Dazzle me with your gams hammock campers

[Just Bill]

I mean grams...but since you're here...

It came up again in the other thread- A poor hiker debating his or her shelter options...

That Damnable heavy &*^%# hammock!
Oh so Comfy, but too heavy for the trail.
Better take my ground setup to save weight

Now I know that is not entirely true, and that most tent toting ground dwellers are likely packing more than their air born brothers and sisters.

But, for us ground dwellers who are light, what do you have for us?
I have recently given hammocks a go to see, and I have asked before but, where are the UL hangers?

Other than the oft posted and displayed SGT ROCK Ghost hammock setup I have seen little else.
I have also rarely seen a SYSTEM, a full rig that covers all your shelter and sleeping needs posted.
This isn't a challenge unless you want it to be, It's a curious and honest question.
Where are all the ambassadors from the hanger community to show newbies that you can go light and comfy?
There is often a bit of fire and brimstone from the Hammock Pulpit on the virtues of crawling out of the mud, but where is the Sunday School class on how to be a good little lightweight hanger boy or girl thinking it over?

So once you got that banana basket strung up-
What is your tarp, stakes, lines?
What about your little footmats and other re-entry accessories?
Your pillows and knee pads, calf ridge reduction gizmos and scraps of foam for cold spots?
So you got an UQ what about the rigging for that? The protector?
Oh never mind get a pad, and oops you need a hammock with a pad sleeve otherwise its just a floating cot?
How bout that top quilt?
And the socks? It's windy we need a windsock, it's buggy we need a bug sock, it's chilly we need a winter sock.

Yar, I'm being a bit of a jerk here to be fair.
But it's kind of a jerk move to tell folks to take to the trees and not have a good solution for them either ain't it?

I honestly think things have evened up a bit, that UL, or even SUL hammock hanging is out there.
It'd be nice to hear how you've achieved this goal.
And hey- I'm fine with you saying an extra pound is worth it- I get that just fine. I can tell you no problem-o that I bring a women's neo-air instead of a CCF pad because that 6 ounces of comfort is worth it to me. Or that my tarp is a 6x9 instead of a 5x8. But can you show me that pound on the hammock side?

Weight isn't everything, but simply carrying weight for no good reason don't sit too well with me personally. Is the only "this or that" in regards to hammocks to bring a hammock or not?

Show me that rig from tree to tree and tarp to UQ with all the fixins to get a hiker down the trail.
I see lots of hangers telling lots of folks to get outta the mud, kinda bugs me a bit.
This ain't a rant so much as a plea- If you're gunna speakup and tell them to do it- tell them how to do it.

[Dogwood]

I'd much rather be dazzled by gams first. Then, we can talk about gram weenie hammock set-ups if that's still on your mind. Has anyone made love in a hammock? Rock a bye baby. Hikers have some of the best gams out there. Send in some hiker gam pics.

[Gram Weenie]

Here's a run down of my hammock set up for what it's worth:
DIY 11' hammock made out of 1.6oz HyperD nylon with 7/64" Amsteel suspention
DIY 12' silnylon cat cut tarp made out of 1.1oz silnylon
DIY Silnylon stuff sacks
6' Tree straps
4 Titanium stakes and guy lines
Total weight 1 pound 10.3 oz

[1azarus]

what is the u.l. hiker's equivalent of "a shot across the bow?" A whack aside the head with a carbon fiber pole?

I think that the rational u.l. approach to hammocking begins by acknowledging that your shelter needs vary from season to season, and that there are two distinct approaches: the perfect setup for each season, regardless of cost and redundancy, or a flexible system where items are added and subtracted each season. Not a hard decision for most of us: we (I...) can't generally afford the perfect dedicated seasonal solution. So, starting from:

SUMMER
1. The lightest gathered end hammock you can be comfortable in. For me, this is the Grand Trunk Nano 7.

2. Add a ridge line -- it makes setup easier, and will support add on components.

3. Use Dutch's continuous loops to gather each end of the hammock, and use his new speed hooks/amsteel line/tree hugger system -- perhaps fussed with to get it a bit lighter, but that is another subject. Avoid heavy hardware. There is no reason to even own a carabiner.

