My first PLUQs were of the no-sew variety. I thought having the versatility in the poncho liner would be a good thing. After a while I decided to sew them up and I like it that way much better (for me, less hassle with inserted insulation, less air leakage, etc.). I've also tweaked mine to run shock cord along the entire long edge, similar to how other cottage manufacturers build their under quilts. This not only allows me to easily adjust and slide the UQ back and forth for a good fit, but it provides a little more gripping on the sides of the hammock that I like.
Hmmm, thats a possibility I was considering but haven't made a decision one way ot the other yet. Still haven't bought shock cord yet and adding another strip of grossgrain to form a channel on the folded side is no big deal. Makes everything a little more symmetrical (OK, I'm wierd, I like symmetry)
Sheet batting or other synthetic insulation that comes on a roll can "float" in the middle, but it should be nailed down on the edges if you sew up your PLUQ on all sides. In other words, you don't need to quilt the insulation in the middle, but you should attach it to the sides, otherwise the batting could fall down or shift inside the layers over time.
Makes sense. Will probably tack it to the top 'half' but tack it so there is a little sag/loft.
If you leave one side of your PLUQ open, where you can slip in an extra pad or insulation, it can float around without a problem. This is because you are positioning the insulation by hand each time and probably remove it when you pack up.
One thing to keep in mind is compression. I'm building a new PLUQ right now and I want it to have more loft. If the top and bottom layers are tight, it will compress any insulation you insert between them unless you make the outer layer bellow out more.
A lot of double-layer hammocks work this way. They are designed so you can slip in some compressed insulation like closed-cell foam pads, mylar blankets, etc. If you shove a 1 in. open-cell foam pad, it will get squish down and be less-effective.
I like the width of the PLUQ, but in order to "sag" the outer layer to get more loft I lose some of the width. I'm debating whether I should cut the liner in half and sew strips of fabric on the edges to create a three-dimensional cube shaped quilt of sorts. But I'm trying to minimize the extra sewing because the PLUQ is all about simplicity.
I put a couple of 1-inch pleats in each end of the bottom 'half' of the last PLUQ I made to create sag. I was thinking about putting in a pair of 3/4-inch pleats on these - still creates some sag but loses a little less width.
I'm rambling now. Hopefully that helped (the nuggets, not rambling).
Yep, good info. Hope to get the batting tonight or Saturday (no way I'm going to WallyWorld on Black Friday ) then let the sewing begin
Bookmarks