Advise

[baydog55]

As I age the ground is getting harder and I want to try a hammock. It looks great but I hike mostly in colder weather (which I think is no problem) but what about bad rain? It would be nice to hang a tarp then be able to hang a hammock while being shielded from the rain. Pitching a tent in the rain is a problem that I have never found a real good solution to. I see the pictures of the tarp/hammock set ups but it appears a good wind would blow the rain right in on the hammock, especially at the ends. What am I missing.

[Buffalo Skipper]

...What am I missing.

I am still young but I sleep better in a hammock than any night on the ground. But hammocking is a skill set completely separate from tent camping, and in many ways counterintuitive, especially when it comes to winter insulation. Here are quick answers to your questions.

1) Winter insulation is tricky. What is important is what you have under your hammock (and I don't mean the ground). Using a standard sleeping bag doesn't really cut it. My recomendation is an UnderQuilt. These are available to 0° and below.

2) There are many excellent tarps available, and for backpackers there are many lightweight options (mine will hold up in a stormy blow and weighs only 10 oz). Site location (just like tenting) can make a huge diference. There are also tarps out there with doors on the ends to use during the worst of the weather.

No to take anything away from Whiteblaze, but there is a "sister" site with more information on Hammocking than you can imagine. Start here, where I have recently been discussing the history and evolution of tarps for hammocks. Hammock Forum. This will introduce to the community that lives and breathes and sweats hammocks.

[T-Rx]

I am still young but I sleep better in a hammock than any night on the ground. But hammocking is a skill set completely separate from tent camping, and in many ways counterintuitive, especially when it comes to winter insulation. Here are quick answers to your questions.

1) Winter insulation is tricky. What is important is what you have under your hammock (and I don't mean the ground). Using a standard sleeping bag doesn't really cut it. My recomendation is an UnderQuilt. These are available to 0° and below.

2) There are many excellent tarps available, and for backpackers there are many lightweight options (mine will hold up in a stormy blow and weighs only 10 oz). Site location (just like tenting) can make a huge diference. There are also tarps out there with doors on the ends to use during the worst of the weather.

No to take anything away from Whiteblaze, but there is a "sister" site with more information on Hammocking than you can imagine. Start here, where I have recently been discussing the history and evolution of tarps for hammocks. Hammock Forum. This will introduce to the community that lives and breathes and sweats hammocks.

Buffalo Skipper is absolutely right IMHO. I was a lifelong tenter and once I changed to a hammock my sleeping improved greatly. As Buffalo says, insulation under you is key. I tried several different pads first and then made the jump to an underquilt. Wow! What a difference the UQ made in both comfort and warmth. I use a tarp that has doors that can be closed in severe weather essentially making a suspended tent enclosing my hammock. It is a slight weight penalty but I do enjoy being able to shut out the rain and wind. Besides Hammock Forums website, search the Internet for Shugs hammocking videos and I would also recommend the book The Ultimate Hang. Hope this helps.

[Country Roads]

Definitely head over to hammock forums, awesome folks over there. I have hung in some pretty bad storms (hurricane Irene) and have stayed dry. I use a cuben tarp with doors. I also have a superfly from warbonnet outdoors - way big tarp. Site selection is important with a hammock too, I like to pick a sheltered area that will at least buffer me from the wind some. You can set up way easier and much drier using a hammock, and no mopping up the floor before you settle in for the night.

[Hoop]

What all the above said. Cuben is spendy, worth it IMO. A learning curve, but a fun challenge.

[baydog55]

Thanks, I think I may make the jump this fall.

[bigcranky]

One of the best things about hammocking is how great they are in heavy rain. Just be sure you can pitch the tarp (fly) separately from the hammock itself. My Hennessy came with an integrated fly, but I replaced it with a larger Maccat tarp for easier pitching and better coverage.

The joy of hanging in the rain can't be overstated, imo -- no worries about water runoff under your tent, or leaks in the tent floor, or getting flooded. Just lie there in comfort, nice and dry, and listen to the rain.

[T-Rx]

One of the best things about hammocking is how great they are in heavy rain. Just be sure you can pitch the tarp (fly) separately from the hammock itself. My Hennessy came with an integrated fly, but I replaced it with a larger Maccat tarp for easier pitching and better coverage.

