View Full Version : help with a hammock set up for my thru hike
I plan to leave the first week of March 2017. Currently I have a Big Agnes Fly Creek HV2 with a Thermarest Neoair Xlite and an Enlightened Equipment 20 degree Enigma that i planned to take on the entire trail as it can be used as a bag in cold weather and a quilt in warmer weather. After spending some time hammocking I am considering making the move to a ultralight backpacker Hennessey Hammock. I have heard many great things about hammocks vs tents when it comes to comfort and adequate rest for hiking the trail. I'm concerned about the top and underquilts paring. If I make the switch I would be taking the 20 degree Enigma, but I am confused on pairing with an appropriate underquilt. Do I need a 20 degree underquilt since I am leaving the first week of march? I do not want to have multiple quilts to exchange throughout the trip. It just becomes too pricey. Is the hammock set up truly worth it? What do I need for the hammock set up if I go that route? Any advice would be appreciated
just started fooling around w/hammocks so not much help, but.................I believe this is a sister site to whiteblaze; https://hammockforums.net/forum/content.php
I am sure someone from one of these two forums will come along and have an answer.
SteelCut
05-09-2016, 16:01
If you are leaving early March you will probably encounter temps colder than 20 degrees and a 20 degree UQ will not be sufficient. Also be aware that in the Smokies you are generally required to stay in the shelters and cannot use your hammock IN or ATTACHED to the shelter. Therefore you should carry a pad through the Smokies for use when you are forced to stay in a shelter (The only exception to staying in the shelter is in those cases where the shelter is full upon your arrival and you may camp/hammock outside the shelter). You may want to consider if you can use a pad with your hammock and combine it with a 20 degree UQ for the cold nights and then mail the pad back home once you are past the Smokies and the temps have warmed up so the UQ is sufficient.
if i were starting with you at the beginning of March (ah, the recurring fantasy...) I would bring my fifteen degree sleeping bag (which I use like a quilt from around 25 degrees and warmer) and my forty degree underquilt and a short neoair sleeping pad which I would use in my hammock to augment my underquilt when colder than forty, and would also have with me if forced to sleep on plywood in a shelter in the smokies... then I would send the neoair home some time after the smokies when comfortable with the weather, and just use the lighter underquilt. I would also encourage you to visit hammock forums -- there are waaaaaaay better choices than a hennessey hammock in my opinion (and I do own one...). and yes -- it is worth it to hammock IF you are more comfortable in one. Just be true to your backpacking values -- if you are a gram weenie about everything else, be a gram weenie about your hammock, too, or you will be unhappy later.
You don't say how long your sleeping pad is, but it may well work for you to start with it in combo with a summer weight underquilt.
sorry steel cut... i was writing pretty much your response while you were posting it!
SteelCut
05-09-2016, 16:42
No worries :D
To use a hammock will be a personal choice that you will have to decide if it is worth it. Your overall hammock setup will probably weigh more than a comparable tent setup. I find that a hammock is more comfortable for myself and take the small weight penalty.
As far as the UQ I would use a 20* that time of the year starting out. I find that I error on a cooler temperature UQ than TQ and I end up being more comfortable. You can always vent the UQ when the temperatures warm up. If it was me hiking the trail I would start out with a full length 20* UQ and a 20* TQ. Once the temperatures warmed up I would transition to a 3/4 length 40* UQ and a 40* TQ. You will have plenty of time this fall to try out your setup before you leave. Just make sure you are comfortable with your choice and setup before you hit the trail. There is a little bit of a learning curve for most people with a hammock. It is much easier to work through that learning curve on shorter planning trips.
I am on the trail now. I started the end of February. I used a 20 deg bag, 3/4 underquilt (not rated) and a thermarest mattress. I have a WBBB and had the winter cover vs the bug net up until a week ago. That cover made a difference. I also would wear wool long underwear, a good pair of warm socks and a few times I used some down leg warmers and hood my wife made for me. On the coldest nights I also wore my down jacket. I don't like to sleep cold and this kept me warm with no issues. I think the lowest temp I saw was a in the mid-teens. I both used shelters and hung in the SNP. In the shelters I used the under quilt inside my sleeping bag for extra warmth but that may be harder with a full length under quilt. Getting out of the hammock in the morning is the hardest part of the cold. As it got warm out I just sling my hammock without a tarp to sleep. Now that it is warmer I keep my hammock on the top of my pack for easy access for a lunch break in comfort. You can go very light in a hammock but I think comfort goes down if you get really light. The WBBB is not heavy but not light, probably about average with most the tents out there. I also have a HH with the side zip and like it, but that shelf in the WBBB is very useful. My tarp has doors on it, I have found them very useful for many reasons. Staying warm in a hammock is a challenge but my set up served me very well. Now that warmer weather is here it just gets better.
ggreaves
05-09-2016, 18:07
You might want to consider a different hammock besides the Hennessy for a few reasons:
1. Weight savings - A dutch half-wit hammock is 11' long and with the same load capacity that the hennessy has, weighs less than a pound (1 lb weight savings)
2. Suspension options - The Hennessy method of hanging the hammock is a pain to get right the first time (imho) and you'll probably want to switch out the suspension for straps and buckles or whoopie slings to give you more flexibility. This would be added cost on top of the $250 for the hammock (which comes with a less than adequate rain fly). Although you can buy it without the rainfly for $170 and get the one you want from Hennessy or elsewhere.
