Q&A / Episode #1 / Why not a sleeping bag / Hammock Camping 

So I actually have experience with this and can help. I used to camp out below 32°F quite often in scouts In a hammock. Now here is the weird and different parts. My hammock was a tarp from Walmart doubled up and tied on both ends. The tarp keeps you warmer than a traditional hammock because it doesn't breath at all. Then I put down a thick moving blanket or a thick old bed comforter and put my sleeping bag in that in the hammock. I would crawl in and wrap my self in the blanket when I was done and I was always warm. Now the details are fuzzy. I know my bag was 0°F rated but I can't remember if I used sleeping pads or not. In a hammock like mine I had to lay with the curve because tarp would let you slide out and hit the ground. But with just a tarp a bag and a thick blanket while only wearing a sweat shirt and jeans. ( No layering.....yeah I know....) I was always comfortable. I tried ground camping with everything I owned in weather that was maybe -20°F and I was way colder than in my hammock. I proved to everyone that you can be warm in a hammock when winter camping. And that you don't need fancy under quilts as well. ( Had no idea they existed when I was a younin.) Just a short long story about a dumb kid with dreams of sleeping in the trees.

Great advice! What I've done in my winter set up is the pod set using the Snugpak version. I position an emergency orange/reflective blanket either onto the hammock or slide it between the hammock and the pod which acts like an additional wind deflector and helping to trap more heat given off by your body. One of those car windshield deflectors will also work. I've slept in temperatures down to 25 fahrenheit with just a woobie or Snugpak jungle blanket inside the pod. A foam pillow (Thermarest) will help to keep your head warm. In bushcraft camping I use a 32 ounce Pathfinder bottle, heat water to a boil, secure the bottle in a wool sock and place it in my hammock before getting in; or strategic placement of hand warmers works wonders. Keep a couple of extra packets in the pouch that's sewn into the side of most hammocks. I've found these get cooler around four to five hours after activation. Eating a snack before going to bed activates your "inner furnace" helping to keep you warm. Coffee and alcohol (unless you pass out!) do the opposite. Wearing a fresh pair of socks (Darn Tough for me), a balaclava or neck gaiter and a ski hat helps...i.e., layering can add to your comfort, remove if too warm. Never allow yourself to sweat! For us guys, no harm in using a urinal or pee bottle in your hammock; besides, why would you want to egress from a warm bedroll to take a piss. Just make sure you tighten the lid to your bottle or your urinal cap is secured. That's a lesson you don't want to learn when there's a cold ass wind blowing...LOL. Another hack is to place a cut piece of tyvek on the ground where you egress; place your hiking shoes or boots on the tyvek and cover them with what's available. A Walmart bag works. I carry two 55gl contractor bags on every adventure and use one to put my boots and pack in; no fun in cleaning up rain and mud splatter.

Thank you for speaking in double temp F/C° :) Soo much easier to follow along without having to look up the temp all the time!

Another great video! Thank you also for your service and hope you had a great Veteran's day. It makes me think of my dad who served in Korea and survived Pork Chop Hill and Old Baldy. Not enough can be said or done for those who served our country.

Awesome video there is also another way I personally use a sleeping bag in a hammock and it’s to tie the four corners onto the hammock to use the sleeping bag just as an under quilt And it works a charm

When I camped with my hammock and sleeping bag (rated 40f), it was pretty cold (32f). So I made an underquilt with a cheap blanket and paracord. Worked just fine. During the night I had to throw an extra blanket over me and that took care of it. I was pretty warm. I had an all night fire but it was too far away for me to feel any benefit. The fire primarily kept critters away. I only go in the winter here because we have snakes and alligators (big ones) and they are asleep then.

Great Q&A! This one was a question I hear quite a bit. Thank you for your service!

happy birthday Marine. Thank you for your videos and thank you for your service.

Thanks for the great video. I used a 15 deg sleeping bag as a top quilt this past winter and it worked okay. Nothing is a substitute for a good top and underquilt .

Informative, I really would like to much more in the way of hammock camping! Thanks for all these great tips/suggestions. God bless you!

Great explanation of why underquilts are the way to go for hammocks. Nice job!

Another good video with positive information. Anxiously awaiting the next one and thanks for you service.

