Reddit reviews Snugpak Hammock Under Blanket, Insulated with Travelsoft Filling, Olive

ENO makes nice hammocks but do yourself a favor and grab a longer hammock. Look at any forum and you'll find people raving about how comfy 11' hammocks are. Dutchware is a popular option. A single layer w/whoopie hook suspension and webbing is only about $10 more than the ENO + straps, and much lighter (17.7oz vs 35oz).



For insulation you can use and old sleeping bag as a top quilt. For bottom I've heard good things about the Snugpack Under Blanket.

Might get you down to 30°F but should be enough to keep you warm down to the 40-50s.

I got into hammocking for camping/backpacking trips, and found it so comfortable I ended up hanging a hammock in my bedroom. Now I pretty much only use my bed to fold clothes... At home I sleep in a 12 foot hammock I made out of wide 1.6 Hexon. When I go backpacking, I'm really, really happy with my Chameleon. It's comfy and awesome. Also, Dutch keeps inventing new stuff that's compatible with the Chameleon zippers. For example, Dutch just came out with the Chameleon Sidecar, which is a zip-on side pouch that serves the same purpose as the (much-loved) shelf in the Warbonnet Blackbird, except if you want you can put one on both sides of your Chameleon. Switch things around, head-end, foot-end, right-lay, left-lay... The Chameleon is super flexible.

I just purchased a Warbonnet Thunderfly tarp (like, this morning. They've already popped it in the mail, so now I can refresh the tracking info 20 times a day... :sigh: ) I think it's a good compromise between the light weight of a hex tarp and the sideways-rain protection of a Superfly-style tarp with doors. (I live in the Pacific Northwest, so rain is always a consideration for me. Cuban is out of my price range right now, but in any case I'd want to experiment with that size and shape in sil-poly before investing in cuban.)

I also recently bought 1" Venom UHMWPE Ultralight Tree Straps which I use with some titanium Dutch clips (rather than passing the tree strap through its own loop) and then Becket hitch to the continuous loops on each end of my hammock.

I've got a Hammock Gear Burrow 20˚ quilt and a Hammock Gear Econ Incubator 10˚ underquilt, which I love with a disturbing passion (I tend to sleep cold, but that's not a problem when I'm nestled in my cocoon of down:) If weight and volume is of slightly less concern to you, I highly recommend Hammock Gear's Econ line as about $100 cheaper while still being pretty darn good (just a little heavier and bulkier for the same temp rating).

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If you're just getting into hammocking you might experiment with a cheap hammock from Amazon before putting down a bunch of money for an awesome piece of gear that might not suit you. Just remember, you want it to be as long as possible (most people consider 10 feet to be the bare minimum for comfort in a gathered hammock), and extra width doesn't hurt at all either. I bought this hammock when it was only $10, and immediately bought 2 more because it was pretty decent (Not nearly as good as a proper 11 foot hammock, but almost 10 feet long and fairly wide). I see the price has come back down to $11 -- well worth it for a halfway-decent gathered-end hammock. I slept in one of these for almost a year before making myself a longer hammock :) (I am a bit shorter than you, but I think you could still be reasonably comfortable in one of these. And then if you end up upgrading you've got a spare hammock that you don't care about so you can casually hang it without really worrying about kids (or grownups) swinging and being stupid in it...). Get a couple of 8" continuous loops from Dutch to feed through the ends of the hammock to replace the stupid ropes it comes with. You will probably also want to add a structural ridgeline to help get a consistent sag with your hammock and to hold a ridgeline organizer. Dutch sells some adjustable structural ridgelines, or you can just use some stout cord.

If bugs are an issue in your area, you might pick up a bug net to go with your cheap netless hammock. The Fronkey style bugnets are pretty popular add-ons.

(Of course, at this point it might be cheaper to just have bought a Chameleon, but this game is how most of us ended up owning several hammocks. On the plus side, we can help outfit our friends for hammock camping trips...)

