Hammock camping is incredibly fun. And for many people, sleeping and camping in a hammock beat out any other form of camping. However, when the temperatures start to go down, sleeping in a hammock becomes uncomfortable due to the dropping temperatures.
That’s why under quilts are a camping necessity for many hammock campers. With that said, under quilts can be expensive and hard to find, or you might not have one available but are desperate to heat up without one.
So, in this article, I’ll go over a few ways you can keep a hammock warm without an under quilt. In summary, you can use the following to help you keep cozy in your hammock:
- Use a sleeping pad
- Use a sun shade from your car
- Bring a flexible sleeping bag
- Use reflective blankets
- Wear multiple layers of warm clothes
Read on to learn the details of each approach.
Ways to Keep a Hammock Warm Without an Underquilt
There are several different ways I’d recommend you to keep your hammock warm if you don’t have an underquilt with you and plan on camping in high winds and cold weather. Here are some of my favorite options.
Sleeping Pads
If there’s one benefit to hammock camping during a cold night, it’s the fact that you won’t need a bug net. However, that doesn’t mean you don’t need insulation. In fact, you’re probably going to need more insulation when sleeping during a cold night since you want to keep your body temperature up.
This is where the good old sleeping pads come in very handy. I personally recommend getting a foam sleeping pad if you plan on using them in a hammock. These options are much more affordable and would fit better in a hammock. While inflatable ones work, you might find it hard to fit them into the hammock as they are less flexible.
Insulation when hammock camping is very different from insulating a tent. That’s why one of the best things you can do when hammock camping is to have a good sleeping pad that offers both cushioning and insulation (Our preferred option is show below, and it offers great thermal insulation with high levels of comfort).
- 4 Season pad with optimal insulation
- Fast inflation and deflation
- Lightweight and durable
- Great for keeping your hammock warm
If you want to avoid the sleeping pad shifting while in your hammock, put the hammock through the sleeping pad. This will make things much more stable and comfortable when trying to get some rest during your camping trip.
Sun Shades
Another option you can use to keep a hammock warm is an old sun shade from your car. This is only recommended if you don’t have a sleeping pad. A sun shade won’t offer the same insulation and warmth as a proper sleeping pad, but while it lacks insulation, it does have a reflective material that can work similarly to mylar.
With an old reflective sun shade, you can reflect any heat from the sun back to your body. This can keep you very warm even when the temperature drops during a camping trip.
The one downside to using a sunshade is the noise, since the reflective material can be very noisy and annoying. So, you will have to get used to the crunchy sound of the sun shade whenever you move around the hammock, which could be a dealbreaker for some campers.
Sleeping Bags
You may not think that using a sleeping bag with your hammock is possible. However, this is a common trick that many experienced campers do if they want to stay warm without an underquilt. On top of that, doing so is very easy and something you can do in a matter of minutes.
Sleeping bags typically have two zippers. All you have to do to run a hammock through it is open both zippers, put the hammock through the top, and pull it through the bottom. From there, you create a sleeping bag and hammock hybrid that can give you the best of both worlds.
There are many people that find this one of the most comfortable ways to stay warm on a hammock. With that said, it may seem fairly complicated at first, but once you get the hang of it, it will be much easier for you.
- Waterproof and breathable material
- Easy to store when not in use
- Great Insulation - Ideal for sleeping in a hammock
- CHEAP!
Reflective Blankets
Reflective blankets are great for anyone who enjoys the outdoors. Normally, these are used by marathon runners and emergency personnel to keep body temperature when it is needed.
You can also place it underneath you in the hammock so it will reflect heat back into your body and trap warm air inside your sleeping area. This method works similarly to using a sun shade.
However, these blankets are designed to be used on humans, so they will work much better than a sunshade. You can even wrap the entire blanket around you and your hammock to give yourself even more heat retention, keeping you as warm as possible in the hammock.
The downside to using a reflective blanket is that there’s a high chance you don’t have one just lying around your house.
But don’t worry; there are multiple options at a very affordable cost these days (less than $30 bucks), such as ArcTurus Reflective Blanket (below).
It is nylon-made, ensuring optimal insulation performance, and can also be used as a tarp, emergency blanket, or even as a temporary shelter with its ten reinforced grommets.
Clothes
If you don’t have any of the above with you, then using the clothes you brought with you on your camping trip is another good idea. Both a jumper and a jacket will do the job and all you really need to do is decide what works best for you and how warm you want to keep during the night.
Whatever you do, make sure you bring clothing with long sleeves as those will both keep you warm and protect your skin from bugs and insects that may be flying and crawling around the camp site.
Additional ideas to take into consideration to make sure you’re warm:
- Stay near but not too close to the campfire if you have one
- Check the forecast using sites like Accuweather and go camping when the weather is warmer
Conclusion
Staying warm and comfortable during your camping trip is very important. At the end of the day, when you rest, you want to make sure you rest properly so you can enjoy all of the activities you’ll get to do during the day.
And while camping using a hammock isn’t as common as using a tent, which you can heat up using a tent heater, plenty of people do it and fortunately, there are a number of ways to keep yourself warm during the night, even if you don’t have access to an underquilt.
