More cold weather hammock advice please

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TheBrownDog
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More cold weather hammock advice please

Post by TheBrownDog »

Am I ever going to be warm in my hammock in the winter?

I'm using Cumulus kit - a Taiga 360 hammock quilt and a Selva 300 under quilt. I was really careful how I hung the under quilt - it hung an inch under the hammock and when I put my hand in there, felt warm.

Last night was cold but not freezing - got down to 2 degs. There was virtually no wind. But by God my back was cold.

I cant afford a big thick winter underquilt, so what am I doing wrong and is there a cheap solution, like sticking something heat reflective between the quilt and the hammock?

Any advice welcome.
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Bearbonesnorm
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Re: More cold weather hammock advice please

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

Cheap ccf mat cut to shape and placed inside the hammock.
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benp1
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Re: More cold weather hammock advice please

Post by benp1 »

ccf would defo help

Also try a silvered/reflective blanket like a windshield protector or a picnic blanket, that would help a bit

The bushcraft crew I used to be camp with used to love a reindeer hide but it’s a bit big to pack!
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pushbikemike
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Re: More cold weather hammock advice please

Post by pushbikemike »

TheBrownDog wrote:Am I ever going to be warm in my hammock in the winter?

I'm using Cumulus kit - a Taiga 360 hammock quilt and a Selva 300 under quilt. I was really careful how I hung the under quilt - it hung an inch under the hammock and when I put my hand in there, felt warm.

Last night was cold but not freezing - got down to 2 degs. There was virtually no wind. But by God my back was cold.

I cant afford a big thick winter underquilt, so what am I doing wrong and is there a cheap solution, like sticking something heat reflective between the quilt and the hammock?

Any advice welcome.
A couple of things come to mind for me. The underquilt you are using is rated to about 2c I think. Were you cold all the time or did you get cold when you moved? If your underquilt is not snug up against your hammock cold air will get in when you move. Your quilt is unlikely to have baffles at the end to minimize this. To help prevent it your uq should lift your hammock up in the air when you are not in it. The uq needs to be higher than you might think when you set it up. The cut of inner and outer layers on an uq stop the down being squashed.
Secondly: an uq protector can boost the warmth of your uq and stop cold air getting in. I use a homemade one which doubles as a mini hammock or gear hammock other times of the year.
I always seem to suggest YouTube videos by Shug. He does great ones on setting up Underquilts.

http://youtu.be/D9N3KkV5Zf4
http://youtu.be/BNYZIx6-pVc

He does have a distinctive presentation style. May not appeal to all.
Taylor
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Re: More cold weather hammock advice please

Post by Taylor »

Mike has pretty much said what I would've.
I'll second the watching of Shug videos, I learned loads from vids.
Sussex Paul
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Re: More cold weather hammock advice please

Post by Sussex Paul »

Matt at UK hammocks does a good video on how to set up your underquilt [url]uhttps://m.youtube.com/watch?v=j1j_lcJGFeM[/url]

Hennessy hammocks have a 3 part insulation system called the super shelter - foil blanket, foam mat and a cover. They also do a foil backed bubble wrap pad https://hennessyhammock.co.uk/products/ ... bubble-pad
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TheBrownDog
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Re: More cold weather hammock advice please

Post by TheBrownDog »

Thanks all. Ive tried CCF mats but I move around a lot in my sleep and I lose them underneath me. Will try setting the underquilt higher next time - just watched the Shug videos and I clearly didnt have it tight enough underneath me - and perhaps a heat reflective blanket of some sort. In November it was the wind getting under the quilt and robbing the warm air, so a UQ protector sounds like a good idea too. Cheers.
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Taylor
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Re: More cold weather hammock advice please

Post by Taylor »

I've had an uq protector for a while but I kept forgetting to take it, the first time I used it, it was a really nice surprise how much extra warmth it brought by snugging up the uq to the hammock and stopping the wins from robbing the heat from the uq.
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JoseMcTavish
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Re: More cold weather hammock advice please

Post by JoseMcTavish »

I use my old Thermarest 3/4 length between the layers of my DD hammock, seems to do the trick. I've survived at -8 this way, though can't say I was particularly warm that night!
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TheBrownDog
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Re: More cold weather hammock advice please

Post by TheBrownDog »

JoseMcTavish wrote:I use my old Thermarest 3/4 length between the layers of my DD hammock, seems to do the trick. I've survived at -8 this way, though can't say I was particularly warm that night!
My hammocks only got one layer and I really do struggle to keep any sort of mat under me. But I've a cunning plan to sleep in my garden on Wednesday night, making sure I snug the underquilt right up (without making it so tight it won't loft) and keeping a few things handy - a Thermarest mat and a reflective windscreen protector thing I grabbed from Halfords on Sunday.
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