View Full Version : Hammocks..
CanadianRidgeRunner
04-06-2006, 23:11
I know there has been a lot of previous forums about hammocks...I just have one simple question. I am wondering if it is windy, do you sway back and forth a lot? I don't mean the motion of the trees, but the wind itself blowing the hammock?
It may be a stupid question, and it may have been posted already, sorry if it has...
Thanks.
I know there has been a lot of previous forums about hammocks...I just have one simple question. I am wondering if it is windy, do you sway back and forth a lot? I don't mean the motion of the trees, but the wind itself blowing the hammock?
It may be a stupid question, and it may have been posted already, sorry if it has...
Thanks.
I'll chip in here. I use the Hennessy, and while it does have sort of tie offs on both sides, they're elastic and don't seem to do a lot to stop the sway. Or maybe I should describe it as more of a "rocking" not objectionable at all but YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary)
Hana_Hanger
04-07-2006, 04:17
Well to me I don't notice it unless I do not tie out the two sides, because the tarp blocks most of that wind. You do of course sway a bit when you toss and turn...but it stops right away...in fact I do not notice it at all.
Not like a regular hammock hooked to a hammock stand...man oh man then do you rock and roll :)
if you don't tie the sides out it rocks a little but i like it and so i've stopped tieing them out cause it makes it even easier to fall asleep!!!!!
(man do i love that hennesy) but as above your mileage may vary for sure how much you rock or like to rock!!!
happy trails
short answer is no, the wind doesn't usually rock the hammock... i weigh 180lbs, and that seems to help.
the HH has elastic tie outs that minimize it if it starts, but their main purpose is to pull the sides out, giving you a little more space inside, or at least the feeling of more space! if they weren't elastic, the whole concept wouldn't work because it would jerk to a stop when you moved around. make sense?
some people, myself included, love the rocking. my wife hates it and gets sick very quickly in a hammock.
Just Jeff
04-07-2006, 10:16
One reason I like my homemade top-entry hammock is because I can reach out and rock myself to sleep. I think the HH tie-outs make a big difference in dampening the movement, but I still use them when I'm in the HH because it helps with the underquilt fit.
littlelaurel59
04-07-2006, 11:14
Rock-a-bye baby, in the tree-tops...
A slight, gentle swing eases one into a peaceful sleep. I love it.
I have never experienced much more than a gentle swing, usually started by shifting position. It would take quite a breeze to set the average mass of a hiker in motion. A tarp is sufficient to block the wind.
I don't experience any rocking from the wind when my tarp/rain fly is set up in an A-Frame shape. It does a pretty good job of blocking the wind. If the trees I am tied too are on the smaller side then I can sometimes feel them swaying in the breeze. This kind of bounces the hammock up and down not rock it back and forth.
hammock engineer
04-07-2006, 11:42
I like the rocking back in forth, although I don't move too much. As others said, my 220 lbs self weighs the hammock down pretty good. I also upgraded to the McCat Deluxe tarp. That pretty much will block all the wind from hitting the hammock, depending on how I set it up.
I don't experience any rocking from the wind when my tarp/rain fly is set up in an A-Frame shape. It does a pretty good job of blocking the wind. If the trees I am tied too are on the smaller side then I can sometimes feel them swaying in the breeze. This kind of bounces the hammock up and down not rock it back and forth.
I have to agree here - I am much more likely to notice the bouncing up and down from the wind moving the trees than I am from the wind blowing on the hammock. Sometimes however the wind blowing on the tarp will be strong enough to cause the tarp to touch the hammock (ie the tensioners are stretched to the max) and that I will notice. I used to get a little rain blown on the hammock under unusual circumstances but I have not had that problem since I switched to a custom MacCat.
CanadianRidgeRunner
04-07-2006, 13:31
Thanks for all the Responses...I think my mind is made up... :) I don't mind rocking a little.
So here is the setup I am looking @ HH Ultralight Backpacker Asym
Siltarp 8'x10'
Any suggestions where to my pack when I am in it and is that size of tarp going to be large enough...?
Thanks!
Just Jeff
04-07-2006, 13:38
That tarp is plenty big enough - you'll have lots of extra room under there.
For storing your gear at night:
- My favorite...get a gear hammock. I've made two types: a Pack Cover Gear Hammock and a kids hammock. DIY instructions for both here: http://www.tothewoods.net/HomemadeGear.html.
- Put your stuff in a compactor bag or pack liner under your hammock. The tarp will keep it dry, and the bag will protect it from ground moisture. This is easiest and lightest if you already carry a bag liner.
- Hang it with your bearbag. Kind of a pain if you realize you need something after it's hung.
- Clip it to the end of your hammock with a 'biner. The tarp will keep it dry unless you get windblown rain. Very easy to get to your stuff, though.
- Sleep with your extra stuff and stick your non-framed pack under your legs for insulation.
mostly second what jeff said... only so many ways to skin that cat...
one variant of the caribiner thing is to clip it to your ridgeline, inside the hammock, and then let the pack hang out through the entry slit, way up near the foot end... you can do that if you're not comfortable leaving it hanging so far outside (though it would still be under the shelter of the tarp). you can also get to it more easily if you need something at night (though most of us don't have much left in our packs to 'get to' once camp is set up and the bear bag is hung.)
i've also just hung it from a tree, as it's usually almost empty... just a few odds and ends left inside-repair and first aid kits, deet, compass, tp, headnet, and that's about all... raingear and headlamp come inside, as does my book... water bottle sits outside with walking staff... shoes hang off ridgeline. hygiene items, food, stove, and spoon go in the bearbag.