Ran into an old scout leader at REI last Saturday who completely changed my mind about hammock camping

He said he's been sleeping in a hammock for 40 years and never once used an underquilt, just a foam pad inside the hammock like we did as kids. Made me wonder if I've been overpaying for gear that doesn't really do the job better, has anyone else gone back to simpler setups?

2 comments

2 Comments

angela6872d ago

Switched back to a closed cell foam pad last season. Never going back.

john6502d ago

My old Scoutmaster showed up to a group campout last fall with a 25 year old thermarest pad and a cheap Walmart hammock. He slept like a log while I was out there fiddling with my expensive underquilt setup for 20 minutes. I spent $200 on an underquilt that does the same thing a $20 foam pad does, just quieter. Starting to think the only thing I've perfected is spending too much money on sleeping outside.