Sock : 4 - in - 1 !!!

[tight-wad]

It started with trying to figure a way to protect the down underquilt that I had so MUCH time and $ invested in. Then, I got to reading some posts about hammock socks and how they can help with a little bit of warmth and wind block. And, I made a segmented pad extender, but I did not like having all that mess in the hammock with me even though it seemed to really work well otherwise. And, some folk on this forum go nuts over manufacturers that have a double bottom or a pocket for stuffing stuff. Finally, where I'm from, bugs are a big problem.

The 4-in-1 is made of 1.1 oz ripstop. The basic bottom is only about 3 ounces.

I prefer to lay in my hammock on a diagonal, but I did not want to have to worry about head end, foot end, left side, right side, yadda, yadda, yadda. Therefore it is completely symetrical which means maybe its bigger than a minimalist would prefer, but, hey its what I want. I laid in the hammock and got my daughter to mark what I wanted, then little by little whittled it down to what you see here. Its basically an oblong piece, narrow on the ends, wide in the middle. Almost an inverse cat curve.

I roll hemed the length, and made a channel for a shock cord on the ends. Then on each side along the length I "sewed in" a lightweight cord. Every 4 inches along the cord is a bar stitch with the cord loose between these stitches. One long paracord is tied to each end. Before getting in the hammock lace up a foot or so on each end. After getting in the hammock lace up the rest. Takes a moment, but its really simple, light weight, slips free easily (for those emergency trips ), and no snag.

You can use this: 1) without anything else in mild climes as a wind block, dew barrier, 2) under a quilt to protect it from spray and mud, 3) as a place to hold a SPE with or without a quilt, and 4) bottom for bugs - see next paragraph.

1.1 ripstop is 1.1 oz per sq yd. The $1/yard camo mosquito netting I snagged is probably closer to 2.x oz per sq yard, maybe even 3. Therefore, use as little of the heavy stuff where it counts, and use the light stuff where it doesn't. I sewed 4 inch no-snag velcro, aka omnitape, strips in 4 places on each side along the bottom piece and companion pieces on the bug net. On each end, on each side, one piece close to the very end and one piece ~18" down. In the middle I sewed grosgrain tie down loops on the bug net. Tie a piece of shock cord to one side, put a mini biner on the end of the shock cord on the other end, and reach under you to clip it after you climb in the hammock. The velcro is NOT, repeat, NOT sewed to the edge of the bug net fabric. It is several inches up. This allows the fabric to drape below the edge of the hammock, but the velcro holds it in place against any wind, and away from your face, and the shock cord in the middle helps to "seal it" along the length.

More pix are in my gallery. I thought I could add pix one at a time here, but maybe not....

[Mule]

Really looks great!

[Cannibal]

Nifty idea! Gotta protect that down!

[GrizzlyAdams]

I had the following experience related to the use of your multi-purpose bag....

I made an separate underbody for my hammock, with the intention of slipping a pad between it and the main body. I suspended it under the main body using ordinary shock cord.

On the first coldish night I used it, temps got to around 30. I had a Thermarest between the two bodies. Because of the shock cord I was _touching_ the pad under me, but not sinking into it like I would on the ground.

I got cold. Puzzled, I pulled the pad out from between the bodies and lay on it directly inside the main body of the hammock. I got warm.

Next night I changed the way the underbody was suspended so that it was essentially carrying my weight just as a "real" double-bodied hammock would. Now I was pressed into the pad, and now I stayed warm.

Now it could be that because the Thermarest is air-filled that I needed to press my body into it to warm up the air cells. I don't know how this would go with a CCF pad. But, based on this experience, I would consider whether your bag can be suspended to pull up the pad into your body as tightly as I had to pull up the Thermarest. That's more pulling than a "normal" sock will provide.

As I write this I realize that the HH Supershelter is like the sock, and works for some, but the pad is an open cell thing. Maybe my issue had more to do with the pad being air-filled.

Hmm.

Grizz

[tight-wad]

My plan is to use the quilt and sock for everything down to freezing and a little below. I tried very hard to make the sock loose enough not to compress the quilt, but tight enough to hold it up close.

The pix may not show it well enough, but the quilt is held up with looped shock cords that are connected to mini biners at each end. the mini biner is connected to a line. the line runs through a gap in the ridge line on each end and then to a biner in the middle of the ridge line. I simply tie it off at the biner in the middle. can make it tight or loose, to vent if necssary.

The sock can be tight, to a degree, or loose, depending on how you lace it.

The plan is: if its going to be really, really cold, take the SPE. Put the SPE between the sock and the quilt, put the quilt next to the hammock, put on lots of clothes, lace it up semi-tight, and hope for the best. I did not have all this finished when we had the low temps around here lately. I did test the quilt alone to the upper 20's, and with enough clothes, made it thru the night. If the forecast is for 25 degrees or less, take the SPE. Where I come from, 25 is really, really cold. If the forecast is for much less than that, defer the trip to another day.

I made the SPE before making a quilt, because it was cheap. As a "hike for a week" hiker, the SPE was just too much bulk.