Pad at 58 degrees?

**Hector** · 05-25-2008, 20:49

At 58 a CCF pad's a good idea; doesn't have to be too thick. A torso-length will do, IMHO, if you're sure it won't get a lot colder.

**Crash** · 05-26-2008, 12:13

I used to use Wallymart's blue pad but switched to Thermarest's ridge pad. its softer and I felt it did a better job of insulating by trapping air under my sleeping bag.

**Splat** · 05-26-2008, 12:42

It really depends upon the person. I'm generally a warm sleeper yet last night it was probably around 55 and I needed my Thermarest pad with my summer quilt. At first I didn't have the pad and my backside was getting cold from the drafts. Popped the pad in and was toasty, sometimes too warm, all night. Oops! I forgot to say that I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt. I'm looking at my Neat Sheats right now thinking of making them into an underside wind blocker.

**Crash** · 05-27-2008, 19:27

Originally Posted by Splat

t. I'm looking at my Neat Sheats right now thinking of making them into an underside wind blocker.

will a neat sheet block the wind?

**Javaman** · 05-27-2008, 20:11

FWIW, spent last Sun. night at 60* hanging along the Potomac River. Used my HH SS, OCF pad as designed by OEM AND emergency blanket. Used 15* Sierra Designs 800 Down bag as over quilt so my back was laying on the HH silnylon, not on top of my bag (I freeze with any other bag). Wore light weight Patagonia polypropelene long underwear and cotton crew socks, no hat.

My back felt perfect, neither warm or cold, just neutral and comfy.

I did open up the bugnetting (per 2Q's mod) for some fresh air in the middle of the night and noticed 5-10* difference and a decidedly less stuffy feeling inside my hammock. But, I was totally comfortable as described above.

It was awesome! I get it!!!!

**Splat** · 05-27-2008, 20:54

Originally Posted by Crash

will a neat sheet block the wind?

It's water repellent so I assume it'll block wind. I'm going to try it Thursday night.

**thatscguy** · 05-28-2008, 09:26

In my push to not use that blue back killer (under pad), would I be safe ya think with a 20 degree bag used in peapod fashion?

**Javaman** · 05-28-2008, 17:22

What about an inexpensive ($4) emergency blanket wrapped under the hammock bottom like a diaper? Light weight, cheap, easy. Did this with my kids at 55* and they were notably warmer. I just opened up the emergency blanket, lifted each end up and tied the two corners over the ridgeline with a square knot. Repeated the same on the other end. It provided a vapor barrier and wind blocker. Just our experience for cheap and easy added warmth on those in-between temperatures.

BTW, they did also use a pad under their sleeping bags, held in place with some shock cord tied to the side loops of their sleeping bags.

**~kev~** · 05-30-2008, 08:04

Originally Posted by Javaman

What about an inexpensive ($4) emergency blanket wrapped under the hammock bottom like a diaper? Light weight, cheap, easy. Did this with my kids at 55* and they were notably warmer.

On my last camping trip with my kids, I tried using one of those $4 space blankets, they were junk. If you want to use those, get the $15 with the lanyard holes and are reuseable.

I guess the quality of those space blankets have gotten really cheap, because it did not reflect any heat. All it did was trap moisture and cause droplets to appear on the blanket.

I did not wrap it under the hammock like what you did, I tried it over to top me me, around me, under my sleeping bag, and it did nothing. The heat reflection was non-existent. The same went for my kids, they tried theirs all different kinds of ways and that cheap space blanket did not help in any way.

The temps dropped lower then expected while we were on our camping trip. Our sleeping bags were rated for the 50s, the over night temp got into the upper 40s. So we pulled out the cheap space blankets. My kids and I spent a cold night in the woods.