Top, Bottom, Bags - oh my!?

[sdveirs]

Ok, I think I understand this, but can someone please clarify? I did a search, but not sure if I searched properly since I did not find anything that worked.

Bottom/Under quilt - for underside insulation.
Top quilt - for cover insulation.
Sleeping bag - almost the same as top quilt, but you zip it up for warmer temps when you don't have bottom/under quilt?

Do I have this correct?

I have sleeping bags (2, one light and one heavy). I think that will do for now, since I still don't have a hammock lol. Working on that.

Thanks for educating me if I am wrong!
Scott

[Nodust]

The sleeping bag compressed between you and hammock will not give much insulation. It will help but not like a BQ under the hammock.

[pgibson]

Anytime your around 70F and below you will want something for under insulation. For when you need top insulation will vary a little more from one person to the next. Your sleeping bag's can make a suitable option for top insulation instead of a Top Quilt to get started with. But most folks will get annoyed with the zipper pretty quickly in a hammock.

A pad works as under insulation to get started but have their own limitations and issues. For max comfort and ease of use an UQ and TQ that are rated appropriately for the temps your in are best.

[sdveirs]

Good info, thanks!

[Demeter]

I'm not sure if you are asking this, but you don't need all 3. You can use a sleeping bag and sleeping pad just like when sleeping on the ground. My daughter still sleeps with a bag/ pad because she doesn't camp very often so I don't want to spend the money on a set of quilts for her. This is also a good option for people just starting out and not sure what quilt combo they want.

[Deadphans]

Ditch the sleeping bag.

Get just a Top quilt and an under quilt.

A sleeping bag is not desired because when you are laying in one inside your hammock the underside is compressed rendering the R value of the bottom of your bag useless. In other words, the compression of your back laying on the sleeping bag does not keep your back warm. Hence the underquilt that can hang like a champ underneath you and the hammock, uncompressed.

[naperica]

Oh my is right! I am just looking into using a hammock. I wasn't thinking of all this other stuff as well. hmmmmmm...things just keep adding up.

[grannypat]

Oh my is right! I am just looking into using a hammock. I wasn't thinking of all this other stuff as well. hmmmmmm...things just keep adding up.

Lots of people start with a cheap wal-mart pad and their sleeping bags, especially if they are unsure if they are going to like hammock camping. Then they find out how comfortable sleeping in a hammock is and how much more comfortable underquilts are than pads. It's easy to get a cold butt in a hammock, even at 70*, so bottom insulation is important. I started with a pad and my synthetic sleeping bag. It worked, but it was heavy. I have since invested in two top quilts and two underquilts. It's a sickness I tell you, a sickness!

[sargevining]

You can either ditch the sleeping bag and go with a top quilt, or keep the sleeping bag and ditch the top quilt.

To use a sleeping bag in a hammock, just unzip it most of the way and lay it over you like a quilt. Be careful that the zipper doesn't poke a hole in the hammock. You could take a sleeping bag and remove the zipper and you'd have a top quilt.

When you lie on the ground, the heat from your body is sucked into the ground, making you cold. This happens even in a sleeping bag, because you are compressing the insulation. You prevent that by laying on a closed cell or inflatable pad.

When you lie in a hammock, the same thing happens, but for a different reason. Air moves underneath you and it reduces temperature. The same thing happens when you lie in a bed without a blanket on top of you. If you lay in a sleeping bag inside your hammock, you compress the insulation and reduce its effectiveness. The same thing happens in a cot.

If your nighttime temperatures aren't going to be very low, this is probably not going to be a problem. In hammocks people generally start getting a chill at around 70 degrees. Under 60 and it gets downright cold. If the temps at night are going to hover around 70 degrees, you can probably get away with sleeping in a sleeping bag inside your hammock. Your only problem there is getting into the dangting. Most people get into the bag while standing next to the hammock, then sit in the hammock and swing the bag in with their legs.

You can fix the bottom insulation problem by using the same pad you would use on the ground. The only problem with a pad in a hammock is getting it adjusted correctly, and most of them are a bit narrow. This is why underquilts were invented. An underquilt is essentially a sleeping bag hung under the hammock to provide insulation with out compressing it. You could also use a sleeping bag or a poncho liner as an underquilt. The secret is to insure that there are no gaps allowing air in.

[GT]

Personally I can't use my sleeping bag in a typical hammock. I just can't seem to get into the thing without having my feet too tight at one end or the other end half way down my back side. And then I usually need to get up in the middle of the night to water a tree, and getting back in is a nightmare of it's own.