View Full Version : Hammocking on the A.T.
Senor Quack
11-06-2003, 02:11
I'd like to start using my Hennesy Hammock as soon as possible on my northbound A.T. thru-hike next year that starts early-to-mid April.
I'd like to know when the earliest I could safely switch to it from my ground tent would be. Any experienced thru-hikers out there with an opinion on or experience regarding this? I have both a full 3/8" enzolite pad and a full-length Thermarest Guidelite pad at my disposal.
I also have a pretty nice 20-degree down bag for the hike (Moonstone Lucid 800).
I'm not really interested in a down underquilt or even a space blanket insulator, really. I might go with a space blanket, though, if anyone really thinks it would make a difference at all..
Lumberjack
11-07-2003, 01:18
well if your not interested in an under quilt then id plan on staying above freezing..... the best guide would be to get out in the cold temps you want and hammock there...
I have a full length Exped DAM on order - with an R factor of 9 I think that this will work reasonably well even below freezing in a hammock. Hope to find out soon.
Could you explain "exped DAM". I would be interested in knowing.
Repeat
tlbj6142
11-07-2003, 10:17
Since you are in VA, you might just want to find out for yourself what the limits are of your hammock setup this winter. I have a HH and have been quite comfortable in the upper 20's with...
Short (48"x20") wally world pad (48"x27" might be "better")
$3 truck (27"x72") windshield reflector
Target brand 80/20 long johns tops and bottoms
hat
silksheets
15F bag unzipped (except the foot box) used as a quilt.
Use a couple of patches of velcro on the back of the pad and the top of the windshield reflector to keep the two items from slipping around on top of each other.
Kerosene
11-07-2003, 11:08
Yellow Jacket:
Your feet/heels don't get cold without under-insulation? I found that my legs actually stayed pretty warm, so I ended up pulling my fleece bottoms down and wrapping them around my feet to give me a little more warmth and raise them off the floor of the hammock.
I'd love to keep my Therma-rest in case I decide to sleep in a shelter, but I agree that a 27"-width pad is really required since the hammock tends to wrap around your sides. It's amazing how quickly that knee gets cold when it gets pressed against the side of the hammock fabric.
tlbj6142
11-07-2003, 11:21
Not really. The windshield screen provides a good wind block and I have found that the middle of my legs (4" above and below my knees) rarely comes in contact with hammock. I do keep warm socks inside my pillow which I could put on. But I typically find that my feet are colder with socks on (circulation issue??). My hands are usually on my stomach which provides plenty of insulation.<g>
I forgot about my silk sheets. I'll add them to the list above.
I don't always start with everything on. I have a fleece lined pillow that I stuff with my bottoms, hat, socks/liners and gloves. I pull items out as I need them, so I don't get too hot as I fall to sleep. I usaully wake up once or twice at night to make adjustments.
The biggest problem I have is with my elbows and my knees (sometimes I like to pull one, or both, of them up and lean them on the side). The former can be easily solved with a 27" pad, the later I don't do for very long in very cold weather.
I think you'll find that wind is the biggest problem. Cold ~20F isn't much of an issue. But 28F and a bit of wind is where you'll run into problems.
Sorry about that DAM abbrev. - I have been hanging around gear heads too long.
Exped DAM - a down filled air mattress - Mickie's Place Link (http://www.mickiesplace.com/expeddownmat.htm)
I picked this as something to try because it is not significantly heavier than my current winter pad (Thermarest LE) while having much better R factor (resistance to heat transfer) insulation. By all reports it is also very comfortable if one has to go to the ground for really cold conditions. I am a little concerned about how it will be in the hammock to maneuver around a 3 inch pad but ... I'll see how it goes.
With regard to the width issue - I keep extra clothes (ie my emergency if I get soaked clothes, heavy polypro long johns) in the hammock and stuff them by my shoulders - works for me keeping the shoulders warm enough. I also have been known to sleep with my jacket on for extra warmth.
Senor Quack
11-07-2003, 13:53
Originally posted by Lumberjack
well if your not interested in an under quilt then id plan on staying above freezing..... the best guide would be to get out in the cold temps you want and hammock there...