The joy of hanging in the rain can't be overstated, imo -- no worries about water runoff under your tent, or leaks in the tent floor, or getting flooded. Just lie there in comfort, nice and dry, and listen to the rain.

Bigcranky, you make a good point. My wife had the same experience with her Hennesy. She really liked the ease of set up with the integrated rain fly but after a couple of times setting up in the rain and getting her hammock wet while watching me set up my WBBB under my tarp nice and dry, she is now looking to buy a larger tarp that is separate from her hammock.

[scree]

Don't forget to pitch the tarp before you tie up the hammock

Hammocks are life changing. I've contemplated anchoring some eye bolts into the bedroom walls, but I don't think it would go over too well with the wife. I prefer it even over a bed, so I sleep out back a lot.

Find what works for you, but I've converted 100% to Warbonnet hammocks. They have a good 3/4 underquilt system which I've augmented with some closed cell foam and I don't get cold at night under any Virginia conditions.

[dla]

Personally I think you've got it backwards - Rain is easy to deal with but cold on the other hand can get expensive in a hurry.

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That 10'x11' silnylon tarp over my Warbonnet Blackbird has served me well. However, if I pitch in an exposed area and guess wrong about the wind, I suppose I could get some rain in on the ends. Since I don't need smooth ground, I usually hang back in the trees a ways to buffer the wind.

I keep my tarp at the top of my pack and I put it up first, but I don't tie the corners off. Then I put my hammock up under the tarp.

The ground got hard for me too

[Grampie]

During my thru I decided to switch from my tent to a hammock. During Trail Days Hennessy gave me one of his hammocks to try. All he said was, "if you like it and want to keep it send me a check, and if you decide you don't like it send it back." This man did this not knowing me or even taking my name. I slept in the hammock for five nights and decided to send it back. Why? The first reason was it was a pain to get into the hammock and into the sleeping bag. I didn't like the fact that I had no place to put my gear. It also didn't provide any privacy to wash or change clothing. I liked the sleep I got. I liked the protection in the rain and the ease of set up. It was a decision I had to make, sent the hammock back or send my tent home. The tent won.

[IRONFISH45]

I have three Hennnessy's all of which I am selling. But that is another issue.

On all of my hammocks the rainfly is separate, I can use it or not. I have the zip models, which works for me because I do not like using the net unless the bugs are awful. the idea of fighting to get into the bottom entry was not enticing to me. The only good thing about bottom entry is it is easier to get dressed or undressed modestly.

Hennessy will sell a larger rainfly with his hammocks if you want one, and the snakeskins are free if you buy the hammock from him directly.

Hennessy also sells what he calls a Typhoon or Monsoon, which are tarps that have doors, they do a fair job on keeping the rain and wind out of your hammock.

I have been in some major storms, wind and rain going every which way, and cold. I had rain blowing up under my hammock, everything was soaked. Just a part of hanging in a storm. Sometimes you can not manage the wind when it is shifting all the time. I made my own verison of a SuperShelter, and it is working pretty good, but it takes up a lot of space. More than my GoLite Shangri La 3.

You should under normal conditions keep your Hennessy dry in a rain, if you are not in a storm with blowing rain. you just slide your snakeskins or bishop's bag down over the hammock, work under the rainfly. Pretty easy that part, when it is wet I put my rainfly in its own snakeskin, so it does not get my hammock wet.

[msupple]

As I age the ground is getting harder and I want to try a hammock. It looks great but I hike mostly in colder weather (which I think is no problem) but what about bad rain? It would be nice to hang a tarp then be able to hang a hammock while being shielded from the rain. Pitching a tent in the rain is a problem that I have never found a real good solution to. I see the pictures of the tarp/hammock set ups but it appears a good wind would blow the rain right in on the hammock, especially at the ends. What am I missing.

Pictures are deceiving. I have a fairly good sized hex tarp and have been in some very heavy rain and snowstorms including many on the AT. Neither I or my hammock has gotten wet. I admit, to the uninitiated it does appear a little sketchy but it's not. Even when I started and was sporting a diamond shaped tarp, I stayed dry during some pretty heavy rains. Personally I would go with a hex tarp with a 11 to 12 ft ridgeline.

Cat in the Hat

[Astro]

Grampie touched on a concern I have of switching from a tent to a hammock: Where do you put your gear (backpack, shoes, poles, etc..)?