Freezing from underneath is a problem in hammocks... If you've already got a sleeping pad, you can lie on it in your hammock, though your shoulders tend to get cold where they press against the hammock fabric. The ultimate in comfort is an underquilt. In addition to my fancy down backpacking underquilt, I've got a synthetic Snugpak Underquilt that I use on my hammock at home. I tend to sleep cold, and I find that this underquilt is only good down to about 65˚ before I start getting cold, but a regular human could probably take it down to 55 or 50˚.

If you're just getting started, a square tarp works pretty well and the Kelty Noah 9 tarp is inexpensive and more than 12.5 feet on the diagonal, so works pretty well for hammocking. Or you could just search for 'hex tarp' on amazon.com and get quite a few results -- just make sure it's long enough to cover the ridgeline of your hammock with at least a foot to spare (so at least 6" of extra on each side). In general, sil-nylon is slightly sturdier, slightly heavier, and more water absorbent than sil-poly, which most people agree is strong enough and better at shedding water. Sil-poly is what most people who can't afford cuban fiber are getting.

Hummingbird Hammocks makes some nice, lightweight tree straps that pair well with some Camp USA Nano Carabiners for a very simple and relatively lightweight setup. If you don't care about weight and want a cheaper option, just buy about 21 feet of 1" polyester strap from strapworks.com. Cut it into 2 equal pieces, melt the ends, and sew a 6" loop on one end of each strap. Learn how to tie a Slippery Becket Hitch and you've got a super simple, super cheap suspension. You can either feed the loops through themselves, or use the Nano Carabiners or some Dutch clips if you want a system that's a little easier to adjust after you've hung the hammock.

Speaking of the link for the Becket Hitch, the site I linked to is called The Ultimate Hang. I highly, highly recommend you spend some time reading through all the fabulous (and fabulously illustrated) hammocking information on the site, and perhaps even purchase his book :)

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If you're trying to decide which fancy, expensive hammock to buy, my best advice is to see if you can try the different models and versions for yourself. Check hammockforums.net and see if there are any group hangs happening anywhere near you, or maybe post and ask if anyone near you has some hammocks in various fabrics for you to try. I'm close to your weight, and bought the Chameleon in Hexon 1.0 after reading the old weight limit of 250 lbs (it's since been updated to 200lbs). I love it (it's nice and stretchy and makes a really great cradle for my head). I'm not really worried about using it by myself, as I figure they're being pretty conservative on their weight rating and probably changed the rating after one person had an ...incident... Alas, my dog weighs about 60 pounds, so I either have to upgrade to Hexon 1.6 or not sleep with my dog on the trail. On the one hand, my dog is very warm and I sleep cold.
On the other hand, my dog is a lab and if there's any water he'll probably be wading in it or have just rolled in something disgusting and I probably don't want him in my hammock anyhow...
(I made the hammock I sleep in at home out of Hexon 1.6 and it's just not as delightfully stretchy as the 1.0. But some people really prefer the firmness of the 1.6 or even the 2.4, so ???)

Anyhow, hopefully that wall of text is at least a little helpful :) Good luck finding a hammock/insulation/suspension/tarp combination that suits you. Even if you don't find "The Perfect Hammock" I think you'll find yourself more comfy in a hammock than on the ground.

PS. Don't forget to sleep on the diagonal!

Yep, I use an underquilt during the cold season. I didn't need to splurge on an underquilt that would be used indoors, so am using this one from Amazon, which is more than warm enough.

This bug net will get you going

http://sport.woot.com/offers/no-fly-zone-mosquito-net-5?ref=ref%3Dcnt_wp_3_2

I have the snugpak under blanket, I modified it by sowing down the end tabs and running shock cord through to channel locks to close up the ends. Might compromise the structure after while but it was only $50, if it lasts a few seasons I'm good. I've slept in it on 30degree nights and been toasty.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0167IYGH6/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1463963578&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=snugpak+under+blanket&dpPl=1&dpID=4185rftr-CL&ref=plSrch

Total would cost you $75ish, not bad to get you out in the woods ; )

It's one made by Snugpak. I got it when they were around $35 and I wanted something quick and easy. Good for spring and fall, but I wouldn't trust it in the winter.

