johnthebaton
03-27-2006, 06:34
Okay, so I’ve been giving some thought to my conclusion that in the Pacific Northwest, a Hammock is best for low lying, muddy forests, while a bivy is best for treeline and above to protect from spray. My conclusion was that I would bring both when hiking in both environments.
Well, I’ve thought of a way that I might be able to combine both in order to save weight, and I’d like to run it by you all for some thoughts and criticism before I shell out the big bucks and make it.
My thought is to use Epic Malibu as the hammock fabric (sold at www.thru-hiker.com (http://www.thru-hiker.com) as 1.7oz fabric). As a waterproof breathable fabric, it will still breathe on warmer days, but keep spind drift off the hammock body.
When used as a bivy on the ground, I would simply flip the hammock upside down on top of a 1.5oz Gossamer Gear groundsheet. Assuming I make a Hennessy style entrance and netting, this would put the netting under my pad, and I would crawl in the opening. The opening is then where my head would be. I could use the velcro to close the Epic around me, so that only my head sticks out. This would give me an Epic cover to my quilt.
Granted, I wouldn’t have a silnylon bathtub bottom to keep running water out, but my down quilt would have a WP/B layer to protect it from spin drift and tarp condensation. If I tuck the fabric under my pad and possibly add a buckle-and-strap mechanism under the pad, I should be able to make a good seal between the Epic and pad to keep the wind out.
Here’s a few more details about my rationale: I am 210lbs, and Hennessy recommends I use 1.9oz fabric for my weight. However, several posters here and elsewhere seem to think 1.1oz fabric would be plenty strong. I’m still a little nervous about using 1.1oz fabric for my weight. Epic, at 1.7oz, is a good compromise between shaving a few ounces and trusting my setup to not rip. This weight is justified knowing it serves dual purpose as a bivy.
I realize that Epic wets out under direct pressure, but since I use a pad, I’m not concerned about the waterproofness under the pad. I imagine the sides would still protect me from spind drift.
My only major concern is that, by stretching the fabric in hammock mode, I permanently destroy the waterproofness. However, since Epic is individual-fiber encapsulated sil-nylon, as opposed to membrane-based or coated, my hope is that when the fabric shrinks back up when I get out of the hammock, the waterproof quality will return.
So what do you think? What are the pros and cons? What am I missing? Is this the answer to enjoying both a hammock and bivy lifestyle with hardly any weight penalty for both?
I suppose I could also make the equivalent of an Integral designs Salathe with ropes tied to the ends. The bottom would be silnylon, and the top Epic (to mimick an OverCover in Hennessy's SuperShelter System). Half of the top fabric would fold back to expose mesh from head to waist.
This way I could go to ground with the setup upright. The advantages would be useable mesh and a waterproof bottom in bivy mode. The disadvantage would be that it would likely get stuffier and clammier as a hammock in warmer weather. Someone at www.thru-hiker.com (http://www.thru-hiker.com) tried a silnylon-bottomed hammock and reported no increase in condensation/clamminess. But breathability might be comporomised when hanging in an afternoon breeze. Seems like the former makes a better hammock than bivy, whereas the latter makes a better bivy than hammock.
Hmm...
Well, I’ve thought of a way that I might be able to combine both in order to save weight, and I’d like to run it by you all for some thoughts and criticism before I shell out the big bucks and make it.
My thought is to use Epic Malibu as the hammock fabric (sold at www.thru-hiker.com (http://www.thru-hiker.com) as 1.7oz fabric). As a waterproof breathable fabric, it will still breathe on warmer days, but keep spind drift off the hammock body.
When used as a bivy on the ground, I would simply flip the hammock upside down on top of a 1.5oz Gossamer Gear groundsheet. Assuming I make a Hennessy style entrance and netting, this would put the netting under my pad, and I would crawl in the opening. The opening is then where my head would be. I could use the velcro to close the Epic around me, so that only my head sticks out. This would give me an Epic cover to my quilt.
Granted, I wouldn’t have a silnylon bathtub bottom to keep running water out, but my down quilt would have a WP/B layer to protect it from spin drift and tarp condensation. If I tuck the fabric under my pad and possibly add a buckle-and-strap mechanism under the pad, I should be able to make a good seal between the Epic and pad to keep the wind out.
Here’s a few more details about my rationale: I am 210lbs, and Hennessy recommends I use 1.9oz fabric for my weight. However, several posters here and elsewhere seem to think 1.1oz fabric would be plenty strong. I’m still a little nervous about using 1.1oz fabric for my weight. Epic, at 1.7oz, is a good compromise between shaving a few ounces and trusting my setup to not rip. This weight is justified knowing it serves dual purpose as a bivy.
I realize that Epic wets out under direct pressure, but since I use a pad, I’m not concerned about the waterproofness under the pad. I imagine the sides would still protect me from spind drift.
My only major concern is that, by stretching the fabric in hammock mode, I permanently destroy the waterproofness. However, since Epic is individual-fiber encapsulated sil-nylon, as opposed to membrane-based or coated, my hope is that when the fabric shrinks back up when I get out of the hammock, the waterproof quality will return.
So what do you think? What are the pros and cons? What am I missing? Is this the answer to enjoying both a hammock and bivy lifestyle with hardly any weight penalty for both?
I suppose I could also make the equivalent of an Integral designs Salathe with ropes tied to the ends. The bottom would be silnylon, and the top Epic (to mimick an OverCover in Hennessy's SuperShelter System). Half of the top fabric would fold back to expose mesh from head to waist.
This way I could go to ground with the setup upright. The advantages would be useable mesh and a waterproof bottom in bivy mode. The disadvantage would be that it would likely get stuffier and clammier as a hammock in warmer weather. Someone at www.thru-hiker.com (http://www.thru-hiker.com) tried a silnylon-bottomed hammock and reported no increase in condensation/clamminess. But breathability might be comporomised when hanging in an afternoon breeze. Seems like the former makes a better hammock than bivy, whereas the latter makes a better bivy than hammock.
Hmm...