I have been gearing up for Fall trips and have been testing a narrow foot bridge with a pad inside. I am calling it my "FatPad Bridge". I've slept very comfortably in it twice, but looking forward to actual field testing.
I am using a large NeoAir which is 25" wide. The foot spreader bar is only 18". I had to redesign the foot end cap to allow as much spreading of the pad as possible. The smaller foot end also makes it easy for me pitch my tarp lower and or steeper at that end.
Using a pad inside the hammock is usually to be avoided due to slipping around causing cold spots. However my NeoAir in a narrow foot bridge has nowhere to slip to. So I don't need the weight of a pad sleeve.
The FatPad Hammock weighs exactly 15 ounces in the stuff sack. The poles that I am currently using weigh 5.7 ounces, although I will also be trying out alternative spreader bars with this and other hammocks (bamboo, and BigStik).
The pad lifts the occupant in the hammock, which I think has advantages and disadvantages. The increased view is a big plus for me. And not feeling the sides of the hammock, only the fully inflated pad below, gives an added buoyancy to the feel.
One disadvantage was that my old style of bug netting was too confining. This gave me a chance to try a version of HangNout's style net.
I like it. It doesn't fully remove, but it has a retracted position.
It takes only a minute to switch between the two modes.
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