3. Cost. Other hammock options (Warbonnet, Dream Hammock, Dutchware etc.), cost less, have customizability in features and fabric choices, single / double layer, suspensions etc and tend to have exceptional resale value - which for some reason, Hennessy's don't.
As for the underquilt, you should be fine with a 20 degree underquilt for the whole trip. You can supplement it with your pad and some extra clothing layers when it gets really cold. You should bring your pad along anyway in case you'd like to sleep in a shelter or go to ground under a tarp. Remember to underinflate it in the hammock for the most comfort. I use a 3/4 length underquilt and when it's cold, I'll put a small piece of closed cell foam under my feet inside the top-quilt.
A hammock setup often weighs more than a tent but if you're careful in your selection, you can keep the weight down significantly. My "big 3" (hammock, underquilt, top quilt, tarp, stakes, pack) weigh in at 5.44 lbs total. That's for a 40 degree setup. For 20 degrees, add a pound and a half. Still pretty manageable and in line with a lightweight (maybe not crazy ultralight) tent setup.
HOWEVER.... the best reason to carry a hammock is so you will get restorative sleep. You will sleep-in because you're so comfortable and warm. Your tent buddies will be up at 6am and packed up and ready to hit the trail and you'll be the last one up. You'll never find yourself laying in a puddle because an extended downpour has wetted out the floor or waiting for your ground sheet to dry out before you stuff it in your pack. You can hang away from the shelter a little to protect yourself from snorers (or vice versa) and you won't need a flat spot to do it. You can go to the other side of the hill and out of the wind without needing a clear tent-friendly site.
Here's a link to the Half-Wit from Dutchware....
http://www.dutchwaregear.com/half-wit-hammock.html
And, as mentioned above, Hammockforums is a great place to research. Helpful and friendly bunch of people.
Greenlight
05-09-2016, 18:53
From my own experiences and what I've learned on here, there are a couple of ways to go. If you're on a budget but want an all in one, go with the lightweight Hennessy, with the Four Season kit and top cover. The Hennessy underpad isn't anything to write home about but it works. You can also stuff clothes and even leaves/duff into it to increase the R value. I paid for a whole Hennessy system so I'm going to get my money out of it before I save up and switch to a Warbonnet Blackbird (cottage kit) with all the trimmings. They're both asymetric, but the Warbonnet products are mouthwateringly superb from all I can tell. Even a Hennessy exped asym cradles you like a momma cradling her baby, it would appear that if you trick out the Warbonnet with the underquilt and Superfly tarp, you'll have to find something else to complain about on the trail, because your sleeping arrangements will be off limits. I'm just happy to be swinging in the trees at this point, but Hennessy --> Warbonnet is the path I've chosen.
No Directions
05-09-2016, 19:24
I use both. When I sleep on the ground I'm usually awake before daylight and waiting for first light to get up. When I sleep in my hammock I have a hard time making myself get up. It may very well be the best night sleep you have ever had but there is a learning curve. I would suggest you watch Shug's You Tube channel. Everything you ever wanted to know about hammocks, insulation and tarps is there.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC27nqmEhKzD9YHK1IFwG7qA
You won't save weight or bulk with a hammock. But you'll gain a nice measure of comfort. I saw quite a few hammocks on a recent AT trip through Erwin. I'd guess 10% of the people were in hammocks compared to tents (not counting the shelter people). I started with a hennessy. They're decent hammocks, pretty tough, but they're a bit on the heavy side. Things I found with hennessy:
You're going to want the larger tarp, that little base tarp they sell you only keeps out the rain its its falling gently straight down. If its blowing rain or a hard storm, its going to get around it. So you get the large cheaper hex tarp: Its a BIG tarp, large enough for 4-5 people to hang around and eat under during a storm. But its heavy and bulky, too. Their a-sim hex tarp made out of silnylon is lighter and packs half the size of the big tarp.
The suspension: doing the hennessy knots gets old after a few trips and you start thinking about changing out the suspension. I put whoopies on mine the second year. MUCH better, then I just put continuous loops on the end and reversed my whoopies to get rid of the need for toggles and carabiners.
The smokies are going to be a PITA, thats all there is to it. You can't hang in the shelters and you need a pad to sleep on. But it sucks sleeping on a pad in a hammock. Have someone mail you a lightweight Z pad or something that you can use until you're through the smokies then mail it home.
I have a 0* under quilt and a 20* top quilt, plus a liner I made from thin fleece. It's plenty warm all together. You could probably get by with 20* top and bottom quilt and a liner, especially if you have other clothes or a top cover. You can always leave the under quilt loose so it vents some, and take off the top quilt and just sleep in the liner.
There are newer, lighter options than the hennessy. Unfortunately Hammeck just went out of business for personal reasons, but I had them make me a netted hammock. Its longer than my hennessy and half a pound lighter. And, they made it out of my tie-dyed fabric so it's got that personal touch.