View Full Version : lets talk hammocks.....general questions
jbrecon2
12-20-2009, 14:34
I'm curious about hammocks? Everyone that uses them love them. Im leaving for a nobo thru hike in april. I was considering a SMD lunar solo or tarp tent, but im curioius about hammocks.
-When i see them in pictures they dont look like they are all that easy to set up?
-How do you tie it off to the tree?
-How do you reach high enough on the tree to set it up?
-How do you get in you sleeping bag while in your hammock?
-If i leave in april do i need and under quilt?
-I am a side sleeper, is a hammock right for me?
I like the idea of having a place to lounge during the day, and the freedom to camp anywhere there are two trees.
The sites below will tell you all you need to know. To answer your specific questions:
-When i see them in pictures they dont look like they are all that easy to set up? Actually, they are quite simple. There are many different suspension systems, but you don't need any particular skills. Plus, there are so many differnt ways to hang the tarp to suit the conditions.
-How do you tie it off to the tree? Check the sites - there are a variety of ways to tie off - wraps, loops, biners, lashes.
-How do you reach high enough on the tree to set it up? You don't have to go beyond reach - 6'-8' high is plenty.
-How do you get in you sleeping bag while in your hammock? Most hammockers just use the bag as a quilt. Otherwise, it's just a lot of wiggling.
-If i leave in april do i need and under quilt? Your choice - some like quilts, others (like me) use pads.
-I am a side sleeper, is a hammock right for me? Yep.
http://www.speerhammocks.com/ (get the book!)
http://www.tothewoods.net/ (all sorts of info, including DIY, modifications, and reviews)
http://www.hammockforums.net/
http://www.warbonnetoutdoors.net/ (check out the video)
Caution - you may get hooked.
SGT Rock
12-20-2009, 15:38
I'm curious about hammocks? Everyone that uses them love them. Im leaving for a nobo thru hike in april. I was considering a SMD lunar solo or tarp tent, but im curioius about hammocks.
Well not everyone likes hammocks. Some folks try them out and end up going back to the ground.
-When i see them in pictures they dont look like they are all that easy to set up?
Depends on how you decide to go. You can stay pretty simple, or start adding stuff to your system and end up with something complicated. I try to stay simple. So tie up to strings to some trees and put down four stakes for the tarp. Then you just wrap the ends of the tree straps around your trees and hook the caribeeners. I find this easier than trying to set up a tent with ground cloth, ling poles together, getting the tent to go up with the poles, staking the thing down, adding the fly, more staking of the fly....
-How do you tie it off to the tree?
Most people these days have straps that are a few feet long. The straps are wrapped around the tree and the hammock rope is hooked to the straps - the old way was to tie them to the straps. There are a few ingenious way to do this these days, I have gone fairly simple and just used a couple of climbing caribeeners.[/quote]
-How do you reach high enough on the tree to set it up? [/quote]
I strap my foot end at about shoulder height, and the head end a lille lower than that. The tarp is just put up high enough to cover it, and is usually tied lower than the tree strap for my set up.
-How do you get in you sleeping bag while in your hammock?
Most people use a top quilt these days. They just cover up like using a blanket when they go to bed. Many that are converting from ground sleeping do something similar and use their sleeping bag as the blanket.[/quote]
-If i leave in april do i need and under quilt? [/quote]That is a hard one to say. Everyone is a little different in how they deal with weather. If it were me I would say no, you just need a good pad. But you may need one to stay comfortable.
-I am a side sleeper, is a hammock right for me?
Yep.
I like the idea of having a place to lounge during the day, and the freedom to camp anywhere there are two trees.[/QUOTE] I find it easier to pick a hammock camp than a tent camp any day. Find two trees the right distance and don't worry about the ground so much. Sometimes finding one with the right rock or stump for a side table is a nice bonus.
ShelterLeopard
12-20-2009, 16:47
I'm curious about hammocks? Everyone that uses them love them. Im leaving for a nobo thru hike in april. I was considering a SMD lunar solo or tarp tent, but im curioius about hammocks.
-When i see them in pictures they dont look like they are all that easy to set up?
-How do you tie it off to the tree?
-How do you reach high enough on the tree to set it up?
-How do you get in you sleeping bag while in your hammock?
-If i leave in april do i need and under quilt?