4. Use a tulle bug sock, or a no-see-um sock, or a head net or a small section of tulle draped over the ridgeline, or deet for bug protection. Vary depending on the month and anticipated pest population. Tulle is the lightest option, and has held up well, with care, for me.

5. Use a torso length down summer weight underquilt. variation/substitution: a torso length foam pad.

6. Use a summer weight top quilt or sleeping bag.

7. Use a hammock gear cuben tarp with doors, and make it as short in length as it can be to cover your hammock. Confession: mine should be in the mail any day now. Carry u.l. tent pegs and use rocks on top of them if you need to. Pay attention to the weight of your tie outs.

Wind direction changes often enough, and I have gotten tired of managing blown rain, struggling to keep my pack and trail runners dry, and of having to make sure my tarp was as tight to my hammock ridgeline as I could get it. The doors should solve those problems, and, in cuben, not be a weight penalty. We'll see.

SPRING/FALL
1. Same Grand Trunk Nano 7.

2. Same ridge line.

3. Same suspension.

4. No bug sock, maybe a head net if any concern about bugs... Maybe a dwr fabric winter sock if a bit colder.

5. Use a torso length down summer or winter underquilt. Take the gossamer gear foam sit pad from your backpack (shameless plug...) and put it under your feet inside your sleeping bag or foot box.

6. Use a summer or winter weight top quilt or sleeping bag.

7. Use a hammock gear cuben tarp with doors.

8. Sleep with your clothes on. You shouldn't have been sweating that much, anyway.


WINTER

1. Same Grand Trunk Nano 7.

2. Same ridge line.

3. Same suspension.

4. a dwr fabric winter sock.

5. Use a torso length down winter underquilt. Take the gossamer gear foam sit pad from your backpack (shameless plug repeated...) and put it under your feet inside your sleeping bag or foot box.

6. Use a winter weight top quilt or sleeping bag.

7. Use the same hammock gear cuben tarp with doors.

8. Sleep with your clothes on -- as much as necessary to make it work for the temperature.

9. Enhance your system by adding foam pads -- I am currently experimenting with wearable foam pads -- foam pads are heavy, and using enough foam to cover your hammock has a hefty weight penalty.

I am not sure exactly how much this system weights, adjusted seasonally, but my summer base pack weight is 6 pounds with a firefly stove thrown in -- so I am definitely paying attention to the ounces.

[Just Bill]

I'd much rather be dazzled by gams first. Then, we can talk about gram weenie hammock set-ups if that's still on your mind. Has anyone made love in a hammock? Rock a bye baby. Hikers have some of the best gams out there. Send in some hiker gam pics.

This popped up= Jenn Shelton-though I don't think she's a hanger, nor does she appear to use trekking poles or proper length skirts.
jenn shelton.jpg

"Hot girl in hammock" turns up interesting results depending on your browser's safe search filter settings. Don't search for banana hammock.

what is the u.l. hiker's equivalent of "a shot across the bow?" A whack aside the head with a carbon fiber pole?

I think that the rational u.l. approach to hammocking begins by acknowledging that your shelter needs vary from season to season, and that there are two distinct approaches: the perfect setup for each season, regardless of cost and redundancy, or a flexible system where items are added and subtracted each season. Not a hard decision for most of us: we (I...) can't generally afford the perfect dedicated seasonal solution.

Would that be a slap across the cheek with a light load towel (cut in half of course)?
Agree- seasonal rigs/qualifiers entirely welcome and justified.

[Dogwood]

Lazarus, 95 % of what he said.

I'm somewhat a hanging novice compared to those on HF but definitely a dedicated ULer.

I find other lighter wt shelter/sleeping options for COLD winter than hanging so that's not my thing when an ultimate low wt shelter set-up is desired during all 4 seasons not that there isn't such thing as a lighter wt than common/UL winter hanging set-up.

Dream Darien customized hammock.
Ti Dutchware
UL Amsteel whoopee slings
Tulle Bug sock
Zpacks CF Asym tarp.
If I feel the absolute need to hang in cooler/colder weather I use a non dedicated UQ an Enlighted Equipment 50* Climashield Apex quilt w some DIY micro bungee attachments.