There are a couple economical underquilt options out there. Snugpack's Underblanket is one. The lead time is a bit rough. I have their Jungle Blanket for top insulation and the workmanship is pretty good.


If you're handy and have access to a sewing machine, you could always make your own. I've made a couple PLUQ's, suggested by a few others, and they work great.

Another option is modifying old sleeping bags. Clearance sections can be your friend. :)
Edit: Hyperlink fail.

For an underquilt I got a Snugpak for $57 . You could definitely go a bit cheaper, but it has pretty good reviews on Amazon.

On top, I use a sleeping bag since I don't always use my hammock. It's my only really nice piece of gear. I was lucky enough to score a 20 degree bag from Mountain Hardware for $50 at the employee store since my relative works for them.

This is another budget UQ from Amazon. The reviews are decent, and I'm considering getting one until I save up for my dream UQ.

Like /r/AtomMass, I don't like spending money on the cheapo version when I still plan to buy a better one later, but if I have this second UQ it would mean I have a full backup setup for an unequipped friend.

I saved on the underquilt by going with Snugpack, which makes a huge difference for hammock ass when the overnight lows drop. The Blackbird has an integrated layer underneath for a sleeping pad, but I prefer to just use the Jungle Blanket because I don't like the added stiffness of a pad.

http://www.amazon.com/Snugpak-Hammock-Blanket-Travelsoft-Filling/dp/B0167IYGH6?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s01

I got this one a while back from Amazon. It's out of stock right now but you may find it elsewhere. I have only used it to check it out for about 30 minutes right after I got it. Haven't had the opportunity to sleep with it overnight so I can't give a good review.

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B0167IYGH6/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1502935242&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=snugpak+under+blanket&dpPl=1&dpID=41Cv7gj2HZL&ref=plSrch

I think a https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AXN3HG8 is a good choice. If you're cash tight and want something for inside, this is a good $50 solution. Pairing it with a $40 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0167IYGH6 underquilt works well.

I have a friend who has back issues and I gave him that hammock after testing it out and being pretty pleased with it. He's been full-timing it for what must be around 6 months now and loves it. I've been full timing for ~8 years.

The reason I would dissuade you from getting a dual function hammock is primarily because you'll need a lot more equipment to sleep outside and it can add up. I think it's better to get a great bang for the buck for inside if that's your primary use case.

I sleep in my Vivere Double all the time. I keep my house cold, so I made a lightweight underquilt from a down blanket and safety-pinned that to the underside, and then put this underquilt over that for the winter. It will come off for the summer. I sleep with a nice down-alternative comforter in a duvet on top. I vaccuum the hammock on the regular, and wash every six weeks or so. Very comfy.

I'm working on an improved method of attaching the home-made underquilt. If you sleep hot, you'll need less bundling than I do and can probably get away with just the snugpak.

Just bought on of these, 45 bucks. I figure I can DIY it a bit to get it warmer and lighter.
https://www.amazon.com/Snugpak-Hammock-Blanket-Travelsoft-Filling/dp/B0167IYGH6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1481755317&sr=8-1&keywords=underquilt

Since you seem to be just starting out in hammocks i'd try a Dutch 11ft Wide hammock and try a Snugpack underquilt. I'd choose these as the Dutchware is the biggest hammock i know being sold today and is a high quality hammock especially for the price. The snugpack is my pick for a first time hammocker its just $40, so it won't break the bank but gets you a good tho heavy 3 season quilt. The snug pak likely won't cover all of you, so a small butt pad can be used effectively under your feet with a pillow under your head to give you full coverage.

The Snugpak underquilt is on sale with prime for $31 on amazon if you are interested. https://www.amazon.com/Snugpak-Hammock-Blanket-Travelsoft-Filling/dp/B0167IYGH6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487611727&sr=8-1&keywords=snugpak+underquilt