Hammock on the Long Trail??

[Littlest Hobo]

Hey folks – busy lightning my load in anticipation of a possible thru in 08. Thus far, I’ve been fortunate enough to find useful tips simply by searching this site – many thanks to everyone who spend the time to answer all the questions posed here, no matter how trivial, without (too much) criticism or judgment. And an even bigger thanks to the administrators of this site. Your efforts are very much appreciated!

Okay, now that I’ve stroked your collective egos…

As a warm up to 08, I’m planning on hiking the Long Trail from mid-August to mid-September. Based on what I’ve read here on Whiteblaze, suitable campsites can be few and far between in Vermont. Which leads me to consider a hammock. My only concern is the temperature at night, especially later into my trek. Given that I’m reluctant to use an underquilt to keep my backside warm, will a 20 degree Western Mountaineering bag be sufficient?

Or should I stick to my tried-and-true Rainbow tent?

[Moon Monster]

Can you test yourself out with the WM bag this spring at home before it warms up beyond the Vermont-average for mid-September? I imagine you'll get an variety of opinions on cold-weather systems, but I also imagine none of them will be better than your own experience.

[Littlest Hobo]

Actually, I'm hoping I won't need a cold-weather system at all. If so, I'll stick to the tent, since I can't afford the additional costs of an underquilt, on top of a hommock (which I haven't purchased yet).

Although I read a pad would work as well, but that seems to defeat the purpose of hammocking in the first place...

[cornflake]

I started at Springer this year using a hammock with the thinnest of closed cell pads that was just long enough to go from my shoulders to my knees. Was keeping my backside plenty warm (used my fleece as a pillow). Don't know if you've evr tried using a sleeping bag in one of these before but, beware, trying to get the thing around your upper body once you sit down can be exhausting. I'm sure there HAS to be some easy wat to do it, but . . .

[Rhino-lfl]

Colder then 60°F (depending on how cold or warm of a sleeper you are) you'll need some type of under insulation, either a under quilt or a pad. As you lay on your sleeping bag in the hammock you’ll compress the loft and it will be worthless to you, you’ll be warm up top but lose all your heat from below, even at 60°F, but a lot of people can go to 50°F. You might want to invest in a thin 3/4 length pad, there are many out there that are very light, and will insulate you down to 40-50°F. My set up is still lighter than a tent, but perhaps bulkier, and I have been comfortable outside with wind chill temperatures around -18°F.

[oruoja]

On my last thru hike of the Long Trail I used a hammock. About a third of the time I did stay in shelters because I had them to myself. With a good bag, pad, and base layer you should be fine for Aug/Sep. A hammock really opens up your options for the LT because good tenting sites in many sections are hard to come by.

[BillyBob58]

Don't know if you've evr tried using a sleeping bag in one of these before but, beware, trying to get the thing around your upper body once you sit down can be exhausting. I'm sure there HAS to be some easy wat to do it, but . . .

I have made steady progress on that problem, untill now it is almost no problem. I have a bottom entry HH and a top entry Speer. I had recently discovered that it was very easy for me to get into a mummy bag, fully zipped up, in the top loader, with either of 2 different techniques.

(newest)technique A:
1: Sit in top loader as a lounger 2: lift legs and pull bag up/zip up as far as possible 3: stand up and pull hood above head 4: sit back down, swing feet around and lay down- almost done. 5: roll to left side and/or right side as needed to shift bag rt or left for final adjustment, zip up, cinch down neck collar/hood. All of this takes me a minute or two.

(newest)technique B: (on top of pad/SPE if available)
1:lay bag out in top loading hammock on top of pad, drapping top bag layer over opposite side of hammock. Keep bag in the correct position(top to bottom). 2. smooth out bottom of bag and sit down with your behind in about the center of the bag, wherever it would normally be positioned.
3: stay sitting, swing legs into hammock and bag 4: while still sitting, pull bag up so that the bottom of bag is over your back, shoulders and hood over your head. Pull the back up tight so there is no slack! 5: lay down and zip up, rolling all the way to lt side/rt side as needed to make final adjustments before zipping. Alternatively, if you have been careful to smmoth out the bottom of bag, you might be able to just lie down as soon as you swing your feet up.

After just a little practice, it's all much easier and quicker than it sounds. I can accomplish it now in no time at all. Maybe twice as long as it would take me to get in a bag on the ground. Getting in a bag is no longer an exhausting struggle for me, it is pretty quick and fairly effortless.

After I discovered how well these techniques worked in the Speer, it occured to me the second tech might be usable in the Hennessy's bottom entry. I had already used tech A, standing up and pulling the bag over you before lying down, in the HH. But, obviously there might be times when you don't want the foot of your bag on the ground even for a minute. Also, the HH bottom slit tries to close on you, making it difficult to get the bag positioned over you. Particularly if the hammock is not pitched very high. So I tried the 2nd tech in the HH with my lt. zip bag. The only thing different was I needed to pull the bottom of the bag a little into the slit before sitting down, so I could make sure my behind was adequately onto the bottom of the bag. Then feet up into the hammock and into the bag, (keep smoothing bottom of bag out), pull bag over back/shoulders head WHILE SITTING, lay down, turn to left side/rt. side, pulling bag left or right for final adjustment if needed, and zip up! I was in that bag in a jiffy! Then I tried it with the more difficult right zip bag. It's harder with the zipper on the right, away from the bottom entry. It took maybe an additional 30 seconds to adjust for this. And in all cases, this would be more difficult in the dark. But I went back out into the backyard last night, and I was able to pull it off ok with my headlight, with the right zip bag.

