Pad or UQ for kids?

[KMACK]

I just got a Hennesey "Cub" for my son (age 9) and want to get him out in it ASAP but I'm torn on what to use for bottom insulation. I dont have the funds to purchase a "summer" UQ and I'm not sure if a pad is going to work with all of his flopping around. I could try to make an UQ out of an old sleeping bag but I fear that I will just end up wasting my time making a mess of it and not having it fit properly. So what do you folks with kids use for bottom insulation?????

[Caveman]

I'd suggest getting a poncho liner. You can get 2 uqs out of it. A sleeping bag will work for the summer, but they are not easy to get in and out of.

[nothermark]

Depends on how big he is. My thought would be to use a pad with fleece over it. Make an SPE with nylon on the bottom and fleece on the top. Feels better on skin and seems to help with condensation.If he is small you do not need to add the side pads. Yd of fleece and a yard of nylon, Walmart pad. The whole thing comes out a lot cheaper than a quilt and he can go to ground with it or leave off the cover and use it as a lounge pad around camp.

[Itsamescott]

My kids would never stay on a pad. Heck, I can hardly stay on a pad. I would echo Caveman and say a poncho liner underquilt would be the way I'd go. They can be had cheap and with the no-sew version you can hardly go wrong in the summer time.

I got my poncho liner for less than $10 used. Add some paracord and shock cord and your are set.

dejoha's DIY, No-Sew, 2-layer, 2/3 Poncho Liner UQ

[captaincoupal]

Pad works fine for my son - he is 9 years old too and once he's on it he sleeps like a rock.

[body942]

Pad works fine for my son - he is 9 years old too and once he's on it he sleeps like a rock.

I agree, mine have slept soundly on a cheap cut down walmart blue pad for many nights. That said, I've spent the winter figuring out a game plan to put us all in UQ's. Almost complete...

[Postal]

My kids started in just a sleeping bag. They were small enough, read that light enough, for me to help them into their bags.

[Cranky Bear]

Both my girls move around way to much to stay on a pad (tried and it was funny actually, the pad ended up on top of them), I have UQ's for both and they have never had CBS.

One quick fix for you would be you use the pad and he uses the UQ for now till you can come up with a better fix?

[dammfast]

I use a pad with my son I put it inside his sleeping bag. He moves around so much when he sleeps that I was always being called over to reposition his PLUQ. He likes the pad better and I don't have to get up as often.

[KMACK]

Thanks for all the insight. A fellow member has offered to send me a DIY UQ that he had made for his child that is no longer being used. I'll report back with how it worked out. Again, thanks for all the responses and thank you hammock forums for your generous members.