Light Hammocks

[moocow]

I've been looking at the hammock pros and cons, and it's very possible I will be making the switch. There's one thing that still concerns me.

I carry a 2lb 11oz tent with me, that includes rainfly, guylines, stakes, poles, sacks, everything.

I have found some hammocks lighter, but what happens when I add the tarp plus everything else like guylines for the tarp, or whoopie slings for the hammock. it seem like I would be at 3+ pounds again.

If i can accept being comfortable in a small space with no place for my stuff inside, then why would I not go with something like a TT Contrail at 25oz.?

Please sell me on a hammock. They do look fun and helpful in other ways.

[Pumba]

I've wondered the same thing and look forward to everyone's responses.

[kayak karl]

my DIY hammock is 18 oz. w/suspension (no bug net)
cuben tarp 8 oz. w/suspension and stakes
winter 0 degree TQ 26 oz.
winter 0 degree UQ 22 oz.

4.6 lb total

as for where to put my stuff, what stuff? food and cooking stuff is hung and my pack is under my feet. (2/3 quilt) and boots hung from hammock end.

[SouthMark]

My hammock is 5.9 oz with whoopie slings
Tree straps 2.3 oz
My bug net (when needed) 3.6 oz
Cuben tarp with guy lines 7.0 oz
Stakes 0.8 oz

1.25 lb total bug season
1 lb total non bug season

[RED-DOG]

What is the big deal about hammocks ? i tried one and it was the utmost uncomfortable thing i have ever slept in.

[kayak karl]

at least you tried it, good for you. some people won't even try new things.

[Nutbrown]

It works for me. My back and shoulders hurt a lot when I tent, and the hammock relieves that.

[Old Hiker]

It works for me. My back and shoulders hurt a lot when I tent, and the hammock relieves that.

Plus the options open up a LOT on where to camp. I still had to go back to a tent. I couldn't take trying to get up and packed in the cold, rainy, windy mornings. Otherwise, it's great.

[Half Note]

SouthMark - what type of hammock do you have?

[moocow]

KK, do you have instructions or a material list for your hammock? That sounds awesome. I had been looking at mass produced stuff like eno and hennessy.

[bannerstone]

You'll have plenty of room if not more to move around and places to stash your stuff. You can cook under a hammock tarp in porch mode in the rain. You won't likely get much lighter on pack weight with a hammock setup unless you make some sacrifices. My biggest praise for the hammock is never waking up laying on the floor of a flooded tent.

Especially nice for setting up in the rain is that the tarp goes up first and comes down last when you're packing up so your gear is protected. Most hammockers stash their wet tarp on the outside of their pack.

Together my bugnet hammock and big winter cuben tarp with all the do dads is just under your 2lb 11oz tent. I could shave another ounce or two but I'm already at a 10lb summer base weight so I'm not fussing about it.

David

[kayak karl]

these are the instructions i followed. http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ad.php?t=15205
at a hammock hang i got 12'-60" 1.9 coated nylon and hand sewed the hammock. it is 11' 10" long and can hold 300 lb. plus. (my 80 lb. lab likes to sleep in it with me. there are many cottage industries on hammockfourms.net that make simple hammocks that will meet your needs. for materials you could start here.

kk

[russb]

For many it comes down to comfort and ability to set up camp almost anywhere there are trees. In many areas, tent site selection is difficult or limited. With a hammock, one needs not worry about the ground. As far as weight, one must also consider all the rest of the gear associated with the system. On the ground, many will require significant pads to provide even a modicum of comfort from the ground. These can add significant weight to ones entire system where a hammocker may be able to get by with much less due to only having to deal with insulating from the air convection and not mitigating the roots and rocks. On the ground, many add a ground cloth of some sort under their tent (or tarptent) this is an additional weight not borne by a hammocker who does not to protection from the ground. In the end, there is a reason why some tent, some tarp, some tarptent, some hammock... it is all personal preference and there isn't one right way for all. Some even use all sleeping/shelter possibilities depending on the trip.

