Keeping Warm In A Hammock In Winter

A hammock seems to be one of the lightest means of being kept from the elements and critters. And then the ground being level and clear of rocks and such is moot. But how does one stay warm during the winter?

under quilt ... and over quilt.

I think when you add up everything involved quilts tend to be similar weight to tents, not really lighter

I'm not a hammock dweller myself, but clearly see the practicality. (Like TarpTents, just because I don't choose them for myself doesn't mean I don't think they're a good idea.)

However, reading another thread here, about ropes breaking, makes me think that the ground underneath DOES matter. I realize there's not much risk, if you use proper lines, but I'm thinking that if a line does break, and you fall, those rocks, branches, or sticker bushes might suddenly become very important.

With no practical experience in the matter, I may be totally off base, but it makes me wonder.

I figured the means to stay warm would negate the weight savings. I just wondered as we've been working towards lighter weight.

We now use a Big Agnes Copper Spur UL3, which we really like at 4.5 lbs with all the stuff sacks.

That is my understanding but I am also a ground dweller. There are forums dedicated to hammocks, but it seems most people end up choosing them for comfort (and having no or little weight penalty).

In terms of backside insulation. I have heard of people taking their normal air mat in case they are forced to sleep on the ground. I once read a review by Phat (a moderator we haven't seen in awhile). I think he had a piece of fabric under the quilt with a large air gap that he filled with dead leaves and duff. From what I have read, the most popular choice appears to be an under quilt.

I don't use an underquilt or overquilt. I've been warm down to about 15 deg. F. and use a 10deg. down bag/comforter, a Z-rest pad, fly over the top, low to the ground. Sometimes I'll suspend a mylar survival blanket under the hammock to block wind. Been hammocking over 15 years, tried everything, but this keeps me warm.

Not to draw traffic away from this forum, but try hammockforums.net for a wealth of information... and if you've never heard of Shug, check him out: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC27nqmEhKzD9YHK1IFwG7qA

Especially his 12-part series: https://youtu.be/d7NZVqpBUV0?list=PLB8752777861C2AA8

The history of this forum is that hammockers are often referred to hammockforums.net for more info, so you're not insulting this forum, Johannes! There are some hammockers here, but most of us are tenters. This forum is, therefore, not a great source of hammock expertise.

That being said, I'm not a hammocker, either! My gear was bought to accomodate a 75-lb. dog, which would be difficult in a hammock! The dog is no longer with me (and I'm not sure I want to get another one at this point), but I already have the gear and don't plan to switch. The dog was part of my sleep system, keeping my feet warm on cold nights.

However......I'm a hammocker from way back, before fancy back packing hammocks were available. Hammockforums is a great site, but many of us on this site have honed our system to our own personal standard. It all depends on where you are and what your weather is like, adjusting for changes of where you'll be camping. I try to keep my hammock as simple and lightweight as possible, no fancy hardware, huggers, etc.
After trying overquilts/underquilts/quilts and various rigging, etc., I ended up back where I started because it works and requires nothing special or expensive. There are some amazing hammocks on the market, and the discussions are sometimes like "what is the best motor oil"...everyone likes their setup, with lots of opinions.

I agree with Dryer. I, too am a hammocker from way back. I just returned from a winter trip where the low temp was minus 6. I use closed cell foam pads in my hammock as insulation under me. I also string up my poncho underneath as a windbreak, like dryer does with the mylar. As far as weight, there are hammock setups which are lighter than tents, and setups which are heavier. It all depends. Mine happens to be lighter than my comparablectent setup.

