Temperature question regarding UQ.

**mtbkr5** · 03-03-2009, 23:12

I am hanging this Friday-Monday on the AT and the weather is calling for highs in the low to mid 60s and lows in the mid 40s. I will be using a 0 degree bag, but I have no UQ. I am thinking of rigging a blanket under my hammock as a makeshift UQ. I would buy a UQ, but I am a poor college student. . Am I going to freeze my arse off?

Thanks,
Mike

**mtbkr5** · 03-03-2009, 23:13

oh one more thing...should I throw in a sleeping pad to add some extra warmth?

**Mustardman** · 03-03-2009, 23:17

In the 40s with a cheap walmart foam sleeping pad and a 0 degree bag you will probably be sweating your butt off even if you don't have an UQ.

**mtbkr5** · 03-03-2009, 23:39

man I feel slightly retarded now reading my post and yours aloud...0 degree bag and 40 degree weather....wow. ok so thank you for clearing that up for me hahahah!

**Mustardman** · 03-03-2009, 23:52

I wouldn't go that far - in my experience, even sleeping on the ground, bags rarely live up to their ratings. I've gotten a cold butt at around 25 degrees sleeping in a hammock with an inflatable mat and a 0 degree down bag.

In general, though, a walmart foam mat should be able to take you to the 20s or 30s no problem, and with a 0 degree bag you should be pretty good to go. The main thing to worry about is your shoulders and hips, which might get squeezed by the hammock. If I get a cold spot around my hips, I usually just stuff a rolled up piece of clothing in between me and the hammock and it goes away.

**jeffjenn** · 03-04-2009, 01:51

Where on the AT you going?

**psyculman** · 03-04-2009, 05:19

I cut a piece of the blue WalMart pad to fit inside my sleeping bag, and with a space blanket the usual place between my under cover and hammock, have been out into the lower teens, not a bit of cold ever, and no condensation either, the bag designers took care of that.

**MacEntyre** · 03-04-2009, 06:53

Originally Posted by mtbkr5

...thinking of rigging a blanket under my hammock as a makeshift UQ.

You could use the Ed Speer method of insulating on the cheap. Here's what you need to buy:

WalMart blue closed cell pad
one full size space blanket
the thinnest plastic sheet you can find (drop cloth in paint section at Home Depot)

Ed puts the space blanket inside the hammock shiny side up, with the WM pad on top of it. Then he gathers the ends of the plastic sheet and fashions an under cover around the outside of the hammock.

When I saw him do this, Ed had his PeaPod between the plastic and the hammock. At 40 degF, you won't need the PeaPod. The plastic will block any breeze, the space blanket will reflect your body heat, and the WM pad will insulate you on the bottom, where your sleeping bag will be compressed.

**mtbkr5** · 03-04-2009, 12:38

Originally Posted by jeffjenn

Where on the AT you going?

Reeds Gap to Haper's Creek and back via Mau-Har trail...done this twice before both in 2 days....absolutely love it! this time I am doing extended stays to get used to my hammock

and just to relax.

And MacEntyre, thanks for that info...after i post this up I am going to start working on that!