Going to modify what i have for a ..under quilt.So many awesome ideas you share thank you .Love learning and cant wait to try these ideas in the real world . Still working on remembering knots and practicing them .Strength to you .

Great info! Thank you for your service!👍🏻🇺🇸

Hey there. I have an underquilt as I have moved into hammock camping but haven’t invested in the too quilt. And as you and many others have suggested, I use it like a top quilt. Works great. Thanks for helping us stay off the ground comfortably. 👍👍

You know, I was wondering to myself, "Why can't I just stuff the hammock inside of the sleeping bag?" Then I saw this video. I like the idea of tying it off on the foot end so it doesn't creep up and expose my feet. Well played sir. Well played.

Having experienced a cold back when using a hammock, this advice is great!

Good stuff sir! I had to revisit your videos because, well? I like how you explain things. So thank you!

The top quilt system is the way to go! Thank you I just switched I was on the AT with my back crawling out of a tent was hurting me more. I was trying to figure out how to do the sleeping bag and this works! I dont like being confined in a bag and this solves that issues as well as easy to get in and out of. Well dang Army vet learned something from a Marine lol

Thank you for your service.

Awesome Video! Thanks for posting. Can't wait to see more content 👍

Enjoyable and informative 👍

Thanks for the video! Great tips as always. Cheers!

Regular sleeping bag , light weather sleeping bag and...wait for it my trusty wool blanket . another awesome video thank you ..

Very informational video. I used a military sleep system with a reflective pad in my Eno in the beginning. Went to zero. A lot of zippers to mess with thou. Also used a 16 foot Kelty tarp. Worked pretty good. Now I have a Warbonnet Superfly. Love the doors. Love my down quilts. Thanks for your service. Take care and stay safe, Al

Thank you Marine for the information.

Great tips and great video !! Well done 👍🏼

I had thought of using my sleeping bag as a pod system like this but wasn't sure how it would work out. Looks ok! I'm in Australia so it's never really that cold and I always have the toe box unzipped so I can stick my feet out through the night to regulate my temp. Thanks for the info!

love this channel man

Exactly what I do also! Use all my mummy bags as top quilts as I hate to be restricted in a zipped bag. Along with a good pad I'm plenty warm. Also my Clark has storage pockets underneath that help trap air and keep the breeze out.

Great pointers, thanks

great video and like the information... I keep trying different ways to stay warm...

Thnxs 4 uploading ❗💯🇺🇸

I use a bottom quilt and a sleeping bag and a small morino wool blanket in cold weather I've gotten it down to 10 degrees and was still warm its all about layers!!

Wow amazing Hammock camping

Good information and video. I use a zero degree mummy bag as a to quilt, with a good pad under me. Been down to 30. I did make a down under quilt but have not used it yet. Thanks and take care.

Great informative video overall. I do have one thing to correct though: not all synthetic insulation is created equal. Newer (more expensive) random fills are very packable vs their warmth rating. I have a synthetic bag I use for 3 seasons that packs smaller than my down bag and will take me down to 35 comfortably. You also make the statement that “if you are backpacking, you’ll need a down sleeping bag.” I hear a lot of the community say this, but they don’t live in the PNW. The Olympic national rainforest (where I frequent) gets more annual rain than the Amazon. It is always damp there. Unless it drops below freezing, for me synthetic simply works better. Other biomes that could be different. Just pointing out that nothing here is universal. Mission dictates gear marine. 😏

My friend uses a quilt in the tent too its looks great to be fair and easy to kick off when you're too hot

I camp exclusively in winter as it allows me to have a fire without worrying about copping fines during fire ban seasons. I use the last method to keep warm when it gets to around freezing, if it drops below I use 2 bags, one around the hammock and my down bag as a top quilt inside, works a charm.

i sleep a lot in hammock in freezing Norway in temp below 0 and the most imortant thing is bug net due to it hold constant temp which is not depand on wind flow, it makes some kind of term-coocon. My best system is winter underquilt, winter sleeping bag(open as a wrap) with comfort -10, bug net, hammock and tree huggers, best tarp from dd hammock 4.5x3. Topquilt is not so good because you do not have a hood which takes huge role if it is very cold...you can put it on your face to sleep warmer, otherwise balakava must be on face to protect from cold air. I advice also some warm slippers because you lose great heat from your foes

