Thread: New sleeping bag - For hammock.

So I spent a night in my new Hennessy hammock ultralight explorer and froze my ass off. (Just had a Fairydown Equator bag. so it's a nothing rated, thin as, bag).

I 've read up on under quilts, mats etc but I'm only in the Kaimais and want to keep the gear to a minimum so thought I'd start with a moderately kick ass bag & see if that works.


I'm looking for around the 1kg mark and have my eye on this Macpac one:

Express 600 Standard | Equipment | Clearance | Macpac New Zealand


or this Mountain Equipment one.

MOUNTAIN EQUIPMENT Glacier 500 Sleeping Bag - Reg | Trade Me


What do you reckon guys? Any better suggestions?

Originally Posted by Ricochet

So I spent a night in my new Hennessy hammock ultralight explorer and froze my ass off. (Just had a Fairydown Equator bag. so it's a nothing rated, thin as, bag).

I 've read up on under quilts, mats etc but I'm only in the Kaimais and want to keep the gear to a minimum so thought I'd start with a moderately kick ass bag & see if that works.


I'm looking for around the 1kg mark and have my eye on this Macpac one:

Express 600 Standard | Equipment | Clearance | Macpac New Zealand


or this Mountain Equipment one.

MOUNTAIN EQUIPMENT Glacier 500 Sleeping Bag - Reg | Trade Me


What do you reckon guys? Any better suggestions?

You will freeze even with a good bag without an insulation mat.The down compresses and has no loft= no warmth on the back(I use an FD scorpion 850)you will get to sleep but the cold will wake you.

@madjon is on the money mate. Without the a thermal layer beneath you (thermal mat of some decription then yes you will wake to the cold. The only time I dont freeze when using my hammock is in the tropics.

However if you go to a synthetic/quilted bag then this will reduce the cold somewhat but the trade off is size/weight.

The thermal mat does not need to be huge or flash. If bulk is an issue then concentrate on just covering your core.

You definitely need an insulation mat of some sort. When I had my hammock, I fashioned a lightweight thermal mat from thin closed-cell foam bought from Para Rubber. Same sort of foam as the roll-up thermal mats you can buy from regular outlets, but much thinner, and therefore much less bulky. I suggest cutting the foam into sections the same length as your pack width, then tape the sections back together, making the whole mat foldable, rather than a roll-up one. This will stop the ends from wanting to curl up on you, and makes it able to fit inside your pack, closest to your back.

I don't hammock anymore, so you can have my thin roll of foam if you like. Can post it if you're in a hurry, or get it to Tauranga personally if you can wait until Xmas-ish.

Yeah, I brought some 5mm foam from para too but was hoping a decent sleeping bag would make it unnecessary. the taping idea is great though @stretch. And thanks for the mat offer anyway, much appreciated.

Iv used a hammock under a fly a few times. I used to lower the hammock so my back and whatnot were lying against my pack lying straps up. It keeps the air flow out and is z good length to keep you warmer.


Sent from the swamp

I use a Hennessy Hammock with their supershelter and have used it in temps as low as -5 with snow on the ground.
I sleep in undies and a tshirt most of the time with my Everest Mummy sleeping bag opened up and draped over me.
Never woken up cold once.
Until today I was using their Hex fly which is enormous but have changed to their Typhoon Fly which has closed ends sort of like a tent with no floor.
Hammocks are way more comfortable than sleeping on the ground in a tent.
People who complain that hammocks are cold just don't have them setup correctly.

The super shelter is just a flash version of what has been suggested... Thermal mat or my small thearmarest does the trick and is versitile in that you can and will use it with more than just hammock.

The super shelter looked annoying to me, I like shit simple & light. That was the whole point in buying a hammock. But if it's the best solution I'll do it.

I'll try a night out with the mat & see how I go.

I still need a better sleeping bag...

This is good readining...

The Truth About Hammock Camping: Claim #2 - Hammocks Are Comfortable - The Ultimate Hang

What makes the Supershelter work is that you have a air space between your body and the foam pad which is cupped so it molds to you body shape and you also have a space blanket (survival blanket) on top of the foam pad. Any way my layers are like this
1/ my body
2/ Hammock material (Holds you)
3/ Dead air space (acts as insulator)
4/ Space blanket (reflects you radiant heat back) wont work as well if in contact with body
5/ Foam Pad (provided shape to trap dead air)
6/ Supershelter material

Not sure from Shooters post if he lies on the foam pad inside the hammock or has it suspended outside. unlike a flat pad which will be close to your bum but further away from your shoulders. I think the survival blanket also improves the efficiency of the Supershelter but you can buy them from the Warehouse for $5 and would probably help with Shooters foam pad

I also tried a Exped inflatable mat before I purchased the Supershelter. I placed that inside the Hammock and lay on it. Found it a bit fiddly to get the inflation level correct. It worked ok but did adversely effect the comfort of the hammock and a good exped mat will cost the same or more than the Supershelter anyway.

The Supershelter is not complicated to set up. I leave mine attached to the hammock and only take out the foam pad the rest still fits inside the snakeskin.

Best idea I can suggest is experiment with it at home until you get the system sorted. That way if your cold you can always sleep the rest of the night inside.
Its a bastard being cold on the first night of a multi night trip and know your committed to more suffering.

My original hammock was a wool fadge unstiched,tied taut,under a fly,zipped the bag around the whole shebang.So me in the hammock,in the bag,balaclava on the swede.

Do you remember how much your original setup weighed Madjon_

Originally Posted by BobGibson

Do you remember how much your original setup weighed Madjon_

No idea,I do know I weighed a lot less

Put your jacket or any other dry clothes you are carrying in where the mat can go.