lightest possible fabric I could use for this?

[sclittlefield]

Or use just a few lines of gross grain to hold the pad with netting for the wings. It's not like your pad really needs it's very own ripstop jacket. That should come in light weight.

[wildcrafter]

thats what i was thinking grossgrain and tulle would hold the pad in place.

[hikelite]

grrr this forum frustrates me sometimes. I typed a response that was lost when it asked me to log in again. Anyway... here is version 2

My original intent with this thread was to find a lighter fabric to use for a second layer on the hammock to hold the pad in place. This isn't because the pad moves while sleeping. Quite the contrary! The NeoAir pads are made of a material that is non-slip. I will position the pad at the angle I prefer, but when I enter the hammock it shifts. Once I'm in the hammock, the non-slip material makes it hard to reposition the pad.

The key benefit of the SPE was to make the pad more slippery so it would be easier to reposition after I was in the hammock. The other advantage that has me considering that solution is the addition of the "wings". Using an inflatable pad has always come with the problem of cold shoulders. I've always been able to tolerate this by only using my hammock in fair weather. Using an SPE on the PCT would solve this problem with the added benefit of having some CCF available for use as a sit pad.

In addition to making a double layer hammock or the SPE, there is a third possible solution. It may be that there is a technique I can learn that will allow me to enter the hammock without the NeoAir shifting from the diagonal position I prefer. Since purchasing the new pad, I've only slept overnight once in the hammock. I've laid in it dozens of times while testing different whippings, but those only lasted from 10 minutes to a couple hours. Perhaps, with practice, I can learn to get into the hammock without the pad shifting.

I'm liking the idea of making the SPE most. Maybe combined with technique, I'll be fine. Unfortunately, Tulle isn't available to me locally. My JoAnn's does not reopen until late January. The roof collapsed during a snowstorm last winter, and it hasn't reopened yet. I'm going to be ordering fabric for other items anyway, so I can get some mesh then. What is the lightest I can get?

It's true that there is a big price jump as you try to shave off those last few grams, but a I think a thru hike just might justify pursuing the lightest gear possible.

I sent an email to OWF asking about the weights of their mesh relative to the nylons.

Thanks again everyone for the feedback. They might frustrate me at times when they lose my posts, but I love the community here!

[sclittlefield]

For mesh - if you're looking at noseeum, it's generally 0.9oz/yd2. The OWF registers at that weight, so does the stuff I carry. There is some Nanoseeum available from Thru-Hiker at 0.7oz/yd2.

[Rat]

The lightest option would be to learn to load the hammock without moving the pad. You could always do some testing, get the pad exactly where you need it in the hammock, and then mark the hammock. This way you will be able to position it correctly before loading it; you will have some marks on the inside of the hammock body though.

This doesn't address the issue of cold shoulders or sit pads either.

I still think the best option is a nice light SPE. Given that it is this late in the game you may not have an option but to build it out of what is readily available. You could always just buy a bigger pad; and based on the prices I see for this lightweight material it would proly be cheaper to get some Microcell in a wider width.

Microcell link

[hikelite]

I agree Rat.

But now that I've been thinking about the SPE option, I'm probably going to go that route in addition to learning better technique. I think I will try to do something with just 2 straps of grossgrain. I already have some blue pad around, so I'll be experimenting with that this weekend. A wider pad isn't an option. First, because I just bought this one, and second, the larger NeoAir is a significant jump in weight. A couple of wings and an SPE will weigh much less than the difference in pad weights. Plus I get the added benefit of the sit pad.

Just had an idea. I could make my strap type SPE so it will work two ways. It will hold the inflatable pad and the wings while I sleep, but I could put in extra loops that hold the 2 wings together for a larger sit pad. hmmmmm.. I might just use a double thickness sit pad :P