I have used as too quilt but never thought of wrapping around the hammock. I tried my pad but it slides too much even though it’s inside a slip cover on bottom of bag. As an overweight older female it’s a pain to unzip & get in & out to go pee. Like your suggestion I could justify buying a top quilt & make easier to enter/exit. Plus, save money from not buying an under quilt. Least until a long trip

I slept in 20° weather in my hammock with a Celtic sleeping bag, I never got cold. But I’ll definitely make sure to insulate more

I had to chuckle at the end... I've tried many different ways to stay warm and comfortable through the night in the hammock, some work better than others and I can't help but think 'You REALLY have to want to hang' because there is SO much screwing around with hammocking in general...Is it worth it...ABSOLUTELY!!!

I use the pod system (glad I have a name for it now), because I'm a cheap bastard and thought "who needs a top and bottom quilt when this spare Coleman sleeping bag (50*F) has two zippers" when I first got into hammock camping. That plus a fleece blanket from the dollar store sees me (clothed and generally less sensitive, so YMMV) down into the 40's comfortably. Being a cheap square and decently wide bag it accommodates a number of sleeping positions and angles. I'm usually camping while on a motorcycle or road trip in the truck (or even canoeing) so the weight and bulk of the bag aren't an issue. I've got a Big Agnes down bag (which is basically a top quilt sewn to a ground pad sleeve) for when the weather is really cold and I'm hiking, but I mostly just use it as intended on the ground since it's not really a full bag (though I have made it work in the hammock by holding it closed around me). I tend to sleep on my side and ball up, so I've never needed to keep it stretched out lengthwise, and hadn't considered adding tie lines for that purpose but I could see how for some folks it might be a good idea. I've thought about sewing a few velcro tabs to make it easier to close up once in the hammock.

I'm just about to get a hammock and tarp... The pod system for the sleeping bag looks perfect for me :)

Hi Marine, tons of great information and options. Hope all is well, happy belated Veterans Day. Thanks for your service. Be safe, happy trails.

Love your videos.

Thank you for the advice

Good tips, i should look into what kind of sleeping bag i've got. Not my first choice for backpacking but it has served me well! I was toasty warm with just my sleeping bag in my hammock. I was super low to the ground, literally inches off it. With a low tarp, maybe 6 inches above my hammock and corners pinned to the ground. Low air movement, and i had to take layers off in 9°C under a full moon. This was only my 2nd time actually hiking n camping out with my hammock setup, but it was amazing!

Greetings Marine. I hope that you had a great Veterans day! Good info and on the important topic of insulation in the hammock. Cold butt syndrome is real! In the beginning I tried sleeping bags, foam mats, inflatable pads, windshield refectors, even reflectix, but didn't find a good solution until I began to diy unberquilts. I used polyester batting for the insulation and different matetials fir the shells, before settling on down quilts. Ahh comfort at last. With all of that said, If you like hammocking and are going to go in cooler temps, you should go ahead and get some down quilts. You can diy if you are into it, but the cost is worth it when you consider the comfort and packability of down. "Buy once, cry once". Best wishes. Oh by the way....did you get Henry dried out?

I'm thinking of modding my synth bag for pod use then using my down inside that so I have options, one, both or go overkill and add leafage underneath to pad it and blankets too, don't need to USE all options but nice to have them.

Usually the bottom side of the sleeping bag doesn't have as much fill as the topside, because it doesn't do much there anyway. You will be much better with a top quilt instead.

western mountaineering bags rock....mine is.......old!

Hello we are sorry we have taken some time in getting around to connecting to you but we have been very busy as of late and then we got stuck in Malta so now we are playing that good old catch-up game lol . Thanks for sharing this video. Love and Light Sarah and Glenn.

Hi there I camp mostly beach, ocean front or near to. My preferred hammock is the Hennessy brand. Very nice for warm and humid environment. Deep in woods I camp with an Eureka or NorthFace, 3 seasons both of them. Hammock camping is my favorite option. Regards

Using the sleeping bag as quilt/underquilt is such a brilliant idea @08:50

I ordered a Superior Hammock system! I’m so excited to get it!

