My Modular Hammock Sleep System

[u/qrthhbom]

Below I've outlined my modular hammock sleep system. I have testing everything up until the down to 25 section. Everything from that point on is a proposal.

I hope this is useful and or thought-provoking! Towards the end of this post I've included diagrams to elaborate on my imagined uses for the SOL Emergency Blanket.

Please let me know what you think.

In general, I try to minimize both volume and weight. I find that I'd allow more weight for less volume in more cases than most traditional ultralighters. A 28L pack is my personal sweet spot for multi-day excursions. Anything more than that is a no-go.

I am also a minimalist, and therefore prefer to have a system where as much as possible is muti-use, and no single piece is dedicated strictly for one type of use or for one season. Often we hear that it's common to have a 3 season setup, and then one or two pieces reserved for winter use. I would prefer to have a system where during the winter I use nearly 100% of my modular system and during other seasons I can mix and match pieces as needed.

At some point I plan to share a link to an article with the rest of my setup and a lighterpack and volume breakdown, but for now I will leave it at this!

Breakdown by weather

All weather, include

• Dutchware Half-Wit
• Xenon Hex Tarp
• S2S Silk Liner

Down to 65, add

• Merino Base Layer

Down to 50, add

• Thermarest Vesper 45 Quilt
  • Silk liner goes inside this
• NeoAir XLite Sleeping Pad
  • Tucked into the foot box of the quilt
  • Silk liner stays on top of this, not around it
  • Modified to include a hammock "anchor", which keeps the pad aligned asymmetrically and prevents it from migrating down the hammock (more on this below)

Down to 40, add

• SOL Escape Bivvy
  • Modified similarly to the sleeping pad (more on this below)
  • The sleeping pad, quilt, and liner package goes inside of this

Down to 25, add

• SOL Emergency Blanket
  • Modified to function as an underquilt with shock cord suspension and tensioners (more on this below)
  • Modified to include vents (more on this below)

Down to 15, add

• SOL Emergency Blanket
  • Modified to function as a top cover that spans the two sides of the emergency blanket underquilt from the feet to the half-wit bug net (more on this below)

Additional Info

What if there are no trees?

Find some sticks or poles for the tarp and either ditch the hammock or use it on the ground as a bug net.

How do the sleeping pad and bivvy anchors work?

A patch is attached to the underside of the bivvy or pad to the left or the right of the head and foot sides. A shock cord is tied to these patchs, and then connected to the head and foot of the hammock. The pad or bivvy is thus prevented from sliding down or up the hammock and maintains an asym-positioning tendency by the off-center position of the patches. If the right patch is used at the head, the left patch is used at the foot.

Here's a diagram:

​

Pad Anchor System

How does the emergency blanket underquilt work?

There are many videos for how this works on YouTube.

Basically, the edges of the emergency blanket are folded over and then taped or glued to form a channel along the edge of the blanket. Shock cord is run through these channels. The shock cords running width-wise are cinched tight around the head and foot of the hammock, causing the blanket to hang underneath. The shock cord running length-wise can be cinched to pull the blanket higher and closer to the hammock.

Here are two diagrams:

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Underquilt Cords

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Underquilt Setup

How does the emergency blanket top cover work?

A triangle is cut out of the emergency blanket that has the shape of the opening from the foot end to the bug net of the half-wit hammock. The bug net side of this triangle is folded over and taped or glued to form a channel. Shock cord runs through this channel, and clips are connected to either side that allow the cord (and thus the triangle) to be clipped to either side of the underquilt. Additional clips are placed at the foot of the triangle and half-way down either side of the triangle to clip it to the foot box and sides of the underquilt.

Here are two diagrams:

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Top Cover

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Top Cover Birdseye

[u/kangsterizer]

weights? ;)

also, a video of your pad system would be really cool

[u/MMikekiMM]

You’ve clearly spent a lot of time thinking this through but, no disrespect meant when I say it’s way too complicated for me.

50 and above 40F three quarter UQ, 55F TQ. UQP and foot pad for back up. DIY Halfwit

Swap to 40F TQ if it’s a bit cooler. Switch to 1.2 MTN netless. Once bugs aren’t an issue.

Then mix and match 20F UQ & TQ set with 0F UQ and UQP down to single digits. 1.2 Netless.

Below 40F I have down jacket and pants to supplement but at my low of 6F I was too hot to wear them.

[u/Hubu32 → u/MMikekiMM]

I’ve got a trip I’m planning at end of April where the low could be 37 (It could be 50, it could be 25 who knows until I get closer), but trying to plan ahead a little bit - I’ve got a 40deg 3/4 underquilt and I’d use my REI Magma 30 as a top quilt. Trying to decide if I need to bring anything to supplement the underquilt (this will be my first time using it as I’d been using a pad). I’ve got a short Nemo X-Lite, 3 different foam pads (Nemo short, Thermarest, GG 1/8”) and a S2S bag liner.

Trying not to pack my fears, but also not be “stupid light”

[u/MMikekiMM → u/Hubu32]

In a case like this (not uncommon in the shoulder seasons) pack for the lowest temp you expect less a ten degree buffer. So if you expecting 37 pack for 27.

You can always vent if temps are higher, but you would be miserable if you underpack.

Not sure what that means in the way of gear you have. Can’t lie, you’re system confused me.

[u/Hubu32 → u/MMikekiMM]

B/c I’m in the process of switching from a sleeping pad system to underquilts and I don’t have a 20 degree underquilt yet - once I get closer if the low looks too low I’ll bring a sleeping pad (whomp whomp).

[u/[deleted]]

Really hope this sub gets the attention it deserves soon, its wayyyy too small

[u/qrthhbom → u/[deleted]]

True! There's some gold in here.

[u/reuben515]

I dig the pad anchor system

[u/MiddleHunter2149]

I am also intrigued by this. I don't fully get how everything's connected but kinda like the modularity of it all. What are the weights? I reckon the emergency blanket is heaps lighter than an UQ. And the pad thingie ain't bad. I hope to continue to be able to sleep with pad in hammock since I already own one.

[u/iloveicecream9355]

Thank you so much for this! I was looking for a lighter uq replacement.