What lies beneath?

[jus_young]

So what do you lie on?

We all use various sleeping bags, cocoons, bivvies etc. but what options do you have as that insulating layer between you and the floor or free flowing air under the hammock? When ground dwelling I use a Vango self inflating mat which does the job pretty well but have been thinking about other possibilities now that Santa has promised a hammock for xmas. I don't like the idea of using the mat as I have read numerous posts about them moving around. The cocoon as we have found is just not available and a seperate under/over quilt is racking up the weight unless the lottery win comes in and down versions become an option. Anyone used reindeer hides for example?

So, what do you use and what may be suitable as a possible 'best of both worlds' for ground dwelling and hammock? (if such a thing could possibly exist!)

[Roadkillphil]

In my pack I carry a DD travel hammock, DD tarp and a 3/4 length thermarest. If no trees, I can go to ground with this, but I prefer hammocking.

Now then, I used to use laminate flooring insulation, triple layered, stuck with duct tape. I cut it to 1.5m by 2m so it would essentially wrap me up whilst in the hammock. It worked ok, but it was quite bulky.

Recently though I just use the thermarest. It's less bulky to pack, better insulation and works great in the travel hammock.... BUT, I do not inflate it fully... I blow it up full whack, then let a little air out and it moulds to my back nicely. This way I've never had a problem with it moving around and I never get a cold back.

On the 8 items trip to Dartmoor, I was laid on it by the fire and an ember pinged out of the fire to join me and melted a hole in it! So I had to sleep in the hammock with it deflated... And I still didn't get a cold back!

Hope this helps

Phil

[markal17]

In my pack I carry a DD travel hammock, DD tarp and a 3/4 length thermarest. If no trees, I can go to ground with this, but I prefer hammocking.

Now then, I used to use laminate flooring insulation, triple layered, stuck with duct tape. I cut it to 1.5m by 2m so it would essentially wrap me up whilst in the hammock. It worked ok, but it was quite bulky.

Recently though I just use the thermarest. It's less bulky to pack, better insulation and works great in the travel hammock.... BUT, I do not inflate it fully... I blow it up full whack, then let a little air out and it moulds to my back nicely. This way I've never had a problem with it moving around and I never get a cold back.

On the 8 items trip to Dartmoor, I was laid on it by the fire and an ember pinged out of the fire to join me and melted a hole in it! So I had to sleep in the hammock with it deflated... And I still didn't get a cold back!

Hope this helps

Phil

bit like my set up there mate

[jus_young]

Cheers gents.

Phil, you mention about using the mat partially deflated. Do you still insert the mat between the two layers of the hammock, sleep directly on top of it or use it in the sleeping bag? I have come across a few people that use the mats within the sleeping bag which is something I have never tried myself but was intrigued by this method.

[JEEP]

Exped SynMat 7M; http://www.exped.com/exped/web/exped_homepage_int.nsf/0/6A57042396947205C125715C002523A9?opendocument The best I have ever done for my nights when out and about. When camping on rough ground, I carry a simple cheap lightweight alumat, to protect the SynMat.

Cocoon Ultralight Air-Core Pillow

I also have a Therm-a-rest Z-Lite, but I rarely use it anymore

[Tony1948]

I'm a ground dweller dont ave that problem,Got a carp fishing bed and sleeping bag....HOHOHO:rock-on:

[bigzee]

Hmmm? I've been struggling with this dillemma for a while. I have a British army kip mat: bombproof, huge and versatile (you can roll-up one end for a 1/2 pillow). But it's very bulky and not too comfy.

I have a reeded single airbed (cheapo version of JEEP's): very comfy, very compact when rolled. It is however quite heavy, and not the most thermally insulative.

Or there's the therm-a-rest 3/4: pretty compact when rolled, pretty lightweight, and good insulation and comfort. I did buy an original (not stay-tek version) though so you tend to slip and slide off, and also being a tightwad spent a coupl'a quid less on the 3/4 when I should have got the full length one and woke with warm feet.

I like all three in their own way, but I suppose the therm-a-rest ticks most boxes, If I had to take just one. Buy the full length sticky one though!!

[Martin]

In my hammock I use a Snugpak hammock under blanket. Very snuggly and very very comfy.

When ground dwelling I use a Thermarest Neoair full length inflatable mat. I love this thing as I can lie on my side or on my back and still get a very good night's sleep with no chance of my hip touching the ground throught the mat.

On the rare occasions that I sleep on a camp bed I use a Multimat self inflating mat between me and the bed. It's a Thermarest knock off bought from Endicotts and it's very good but just not comfy enough for me to sleep on the ground with.

Martin

[AdrianRose]

I have a Multimat self-inflating mattress that I use in the inner base pocket of my DD Frontline Hammock and it has never had a problem with moving around. I also recently had the bright idea of including one of those silver survival blankets in the under pocket to. So that it is sandwiched between the mattress and me.

Apart from being a little bit noisy when you initially get into the hammock it was surprisingly good at reflecting my body heat back at me.

Im also looking into how i can customise an old army sleeping bag into being used as an under-blanket.

Ade

[Roadkillphil]

Cheers gents.

Phil, you mention about using the mat partially deflated. Do you still insert the mat between the two layers of the hammock
Yup :D Although I can see why folks put it in their dossbag to stop it moving around, I never have a problem really.

Cheers
Phil

[jus_young]

I am trying to get into the whole lightweight option, the idea of getting the hammock is that it will end up as a dual purpose setup for ground or trees. The hammock and tarp option should end up saving me about 500g when compared with the Banshee tent but also give me a much better shelter with a protected area for cooking which the tent does not (unless I carry a tarp aswell and add another load of weight). I know that an underquilt is the ideal option but the additional weight then means the banshee works out better.

