another question on pads/SPE/Gossamer Gear

**traviso71** · 02-28-2008, 11:52

I have spent a little time perusing pads for my hammock... There are so many out there, & I am all together unsure of what I want. I have been looking at a Gossamer Gear pack, & while there I saw that they had a very wide pad, that comes in 1/8" & 3/4". Apparently the 1/4" was discontinued. Now I read in a previous post where Slowhike reported that he used the 1/8th but it was too easy to tear, & other folks reported the 3/4" too thick to pack down comfortably.

Later in the thread someone said to reinforce the 1/8" pad with duct tape & it might improve its durability. Is this pad worth a crap? How warm would a think pad like this be?

Now, for my SPE question... Are these normally made with an inflatable pad for its core, or can they be made with a regular CCF? Might seem stupid but I really dont know how these break down in a pack, & if a CCF might be difficult to slide in & out of the sleeve that forms the sleeping body of the pad.

I also question the use of an inflatable pad in general... the benefit of the hammock is comfort (off the ground) why would I need an air mattress? Thats not a smart *** question, I really dont get what the benefit of a blow up pad would be over CCF... seems like it would be another thing to break.

**Schneiderlein** · 02-28-2008, 12:01

Originally Posted by traviso71

I also question the use of an inflatable pad in general... the benefit of the hammock is comfort (off the ground) why would I need an air mattress? Thats not a smart *** question, I really dont get what the benefit of a blow up pad would be over CCF... seems like it would be another thing to break.

This is not a smart-*** answer. Because it is more comfortable. I find that a not fully inflated pad does not have the buckling problem that CCF pads have. YMMV.

**traviso71** · 02-28-2008, 12:09

Do you think that a pad inserted in a double hammock would have the buckling problem?

**froldt** · 02-28-2008, 12:54

I haven't yet tried this, but I keep wondering if you could make note of where the CCF pad buckles under you. Perhaps lay on it in the hammock, then take a marker and actually trace out the buckles.
If you then cut out the areas that you traced, the CCF pad would be able to fold where it needs to without creating "bumps" for you to feel. Wouldn't this lighten weight and be more comfortable? If cut correctly (I suppose that this assumes you lay the same way each time), you would not end up off of the pad because the two sides of the cut would be touching.

Taking this a step further, I have wondered if it would be worth "serrating" the edges of a pad, allowing the edges to fold up around me, sort of a built-in set of wings.

**Take-a-knee** · 02-28-2008, 13:28

Originally Posted by traviso71

I have spent a little time perusing pads for my hammock... There are so many out there, & I am all together unsure of what I want. I have been looking at a Gossamer Gear pack, & while there I saw that they had a very wide pad, that comes in 1/8" & 3/4". Apparently the 1/4" was discontinued. Now I read in a previous post where Slowhike reported that he used the 1/8th but it was too easy to tear, & other folks reported the 3/4" too thick to pack down comfortably.

Later in the thread someone said to reinforce the 1/8" pad with duct tape & it might improve its durability. Is this pad worth a crap? How warm would a think pad like this be?

Now, for my SPE question... Are these normally made with an inflatable pad for its core, or can they be made with a regular CCF? Might seem stupid but I really dont know how these break down in a pack, & if a CCF might be difficult to slide in & out of the sleeve that forms the sleeping body of the pad.

I also question the use of an inflatable pad in general... the benefit of the hammock is comfort (off the ground) why would I need an air mattress? Thats not a smart *** question, I really dont get what the benefit of a blow up pad would be over CCF... seems like it would be another thing to break.

I just recieved a Speer 2x2 SPE last week. I tried it out with a 1" thermarest and some CCF in the wings and found it quite comfortable. The spandex on the downside of the SPE allows you to stack pads while the SPE holds everything in place. It is an excellent piece of gear IMO. Speer sends an insert with the R values of different pads and the expected low comfort temp. I've tried a thermarest without an SPE in a hennessy and found it frustrating, I usually woke up with the pad crossways under my butt. The SPE isn't difficult to remove from the thermarest.

A lot of guys use insulated air mattresses (like the Exped Downmat) not for cushion but for the insulation they offer.

**nogods** · 02-28-2008, 18:19

Originally Posted by traviso71

I have been looking at a Gossamer Gear pack, & while there I saw that they had a very wide pad, that comes in 1/8" & 3/4". Apparently the 1/4" was discontinued.

I just ordered the wide 1/4 - they were back in stock a few months ago.

**john30563** · 02-28-2008, 20:57

Originally Posted by nogods

I just ordered the wide 1/4 - they were back in stock a few months ago.

I slept on a 1/4" 41" wide Gossamer in my hammock this past weekend. It takes a little work to get positioned, but it really was warm.

**traviso71** · 02-28-2008, 21:07

Have anything else under you John? Any sort of UQ at all, or just the 1/4" pad? What was the low temp?

**warbonnetguy** · 02-28-2008, 21:08

Originally Posted by froldt

I haven't yet tried this, but I keep wondering if you could make note of where the CCF pad buckles under you. Perhaps lay on it in the hammock, then take a marker and actually trace out the buckles.
If you then cut out the areas that you traced, the CCF pad would be able to fold where it needs to without creating "bumps" for you to feel. Wouldn't this lighten weight and be more comfortable? If cut correctly (I suppose that this assumes you lay the same way each time), you would not end up off of the pad because the two sides of the cut would be touching.

Taking this a step further, I have wondered if it would be worth "serrating" the edges of a pad, allowing the edges to fold up around me, sort of a built-in set of wings.

yes, it does work, basically you cut deep acute triangles into the sides, the deeper the better, start narrow and gradually make them wider, if you start too wide, the tringular opening may not close all the way. you want them just wide enough to where the buckeling is gone, but the gap closes.

a double layer hammock reduces the buckeling effect as well.

**john30563** · 02-28-2008, 21:16

Originally Posted by traviso71

Have anything else under you John? Any sort of UQ at all, or just the 1/4" pad? What was the low temp?

I had PreacherMan's wife's quilt she made me. I don't know exactly the low, but it had to be down in the upper 20s until about 3AM when it actually started warming up. At 3 AM with the Gossamer Pad, the quilt, and a 20*F down sleeping bag as an over quilt, I was actually sweating and had to shed some clothes. It had warmed up to about 34*F by day break.