[Drybones]

SouthMark - what type of hammock do you have?

+1...............

[1azarus]

go cottage industry, for sure. i suggest you look at www.buttinasling.com. I think they get the whole weight and comfort thing. Just contact them and get their advice on the lightest way to go. I would suggest you not get a Hennessey... By the way, I've hammocked almost the whole AT -- did just a little tenting at the beginning. I also suggest you keep the bug net as a separate item -- you won't always want one.

[Suckerfish]

Im very new at it but I have been a tenter for several years. Also I am not a gram weenie either. All I know is my hammock set up is lighter than my tent set up, more comfortable, and dryer in heavy rains when ground water is an issue.

I use a grand trunk Ultra light hammock, not sure the weight but it isnt much. My rainfly is the Uno pro rain fly and it weighs about twice as much as the hammock. I have 4 aluminum steaks and the strings don't weigh much either.

I know this sounds like a dumb post, it is really, im very tired after a long day in my office with the white egg shell walls and florecent lights with my view of the parking lot below.

I felt reborn after my first time in my hammock. For bug netting I just bought a piece to go over my head, I use a sleeping bag (40 degree syn) with an insulated pad.

My sleeping bag and pad I don't count with weight because I packed those anyway with my tent. Also my hammock is used as a chair when I eat and my tarp has several uses, not sure yet what they are but I know I can use it for several other things, like a tent if I choose to sleep in the ground or if it is raining and I am a good distance from a shelter, I can just set up the tarp and chill in my hammock waiting for the rain to die down.

When I do my thru hike in 2014 im going to hang all the way to maine from my homestate.

Again I did it one night last weekend and not only survived, but slept in luxuary, I didnt get out of bed until 930 or so, i rarely sleep that well on the ground.

[Franco]

Weight can be fudged one way or another, essentially folk will make what they like work for them.
The important part is : do you prefer to sleep in a hammock or on the ground ?
By that for a start I mean have you tried spending a few nights sleeping in a hammock as opposed to an afternoon nap in one ?

As for ground conditions it can be also argued both ways.
If you hike were trees are abundant (and it is legal to use a hammock...) then it can be an easy solution , however over the tree line you end up with a largish bivvy that is not going to work well in high winds or snow.
This ,again. will be totally irrelevant to many but is it for you ?
I don't use one because I toss and turn so unlike many for me it is much more comfortable to sleep on the ground than up in the air.
Franco

[SouthMark]

SouthMark - what type of hammock do you have?

The 5.9 oz hammock is a Grand Trunk Nano-7. I also have a Warbonnet Traveler at only 7.7 oz with whoopies. I have an HH Adventure Racer (no longer made) with side entry bug net at only 11.9 oz.

[thebrewguy]

Equinox Globe Skimmer 8x10 with guy lines and stuff sack: 21.2oz
Grand Trunk Nano Hammock with carabiners: 7.4oz
Tree straps, toggles, whoopies (aka suspension) 6.9oz
Sea to summit pyramid single bug net: 7.5oz
GoLite Ultralight stakes x6: 2.5oz

Total shelter weight: 45.5oz or 2.84lbs.

This keeps me pretty comfortable but you could get a slightly larger hammock for more room and still come in under 3lbs

[Deadeye]

I have a Warbonnet blackbird hammock and a Speer winter tarp. 50 ounces total (3 1/8 pounds) with skins, biners, and stakes. Can certainly go lighter, my Hennessy was 2 pounds total, but the setup works fantastic for me. Just going with a smaller tarp would shave 10 ounces or so, making it an even 2 1/2 pounds, and I may get one for shorter, summer trips, but I like the big space. I have a gazillion places to set up camp, there are far more places with a couple trees 15-20 feet apart than there are flat, dry places to pitch a tent. My tarp covers an area nearly 10 feet square, I can cook under it, stand up in a rain, walk around under it, etc. and I don't have to crawl on the ground to get inside. Plus, I just plain sleep like a contented baby in my hammock. I'm not going back to a tent.