Thoughts about sewing an underquilt permanently to the hammock?

[LokoLobo]

I've made all my own gear mostly because of budget reasons.
Anyway I had a thought the other day about taking an old down sleeping bag and actually sewing it to my hammock as permanently attached under quilt.

Just wondering if anyone else has done this or if you have any thoughts about it?

If I'm carrying both anyway, weight and bulk shouldn't be that big of a reason not to attach it.

[SilvrSurfr]

There are two vendors that I know of, Sheltowee Hammocks and Bonefire, that make hammocks with integrated quilts. It's definitely a niche market. Personally, I'd rather have the UQ independent so I can bring the insulation I need.

[IRONFISH45]

Way back when HF was in its' early development there was a lot of chatter about using sleepingbags converted into UQs and attatching the sleeping bag, now UQ to a hammock. As more vendors and quilt makers came along, less chatter about permanent attachment between the two components.

Problems with moisture comes to mind first, much easier to let you quilts and hammock breathe in the morning if they are separate units.

I suggest you try out your idea, see if you like it. There are a lot of new fabrics and somehow the quality of down is improving as is the synthetic insulation. Give your idea a try, you might hit a winner.

[TrailSlug]

This would work if you only have one hammock with one under quilt but for me and my 4 hammocks and 5 under quilts it would get expensive if I couldn't switch my UQ out as the temps change.

[ObdewlaX]

Superior Hammock is doing this and had a Kickstarter effort that may still be going on & is now on Indiegogo. There's also a new similar design out by the guys at Gear Hackers & can be seen here.

[Crazytown3]

OP you could do that, and I considered the same thing when I was first getting in to hammock camping. In my (humble) experience, the better solution though is to keep the sleeping bag and hammock independent of each other.

I used some tarp clips (Home Depot) attached at the top and bottom corners of the sleeping bad, and strung some line, I think I used 550 paracord(!!) strung from the tarp clips on each end up to the hammock suspension. I think tied the line to carabiners to attach it to the hammock suspension. I then used a big binder clip on each end of the sleeping bag to gather up the loose material and try and prevent cold air from coming in.

I have to tell you, it didn't work great, but it did work well enough to get me through a few initial trips until I was able to make some of my own gear. I hear you on the budget issue. I've tried to make most of my own gear for the same reason, but I do get a lot of satisfaction out of it too.

[Floridahanger]

Setting aside all the info above(which I agree with to keep separate), a couple considerations may help you accomplish the conversion.

1- Do you sleep primarily in one direction or switch sides?
2- Is the SB wide enough to cover entire hammock or angled to your sleeping side(angle)?
3- Do you have a plan if the insulation gets wet when attached to your hammock?

Yes, you can convert and attach the SB. There are a few "examples" out there like the WB Wookie and Bonfire on angled attached insulation.

Good luck in your findings.

[FireInMyBones]

LokoLobo,

I recall many people doing this early on in the forums. If you are carrying both already, doing the modification might save weight and bulk. There are many of us here who would be happy to help with the process. Best of luck. Keep us updated on the process.

I've made all my own gear mostly because of budget reasons.
Anyway I had a thought the other day about taking an old down sleeping bag and actually sewing it to my hammock as permanently attached under quilt.

Just wondering if anyone else has done this or if you have any thoughts about it?

If I'm carrying both anyway, weight and bulk shouldn't be that big of a reason not to attach it.

[ofuros]

Depending on your local climate, the only real drawback is you can't take away/adjust the sewn in insulation when the weather gets too warm...& you'll overheat & sweat.
On the plus side there's slightly less fiddle factor during setup, just string her up.

I use a insulated hammock year round...if i want to keep using it during our warm sultry summers I either have to chase altitude...clifftop hangs with cool mountain breezes or camp beside flowing water in shadowy gorges...which I do anyway.

You could always use a second 'normal' hammock with adjustable UQ for those warmer months...

Everything is a compromise, have fun experimenting, LokoLobo.

[OutandBack]

I've made all my own gear mostly because of budget reasons.
Anyway I had a thought the other day about taking an old down sleeping bag and actually sewing it to my hammock as permanently attached under quilt.

Just wondering if anyone else has done this or if you have any thoughts about it?

If I'm carrying both anyway, weight and bulk shouldn't be that big of a reason not to attach it.

Hi LokoLobo,
My biggest concern would be stitching in the wrong places. To help explain what I am saying they perforate toilet paper and paper towels so they are easier to tear.
Poking a bunch of holes in the load bearing sections of your hammock fabric might not be a good idea.