Winter Idea for Byer Moskito Hammock

[SilvrSurfr]

Like most hammock ideas I have, I'm sure someone already thought of this. Still, I feel like a genius at this moment till someone inevitably brings me back to earth.

As I looked at my cheapo $34.95 Byer Moskito Hammock, I thought to myself, "Gee, I wish this was a double-walled hammock so I could slip a pad and some insulation into it in winter and not worry about it slipping." I am just not ready to buy an underquilt, financially or experience-wise. I seriously considered sewing another layer onto it just for this purpose.

I've been hanging in the back yard a lot lately, but I've needed the bug net all summer 'cause I live by a swamp and these Jersey mosquitoes will eat you alive.

Well, today I hung the Byer Moskito Hammock in my office so I could become a 365-day a year hammock hanger. Of course, I don't need the integrated mosquito net in the house, so I flipped it over so the mosquito net is underneath (a nice feature of this hammock).

Eureka! It came to me. I may not have a double-walled hammock in summer (need the bugnet) but I sure as hell have one in winter! It dawned on me that I could slip a pad, or any other insulation, into the mosquito netting, and it would hug nicely to the hammock.

Man, was I excited. I could slip a sleeping bag, a ccf pad, a space blanket, a wool or synthetic blanket, or all of the above, right into the bug net! I could even slip a piece of Tyvek or something else that is quasi-waterproof as a weather shield.

I tested it out with a ccf pad and a space blanket. If anything shifts, I can easily reach underneath and re-position stuff. I think this is going to work for me this winter, at least until I can afford an underquilt. I already liked the Byer Moskito Hammock because of its comfort and price. Now I have one more reason to like it 'cause I think it is going to get me through some cold nights! I can't wait for fall and winter to test this out.

I've attached a couple of pics of hammock, me and superdog Peanut.

[dejoha]

Great idea. I think it will work. Nice tip.

[bloomgorge]

that's a really good idea...i look forward to hearing about the testing. at first glance i thought i was looking at brett favre - ever get that?

[SilvrSurfr]

that's a really good idea...i look forward to hearing about the testing. at first glance i thought i was looking at brett favre - ever get that?

Now that you mention it, I do look like Brett Favre in this pic. What a drag it is getting old. Next thing you know I'll be retiring and un-retiring on a yearly basis.

[Bubba]

Sgt. Rock mentioned doing the same when he reviewed the Hammock Bliss no-see-um-no-more hammock. Doesn't change the fact that you came up with a great idea though.

[SilvrSurfr]

Did some further testing already. I tried tossing a sleeping bag in there, then a synthetic blanket, but they just bunched up in the middle. There was nothing to spread them out and keep them flat.

So I tossed in the blue ccf pad and it holds everything in place. My pad is 21 inches wide, but I think I'm going to take another pad, cut it in half down the length, and use Tyvek tape to make an SPE (segmented pad extender). In Shug's videos, he uses some kind of cloth to make an SPE, but I think Tyvek tape will work just as well for joining the sections, and probably last forever.

That will give me a width of 42" on the ccf pad (Byer website says hammock is 54" wide). There will be 12" of space where I can adjust the pad horizontally, if I feel the need.

My plan is to put the space blanket on the bottom (probably taped to the ccf pad). Then I'll lay a sleeping bag or some other insulation on top of that. I really don't expect much condensation because the space blanket and ccf pad are suspended below me, rather than being compressed in the hammock with me. I also don't expect any of the uncomfortable bending of the ccf pad, because my weight won't be on it to make it deform.

Come on, cold weather! I need to test this out more!

[SilvrSurfr]

I just couldn't wait, so I made a segmented pad extender (SPE) using Tyvek tape (pic below). Shug's cloth SPE allows him to remove the extenders, but the Tyvek makes the extenders permanent. This doesn't bother me at all, since I don't use a pad anyway until it's below 40 degrees F. Besides, the SPE in this setup is not just to provide insulation but to spread the Byer Moskito Hammock and keep the additional insulation from shifting.

As mentioned before, I don't think the Tyvek tape will ever separate off the ccf pad. Tyvek tape is permanent; don't tape it to anything unless you want it to be there forever. I've tried to remove Tyvek from something I've taped and it is hell to get off.

I love the way the SPE spreads the Byer Moskito hammock. It's almost like a bridge hammock now. The SPE provides a perfect bed for the insulation. However, I think 42" is too wide for the SPE. I will field test it a bit, but I'm probably going to cut it back to 36" wide to save some weight. Maybe I will keep it 42" at center and then taper to 36" (or less) at the ends, where the hammock kind of bunches. Overall, everything is looking positive for a winter sleeping system to get me through this year without buying an UQ or TQ.

[sidvicious]

hey brett, nice work and great thinking!

i'm glad you did this. i have a moskito and find it a very comfortable ride. in fact i think it fits me better than any i've tried. i think your idea would work well when you do finally get that uq. the netting could help keep things in place that would seem to minimize shifting.

kudos.

sv-

[MichiganHiker]

Good idea. I was just out in my Moskito Hammock and had a bit of a problem with my sleeping pad slipping. I will give this a shot. Thanks

[sandykayak]

Today I switched out my all-in-one suspension system (I have a problem with the whoopee slings since I think they are the wrong way. E.g. I can tighten/shorten but then couldn't loosen) in the SB LH.

I'm back to the loop, triangular slide, and seatbelt strap

Anyhow, as I threaded the lood through the end channel, I was remembering how much I likemthe fact that the top of my Moskito stretches open. I think this is better formamgood diagonal lay.

The downside of the Moskito is that the fabric stretches a lot