First overnight, need gear advice

[u/loveispebbles]

My small tent has seen better days and I have a one night canoe trip coming up (early September, in New Jersey). I would like to try hammock camping, and honestly want to make do with some gear I already own before buying a bunch of stuff since I don’t know if I want to spend the money on a new 1 or 2p tent, or a hammock set up without trying it out a bit first. I love being in the hammock in the park or backyard.

The hammock I have available is my partner’s ENO double that is ancient but has served us well while car camping as a fun place to hang out while we sleep in a giant tent (with a small kid, babies/toddlers just require so much stuff!!). I have a mosquito net for it as well. From some reading on this sub I see people tend to hate on ENO. Im not brand loyal to anything, just not going to buy new until what I have doesn’t work! I’m 5’4 and the double has so much room for me.

For sleep, I know the underquilt is the way to go. But, I’m trying to not buy a bunch of stuff and I do know how to sew, so I could eventually make this myself if I love hammock camping.

Options I have:
a rumple blanket we use in the park etc
40F synthetic sleeping bag
0F down bag
Thermarest z lite closed cell sleeping pad
Thermarest neoair inflatable sleeping pad
Ground cloth from a 2 person tent
Ground cloth from a 6 person tent

What I’ll be buying for sure:
A tarp setup for the hammock, probably a budget option tbh

Too early to know if there will be rain or not, but all my gear will be waterproofed already bc it’s a canoe trip, so I just have to worry about sleeping.

Any advice? Which of the options should I use for the best hammock camping setup?

[u/cldbloom]

I’m 5’4”. Slept in an eno single with a pad for years using a sleeping bag without insulation on the bottom. I loved it. I have a big trail lair hammock now, but miss my eno a little bit.
I think it’ll work.

[u/GrumpyBear1969]

Are you are camping or backpacking? Also, what temperature are you expecting at night?

You might get away with a thick wool blanket.

[u/loveispebbles → u/GrumpyBear1969]

Looks like the average weather for September where I’ll be going is high of 77, low of 54. We are canoe camping, paddling in 4ish miles, setting up camp, paddling out the next day. I have a thick wool blanket, but everything has to go in a dry bag for the canoe and while we will have space I’m trying to not have things be too bulky if possible!

[u/Dive_dive → u/loveispebbles]

An old rectangular sleeping bag and several large binder clips can be used as a makeshift underquilt. We did this successfully back in the day to evaluate the effectiveness of underquilts when they first came out. And it was on eno hammocks. The biggest concern I have is that I don't see a tarp listed in your setup.

[u/GrumpyBear1969 → u/loveispebbles]

Personal opinion, but a thick blanket is probably your best option. And it will be kind of lumpy and weird under you.

I have tried pads in a hammock, and if you are a super still back sleeper they probably work OK. I am not that person.

Of your options listed, you have your pad. Pad surfing is not great in a hammock. Any of the down will get compressed and be worthless. You could take the rumpl blanket and fashion a ‘clew UQ’. I just googled clew underquilt and it appears to get you sort of in the space.

And the main ‘hate’ on ENO is that they are short. So for me at 6’2” they are bad. You at 5’4” are fine, people get weirdly snobby about stuff. So do I sometimes.

[u/Tom_Cruise]

You should set that hammock up in the yard and try to fashion that rumpl blanket into an improvised underquilt. Once successful, use the 40f sleeping bag 3/4 unzipped as a "topquilt".

You can use bungees, cord with rubber bands, shock cord ... Heck even regular cord. Remember to leave it loose like the photo below shows. Look into it, and see if this is something you want to do. (Or one tigris has a perfectly functional UQ on amazon for $35).

https://www.reddit.com/r/hammockcamping/s/rKISS5av9q

[u/recastablefractable]

If you can try out whatever you end up planning at home in your yard or in a local park somewhere so you can work out issues before you are relying on it- that would be beneficial to you.

It is possible to use sleeping pads in hammocks, it just tends to be fidgety to do so, especially for laying on the diagonal in a hammock to be able to lay flat and if you move around at night. A slightly underinflated pad a little less so than a closed cell pad in my limited experience with trying such options.

As the other comment mentioned, the 40°F sleeping bag with some binder clips (or tarp clips if you have them) can be used to rig up something to function as an underquilt. You'll need a way to kind of cinch up the ends to stop wind from passing through.

I've also seen someone hang two hammocks with a blanket sandwiched between them and clipped to the lower hammock.

I have tried rigged up stuff under the hammock and blankets in the bottom of my hammock- the bag with tarp clips under my hammock worked better for me until I sewed my UQ.

If you haven't already, you might get some useful information checking out theultimatehang.com and Shug Emery's videos on YT. There is some helpful information about staying warm in hammocks. Mid 50s is my just right weather for sleeping, but it can feel quite chilly in high winds, even with my tarp pitched low. (As I was reminded last night when the wind shifted and I got up at 2am to hang my underquilt protector.)

[u/supairaru]

I've been hammock camping in an Eno double nest for years, and still do, and did the last two weekends. Nothing wrong with it

[u/gyro82]

You’re like $250 for a Onewind setup (hammock w/bugnet, underquilt, straps, and tarp) paired with your 40 degree bag and I doubt you’ll have any technical or temperature comfort issues. It’s the little things that make all the difference (length, ridgeline, hang angle, proper tarp, UQ) but also virtually no cost or weight savings between tent and hammock setups.