BWCA Under Quilts and Mosquito Infiltration Boundary Waters Gear Forum
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07/07/2022 08:49AM  
I'm taking the dive in a couple weeks and going to try sky sleeping in the BWCA so I have begun building my hammock setup based on some of my more seasoned friends advice.

Although I have been using the "search" function on the website I'm not really finding anything on the use of under quilts vs. mosquitos in the forums so I thought I would lean on some of my fellow forum members to guide me.

My friend says that he doesn't believe that the mosquitoes will get between the under quilt and the hammock but he also hasn't been up to the BWCA so I don't know if he has a gauge of how thick they can be.

My concern is that the mosquitos will get between the hammock and the under quilt and bite any of my extremities or back if they are exposed.

Can anyone on here with first hand experience help confirm or deny this.

I know I could put a pad in the hammock or a sleeping back but the under quilt is supposed to allow for not really needing a lot of covers in the actual bag so I don't want to bulk up if I don't really need to.

I will be testing out my hammock setup before I go but I live in Iowa and the mosquitos are quite smaller and not nearly as thick so I can't replicate the situation and I don't want to go under prepared. It wouldn't be ideal to do "trial by fire" in the north country.
 
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etuller
member (15)member
  
07/07/2022 09:06AM  
The mosquitoes will bite through a single layer hammock with ease. If your underquilt sags and has openings to you underside or your arms or shoulders overhang the quilt you may get bit from the bottom. If your quilt is nice and tight it shouldn't be a problem as long as you stay over the quilt.

I made my own hammock and made a big tube of bug netting and then I don't need to worry about my arms overhanging the edges of the hammock. I head in in about 10 days and am a little nervous about the skeeters this year. Last year I am not sure I saw more than 10 in a week.
 
07/07/2022 09:49AM  
What is your hammock setup?
Your underquilt should be completely snug against your hammock and thus your backside when you are laying. When you are not in your hammock the underquilt should actually lift your hammock up a bit. This will eliminate any chance of a cold spot or Cold Butt Syndrome (CBS). No mosquito will ever get you with a correctly deployed underquilt, and there should be no need for an air mattress if you are using an underquilt.
 
07/07/2022 02:07PM  
Should be in my driveway today but I'm running a Kammok Mantis hammock.

Looking at the ENO Ember under quilt.

I have read that a quick permethrin treatment on the underside of the hammock will help but I thought I read somewhere that it has a petroleum base of some sorts and doesn't play well with nylon fabrics. I'm not sure if anyone else has read it isn't good on nylons and polyesters?

I can also be persuaded to just run a sleep pad with a sleeping bag.
 
zootownboarding
member (32)member
  
07/07/2022 02:27PM  
lyontyl: "Should be in my driveway today but I'm running a Kammok Mantis hammock.


Looking at the ENO Ember under quilt.

I have read that a quick permethrin treatment on the underside of the hammock will help but I thought I read somewhere that it has a petroleum base of some sorts and doesn't play well with nylon fabrics. I'm not sure if anyone else has read it isn't good on nylons and polyesters?

I can also be persuaded to just run a sleep pad with a sleeping bag."


I was just up there end of June and head back in Saturday. I strictly have hammock it. Do not use an underquilt imo, a small pad and just a fleece blanket worked excellent for me down to 51 degrees. Also a good bug net is way better than underquilt.
 
07/07/2022 03:03PM  
I spray my nylon gear all the time without issue.
 
zootownboarding
member (32)member
  
07/07/2022 09:34PM  
Unas10: " This style of net should keep them away from your underside. "


That's the net I use. I spray it with permetherin at the beginning of the season, and it's good to go, BWCA or river trips every weekend. Underquilts serve a purpose, only as an insulating layer. for bulk and weight during warmer weather, net, pad and either fleece or topquilt is much better.
 
Savage Voyageur
distinguished member(14414)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished membermaster membermaster member
  
07/07/2022 10:52PM  
My under quilt stays tight to my hammock. Then my bug net goes around the whole hammock.
 
scottiebaldwin
distinguished member (193)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
07/07/2022 11:45PM  
Kammok Mantis UL with the Kammok Firebelly underquilt. Never a bug bite in all the years I’ve had this setup. Of all the hammocks I own, this is my favorite setup.
 