Snugpak cocoon with a down sleeping bag and an Antarctica re sleeping bag got me through some minus five night very comfy and warm.

This peaked my curiosity cuz I have one of them military hybrid hammocks with the mosquito nets as well as two waterproof sleeping bags that are also Snow proof with some waterproof pillows course the hammock was supposed to actually is weather resistant from the paracords being able to run a tarp over it for roof but it picked my curiosity of ways to make it more comfortable

Damnit.. that pod system is genius.. why i didn't know about it earlier,.. damn

So... Hyke and Byke Antero bags are what you need. Also, the diagonal lay is nice and all, but as you noted it can create issues with a 'pod system' (like the bag I mention above). There's a hack for this. If you put an inflatable pillow under your thighs it'll change your position and put you in what feels like an amazingly comfortable recliner as you lay parallel in the hammock; this radically increases your thermal efficiency since you're having to heat a much smaller space. Happy hammocking!

Excellent - some new ideas -love the pod system will try next time I go hanging but think my bag might be too small (Im 6 ft 2 and 120 kg)

This technique works well in the pnw It is my go to setup. I even made my own video on it!

Made that mistake on my first hammock camping trip. I used my mss black bag in my hammock @19°F. Didn’t have anything below me and it really sucked both nights lol.

The pod system looks best to me, if the sleeping bag is adequately modified, such as with a wide enough wedge, and adding a cinch at the foot end so you can cinch the foot hole tight. It would be nice if the sleeping bag were long enough that the foot cinch is even with the end of the hammock, but that means more customization I suppose. All you'd need then would be a blanket and an underquilt protector. The underquilt protector could be a custom ground cloth. I like the idea that wilderness innovation channel uses where he installs double sided snaps on everything. This way, you could just snap everything into place and it would stay put. If the hammock were a custom tarp, using cinches to gather the two ends and attach the hammock, then the whole shebang would be multipurpose; usable with or without the hammock setup.

thx for the info! I'm going to attempt the sleeping bag trick...hope it works cause I don't like being cold.

Thnxs

have any companies ever made a sleeping system where the bottom is a foam or inflatable mat with asoft top like microfleece and you zip a down quilt onto the top? seems like it would work and would not have the waste of the flattened down on the bottom

I made a hammock slightly larger than the hammock I sleep in and then add a sleeping bag in that hammock and then place mine directly above it, it works ok for the most part as long as you arent compressing the bag beneath you

I have used the sleeping bag pod system in temps around 45 degrees and it works very well to keep me warm!

👍👍

I was caming in -18c* and I used an under quill sleeping bag and a a reindeer skin and I was so comfy. Deffo recommended

Thanks for the great information. I just ordered my son an ENO Skylight hammock and the warmest bottom and top quilts they offer. He'll will be winter camping in temps probably as low as the high teens occasionally. Considering that he'll have both the bottom and top quilt (top quilt is is closed at the bottom like a sleeping bag in up to about waist height) would ypu recommend that i also get him a, say 20°f down bag to go with that? Or do you think he would be better off going with a blanket since the top quilt is already a sort of sleepin bag itself? Thanks again!

I've always wanted to try out a hammock.

Has anyone tried the klymit hammock mat? I wondered if it would insulate beneath you. I saw Corporal Kelly use it once and it looks good but I wondered if anyone bought one and used it in colder weather?

Hi , Im new to the hammock outdoors and thinking what if I use two sleeping bags that I have. I don't have these new type of sleeping bags but the old version with cotton whatever else they stuff it with when late fall comes. One for a liner and the other to sleep in. What's your thoughts on it.

New to hammock camping but I had a thought that idk if it would work but could you use a sleeping bag as a make shift underquilt in a pinch... as in attaching under with some tie offs?

About the only thing I could add to this is a tarp. Depending on how you hang it, it cuts down on the air circulation underneath.

Hi, I'm freshman in camping .I would like to use hammock this winter to be lighter , do you think the range of temperatures of the sleeping bag in this setup (as a quilt) still stands right (+using a blanket / foam underneath)??

I don't use a sleeping bag but the pod system is genius.