-I am a side sleeper, is a hammock right for me?
I like the idea of having a place to lounge during the day, and the freedom to camp anywhere there are two trees.
I don't have any hammock advice for you, just that I too, am new to hammocks.
But what every hammock user has been telling me is
-there is a large learning curve
-set it up and take it down until you can do it blindfolded, aka get very familiar with it before taking it on a long hike
-and finally, you're now part of the hammock lifestyle for EVER. That's what I've been told. Gone to the dark side. :D
-Oh, and apparently, you should never set up your hammock in the middle of the day and nap, you'll never want to come back out!
I'm psyched!
I just ordered a Hennessey Hammock Explorer Asym, and GUESS WHAT? Hennessy has a Christmas special, buy any hammock over $138, and get a free scout hammock and snakeskins with it! (The scout is like the Asym)
ShelterLeopard
12-20-2009, 16:48
PS- I found this thread very useful, thanks!
Old Grouse
12-20-2009, 17:22
I didn't find any great learning curve with the hammock. I have both a Hennessy Asym and a BMBH. Once you set up a couple of times and get the stretch out of the straps, they go up easy. Setting the tarp is more critical but still much easier than setting up a tent, in my opinion. For one thing, there's less bending over, which I appreciate at my age after a long day's hike. Last summer my daughter had the Asym and I had the BMBH. She thought my snoring was a bear!
"I didn't find any great learning curve with the hammock."
Possibly you're above average, a natural, or perhaps you had a steeper curve than you now remember (?). Once we get good at something we tend to not relate to the issues that folks who are new to it naturally have.
For my part, at any rate, I found that hammock camping involved the biggest (set of) learning curve(s) of any aspect of backpacking I've encountered to date. There's judging the distance between trees --- are the two trees I'm contemplating too far apart or too close together? Can I hang comfortably despite some brush growing between them?
There's getting the height correct, whether or not you prefer to hang level of have one end a little higher than the other (and making a personal decision about that). There's getting the tarp attached in a way that keeps you sufficiently rain (and wind-blown rain) proof. There's proper tensioning, not too saggy, not too tight. To include potentially re-tensioning after you've stretched things out a bit. There's dealing with the fact that things tend to roll underneath you if you drop them, and just generally moving around in a hammock. There's figuring out if and how you can sleep comfortably if you're a person that likes to sometimes sleep on your stomach. There's the aspect of a pillow --- need one with a hammock, and what kind works best for you there vs. in a tent/tarp? There's the choice of a comforter vs. full-zip sleeping bag vs. struggling with a bag that doesn't fully unzip. There's the aspect of just getting used to dealing with and manipulating things as if you were a river otter, eating your meals floating face-up. There's the issue of figuring out what to do with your various gear (backpack, etc), which is potentially handled differently than for a ground camper. There's the whole aspect of staying warm, not only above but below, figuring out how to be sufficiently warm without packing too much bulk or weight to do it. There's simple things like cooking and eating a meal in the rain. There are alternate gear choices to contemplate, things like snakeskins and poncho tarp as a replacement, gear bits to make tying and tensioning easier, options to help maintain ground tension, etc etc.
I'm not saying that these things can't all be dealt with, just that they all involve thinking, practice, and fiddling to get confidently comfortable as a hammock camper. I'm not an active hammock camper, and those are just the issues that pop into my head without thinking about it for long --- there are surely more.
To be clear, I'm not advocating either for or against hammock camping, just offering a different perspective on the whole learning curve issue for those contemplating a switch. I think it would be prudent to plan at least a couple of good shakedown trips plus practice time in the backyard or nearby park or something before a person would want to commit to a long trip using a hammock.
Old Grouse
12-20-2009, 18:01
"Possibly you're above average...."
Obviously you haven't been talking to my wife.
jbrecon2
12-20-2009, 18:27
Thanks everyone, let the research begin. SGT Rock your quite famous on here, thank you as well. SCOUTS OUT!! I'm now an officer (nurse corps) , but i'll be a 19D at heart until the day I die.
fishallday
12-20-2009, 20:39
ide say go with the hammock used a tent all my life till the poles broke on the trail and i was right by the mountain crossings store in ga ended up buyin the last hennessy hammock they had and have loved it ever since...slept in it this weekend and both nights it was under 20 degrees jsut put your pad underneath you and youll stay warm
good luck!
bronconite
12-20-2009, 21:21
I bought my first hammock this summer. I did a bunch of research and was also a bit intimidated. I figured the only way I was going to know if it was for me wa to just buy one and figure it out. I ended up with a Claytor Jungle Hammock http://mosquitohammock.com/
-When i see them in pictures they dont look like they are all that easy to set up?
