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  1. #1
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    Advice on insulation in the south.

    Heyo!

    So I have everything together for my first camping rig except the bottom insulation. I think I've decided to start out with a mat rather than an underquilt, mostly for the versatility. I live in Louisiana though, so while I'll be sleeping in relatively mild Temps 9 months out of the year, I would like to find some kind of 4 season setup. Down here, it's unlikely to have a night below 25. I was thinking of getting several of the cheap Walmart mats so I can stack them given the scenario, and just trim them to fit inside my sleeping bag so I don't have to worry about sliding around so much. I guess I'm looking for someone to change my mind. Any takers?

    Thanks all. Happy to be here.

  2. #2
    SilvrSurfr's Avatar
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    Stacking mats doesn't sound like a winner. It's hard enough to keep one mat in place, never mind multiple mats. A double-layer hammock can make managing a pad easier, but I don't think it would be easy to fit multiple pads in a double layer hammock.

    Before I went to underquilts, I used a single 5/8" ccf pad for a couple of years. I went down to 22* F with just a single pad, but the condensation was just too much for me. That was the last night I used a pad - got an HG 20* Phoenix UQ and haven't use a pad since!
    "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." Ralph Waldo Emerson

  3. #3
    Senior Member Vanhalo's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SurplusFan98 View Post
    Heyo!

    So I have everything together for my first camping rig except the bottom insulation. I think I've decided to start out with a mat rather than an underquilt, mostly for the versatility. I live in Louisiana though, so while I'll be sleeping in relatively mild Temps 9 months out of the year, I would like to find some kind of 4 season setup. Down here, it's unlikely to have a night below 25. I was thinking of getting several of the cheap Walmart mats so I can stack them given the scenario, and just trim them to fit inside my sleeping bag so I don't have to worry about sliding around so much. I guess I'm looking for someone to change my mind. Any takers?

    Thanks all. Happy to be here.
    You mean the South South.

    30° UQ
    30° TQ
    Costco 50° TQ
    Fleece Quilt Liner to supplement the 30° or the 50°

    Works for me in TN
    "...in Florida, she felt air conditioning for the first time, and it was cold and unnatural upon her skin."


  4. #4
    New Member Trinity's Avatar
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    i live in Louisiana.

    get a HG 20° top and bottom quilt, a Costco quilt, and a Dutchware quilt liner.

    In the summer just use the liner, In the fall and spring use the HG bottom quilt and the Costco quilt as a top quilt. In the winter use both HG quilts. If its really cold bring the Costco and the quilt liner along as well.

    This is what i do and i go camping a week at a time once a month all year round in Kisatchie Natl forest.

  5. #5
    Senior Member sidneyhornblower's Avatar
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    My thinking before I ever finally got an underquilt was that living in Georgia humidity and relatively mild cold weather would be my main concerns. That led me to the AHE Jarbidge first and I've not been unhappy with it at all. I've gotten into the 20s with it easily and want to take it lower just to see how it performs, but we haven't had weather like that yet this year. I've begun experimenting with it in my bridge this year using a pad to supplement, since the bridge accommodates pads easily.

    The advice I'd give mirrors Vanhalo's: get something that covers you about 90 percent of your trips and then supplement for those odd occasions when you go lower. I still think synthetic is never a bad choice for the humidity we see down here. A caveat to that is, I simply lack experience with super cold temps and down insulation. My top quilt is down and works wonderfully well and packs even better, leaving me to ponder the wisdom of my thinking on humidity.
    "...the height of hammock snobbery!"

  6. #6
    Senior Member Vanhalo's Avatar
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    The link in my signature has about 150-160 nights worth of temperature & humidity data as it relates to my experience with insulation in East Tn @ 873ft in elevation. You will notice I rarely changed my UQ & almost always used my JRB fleece quilt liner. The JRB Hudson River TQ and the Greylock UQs are my bread & butter.
    Last edited by Vanhalo; 02-10-2019 at 07:31.
    "...in Florida, she felt air conditioning for the first time, and it was cold and unnatural upon her skin."