There is now no more difficulty getting in these bags. And I can tell you that there have been times in the past when I have just given up, and been cold! The key seems to be doing most of the adjustments BEFORE YOU LAY DOWN. Make the adjustments while the only weight on the bag is your behind and maybe your heels. For me, trying to get in a bag while laying down in a hammock can be a real battle, a battle which the bag usually won. The above is a bunch of words trying to describe a few steps that are really quite easy, for me anyway.

I have a patent pending on these techniques! ;) :D

[BillyBob58]

PS,
One reason I went to all of this trouble was because I'm a big believer in the advantages of a hood and draft collar as found on a mummy bag. If you are cold/wet and exhausted, being able to seal off the bag around the head, and getting several inches of loft around your head and face, can be a life saver, IMO.

[cornflake]

Thx for the detailed advice BillyBob. I will definitely give it a shot before I toss the hammock on a campfire.

[BillyBob58]

Your welcome, Cornflake!

PS#2:
After posting that last post, I grabbed the left zip bag, went out to the hammock and timed it. After spreading the bag out in the HH, and from just before I sat down onto the bag in the in the bottom entry of hammock, to end point in the bag with bag and hood fully zipped: 1 minute 45 seconds. Not too shabby, IMO, considering the struggle it used to be! And I still think it's both easier and faster in the Speer, and easier in either one if using the SPE and pad.

[Rhino-lfl]

You're better off using the bag as a quilt in the hammock, you just compress the loft and lose the insulation for it.

[peter_pan]

FWIW, below 75 *.....95 percent of folk need some form of under insulation...

Also consider this.... why plan on a great nite sleep and not take the requisite gear for the expected weather and then some.... you would n't do it on the ground... so... don't short change the hammock system then blame the haoomock.... if your system fails you is because you failed to plan and prepare....on the ground or in the air.

Pan

[atwoodworker]

I've been using a hammock for several years. I use the light-weight military misquito hammock with the water "resistant" top that I waterproofed with silicon spray. I also carry three lightweight felt sleeping bags that I picked up for a few dollars at Wal-Mart (Sorry REI). On a warm night, I don't need any of the bags, a cool night requires 1 bag, a cold night 2 bags and 3 bags for freezing nights. I "wear" the bags like I would multiple pairs of socks.

If cold from the underside of the hammock is a problem for you, try a solar blanket between you and the hammock.

Having read what others have posted, I can only recommend that you try your vartious options in the backyard or a local park. Don't wait until you hit the tral. The trail is no place to experiment.

Good Hiking!

[hammock engineer]

I hammocked the northern part of the LT last fall, great hiking and hanging.

In the end I think most people will sleep warmly with a sleeping bag and a pad in their hammock. I can sleep down into the 30's with a .5" ccp and my 20 deg bag used as a quilt. Below that I can if I add more padding underneath.

If I had to choose I think bottom insulation is more important than top. But both are needed. On warm nights it's nice to sleep with only the bottom insulation and nothing on top.

If it helps now I use my bag, underquilt, and a ccp for the nights below 30.

[jaiden]

owareusa.com makes a very thin pad which is also very wide for only $24. I've not tried it, but I think it may work for you. You can double up to get twice the R value.

[BillyBob58]

You're better off using the bag as a quilt in the hammock, you just compress the loft and lose the insulation for it.

That's what many tell me. But I will have to work on that and test it out. But so far, my experience has been that when when I h try to go quilt style, most of the time I have ended up getting a little cold. Most likely do to drafts around the neck and shoulders. Then when I go ahead and get in the bag and cinch the collar and hood, within a few minutes I'm MUCH warmer. I probably would not have this problem with the No Sniveller, as it sounds like it would seal around my neck pretty good.

Unfortunately, I'm afraid I might be about out of cold weather testing opportunities where I live.

[JoeHiker]

owareusa.com makes a very thin pad which is also very wide for only $24. I've not tried it, but I think it may work for you. You can double up to get twice the R value.

I used the Oware Pad while hiking the Long trail in 2005 with my Hennessey and my JacksRBetter Nest Down Under. I was using a Western Mountaineering 20° bag. I was cold a lot. The pad was OK but I don't know if I would take it again. Might go for the Segmented Pad Extender instead or no pad and more underquilt.

Now this was in early-mid October so keep that in mind.

[Quoddy]

Average lows in the northern half during that period are around 50F with record lows near freezing. You MAY be lucky and not hit a really cold spell, but be ready for it. BTW, August is by far the wettest month of the year on the LT. There are certainly plenty of shelters along the entire trail, but I am personally carrying my Contrail and plan to use it nearly all, if not all the time on my thru hike in August. BTW, I had planned on carrying my WM Alpinlite (20F) and push the down to the bottom, but since decided to go with a 50F bag (Montbell Downhugger SS #7). I'll be carrying just enough clothing to make up the difference if it gets below 40F...I sleep really warm. Got my total base weight down to 8.25 pounds and plan to really enjoy the trek.