I was very pleasantly surprised how dead simple it was to set up the 1st time. Small adjustments take a bit more time with the stock Claytor suspension, so I made the very easy and cheap conversion to a ring buckle suspension.
-How do you tie it off to the tree?
This depends on the suspension system you are using. The stock Claytor is just a strap, no hardware. Just tie off with a few simple knots http://mosquitohammock.com/hammockknots.html
-How do you reach high enough on the tree to set it up?
You don't have to tie off any higher than you can reach. It doesn't matter if you're 6 inches or 6 feet off the ground, you'll be comfortable.
-How do you get in you sleeping bag while in your hammock?
I think its a total pain in the .... I just use a mummy bag a a top quilt with a foot box.
-If i leave in april do i need and under quilt?
I can't answer this, but I can tell you what I've found. On my 1st backpacking trip with my hammock in October this year the temp went down to 43 deg. I had a blue Wal-Mart ccf pad and a sheet of reflectix under me and a 15 deg mummy bag on top. I slept in my base layer and wore a fleece hat. I was very comfortable.
-I am a side sleeper, is a hammock right for me?
I can comfortably sleep on my side in mine.
Definitly check out http://www.hammockforums.net
singing wind
12-20-2009, 23:49
2008 S. PA - N. VA: Carried a Lunar Solo-e. It was ok as tents go, until I had to walk five miles to find a suitable campsite. There were so many trees in between I swore I'd try a hammock next time out. The Lunar Solo is a good tent, but has a very large footprint (ie it takes alot of room to pitch it..) and I find it a bit short in length for a tall person.
2009 H.F. - Duncannon & Katahdin - Monson: Carried a hammock for the first time and wow - what a difference it made in the quality of the hike. Could set up most anywhere, wonderful afternoon siestas, a tarp to be under for torrential downpours (when there was at least 1" of standing water in some of the adjacent tent sites), a chair/lounger, and all the rest any hammock forum may mention. Sure, there was a learning curve - one time I didn't set it up right in the back yard and got dropped hard to the ground, but oh well... Mainly it was learning the darn thing would stay up, learning how to turn when inside + having it go through NZ gale force winds to trust the fly would stay in place, but for the AT I really relish the hammock experience - I could go places and set up where a tent would be difficult or next to impossible.
AT - hammock + modified tarp
PCT - tarp or lightweight tarptent
YMMV.
srestrepo
12-21-2009, 02:45
ok so hopefully this helps all and anyone with any hammock questions. im not any type of a pro just someone who looked for some help and got it. just paying it forward.
first of all being a hammocker doesn't mean that you can never go to ground. i just bought a solo tent after purchasing my dream hammock setup. (Warbonnet blackbird in double layer 1.7 oz nylon 31 oz, a 2/3 underquilt - the warbonnet yeti 13.2 oz, i got myself a 3 season top quilt which is from jacks r better 15 oz, all black OES maccat Deluxe Tarp 14.2 oz with line tensioners for sag...)
its not that difficult to set up initially. its just difficult to get it perfect as is anything else.
the follow info of course is specific to my blackbird and there are a lot of different kinds of hammocks that set up totally different.
on the tree on the far left you can see that the blackstrap is basically wrapped around the tree and held together with a carabiner. most any rated biner will do. also the tarp is affixed to the tree lower than the straps of the hammock.
you can also see that in this case i have the netting pulled back and behind the hammock for the purposes of showing my friends how it sets up.
the underquilt is the black thing that goes underneath. you pretty much use one of these or some semblance of something like that if you want to, NOT REQUIRED. usually a pad will do but this is much much more comfortable and flexible and doesn't make you sweat like CCF does. oh yeah and anyone that uses a tarp knows that you have infinite pitching options such as i do here by creating an awning for myself - good for cooking, lounging, and appreciating the view.