[Dogwood]

I can't ever recall googling "hot girl in hammock." That would be a first.

It really is about time there is a female hiker's calendar. Where do I sign up for preordering?

[RED-DOG]

Guys check this out if I was a hammock camper this would be something I would go with.
Nube the perfected Hammock shelter by Sierra Madre Research.
http://www.smrgearme.com/all-products i found this on youtube

[bigcranky]

I got my first Hennessy Hammock in 2002,and I've been using some sort of hammock setup for warm weather solo hiking ever since. Sadly, I am in the same position in that my ground setup is much lighter than my hammock setup. I suppose I could spend a bundle on a cuben tarp which would save a few ounces, but that's about it. My Hexamid Twin and Neoair weigh in at about 33 ounces total, and there is no way I could get my hammock setup that light.

As for the gams, here you go, but you might go blind from the reflections off the pasty white skin. Don't say I didn't warn you.

[July]

BC be careful, that pony has the look of Love in his eyes...

[bigcranky]

BC be careful, that pony has the look of Love in his eyes...

Ah, man, you just made my entire day. Thanks for the laugh, and the warning...

[Charliev]

Full sleep system 11' hammock, 8'x8' tarp, 20* top quilt, 20* under quilt, ground cloth with all suspension for hammock and tarp 4.3 lbs


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[scope]

Guys check this out if I was a hammock camper this would be something I would go with.
Nube the perfected Hammock shelter by Sierra Madre Research.
http://www.smrgearme.com/all-products i found this on youtube

That thing is 3lbs WITHOUT the hammock! Seems out of place for this discussion.

[kunzman]

My summer system is at 47 oz for tarp, sleeping bag, hammock, bug net, stakes, etc. Add another 13 oz for my NEOair to eliminate CBS for fall or spring and it takes it to 60 oz or 3.75 lbs. My sleeping bag is the heavy item in this setup at 27 oz so I'm thinking about switching it out for a 20 deg. down quilt which would be warmer and probably a few oz lighter.

Here's the breakdown without the NEOair weight:

[scope]

...What about your little footmats and other re-entry accessories?
Your pillows and knee pads, calf ridge reduction gizmos and scraps of foam for cold spots?
So you got an UQ what about the rigging for that? The protector?
Oh never mind get a pad, and oops you need a hammock with a pad sleeve otherwise its just a floating cot?
How bout that top quilt?
And the socks? It's windy we need a windsock, it's buggy we need a bug sock, it's chilly we need a winter sock.

Yar, I'm being a bit of a jerk here to be fair.
But it's kind of a jerk move to tell folks to take to the trees and not have a good solution for them either ain't it?

Um, no. What's a good solution? One that weighs what? Costs what? Involves what? 4lbs will get you a 20-degree setup, and not one that is skimpy, but with Western Mountaineering equivalent quilts that you can count on keeping you warm at 20, and often beyond (just as those bags can do). But of course, you need a pad to make the bag work.

A good solution is different things to different people, and hammock camping is so modular, and there is so much choice in what to buy, that there is no other camping method that offers more flexibility for what might be a good solution.

Some of the stuff you mention is really comical... re-entry accessories? calf ridge reduction gizmos? You don't work in Dutch's R&D dept do you?

Is it being less of a "jerk" to say that taking to the trees requires a little more thought, so don't apply if you're not willing to do that?

[kunzman]

Correction for my earlier Thanksgiving math: summer system is at 58 oz for tarp, sleeping bag, hammock, bug net, stakes, etc. Add another 13 oz for my NEOair to eliminate CBS for fall or spring and it takes it to 71 oz or 4.44 lbs.

[bat_manatee]

I'm at 34oz without quilts. (Including zippered bug net, stuff sack, tarp, suspension and stakes, small ground cloth, etc)

Add another 22oz + 17oz for 20° quilts.

I think 4.5 lbs for a cozy 20° setup is extremely reasonable. I'm not sleeping on the ground and its REALLY easy and fast to set up. (Staking out the 4 corners of the tarp is what takes me the longest, and that is no different than a tent.