Minus 6??!! Wow.
When I first started hammock camping, we used those cheapo Walmart net "pocket hammocks" that would catch on everything. You don't need much in Texas summers, so even pads were left out. We then started adding pads, not to keep warm, but to keep the hammock open, but discovered our backs wouldn't be so drafty. From there, I made my hammocks from ripstop, that would wrap all the way around me, and close up with velcro...I still use those sometimes, with rain poncho as the fly.
When Hennessy, first started selling his Hammocks, I bought the second generation (now called the "Scout"), which I use still. For some reason it fits me better than all my other hammocks.
Back then, Tom Hennessy had an early website that explained how to keep toasty, plus I called and talked with him. A foam pad inside, mylar space blanket or poncho outside, is what I keep coming back to, after trying under/over quilts, double layer hammocks, etc. I don't mess with fancy suspensions, caribiners, whoopie slings, buckles, d-rings, zippers, etc....once you know your best height/tension setup, hanging the hammock becomes a fast no-brainer and you can move on to other things in camp. Two or three wraps around the tree, couple of half hitches, done. Keep it simple!

Not to knock Dryer's setup; obviously it works well, and that's what counts. But, I really like my Dynaglide UCRs. They take up next to no space, and the only hardware I carry is a couple toggles to attach the UCRs to the tree straps with a Marlin Spike Hitch. Even the toggles aren't strictly necessary, because you can use sticks. I prefer the toggles because they slide out of a tightened MSH easily. My entire setup was DIY, so it was really inexpensive compared to the same setup purchased pre-made. Actually, I don't think you can get pre-made Dynaglide UCRs. Anyway, there are many many ways to hang hammmocks, all valid.

Minus 6 was just this past weekend. My low in a hammock is minuss 22*f. I used the wrap and hitch method for a few years. You are correct that after a while it becomes second nature. I tried out using straps and cinch buckles when they were the fad thing. I am still using that same system even though it was supposed to be a temporary experiment.

I don't think I've ever been colder than -15F, ever, much less in a hammock.
For a while there, I tried many of the suspension mods on my hammocks to the point where I felt I was working against the simplicity of whole thing. So I shed all that and went back to simple basics. I kinda pride myself on knot craft and just have the system down to an instinct. The only "fancy" thing I have on one hammock are some "snakeskins" for quick pack and deployment, but even those are slower than just stuffing the hammock after use. Heck, I normally don't bother guying out the sides. Get in, go to sleep.

I was also thinking of those little pocket hammocks that ended up about the size of a softball.

I must say I really like tents, and with a family of three it is what we'd use as it keeps us all together. But when the little one gets bigger things may change.

Bob, we family camp still, grown kids with their spouses. When car camping, several tents will pop up, I'll string up a couple of hammocks, and maybe a pocket hammock or two will also get put up by someone for day lounging. Everybody sleeps where they want. My wife and daughters all love hammock camping but for sheer convenience they usually end up in the tents. I'm kind of a diehard and always opt for the hammock....sleep better than on the ground.
So next time you family camp, throw up some options and see what happens. It's hard to get my wife/kids OUT of the hammocks in the morning.

I am guessing that when you say "we've" that you are talking about more than just yourself. In other words, you have more than one person in the tent. A hammock sleeps one. It does not sleep two comfortably. Yes, there are hammocks that do sleep 2 comfortably, but they are just 2 hammocks attached to each other. You save weight by using the same tarp, other than that, it is the same as having two different hammocks. If your "other" is a dog, then your dog needs to be able to sleep under your hammock. This might be a problem in the cold. My last dog (see my avatar) would sleep in the snow, despite me getting her a pad.

So, like others have said, yes it is possible to make a warm hammock. However, you need to take into consideration how many you plan to accommodate.

Basically just have to double up on exterior wear, more blankets always helps obviously but can be cumbersome. Never slept in a hammock in cold weather - only very hot weather fyi - will try at some point.

There are three of us with one being our daughter who's nearly 7. Much too young to be alone at this point but we wondered about this in a few more years.

My issue was the weight and bulk needed to stay warm in the winter. It seemed to me that it may not be any better, and possibly worse.

I've had in mind a fish net-like mini hammock that my friend had bought long ago from the BX. It wadded up to the size of a softball and couldn't have weighed much over a pound.

I've been wanting one just to lounge in around camp but don't see anything like that.

Hammocks may be ideal from mid spring to mid fall down here in TX.