Does sleeping in a hammock require a warmer sleeping bag?

4 Comments

1. John says:

   January 27, 2012 at 7:50 pm

   Sleeping in a hammock does require a bit more effort to stay warm than sleeping in a tent. A few months ago I purchased a hennessy deluxe with side zip entry and I found out that my butt can get quite cold even on a relatively warm night. I remember the first time I tried sleeping in it I only had a blanket to cover up in because I thought I would be fine. It was only going to get down to the low 70s, but I woke up at 5am freezing my butt off. My whole backside was CHILLED.

   I tried buying a heavy queen sized comforter to wrap up in and that worked okay on the warmer evenings, but I still found that my back got cold on the cooler evenings when it got down to the 50s. Come to find out, the blanket loses its insulating properties when compressed – which is why my back got cold. And I’ve read where the same thing happens to sleeping bags.

   I’ve since learned that it is best to have a sort of undercover for the hammock with a pad between the undercover and the bottom of the hammock itself to help insulate your back side. I have tried using a space blanket sort of fastened to the bottom of the hammock, but I didn’t notice too much of a difference since I didn’t have anything between the space blanket and the hammock. I am hoping to get an undercover from hennessy and do it up right. With an undercover and a good sleeping bag – I would think you could stay warm down in the 40s – maybe even lower if not much wind.

   So I guess it really depends on how cold it’s going to get at night where you’re at. I think you will be fine with just a good sleeping bag as long as you’re in the upper 50s or more. If you’re looking at dealing with some pretty cold weather but don’t want a really bulky sleeping bag – then you will probably need the undercover with pad and space blanket.
2. MountainMan says:

   January 27, 2012 at 8:49 pm

   When you are shivering all night with mild hypothermia in a +20 degree sleeping bag, then you are going to be wishing that you bought that expensive, heavy, 0 degree bag. Spend more money and enjoy an ultralight down 0 degree sleeping bag. A tent enclosure around you in a hammock helps retain heat. A sleeping pad beneath you helps retain heat.

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   One of the benefits of hammock camping, however, can also be a significant drawback. A suspended hammock allows for a cooling air flow to surround the camper in hot weather but that also makes it harder to stay warm when temperatures plummet either during the evening or seasonally as a sleeping bag will be compressed under a camper’s weight, reducing its ability to trap air and provide insulation. A number of solutions have been found for the “cold backside syndrome” (CBS), most notably to suspend a quilt under the hammock. Some hammocks have been designed with an extra layer of fabric, or a series of large pockets, on the bottom. Insulating material, such as foam, quilting, aluminum windscreen reflectors[1], clothes, or even dead leaves and brush from the campsite is stuffed between the bottom layers or inside the bottom pockets to create an insulating buffer between the camper and the cold outside air. While the above solutions, except for the found materials, add weight and bulk to the hammock, some approaches such as the Hennessey Super Shelter(SS)system which uses an ultralight open cell foam with a mylar space blanket make this increase in weight negligible.
3. chris w says:

   January 27, 2012 at 9:40 pm

   Absolutely, that’s the biggest issue with hammock users is the cold air is now all around you. You can add more insulation by using a thicker pad and the mylar windshield car reflectors. Thing is with adding all that increased insulation you add weight and than defeat the purpose of using a hammock and might as well go with a tent. Speaking of tents I have used now on two trips a pole-less tent you inflate it and it’s upright and somewhat rigid a few more trips and I’ll have a solid opinion.
4. Catfish_Woman154 says:

   January 27, 2012 at 10:35 pm

   Sleeping outside in a hammock will require a bivy sack to keep the dew or frost off your sleeping bag.

   I’d sleep on a camper’s pad to hold body heat while wrapped up in my sleeping bag with a light tarp over the sleeping bag, if I were sleeping in a hammock outside under the stars.

   A large, long lawn type trash bag can be substituted for a bivy sack. If the garbage bag is too short, take one and cut the bottom out and slip it over your bag. Take the other and use it to cover your feet and legs. Night dampness can cause mildew problems, too.

   Wear a warm knit cap and a soft scarf loosely around your throat so the cold night breezes don’t give you a sore throat or post nasal drip that can lead to a sore throat.