While you can pile on layers or use an already owned sleeping bag for your top insulation, it is difficult to keep your body warm without a properly designed underquilt. A full length or a 3/4 length underquilt can help create a good seal against the elements.

The reason you couldn’t just use a regular sleeping bag by itself in a hammock is that as you are inside the bag, your body weight compresses all the insulation underneath you. Compressed like this, there aren’t any air pockets in the insulation, and it loses its insulating ability. You’ll get cold pretty easily.

Underquilts come in half, three-quarters and full length. The right size for you will depend on a combination of your target pack weight, budget and how warm you sleep. A full length hammock underquilt will cover the entire length of the hammock and cover most people from the head to the toe.

Yes, you do! If you need underquilts, the weather may be cold enough to need at least a blanket on top. Underquilts are designed to protect you from below. It means the upper half of your body will be exposed to the nighttime chill.

I just came across this over on the Hammock forums and thought you might appreciate it too. Tie a tarp clip to the end of each end of the two pieces of shockcord, tie a loop in the center of each, clip onto an existing blanket, and viola!

If you’re going to be hammock camping in temperatures 60°F or lower, you’ll definitely need an underquilt. You’d think that plenty of layers on your underside in the hammock would work.

While everyone’s metabolism is different, most people begin to feel cool in a hammock when the outside temperature reaches 65-70 degrees. At this point, the addition of bottom insulation is usually required to augment whatever sleeping bag or quilt you use to cover the top of your body in the hammock.

Wrap each end of the sleeping bag around the hammock & clip the two grosgrain loops together Attach underquilt to hammock ridgeline with a prusik and carabiner Clip the carabiner to the prusik loop at each end of the hammock.

The issue is compression. When you are laying on your back in the hammock, you are compressing the insulation of the sleeping bag. Without air pockets to trap heat, this compressed part of the bag stays cold and you have a terrible night sleep.

This insulation can be in the form of a hammock UnderQuilt (UQ). Some high performance down underquilts can cost hundreds of dollars. They can also be very complicated, difficult to make and cause allergy problems for some people. You can make this underquilt in 10 minutes from a $10-15 sleeping bag from Amazon.

If you need a quick and easy option to keep the bottom of your hammock warm on cool nights, the DIY camping hammock underquilt may be just the DIY / MYOG project for you. This is a perfect project for Scouts or DIY newbies.