I was wondering really if someone had come up with an ingenious sytem that I hadn't heard of yet.

[wescobts]

I haven't gotten into hammocks as of yet, this spring for sure.

With that being said, I go to ground in a North Face Big Frog tent and a Z-rest. My bag is a forrest service bag rated for maybe 40 degrees, it's not too warm. For cold weather I have a NorthFace Cats Meow zero. I would love to have a bivy for this.

[jus_young]

Had a play with the hammock today and definately need an underquilt. I could not get the mat to stay in place.

I know snugpak do the quilt and can get these from DD but does anyone use any other brands?

[Martin]

I am trying to get into the whole lightweight option, the idea of getting the hammock is that it will end up as a dual purpose setup for ground or trees. The hammock and tarp option should end up saving me about 500g when compared with the Banshee tent but also give me a much better shelter with a protected area for cooking which the tent does not (unless I carry a tarp aswell and add another load of weight). I know that an underquilt is the ideal option but the additional weight then means the banshee works out better.

I was wondering really if someone had come up with an ingenious sytem that I hadn't heard of yet.

I was pretty sure that hammock and tarp is a heavyweight system. That was until I saw Matt's set up. He's got a very lightweight hammock (the name's on the tip of my tongue) with Dynema whoopie sling set up. He has a standard DD 3m x 3m tarp, a down underblanket from america and a Snugpak Elite 3 sleeping bag. The heaviest part of his kit is the sleeping bag. It's a great, lightweight set up which I quite envy.

Having said all that, I've got what I've got and it's never going to be anything more than a heavyweight option when compared to my tent set up or, in dire emergency, a tarp and bivi set up.

Now, I've got the DD Travel Hammock and I can't imagine using it as a bivi bag except for another dire emergency, because it's just not made for it. The enclosure is made with velcro strips so it's not waterproof and there's no hole for your head. I guess this was a case of someone trying hard to think of an alternative use for the hammock and coming up with the genius plan of using it as a bivi bag.

Anyway, for a very comfortable if slightly heavyweight nights sleep in a wooded area such as the Cornwall RV the hammock is perfect. In fact it's better than that, it make the whole thing an event. For a lightweight shelter and sleep system, which you're going to lug around for miles I still don't think you can beat a tent or a tarp if the weather is kind.

Martin

[Wrighty28]

just bought myself a Gelert expedition 3/4 self inflatting 'thermerest'. great deals on them on ebay atm.. so will be using that as the main insulation barrier in my DD travel hammock, slide that into the cacoon, my sleeping back, and a fleece blanket over the top incase i get a bit chilly on the top. iv got a foil blanket aswell which im still trying to work out how to use. i may attach it to the underside of the thermerest some how. :)

also done a mod on the hammock last night. got some DD hammock rings and Carib's. attached the rings to the hammock and Carib's to the remainder of the tape. should make setting up so much easier.

[jus_young]

I was pretty sure that hammock and tarp is a heavyweight system. That was until I saw Matt's set up. He's got a very lightweight hammock (the name's on the tip of my tongue) with Dynema whoopie sling set up. He has a standard DD 3m x 3m tarp, a down underblanket from america and a Snugpak Elite 3 sleeping bag. The heaviest part of his kit is the sleeping bag. It's a great, lightweight set up which I quite envy.

Having said all that, I've got what I've got and it's never going to be anything more than a heavyweight option when compared to my tent set up or, in dire emergency, a tarp and bivi set up.

Now, I've got the DD Travel Hammock and I can't imagine using it as a bivi bag except for another dire emergency, because it's just not made for it. The enclosure is made with velcro strips so it's not waterproof and there's no hole for your head. I guess this was a case of someone trying hard to think of an alternative use for the hammock and coming up with the genius plan of using it as a bivi bag.

Anyway, for a very comfortable if slightly heavyweight nights sleep in a wooded area such as the Cornwall RV the hammock is perfect. In fact it's better than that, it make the whole thing an event. For a lightweight shelter and sleep system, which you're going to lug around for miles I still don't think you can beat a tent or a tarp if the weather is kind.

Martin

I agree with you on say many levels here Martin. The setup is not that leightweight and getting heavier all the time! I have rigged the travel hammock with a Single Line Suspension using amsteel/dynema and this seems to work quite well when strung between the two roofracks on my vans although the amsteel does need to stretch out a bit as I had to keep tensioning it up after lying in the hammock for a while (its new). I have also rigged up a couple of mini crabs with prussics that will hold the tarp on the same line (will post piccies later). This has done away with multiple ridgelines etc. The tarp is also rigged with shock cord for pinning it down (pinched the idea fron Shuggs vids). I think a couple more tweeks and this will be sorted.

As with the underquilt issue, I can't justify paying the money for down UQ/sleeping bag at the moment, let alone trying to source one in the UK, so I still have my rather heavy Coleman bag. What I have started though is making my own underquilt from an £11 sleeping bag. This is going to be a test piece that I will try on my next outing to get some idea of how it works or what modifications might be needed in readiness for making a lighter weight option in the future. Realistically its going to take a bit of time getting to my 'ideal lightweight place' but I can see the light!

As for the bivi bit - dire need option only. I would look for trees but instead of having a seperate bivi bag I do have something to use if the need arose along with the tarp.

And then of course there is the other expense. My dear son watching me and saying 'So when are you getting mine Dad?'

[Al21]

When on the ground my trusty old Ultra light full length Thermarest does brilliantly. Sadly its the teflon version, but it works well in a bivy bag.

When in hammock mode I have a Snugpak underquilt from a BCUK group buy, which makes the hammock a joy to use year round. I'm sure a down filled quilt would be even more usable, but like others, cost is a factor especially as potentially I've another three set-ups to get if all the family are to join me in the trees.