Just bought my fist hammock have not even hung it yet. My question is why use a under and over quilt rather than just a good sleeping bag that you don't have to worry about shifting out from under you.
Just bought my fist hammock have not even hung it yet. My question is why use a under and over quilt rather than just a good sleeping bag that you don't have to worry about shifting out from under you.
1. Shifting into a sleeping bag requires at least an Olympic Bronze metal in gymnastics. Well, at least it's entertaining to watch.
2. The portion of the bag under you is crushed by your weight, rendering it useless for insulation. Hence the acronym, CBS (Cold Butt Syndrome).
But, don't let the lack of over/under quilts stop you from hanging. Despite the challenges, a combination of bag and CCF (Closed Cell Foam) pad will keep you warm, as long as the pad doesn't squirt out from under you. Think of a set of quilts as something you can aspire to.
Mike
"Life is a Project!"
I used a sleeping bag as a top quilt for a couple of years. Zip the foot box shut up to about 20 inches, and let the rest of it open out like a blanket. I still use a pad under me, but I have a double layer hammock which makes a nice pocket for the pad. Not all of my camping is in hammock friendly zones, so I must be ready to sleep on the ground occasionally.
I do agree that you need something under you that is not compressed. Any sleeping bag has its bottom section compromised by compression. It is not the bag that keeps your side facing the earth warm, but the pad you use under it.
I use a sleeping back with a zippered footbox. That allows me to run my hammock through my sleeping bag.
My lightweight down bags are almost if not lighter than a top quilt and do the same job. Plus I get double duty out of them as olZeke said above.
Sleeping bag can replace the top quilt, that's what I do, but it cannot replace the under quilt. You will need either a pad or an underquilt. I seem to be OK using a pad, but for most it is a hassle.
"We're the Sultans of Swing."
I just re-read your post. Yes, you will want some type of insulation under you.
No problem getting into a sleeping bag. I put a ground sheet under my hammock so that I can stand there, step into the sleeping bag and get into the hammock. No proplem at all.
Also I do not believe that all of the insulation is lost, some of it will be retained. My sleeping bag uses artificial, hollow fibers, and is rated to minus 40 celcius. So some insulation will be left. But it is not enough in winter to keep you warm. So like sleeping on the ground you need some extra. And so far I have prefered a UQ for the extra insulation.
But who knows, maybe I will evolve to TQ's as well. They are priobably ligher to carry as well. But here hollow fiber insulation is the way to go, not down. Simply because the climate is very wet coastal climate. Stuff gets soggy just by keeping it outside.
But for know I am happy with sleeping in the sleeping bag as a sleeping bag.
On my first hang with overnight temps about 40* I used my 32* down sleeping bag as a top quilt and an old thermarest self-inflating pad between the layers of a WBBB. Crossways under my upper torso was half a Z-Lite ccf pad, also between the layers. I had problems keeping the Thermarest centered under me and had some cold spots that were fixed by tucking the sleeping bag underneath me. Based on this limited experience, I think getting into and using the sleeping bag as you would in a tent will add some warmth because even compressed insulation has some R value and the bag can hold some body heat that would be lost via convection.
Last edited by Drift Woody; 02-27-2013 at 11:08. Reason: typos
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