regular gear for hammocking

**neo** · 10-29-2006, 07:37

i love hammocking as you all know,but i believe more people will get into it
when they find out that conventional gear they already own is all they need,under quilts and over quilts are not mandantory,a good pad from wally world and a good properly rated bag works,not every hammocker is a gram weanie
i love my gear and i dont need an under quilt

neo

**Grinder** · 10-30-2006, 13:04

I couldn't agree more!!

I'm a newby. I made a test hammock and couldn't get comfortable in it. I boufht a Byer's mosquito Traveler and couldn't get comfortable in IT. Then I listened and added lots of sag and got comfortable.

I've been hanging on the back porch for the last week. I use my Mummy bag and a thermorest. I just stick my feet in the bottom of the mummy bag and use the rest, unzipped, as a top quilt.

Every night gets better. My stiff back is better in the morning than after a night in the regular bed.

I am looking for some cheap ripstop nylon to make an SPE (segmented Pad extenders). That's the one thing that's different. The 20inch Thermorest is too narrow to hang.

I bought a 24 inch WalMart pad to try, but it doesn't work out well with my angled position either.

Tom

**Certain** · 10-30-2006, 13:08

Neo, how cold have you gone w/just the pad and sleeping bag? And of course, my next question would be, what are you wearing, what is your bag rated, etc.

**Just Jeff** · 10-30-2006, 13:32

teblum - try trimming the corners off the foot of the 24" pad, and a bit of the corners off the head end. that'll help it stay diagonal with no real loss in coverage.

Even with that, I doubt 24" will be wide enough unless you're really thin. Keep looking for SPE material or make an insulated hammock. Walmart has some cheap battling that's good enough for prototyping...no light or compressible, but it doesn't need to be if it's on your back porch!

**neo** · 10-30-2006, 14:47

Originally Posted by Michele

Neo, how cold have you gone w/just the pad and sleeping bag? And of course, my next question would be, what are you wearing, what is your bag rated, etc.

i am very hotblooded i have slept down to 18 degree's with my wally world
pad and a 30 degree quilt and a micro fleece quilt liner,just my regular winter cloths,i can sleep well below ratings with no problem compared to most people

neo

**FanaticFringer** · 10-30-2006, 16:07

About to order a SG "Neo" 9x9 Tarp. I've got a JRB 8x8 but would be cool to have the option of camo and bigger size.

**neo** · 10-30-2006, 18:31

Originally Posted by FanaticFringer

About to order a SG "Neo" 9x9 Tarp. I've got a JRB 8x8 but would be cool to have the option of camo and bigger size.

awesome dude,i got rid of my jrb tarp long time ago

neo

**chazmo** · 10-31-2006, 08:39

So far, I have to agree with Neo. I have been using a 3/8 ccf pad with a partially inflated InsulMat Max-Thermo and homemade SPE. Temps were down to 35 this past weekend. I was snug, and so warm I slept with my bag open most of the night.

**Certain** · 10-31-2006, 10:13

Originally Posted by neo

i am very hotblooded i have slept down to 18 degree's with my wally world
pad and a 30 degree quilt and a micro fleece quilt liner,just my regular winter cloths,i can sleep well below ratings with no problem compared to most people

neo

Shoot, I was hoping you'd tell me you always have cold feet and hands and have to wear 3 layers to stay warm. Oh well....wishful thinking. I'm gonna have to stay w/my pad/underquilt/sleeping bag set-up for now, unless my metabolism suddenly decides to go back to the speed it was at in my early 20's! (highly doubtful)

I do, however, like having an excuse to eat a Snicker's Bar right before bedtime though!

**headchange4u** · 10-31-2006, 10:32

My lowest temp in my hammock is around 30 F with a blue Walmart pad cut down so it was only al long as mid thigh and my Western Mountaineering Apache 15. I was wearing those cheap Wal-Mart waffle thermal top and bottom. I was quite warm and I did end up keeping my bag open most of the night. I got a little chilly just before dawn, mainly in my legs where there was no pad but nothing unbearable.

On my next time out I am going to try and use my Big Agnes Air Core pad. I have left it at home because I figured it would be cumbersome in my HH. Anyone ever used the Big Agnes Air Core in a HH?