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View Full Version : Pack, Mat, and Hammock Compatibility



wallace
12-28-2006, 16:45
New hiker here, getting geared up for some section hikes this spring. I am planning to start by hiking the length of Shenandoah National Park in late May. I just got a Hennesey Hammock ultralight for Christmas and plan on using that. Here are my questions.

What am I going to need in late May to stay warm in the hammock in SNP?

Also, I was looking at the pack comparison guide posted here and saw the Gossimer G4 and it stated that mats could/should be inserted to act as the frame of the pack. I liked the pack since it had 3700 in3 capacity and only weighed in at 16 oz. However, would the type of mat used to support this pack be compatible with my HH for warmth?

I also was looking at the Golite Trek at 32 oz and the Golite Gust at 20 oz. Any opinions on what I should buy. Weight is a high priority for me.

I'm 48 y.o., fair shape, and plan on being out (at least for now) for no more than 10 days at a time.

Thanks

hammock engineer
12-28-2006, 20:43
I have used a cheap walmart closed cell foam pad and have stayed pretty warm into the 30's. I am a cold sleeper so you are going to want to try this out over the winter for yourself. I have not used any imflatable pad in the hammock yet.

I pad is the cheapest and easiest way to go. Underquilts are a little more comfortable IMO. I have condensation issues underneath when I use a pad.

Check out www.jacksrbetter.com (http://www.jacksrbetter.com) and www.kickassquilts.com (http://www.kickassquilts.com) for comercial underquilts.

Seeker
12-29-2006, 13:29
i have a Gust and love it. i've modified it somewhat to make it a bit more user friendly though. i cut off the snow axe loops. when i used to use a foam pad to sleep on in my HH, i removed the foam back pad from the Gust. (it's back in now that i use an underquilt.) i found some cheap green football jersey-like material at walmart and used it to sew water-bottle pockets on each side. finally, i sewed some web loops (3 on each outside corner, and one under the outside pocket) to weave an elastic band through, for wet raingear. looks sort of like a GoLite Dawn now, but much larger. still weighs just about 21 oz. i use my hammocks tree huggers on a carabiner anyway, and attach them to the shoulder straps of the Gust as "thumb loops". the dyneema fabric is more then adequate, durability-wise, though not as bombproof as cordura. just be nice to it and you'll have no problems. on the down side, it doesn't carry loads above 25-30 lbs very comfortably, even with the waist belt. however, with a base load under 13-14 lbs, i'm good for about a week.

FanaticFringer
12-29-2006, 17:14
If you have'nt dropped by yet, check out www.hammockforums.net
New site started by the administrator here at White Blaze.

skyhiker2
12-29-2006, 18:32
I asked the same question. And you will get the same "ANSWERS"..

This is extremly a matter of opinon! And you really must experiment to find out what works best for you. So take all the advice you can get here and then sleep in your backyard to test it out. Thats what I did. As it turned out half of the things people recommended we completely wrong ("for me"). Of course the others were right...

Thanks Hammock Engineer..... and everyone else...:banana

hammock engineer
12-30-2006, 02:12
I asked the same question. And you will get the same "ANSWERS"..

This is extremly a matter of opinon! And you really must experiment to find out what works best for you. So take all the advice you can get here and then sleep in your backyard to test it out. Thats what I did. As it turned out half of the things people recommended we completely wrong ("for me"). Of course the others were right...

Thanks Hammock Engineer..... and everyone else...:banana


No problem. I learned tons of information from everyone on this site. I often wonder how lost I would be without this.

It is funny how using everyone's advice works. I think that everyone is trying to be helpful and honest. But it just shows how different everyone's styles are. That is one of the things I really like about hiking and hammocking, there are so many different ways to do the same thing.

peter_pan
12-30-2006, 08:39
No problem. I learned tons of information from everyone on this site. I often wonder how lost I would be without this.

It is funny how using everyone's advice works. I think that everyone is trying to be helpful and honest. But it just shows how different everyone's styles are. That is one of the things I really like about hiking and hammocking, there are so many different ways to do the same thing.

... you are liable to hear almost anything when asking, "How're ya hanging".

Pan