Best Hammock Underquilt

Hammocks were once a luxury item on camping trips, somewhere you could do a little midday lounging with a good book while someone else prepared lunch. Not anymore though; now those loungers are giving tents a run for their money as the preferred sleeping area.

Not only are hammocks super comfortable, but they’re also incredibly lightweight and easy to set up. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that a few campers are reconsidering the merits of packing a tent for their next adventure.

Hammocks come with a few downsides though and one of the biggest is just how cold they can be on chilly nights. The ground that we lay our sleeping pads and sleeping bags on is actually a pretty decent insulator, preventing the cold night air from freezing our backsides.

Additionally, the down or synthetic fill in a sleeping bag gets compressed by the body’s weight, rendering it ineffectual. There’s a fairly simple solution to this problem though, you just need to add some insulation to the bottom of your hammock, which is usually accomplished with a warm underquilt. 

These nifty comforters attach below your hammock, where it won’t get compressed, and can add a lot of warmth. While finding the right underquilt for camping can be a difficult endeavor, I’ve reviewed several of the best ones to make the decision easier for you.

Camping in a hammock will be a totally new experience for most people: no annoying tent setup, way less to carry, and a very different sleeping position. However, what few people realize is just how much colder it is in a hammock.

When we sleep on the ground, we typically lay on an inflatable or closed-cell foam sleeping pad. The most obvious reason for this is comfort – sleeping pads are softer than the ground underneath. But these pads also provide a layer of insulation that prevents the ground from absorbing heat from you during the night.

However, the Earth isn’t all that bad of an insulator either. Once you’ve been laying on a certain patch of it for a while, the top layer of soil will heat up. The same can’t be said for a hammock.

Hammocks are subject to constant airflow above and below them; that airflow carries away a fair amount of your body heat. To combat this problem, you might camp with a heavier sleeping bag. Unfortunately, that’s not enough.

Sleeping bags really only insulate the top and sides of your body (that’s why sleeping pads are important) because the insulation underneath gets crushed by your body weight and loses its insulating properties. 

A quilt, which mounts underneath your hammock where it won’t be crushed by your weight, is an excellent solution to the hammock’s insulation problem. 

Absolutely! If it’s warm enough that you don’t need any sort of insulation besides the underquilt, than you might not even need the underquilt (nighttime temperatures above 80°F for instance).

The underquilt only protects your backside from getting cold, there’s still plenty of surface area to lose heat on top. At the very least, you’ll want something like a 50° sleeping bag or a wool blanket. 

Well, that all depends on where you intend to use it. Are you camping during the summer months, at low elevation, in a fairly temperate climate? Then you may not even need one at all, but there’s no harm in bringing along something rated to 50° F.

However, other campers might use their hammock in the winter, atop a windy peak; I support you in your boldness! The only way you’ll keep a hammock setup as warm as a tent would be with a beefy underquilt that blocks the wind and hangs on to every bit of heat that your body is putting out.

Let’s start with how underquilts are rated for warmth though. The most basic ranking system involves what season they’re warm enough for: one season (summer), three seasons (spring, summer, fall), and four season (winter – and it will be too hot for any other season). 

Where you live greatly affects what a season is though: a late summer evening in Montana might feel pretty similar to a “cold” winter night in Louisiana. It’s not the most useful rating system, which is one I prefer ones with actual degrees listed.

Underquilts with a temperature rating are telling you what the lowest temperature is that it would be comfortable for; it’s the same system that’s used for sleeping bags. It’s an idealized rating that assumes you’re sleeping in the right clothes i.e. thermal underwear.

However, there’s been a push as of recently to move to the European standard for warmth: 

• An upper limit - the highest temperature that a man could sleep comfortably.
• A comfort rating – the lowest temperature a woman could sleep comfortably.
• A lower limit – the lowest temperature a man could sleep comfortably.

Armed with those three numbers, it should be a lot easier to figure out which level of warmth is right for you. Are you a man that sleeps hot, use the lower limit? Do you pile on the blankets at night? The comfort rating might be a better estimate.

Whether you’re talking about sleeping bags, jackets, or underquilts, there’s always a debate about whether down is better than synthetic and vise versa. The truth is one is not universally better than the other; it all depends on the situation.

Carefully crafted from the fluffiest interior feathers of a goose, down is often touted as the superior material thanks to its incredible warmth to weight ratio. Despite many years of material scientists working on this problem, none have been able to match the lightweight fibers with a synthetic material.

Down is also more compressible, which means your underquilt can be scrunched into a tiny ball at the bottom of your pack. A quick shake at the campsite will have it back to its puffy self in no time.

Well, that is unless it gets wet. A little moisture will have those voluminous feathers matted down into a sticky mess, and they provide next to no insulation when clumped together. Down underquilts are only functional so long as the weather cooperates. Quilt manufacturers envelop the insulation in water-resistant fabric, but that can only go so far in protecting them.

A few companies are making products with treated down – feathers that have been coated in DWR (the water-resistant material on your rain jacket). These products absorb less water and dry quicker, but still aren’t as useful as full synthetic.

Vegans may also be uncomfortable with some of the practices used in sourcing down. Feathers are a byproduct of the meat industry, though many outdoor companies have taken steps to make their supply chain more ethical.  Synthetic insulation is often quite a bit cheaper too, making it a good option for budget-minded consumers. 

Bottom Line: If you’re camping in wet weather, are vegan, or just don’t want to spend a lot of money on your underquilt, go synthetic. If you need something lightweight, highly packable, and very warm for it’s warm – down is a good choice for you.

Having a high-quality shell on your quilt is critical for a good camping experience. Nearly all underquilts use DWR-coated nylon. However, that’s doesn’t tell you much about its water resistance.

For starters, nylon comes in different densities – the denier count. This is similar to the thread count in your bed sheets with higher denier cloth being more expensive and more durable. It will also be heavier, so if you’re an ultralight enthusiast, you’ll need to weigh durability against the extra ounces stronger fabric would add.

Most hammock underquilts utilize 20-denier nylon, which is similar to what you’d find on a sleeping bag. Your sleeping bag rarely leaves the tent though and isn’t exposed to the elements. If you get a quilt this thin, you’ll need to be very careful to prevent tears on branches and thorns.

For many campers, it might be worth it to look for a quilt with a higher denier count that can withstand a little wind and abrasion. Higher denier fabrics are also more water resistant as they’re formed from a tighter weave. That goes a long way in assisting the DWR coating in keeping moisture out.

As usual, that all depends on the conditions you’re camping in, what kind of features you value in your gear (durability, ease of use, etc.), and how much you’re willing to spend.

The ENO Ember is a great starting point for most hammock campers. It checks all the boxes: durability, functionality, easy setup, and weather resistant. It’s also moderately priced. If you’re unsure about what to purchase, it’s a great middle of the road option.

Those not wanting to spend as much on their first underquilt might be better served by the Chill Gorilla, which is a bit less expensive, while still providing great functionality. It’s an untested company and not the most durable of products, but there’s a good chance you’ll upgrade after a few seasons anyway.

Those that are sure of their needs and love their lightweight gear would do well with Outdoor Vital’s Aerie. It’s an incredibly well made product that will last for years with proper care and you can pack it and forget it on non-hammock adventures for a little extra warmth.

Having an underquilt is really the only way to have a comfortable hammock camping experience. You will literally freeze your butt off without one. Thankfully, there are quite a few excellent options to choose from.