I plan to let the Super Shelter with torso and kidney pads do the job underneath. I also have an over-cover for the SS if needed.
Yeh, it didn't take long to get addicted to Hammock gear.

[Mule]

Thanks to everyone who offered advice. I think my BA will be OK. Mule

[slowhike]

Slowhike, I like your thinking on using the BA for a quilt.

one thing to consider though.
as i used my horse thief quilt again this week end w/ minimal insulation on the out side of the hammock (an older style pea pod w/ sewn through construction... pretty thin), at 31°f, i was reminded that it's fairly narrow.

if you have a decent under quilt that insulates your sides well & you wear clothing (like i do) as part of your sleep system, it may serve you just fine.
but i would try it out at home to see how well the insulated part of the bag covers you both on your back & on your side.

[BillyBob58]

one thing to consider though.
as i used my horse thief quilt again this week end w/ minimal insulation on the out side of the hammock (an older style pea pod w/ sewn through construction... pretty thin), at 31°f, i was reminded that it's fairly narrow.

The BA Horsethief is pretty narrow? I thought BA bags were all pretty wide? Are you referring to side/shoulder insulation compression?

[dallas]

I have a BA Lost Ranger and the insulated air core mattress and a HH Explorer UL. I have used the bag only, bag with mattress and bag as a top quilt. My personal preference is to use the bag without the mattress. I found the mattress to be more hassle than it is worth, but only tried it once. I like that bag in the hammock because it is roomy, warm and very comfortable. I usually prefer to be in the bag rather than use it as a top quilt, but have done it both ways.

[jscalia]

I bought a BigAgnes Lost Ranger with the BA REM down air mattress for the sole purpose of using it in the hammock. A fully or partially inflated DAM in the bag sleeve helps to hold the hammock sides open and away from your body. It is very comfortable and warm. The bag is oversized so you dont ever feel confined. There is enough insulation around the shoulders to prevent cold spots. The pad does NOT SLIP! The only caveat is that its tough to use a bottom entry hammock...which is why I have switched from Hennessey to Clark. The air mattress also obviates any need for a separate pillow. Now, if the temperature is above 60 degrees you should only partially inflate the mattress. Below 60 degrees, just inflate to near full. I have not tested below 60 so I cant give you any practical information on extreme use, but I have had others say that slightly below freezing is no problem.

[slowhike]

The BA Horsethief is pretty narrow? I thought BA bags were all pretty wide? Are you referring to side/shoulder insulation compression?

when used in the way they were intended (pad in the bottom sleeve), they are a wide bag.
but when i made it into a quilt, i removed the pad sleeve. that got rid of a lot of what gave it width.

when other bags w/ insulation on bottom are made into quilts, only the zipper is removed leaving lots of width.