Given the opportunity (or sometimes need) to use a shelter, would it be best to use a pad instead of quilt? If so, any recommendations for a pad assuming the hammock is single layer? I’d rather a foam pad over blowing it up and taking the chance for leaks but am open to that if best if my worries are unfounded.
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11d
I need to get this kind of setup for work. What would you recommend?
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9d
Yup! What pad do tjh recommend for a hammock
I use a gossamer gear thinlight as my backup. It's pretty thin and lightweight but good enough for 1 night where I wouldn't be able to hang.
I'll use other soft things under it if needed, backpack, extra clothes, stuff sacks, just to add some extra "thicknesses ".
Just bought one
Looks like it has an estimated R-value of 0.5. This thing isn't going to keep you very warm. I'd pack a quilt in addition to the pad.
Yes, seems like everyone agrees that a quilt is a must. Just bought the Enlightened Equipment Revelation
Thanks, I’ll check it out. My goal is to stay out of the shelters but planning for it just in case…knowing it will be a necessity at some point.
I really wish those worked for me. would be perfect when no bottom insulation is needed.
Sounds like a quilt is pretty much a need so going that route plus a light foam pad as indicated above. It doesn’t weigh much and I’ll find weight savings elsewhere; sleep is a must. My goal is to keep shelter use to an absolute minimum.
I think that's a great way to go. The pad can be nice to sit on for short breaks too!
Howdy, so I struggle with the same thing and I’ll share where I am up to with it. If I’m doing a multi day trek, I’ll take a tent and mattress unless I know for that there’s trees I can hang in.
If I’m canoeing I will be able to take both sleep systems because the weight and bulk doesnt matter in the canoe.
If I’m doing short trips with car camps, as I am right now, I’ll take both systems in the car and try my hardest to make hammocking the preference.
Most folk are ground sleepers because hammocking is quite specialist, so I find I’m up against their needs as well.
To answer the question, I’ve tried pads in the hammock and while it does work, it’s not been very enjoyable for me. I’ve now got an underquilt from Alpkit but I’m still not sure it’s any good yet. Needs more testing.
If you need to sleep in the ground, a quilt won’t help you.
Many people rely on sleeping pads to stay inflated
I didn’t say this very well. What pad would you choose given I might need to use shelters now and then? I’d still like to hammock the majority.
Could you sleep on the ground on a foam pad?( I couldn’t. )Is a foam pad enough insulation for your hammock where you are going? How much do you want to spend total for insulation under you? How important is weight?
For backpacking, one way to go is a 3/4 length UQ like the hammock gear phoenix and a UL inflatable pad like the NeoAir XLite NXT as backup. That would be about $400 and 27oz.
r/camping gear is probably a better resource for ground pads.
This is what I do as well. The 20 degree Yeti under quilt only weighs 11oz, so if I have to add a 14oz inflatable when sleeping in a shelter it’s not a terrible weight penalty.
I will sleep horribly in a tent regardless, so I'd bring the underquilt AND a torso-sized foam pad (cut down nemo z-folding CCF) or shorter inflatable just for the shelters.
I'd carry a tensa solo or trekking treez normally, but I've read in certain shelters sleeping outside of them can be prohibited. in that specific case, pad instead of tensa.
12-16oz pad extra weight backpacking to cover all sleep situations isn't a bad trade off. pack is light enough for me.
I've had very few leaks over a 25+ year period of backpacking and car-camping. In fact, I think I've had exactly one leak serious enough that it needed to be fixed immediately; fortunately that was on a car-camping trip, so my husband was able to patch it.
I wouldn't worry about routine leaks. Just treat your pad with reasonable care.
This isn't r/ultralight, so I'll admit that I sometimes carry both a hammock system (including underquilt) and an XLite inflatable pad for potential use in a lean-to. The XLite only weighs 12 oz, and on certain trips I'm willing to accept that penalty. (It depends on how likely I think I am to end up using a lean-to shelter.)
the only reason i’d bring a pad is for additional versatility to occasionally switch to sleep flat on the ground on the same trip e.g in a shared cabin or a open rooftop etc. otherwise underquilt is so much nicer
Bring a pad in addition if you want, but not instead of an underquilt. It's miserable.