[JaxHiker]

I carry a small (3x6 or 4x8) piece of Tyvek for a ground cover. I just lay my pack and misc gear on that. I used to use a gear hammock that kept it off the ground but I don't bother with that anymore. Sometimes the poles are used to put the tarp in "porch" mode.

I find there's entirely too much flexibility offered by a hammock to go back to the ground.

[bear bag hanger]

I've been using hammocks since 2001 and that includes a 2004 AT through hike. Hanging the tarp up separately has saved me getting the hammock wet many times. It is a joy to stay dry while watching all my friends get wet trying to set up their tents. Right now I use a 8 X 10 cuben fiber tarp with four tie outs on the long side. This allows me to close up the tarp around the hammock so wind driven rain doesn't get in. I have a Clark Tropical Two and is the most comfortable hammock I've ever had, but it is also the heaviest. I think the Tree to Tree Switchback is the best compromise between comfort and light weight. If you can afford the extra 8 to 10 oz, get a double bottom hammock so you can sleep comfortably with a closed cell or air mattress instead of going to a more expensive under quilt. One recommendation I would have is to make sure you get a hammock you can get into from both sides. This way, if one side stretches out a bit, you can equalized the stretch by getting in and out on the other side. But, I should mention no one else seems to have this problem.

[Monkeywrench]

Grampie touched on a concern I have of switching from a tent to a hammock: Where do you put your gear (backpack, shoes, poles, etc..)?

Shoes: I tie the laces together and hang them over the head end of my hammock, under the tarp.

Backpack: I put the rain cover on it and place it on the ground underneath my hammock, being sure to keep it out of the 'landing zone' where my feet land when exiting the hammock.

Poles: I stick my poles in the ground off to one side near the foot end of my hammock. It is a arbitrarily chosen spot, but I do it consistently so I always know where everything is.

[yellowsirocco]

Grampie touched on a concern I have of switching from a tent to a hammock: Where do you put your gear (backpack, shoes, poles, etc..)?

Everything hangs. I have a few mini carabiners to make life easier with this. My pack is clipped on the head end with the hip belt fully extended and clipped around the ridgeline (it is a Hennessy). Then I throw the pack cover on it. My shoes are clipped on the foot end on the outside. My food bag is clipped onto the foot end on the inside. Poles are just thrown about because it doesn't really matter.

[Old Hiker]

Baydog,

I went to a hammock after getting tired of the ground. However, on my 2012 thru-attempt, I had to go back to my ALPS Zeypher tent. I found it very hard to get up and out of the hammock in the A.M. in a hard, cold rain with a stiff wind blowing. I don't mind setting up a tent in rain, as I can always dry off inside, but getting wet before going in the A.M. is a problem for me. I was NEVER wet in my hammock and my gear was usually underneath.

Never thought of tying my laces together and hanging my boots. Hmmmmm............

I've since gone to a Lightheart Gear SoLong with awning that I'm really impressed with. I also bought a Lightheart Solo, just to compare, but I like the SoLong much better. Weight is the same as my hammock.

I've never had an underquilt to stay warm, just a closed cell pad under me with a good bag. I will admit that my knees will get cold when I'm on my side and they touch the side of the hammock. I've used it to about 23-25* (measured).

I have a Clark Jungle hammock from many years ago - mid level - 4 pockets on the sides. I love it. It's the most comfortable sleeping I've had.

I went to a Thermarest Ridgerest pad and it was pretty good. My father sent me two Klymit inflatables: one full pad and the skeletal one which work REALLY well, but I worry about leaks.

Good luck on your evolution.

[T-Rx]

Shoes: I tie the laces together and hang them over the head end of my hammock, under the tarp.

Backpack: I put the rain cover on it and place it on the ground underneath my hammock, being sure to keep it out of the 'landing zone' where my feet land when exiting the hammock.

Poles: I stick my poles in the ground off to one side near the foot end of my hammock. It is a arbitrarily chosen spot, but I do it consistently so I always know where everything is.

That is what I do also Monkeywrench. I carry a small piece of plastic as well that I place on the ground under my pack. I always put the cover on my pack at night. I have hung my empty pack from my ridge line before using the hip belt and a small carabiner. My food bag goes inside my hammock with me, either hanging from my ridge line at my feet or on the shelf inside my WBBB. Poles are always stuck in the ground at my feet. Shoes hung from ridge line by their laces at the head of my hammock and under the tarp.