Greetings, I'm about to embark on a 3 night, 4 day backpackin trip in Central Florida, and will be sleeping in my Hennessy hammock ultralite backpacker. I've exclusively used this hammock in hot and jungly environments (Borneo and South Florida), so I've never needed a pad, and only a minimal sleeping sheet.

The nights in Central Florida will hover between 55-60. Do you think I'll need to sleep on a pad within the hammock at this temp? Like a cut down ridgerest or small inflatable? Is a down quilt necessary? or would just thin blanket that wraps around me be fine?

Thanks kindly!
Brad

It's likely you'll be uncomfortable without bottom insulation at those temperatures (e.g. below 70 degrees or so). You can probably get along with whatever you'd use for tent/tarp camping as a pad for bottom insulation. Use your normal sense of what would be adequate for top insulation at those temperatures, whether that is sleeping bag, quilt or something else.

Thanks very much for the feedback. Do you think a Ridgerest Solite paired with a thin fleeze wraparound blanket would suffice?

That would be plenty warm enough. I used a ridgerest for years and was fine to temps around freezing. Arms could get a little cold that cold , but I think you will be fine. Only you can decide.

Im from Central Florida and always looking for good places to hike. What trail/park are you going to be at?

-Eric

Just got back from 4 days on the Citrus trail in Withlacoochee State Forest. Trip report to come !

Trip report here: http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=63090