Here in Virginia we have loads and loads of trees, but unfortunately there's none in my yard more than 8' apart or less than 30' apart! There's a park across the street I'm thinking about covertly camping in. It should be interesting being an "urban camper."
I'll at least know what it feels like to be an upper-homeless-class person :)
Senor Quack
11-07-2003, 13:54
Originally posted by Hog On Ice
Exped DAM - a down filled air mattress - Mickie's Place Link (http://www.mickiesplace.com/expeddownmat.htm) with my jacket on for extra warmth.
Definitely let us know how this thing works.. It's barely heavier than my guidelite and provides around 3-4 times the warmth?
HELLO EBAY!
I think the space blanket works great, I found it really does keep teh body heat in. Not sure if the Hennessey hammock has it, but I have a Siam Hammock & it has 2 layers inside so its easy to fold lay the Space Blanket inside & not crush it to one side at night. So you simply slide the Space blanket inbetween the 2 layers & sleep on the top. ! I used the Siam Hammock for the last 9 months hiking & treking in Nepal & beyond & found it great . www.saimhammockusa.com
bearbag hanger
11-08-2003, 17:21
I think the space blanket works great, I found it really does keep teh body heat in. Not sure if the Hennessey hammock has it, but I have a Siam Hammock & it has 2 layers inside so its easy to fold lay the Space Blanket inside & not crush it to one side at night. So you simply slide the Space blanket inbetween the 2 layers & sleep on the top. ! I used the Siam Hammock for the last 9 months hiking & treking in Nepal & beyond & found it great . www.saimhammockusa.com
I've tried the space blanket with my Hennessey Hammock. It didn't work for me. While you may be warmer for short periods of time, the slightest breeze blows away any heat it helped you keep, plus they make so much noise when you make even the slightest movement that you never get any sleep. Right now I use a 23" by 72" Walmart pad about a half inch thick. If it's too cold for hanging, I set the hammock up on the ground by tying off three corners of the canopy and using a hiking stick or nearby tree on the fourth corner. Sort of like a flying delta shape. The hammock goes on the ground fine, you may have to adjust the heigth a bit until you get it right. It's a little tighter than a real tent, but more roomy than a bivy.
Also, be careful about anything you read from "Steven" about siam hammocks. He is apparently the USA distributor and is trying to sell you something, not help you with a very real problem.
Sand Crab
11-09-2003, 00:20
[QUOTE=bearbag hanger] If it's too cold for hanging, I set the hammock up on the ground by tying off three corners of the canopy and using a hiking stick or nearby tree on the fourth corner. Sort of like a flying delta shape. The hammock goes on the ground fine, you may have to adjust the heigth a bit until you get it right. It's a little tighter than a real tent, but more roomy than a bivy.
Bearbag (or anyone else), can you expand a little on your setup? I have a Hennessey and have seen pictures on the website of a ground setup, but haven't yet tried it on the ground. Are you tying out the hammock as well as the canopy? I assume from your post that you are tying off three corners of the canopy directly to the ground? What are you using under the hammock as a ground cloth?
Lumberjack
11-09-2003, 04:09
Sand crab, I suspect it would be easier to just pitch the tarp by itself and skip the rest.
bearbag hanger
11-09-2003, 16:13
Bearbag (or anyone else), can you expand a little on your setup? I have a Hennessey and have seen pictures on the website of a ground setup, but haven't yet tried it on the ground. Are you tying out the hammock as well as the canopy? I assume from your post that you are tying off three corners of the canopy directly to the ground? What are you using under the hammock as a ground cloth?
Sgt Rocks site http://hikinghq.net/gear/tarp.html probably shows it best. I tie off the hammock to the same corners, etc. The main thing to remember is to make sure the "door" to the hammock is closest to the end tied off to the hiking stick. I agree it would be easier to forget the hammock and just use the canopy as a tarp, but I prefer to sleep inside something that will keep all the assassin bugs, caterpillers, snakes and feral dogs out. I use four tent stakes and I tie out the sides of the hammock as well as both ends to the same stakes I use for the canopy (now being used as a tarp). It works for me. It's easy to setup in the back yard and I highly recommend trying it before you set out on a trip.