  7. #7
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    Thanks to all for replies, but I must admit, I don't think I can afford some of your suggestions right now (kids need braces and such). Let me ask the question this way: if you were just starting out knowing what you know now, but you only had say $60 to spend for bottom insulation, what kinds of things would you be looking at?

    I do agree, long term, an underquilt is where it's at. But, I can't swing it, and I don't want that to keep me out of the trees for another few seasons.

  8. #8
    Senior Member BillyBob58's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SurplusFan98 View Post
    Thanks to all for replies, but I must admit, I don't think I can afford some of your suggestions right now (kids need braces and such). Let me ask the question this way: if you were just starting out knowing what you know now, but you only had say $60 to spend for bottom insulation, what kinds of things would you be looking at?

    I do agree, long term, an underquilt is where it's at. But, I can't swing it, and I don't want that to keep me out of the trees for another few seasons.
    No problem, you can do it.
    Do you already have a pad?
    Do you have a double layer hammock(pad pocket?)

    Have you considered one of these? :
    https://www.amazon.com/Eagles-Nest-O...SIN=B007MS6KWU

    Best of all: I don't suppose you have a double layer bridge hammock, do you? If so, just get a wide pad(26" or a bit wider) and slip it in that pad pocket, end of problem. It will stay put, and not negatively affect comfort at all, and will keep you plenty warm.

    Lastly, do you have a long, wide sleeping bag with a full length zipper? This will all vary with the size of your sleeping bag, its zipper styles, and the width of your GE hammock. But it is worth experimenting with. Simply wrap the sleeping bag around the hammock.get in and zip up. You may need to do some mods such as adding some shock cord to act as a suspension to tighten it up on the bottom. If there are some gaps- say for instance the top layer is being lifted by the hammock- just add some clothing, or a super light quilt or bag, whatever you have- to fill the gap on top. This is tricky, but can be done. And if you get it working right, it has the potential to be warmer than any quilt set. Because it is the only approach that is guaranteed draft free.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vosz...h6OeCVQY1WGnXG

  9. #9
    Senior Member sidneyhornblower's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SurplusFan98 View Post
    Let me ask the question this way: if you were just starting out knowing what you know now, but you only had say $60 to spend for bottom insulation, what kinds of things would you be looking at?
    I'd be doing exactly what I'm doing now as I experiment with my bridge hammock: use the pads I already own and playing around with an SPE (Segmented Pad Extender - Shug has a video on them too). If I were you, I'd get two of the closed cell foam pads. Mine cost about $8 at Wally World. Get a few yards of whatever cheap ripstop nylon you can find and make an SPE. Use one pad to cut up into pieces to make the wings for your shoulders. Keep the other one whole for your torso head to toe. It'll be a pain to keep it centered when you're getting into and out of the hammock and you'll wrestle with it a bit, but it will keep you warm, maybe at the cost of a little condensation depending on temps and humidity.

    Below is a link to Just Jeff's page (which he's recently updated for the first time in a while) showing a lot of old school methods to stay warm, including some good pics of SPEs.

    http://www.tothewoods.net/HammockCampingWarm.php
    "...the height of hammock snobbery!"

  10. #10
    Senior Member Vanhalo's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SurplusFan98 View Post
    Thanks to all for replies, but I must admit, I don't think I can afford some of your suggestions right now (kids need braces and such). Let me ask the question this way: if you were just starting out knowing what you know now, but you only had say $60 to spend for bottom insulation, what kinds of things would you be looking at?

    I do agree, long term, an underquilt is where it's at. But, I can't swing it, and I don't want that to keep me out of the trees for another few seasons.
    Costco DIY

    If I had to use a pad I wouldn't be sleeping in a Hammock.
    "...in Florida, she felt air conditioning for the first time, and it was cold and unnatural upon her skin."


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