I made my first hammock this past spring and have used it quite a bit over the summer and now into the fall. I've spent three nights in it over the summer with lows in the low 60's and a gentle breeze. I had a 20 degree mummy bag and was toasty at first, but I was perfectly warm once the night breeze kicked in.
Now it's getting cold in NC and I need to make an underquilt. Money is tight, so I can't buy one online, nor can I afford (at the moment) to buy materials to make one...even the one on DIY Gear Supply. Too many hobbies, not enough money.
Anyway, I do have two old mummy bags. One is filled with Hollofil 808 and one is Hollofil II. I suppose that both are 20 degree bags, but they are at least 8-10 years old, or more. I did some research and found Hollofil 808 was the predecessor to Hollofil II, so I'll go with II over 808. I also read that neither are very packable, which is fine for now, because I'm going to be doing mostly car camping until I can get a pack large enough for a multi-day hike.
I'll be sleeping in a 20 degree synthetic bag with thermal tops/bottoms, thick hiking socks, gloves, and toboggan. In a few weekends I'll be testing this out in Black Mountain, NC (lows expected near or just below freezing). I also have a 12' Kelty Noah's Tarp, and I've thought about making a wind sock to add a few degrees of warmth and keep any wind out that the Noah doesn't block. Does this seem sufficient for low 30's?
If it gets too cold, my backup is sleeping in the back of my Toyota Matrix (seats fold forward to flat) on a Thermarest.
My next question is about modifying the sleeping bag for an underquilt. I sleep diagonally in the fetal position, and my knees and hips will kill me if I do anything that's not diagonal (6'3'' and lanky). Keeping the foot box intact seems to restrict how wide you can lay in the hammock. Would I be better off chopping the bag down to where it's basically a blanket instead of a hood-less sleeping bag (with foot box intact)?
Thanks ahead of time for the help!
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