An underquilt is a kind of sleeping bag that is attached to the hammock from below.
With a thermal hammock, you can use an insulating mat in the compartment on the underside of the hammock.
Both give you thermal insulation from below.
Whether you use an underquilt or an insulating mat as protection against the cold depends on various factors. The following points will help you decide.
Underquilt and its advantages:
• Better protection against the cold. By contrast with an insulating mat in the thermal compartment of a hammock, an underquilt warms not just from below, but also from the sides. If you pull the sides of the underquilt right up, your shoulders and feet are also well protected.
• Saving space. An underquilt is easier to stow in a rucksack than an insulating mat.
Insulating mat in the hammock and its advantages:
• Ease of handling. If you have an insulating mat in the thermal compartment of the hammock, no further adjustment is necessary as it is with the underquilt.
• Various options of use. You can use a sleeping mat to protect you from cold in a hammock or even when sleeping on the ground.
In particularly cold temperatures, you can combine the underquilt with the sleeping pad in the hammock compartment. This increases the thermal effectiveness.