My hammock isn't the lightest thing out there by far (Dream Hammock Thunderbird 1.8oz Single Layer), I could drop 6 or so oz by leaving the bug net top at home, it zips right off, the stuff sack weighs another oz too, another oz or so if I ditched the ridgeline and handy storage pocket.

[bigcranky]

Yeah, my summer hammock system is around 4 pounds with a 3/4 Ridgerest to keep my torso warm. That does *not* include my quilt. My 3-season ground setup is 2 pounds, also not including my bag or quilt.

[Another Kevin]

Um, no. What's a good solution? One that weighs what? Costs what? Involves what? 4lbs will get you a 20-degree setup, and not one that is skimpy, but with Western Mountaineering equivalent quilts that you can count on keeping you warm at 20, and often beyond (just as those bags can do). But of course, you need a pad to make the bag work.

A good solution is different things to different people, and hammock camping is so modular, and there is so much choice in what to buy, that there is no other camping method that offers more flexibility for what might be a good solution.

Some of the stuff you mention is really comical... re-entry accessories? calf ridge reduction gizmos? You don't work in Dutch's R&D dept do you?

Is it being less of a "jerk" to say that taking to the trees requires a little more thought, so don't apply if you're not willing to do that?

If mud wallowing takes less thought, it's only because so many hikers before us have refined and packaged it! That's why newbies can get advice like: "For three seasons, a budget setup might be a blue foam from XYZ-Mart, a Kelty Cosmic 20 bag, and a tent like an REI Quarter Dome. You'll find that the blue foam lacks something in durability, so you might want to consider a RidgeRest or Z-Rest instead. Moving up in price and down in weight, consider a 700-fill bag from a manufacturer like Marmot, one of the better inflatables, and a TarpTent Notch or a Hexamid. Moving up still further, get a Western Mountaineering bag, and by then you'll know whether you're more comfortable with tarping or bivying, or whether you want to stick with a tent, maybe in a fly-and-footprint pitch if the bugs aren't too bad." The brands change from year to year, and there are lots of competitors at each price/performance point: for instance, the REI Radiant or the similar bags from EMS or Campmor in place of the Kelty, and so on. But all of this advice is pretty middle-of-the-road: hikers will quibble about the details, but pretty much agree, "yeah, that'll work."

The flexibility of hammocking, or its newness, or something, mean that a newcomer to hammocking can't get as succinct an answer. Instead, the answers to, "what's a decent starter rig so that I can try this thing out?" seem to vary all over the map. For starters, a ground dweller starts out needing essentially the same set of components: a tent or tarp, a groundsheet or footprint or integrated tent floor, a sleeping pad, a bag or quilt. By contrast, when I've asked about hammocking, I've always wound up drinking from the fire hose. And it's not obvious that I can get a good answer to, "is there a way I can avoid dropping a ton of money - perhaps more than I've spent in my entire ground-dwelling rig, before I can learn whether I can even sleep comfortably in the things?" Maybe I've asked the wrong people.

Of course, I also take a pretty dirtbag approach to outfitting myself. The heavy fleece that I picked up at Salvation Army is just as warm as one from LL Bean. I still use my REI down bag for three seasons. I bought my backpack for $85 at the REI scratch-n-dent sale; it's an off brand, but it carries decently. I suppose MYOG is the hammockers' approach to dirt-bagging? If that's the case, is there a gentle introduction to what skills I need, what patterns I need to follow, where to get materials? (I've read that suitable stuff sometimes turns up on the buck-a-yard table at XYZ-Mart, but the stuff that turns up there is seldom labeled, and I don't know that I could identify it!)

I bushwhack and stealth camp a fair amount, and in some of the places I go, decent sites are hard to come by! I envy the hammockers their ability to hang anywhere, but I just seem to be too dull to figure out how to start!

[scope]

For what its worth, I completely agree with you. Tenting mimics sleeping at home, first of all, and then things like sleeping bags have become so commonplace, we take what they do for granted, not realizing what's going on underneath us.

Just know its NOT that hard to figure out hanging and there are some GREAT resources - its just not a horizontal mattress with 4 walls. All the elements of shelter still apply. All the elements of how you stay warm while its below freezing still apply - but in that regard, it DOES get much more complicated.