There Are Pandas, and Then There Are Pandas.
And this isn't either of them! The Pandas we're talking about here, are watches, not bears. And what got me thinking about them (again) was a link posted this morning by @cm.rook who pointed a few of us to the very attractive (and not terribly priced) Yema "Rallygraph" Panda which, in it's most traditional arrangement, looks like the one on the left, but can also be had in the version on the right: The model on the left is a true Panda, while the model on the right is called a reverse Panda. The reason for that distinction is clear--Panda bears, only come in the first arrangement. Now at this point, everyone should be thinking about the most well-know Panda, The Rolex Panda, which is actually a Daytona, and among Rolex Daytonas, the most famous of which is the Paul Newman Daytona, which was famous first, because it was Paul's, and second because it sold at auction for $17.8 million (US Dollars). The story of that auction is well-known so I'll only...
Nov 8, 2019
You mentioned both hammock AND ground camping. Ground camping is easy - go with a quilt and pad combo. But for hammock camping, many popular quilts just wont do on their own. The problem with a normal sleeping bag in a hammock is that you compress all the insulation under you and the cold air conducts your heat away. most people fix this with an underquilt but then youre carrying two sleeping bags Ah, no thanks.
Instead, get a large rectangular quilt with a drawstring and zipper closure. Put that on the OUTSIDE of your hammock. Drawstring up the footbox end and then zip up the sides to make a tube. pull it up or push it down like a cocoon to regulate heat. cinch up the head end on colder nights. I use Sea 2 Summit Traveller (40*) in the summer and an EE (Revolt? 10*) Long & Wide in the winter. They work equally well on the ground paired with a pad, or with the hammock.
PS. Sea 2 Summit’s UL hammock with the buckle-webbing things cut off, replaced by amsteel whoopie slings makes a complete ’bed’ at just a tic over 6oz
Pair it with ZPacks Cuben hammock tarp with doors, and Duchwear’s continuous ridgeline for another 13oz and youve got a bombproof ground AND hang shelter system for less than all but the most ultralight single tents.