Bjmd28
member (50)member
  
07/08/2022 05:04AM  
I’ve hammock camped for years, with the net you will be fine even with no underquilt. Just keep your bet zipped so they don’t pile in while you aren’t in there. Also if I know mosquitos if they are in the net with you then your underside will be protected because the suckers will be too busy trying to get in your ear. Another thing, make sure the cords that secure the net to the hammock straps are tight, that is a good ingress point for them.

Recently did a bushwhack from our base camp over to a PMA and didn’t want to take my main set up. I took my lounging hammock, a borrowed bug net and threw in a sleeping pad. I was fine, even with an on the fly set up.
 
Wharfrat63
distinguished member (149)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
07/08/2022 07:43AM  
To help with "Hammock Entry Attack", I use a thermacell. I place it under the tarp 10 mins before I hit the rack and shut it off right before closing the netting.
 
07/08/2022 05:23PM  
I spray nearly everything with permethrin and have had no problems in at least 4 years with the same gear. With nothing to land on the bloodsuckers don't hang around much. I might have 1 or 2 get inside, but that is not often.
 
07/08/2022 11:43PM  
lyontyl: "Should be in my driveway today but I'm running a Kammok Mantis hammock.


Looking at the ENO Ember under quilt.

I have read that a quick permethrin treatment on the underside of the hammock will help but I thought I read somewhere that it has a petroleum base of some sorts and doesn't play well with nylon fabrics. I'm not sure if anyone else has read it isn't good on nylons and polyesters?

I can also be persuaded to just run a sleep pad with a sleeping bag."


You’ll be just fine with the Mantis and Ember combo. Set it up at home before you go by laying in your hammock and having someone else snug up the elastic drawstrings on the ends of the UQ. You’re backside will be well protected and the integrated bug net will keep your topside secure. No need for an extra bug net or pad.
I’m a believer in Permethrin and you can find versions that do not use petroleum distillates and will not harm synthetic fabrics. I have used it on my clothes but I don’t use it on my hammock. I guess I never felt the need to. I’ve used my hammock in Alaska and just last week in the BWCA. Plenty of mosquitoes around but never a problem with my hammock.
Have a great time. I almost gave up camping years ago because I just couldn’t get a good nights sleep in a tent anymore, then I tried a hammock and now I can’t wait to hop into my hammock in the evening…pure bliss.

 
carmike
distinguished member(1721)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
07/12/2022 11:44PM  
Re: zootown's comments in favor of a blanket and pad: If cost isn't an issue, I'd go the other way and recommend an underquilt. I hammock camp a lot, so I have a variety of UQ's, but for summer BWCA use, I have a 3/4 length 40 degree UQ, and it's the cat's meow for me. Packs down to, I dunno, the size of a softball. Weighs about 12 ounces. No fussing with blankets, pads, bug nets, etc. String it tight, settle in, and don't worry about mosquitoes -- I've never had a problem with them on the bottom side.

Pads and blankets also work, so you can't really go wrong. I just prefer the UQ for simplicity. Again, just my .02.


 
mgraber
distinguished member(1486)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
07/14/2022 01:32AM  
If you are wearing clothes it shouldn't matter, they usually can't bite through two layers of dense fabric.
 
Catrina
member (35)member
  
07/15/2022 09:57PM  
Thanks for all the good advice, I was wondering about that too. I think I will always have the bug net all the way around. One other thing to consider. Make sure that you are going where there will be trees. Many parts of the BWCA no longer have them due to fires.
Catrina
 
08/08/2022 09:25AM  
Just thought I would follow-up with the answer to my own question after hammock camping for 4 days on Crooked a week or so ago.

I ended up bringing a Klymit inflatable sleep pad and I bought an all-weather OneTigris underquilt.

It only took one night for me to answer my above question. When I woke up the first morning my sleep pad was perpendicular to my body so that obviously didn't work.

But the under quilt did lay tight enough to the back side of the hammock that I did not have any issues with mosquitos biting my back.

So during the summer an all-weather under quilt with a 40-50 degree sleeping bag as a blanket working perfectly fine.

I will also comment that I don't think I will ever tent camp again going up there after using a hammock!

 
08/08/2022 12:47PM  
Welcome to the Sky Sleepers club!
 
08/11/2022 03:15PM  
mirth: "Welcome to the Sky Sleepers club!"


I am one with the sky
 
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