I'll echo Jeff and Billy. You don't need an underquilt, but you will need something. Your WBBB with a double layer is quite adept at utilizing pads. The Prolite and a cheap blue pad will likely be adequate for you.
I'll echo Jeff and Billy. You don't need an underquilt, but you will need something. Your WBBB with a double layer is quite adept at utilizing pads. The Prolite and a cheap blue pad will likely be adequate for you.
I was toasty warm on a pad in my hammock down to just below freezing. I just had to deal with shifting of the pad and cold arms when I touched the sides of the hammock. My hammock is more narrow and you've got a pocket to put the pad in so you should be just fine with what you've got. I ended up putting extra clothes under my arms and that worked out just fine. I now use an UQ and I like it much better. But until I made it, I used the pad. Use what you've got until you've got the time to get an UQ made for you. And please, don't even think of having to go to ground... that's sort of taboo around here and the thought of it tends to give me nightmares.
TinaLouise
I will also chime in and say you should be just fine with a Thermarest down to the mid-50's. I've taken my Thermarest to the upper 30's, with a 30* sleeping bag. (Wearing fleece, with a poncho liner....) But- don't think you need an UQ, slip that pad between the layers of your Blackbird if you can't get to the quilt shop in time!
Backtrack, any word from your trip? I'd like to hear how it went....
“Indian builds small fire and stays warm, white man builds big fire and stays warm collecting firewood”—unknown
“The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears, or the sea”—Karen Blixen
The trip went well, thanks for asking. It was a hard section of the AT but we followed through. My first time sleeping in a hammock was gear changing. It will be hard for me to hit the ground again. My good friend let me borrow a Yeti UQ and it worked well. The low temp on Sat. was more like 46F. Glad I had an UQ! Ready to hit the trail soon.......
Has anyone tried using a modified Wiggy's bag for a UQ? It seems everyone wants to use down but that stuff loses loft so fast and it does not take well to storing under compression, and pray you don't get it wet. Just a thought as I have a 0 degree Wiggy's bag that keeps me toasty warm when sleeping on a mat on the ground. Don't know how effective it would be as an UQ but I have had horrible experiences with down it the past and swore I would never use the stuff again.
I recently changed after finding this forum. After I woke up in the Adirondacks all wet on a pad I cut up an old sleeping bag (synthetic north face 20*) and made a UQ. I also used the bags zipper for top entry in my HH Eped Asym. It works great but a little heavier than down but didn't cost me anything.
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