Hope that helps.
Definitely let us know how this thing works..
I used the Exped Down-filled Air Mattress (DAM) Friday night up in Rhododendron Gap (somewhat near Mt. Roger's in Virginia) - it was not overly cold - just below freezing but the wind was fairly strong even in the somewhat sheltered area I picked for the hammock. I feel that the DAM worked well for me - I was warm all night once I got the bag and pad warmed up.
Notes:
1.) I had pumped the mattress up about 80% so that it was easy to fold over when getting into the hammock (a Hennessy) - getting in to the hammock was somewhat easier than with a closed cell pad but getting out of the hammock was quite a bit tougher - imagine trying to fold a fully inflated air mattress with your feet. This is because when getting out you weight is fully pressurizing the DAM. This one issue is probably the biggest disadvantage of the DAM but it is one that only affects the Hennessy hammocks - any of the top loaders should be just fine with a DAM as a pad.
2.) Initially I did not have the DAM positioned well and my feet were off end the mattress - this did not work well with the 80% inflation I had used. Once I got out and repositioned the DAM so that I could be fully on the mattress it worked much better because when fully on the mattress the air gap in the mattress is fairly equally distributed along one's body.
3.) The DAM is very much set into one position once one's weight is on the mattress - I was unable to move the mattress until I got all the way off it. This has the disadvantage of not being subject to in hammock adjustments but has the advantage of the mattress does not move out from under you in the night.
4.) One unexpected thing I noticed is that the DAM helped keep the bag from getting wet when a bit of water came in on the support ropes in the morning rain - the bottom of the mattress got wet but that was as far as the wet got - the bag being on top of the mattress did not get wet.
5.) Using the DAM in a Gearskin pack is OK - its not as good as a closed cell foam pad for forming the pack but it still works OK. It might be possible to put a little air into the DAM after folding up the pack to help stiffen the pack but in my case that was not possible - I could not reach the valves of the DAM because it was inside my hammock. I tried to leave a little air in the DAM but that did not work too good - ended up with all the air making the pack rather bulky and not particularly well formed.
Anyways I think that the DAM is going to be my pad of choice for any cold weather hammocking.
I like the idea of the DAM - it directly addresses the problem of compressing the insulation under oneself by pressurizing that container of the insulation.
Bankrobber
11-16-2003, 20:15
I used my Hammock from Harper's Ferry, W.V. (where I purchased it) to Caratunk, Maine. I bought the Hammock when it seemed like the neverending rain this spring had finally stopped. The Hammock was great up until New England. Boreal Forests are not conducive to hanging hammocks. Another reason that I sent it home was due to the condensation from the space blanket. I remember waking up in the col between Avery and West Peaks in the Bigelows soaked from the condensation rising from the space blanket. Anyway, I would use a tent while the nightime highs are under 45 or 50 degrees.
I just used my hammock just north of Harpers Ferrry this weekend in 35 degree with some wind. I had a Coleman 5/8" closed foam pad cut down to 4', TNF Flight sleeping bag (polarguard delta) and a $16 5'x4' down quilt from Wallymart over the bag. I wore fleece bottoms, neoprene socks, silk top, an old down vest & old down jacket. Approx midnite I was so hot I took off the jacket and put outside under my feet and took off the neoprene socks and unzipped the vest.
I am a cold sleeper. So you can do it - just experiment till you find what works for you
From the website:
Size: 70x20.5" (178x52 cm)
Weight: Mat: 29.5 oz (840 g), Pump sack: 5.6 oz (160 g)
Rolled size: 24x6.7" (30x13 cm), stored
peter_pan
12-05-2003, 05:14
started springer or 26 mar 03 for a successful 55 day section to pearisburg va, sept every night but 4 (4 bad shelter choices) in my hammock, several nights in the 20s, 3" of snow fell on us in deep gap ga. slept warm every nite with a 24x40 foam pad, pack under legs, and a homemade 2.5 " down quilt (22 oz). used my space blanket w/ 18" ducktape footsack twice on bitter ntes with the fog coming sideway under the tarp. used a cut down army jungle hammock and silnyl tarp until hot springs then switched to a hennessey. have a great hike