Sleeping on the diagonal gives you a comfy flat lie. I have found only a wide sleeping bag will allow you success in this technique. I find a nice wide thick seeping pad works better. To each their own.

Anyone have an opinion on some of the newer materials such as “LOFTEK” or “Hybrid” materials sold by advertisements on RU-vid such as Sierra and/or Outdoor Vitals?

Thank you! I am curious about hammock camping. If you use a sleeping bag as a top quilt, would you need something underneath you when it gets into the 50s at night? Or would sliding the edges of the sleeping bag under you probably fix cold butt syndrome?

I feel like using the sleeping bag as a top quilt you would still get really cold on the bottom. in winter camping.

what bag are you using here. did it come the way that you have it setup in the video? thanks in advance.

if you can do without a bug net try SNUGPAK COCCOON there great xx

im looking to be able to camp down into around 40 degrees farenheit in a hammock, and i currently only have a cheap synthetic 40 degree rated sleeping bag, what would be the most budget friendly way to get down to that temperature without adding a crazy ammount of weight

Great video I learned a lot. Cheers!

Not to mention getting into a sleeping bag properly is a pain in the arse. How do i know this? I wonder. I have taken a sleeping bag and flipped it upside down to use as a top quilt before but also had an insulation layer underneath me. Early fall at 37 F, snug as a bug. Backpacking i use a down underquilt and a down throw from costco which is inexpensive. It has taken me 3 years to get it down to be comfortable and props goes out to the marine and Shug for all the tips i have learned.

The pod method isn't something I have tried yet because I didn't think it would allow a diagonal flat lay. Do I understand that this can be corrected by adding the appropriate amount of width with a custom section zipped in? If that's the case, I'd be ahead by sewing a small quilt with zippered sides that mate with my bag. I might just try that with some new polyester OD green yardage I just bought. I'm thinking that a good way to measure is to pin the bag in place underneath and measure where the top drapes. With a mummy, I can only guess that there will be a lot to add, but at worse, I could just go with an underquilt....Homemade if course.

🧘🏽‍♂️🙏🏻 👁️❤️Hammocks!

So… hear me out… could I use a sort of space blanket (those papery-thin almost tinfoil type blankets) as an underquilt? Theoretically I can hang it in a way that it traps a small pocket of air and stuff surely?

Can you use a sleeping bag for a under quilt and then a blanket or light quilt to sleep with

Could you link which sleeping bag you’re using here to sleep wedge asymmetrical in the pod set up?

Sleeping Bag to Snakeskin!

I will say about the sleeping bag question. I've always just used my sleeping bag when hammock camping! I use a "north face blue kazoo" it's a down bag rated for 15° F. Even my latest video is about me using it in 25°F in my hammock on a camping trip! That coupled with a sleeping pad is more than enough to have an enjoyable night in freezing conditions!! Oh I also use a bivi bag around the sleeping bag!! Just to raise the temperature rating a little bit and to keep dew off my down bag!! I will say that on that below freezing night, my butt did get cold but that was my fault for letting too much air out of the sleeping pad! And my toes got pretty cold from the wind ripping above the bag. I'm going on another trip in 2 weeks in the snow and for this one, I'm going to use an underquilt paired with my down bag, bivi bag, and sleeping pad. And also use a rainfly on this trip! The thought process is: the underquilt to help eliminate even more of that wind chill than just my pad, and the rainfly to help mitigate the wind chill from tearing at my feet as much! Sleeping bag in your hammock is totally doable!! I've had probably 15 over night trips now where I'm just using my sleeping bag and a sleeping pad, the temperature usually gets down to low 40s, high 30s. And I have great nights of sleep with that setup!! Highly highly recommend!!

The need for a under quit kills the hammock for the role I what to us it for can we not use a space blanket on the floor or suspended, or can you hang two hammocks and fill it with dry leaves or clothes etc

Can you stand on the down bag so I can see how lofty it is. It will be easier for me, thanks!

Can you make a pod system work with integrated bugnet? Do you try to stretch the sleeping bag over a structural ridgeline? Also, what is the hammock you are using in that video?

After watching your videos i think i should of bought a bigger hammock. I got the onetigris compound and its only 8.5ft, i am 5'10 lol