http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery/files/3/6/5/5/bulls_bridge_012_thumb.jpg
shot from the side
http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery/files/3/6/5/5/bulls_bridge_013_thumb.jpg (http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery/showimage.php?i=8025&c=member&orderby=title&direction=ASC&imageuser=3655&cutoffdate=-1)
right from the front
http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery/files/3/6/5/5/bulls_bridge_017_thumb.jpg (http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery/showimage.php?i=8027&c=member&orderby=title&direction=ASC&imageuser=3655&cutoffdate=-1)
my portable waterfront shelter for the night.
oh yeah, you can sleep on your stomach, sides and there's this awesome position where it feels like you're sleeping on your back and sides at the same time. everything of course depends on your hammock. to show you what i mean what you can do is take a normal piece of 8.5x11 piece of paper and hold it with your fingers in the middle of the short sides so that the 11 inch edges are closes and furthest from you. if there is some slack you get the basic shape of a normal hammock. note that the flat part or the sag in the paper would be the part you can sit on but not sleep on as its not typically wide enough your legs and head would hang off the ends if you did this.
http://i855.photobucket.com/albums/ab112/srestrepo1112/IMAGE_004.jpg
an asymetrical hammock such as this one create a flat spot demonstrated by holding the piece of paper in your hands at opposite diagonal corners and allowing the piece of paper to sag.
http://i855.photobucket.com/albums/ab112/srestrepo1112/IMAGE_005.jpg
that longer flat channel that the piece of paper reproduces would be the sweet spot for sleeping.
http://i855.photobucket.com/albums/ab112/srestrepo1112/IMAGE_006.jpg
for those of us concerned with sleeping bag use. you can totally do that too. my preference is to sleep on the side of the bag that the zipper is on, in my case left. that way i dont have to necessarily use the zipper to close the bag. top quilts again are nice but not convenient. as shown below i used a sleeping bag and a top quilt inside of it for more warmth.
http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery/files/3/6/5/5/bulls_bridge_006_thumb.jpg (http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery/showimage.php?i=8021&c=member&orderby=title&direction=ASC&imageuser=3655&cutoffdate=-1)
also my Warbonnet blackbird has a footbox to help better accomodate the body and sleeping positions. its also fully enclosed and provides a bug free environment for me to relax and sleep in places people in tents cant... both are demonstrated below...
http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery/files/3/6/5/5/upper_goose_pond_solo_015_thumb.jpg (http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery/showimage.php?i=8041&c=member&orderby=title&direction=ASC&imageuser=3655&cutoffdate=-1)
footbox
http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery/files/3/6/5/5/upper_goose_pond_solo_012_thumb.jpg (http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery/showimage.php?i=8043&c=11)
this is all rocky ground below
http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery/files/3/6/5/5/upper_goose_pond_solo_014_thumb.jpg (http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery/showimage.php?i=8044&c=11)
beautiful sunrise. there is all brush everywhere around here. in retrospect i shouldn't have camped here but the only impact was on treebark... so none really.
http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery/files/3/6/5/5/upper_goose_pond_solo_011_thumb.jpg (http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery/showimage.php?i=8042&c=11)
another picture of the hammock and the setup and how impossible it would have been to tent there...
srestrepo
12-21-2009, 02:52
sorry guys, the pics might not show for you but if you click on where they should be it will take you to a full size pic... any questions feel free to pm or post here. if not, plenty of info on hammockforums.net
SGT Rock
12-21-2009, 08:16
Thanks everyone, let the research begin. SGT Rock your quite famous on here, thank you as well. SCOUTS OUT!! I'm now an officer (nurse corps) , but i'll be a 19D at heart until the day I die.
Scouts out!
http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/237103382ByZIeG
Here's a picture of how I stay warm in a hammock. I've since gotten a lighter sleeping bag (I use another bag inside it as a quilt when it's below 20 degrees). In the summer I use a mosquito net over the hammock and bag. There's a picture I just posted here of how I set up my large tarp in cold weather as well as pictures taken by others. I got the idea of insulating the outside of the hammock from Speer Hammock's Pea Pod, which is heavier for the same warmth but insulates your head as well. For my head I use a fleece jacket or vest underneath and wear whatever hat is right for the temperature.
I recently switched from ropes and "tree hugger" straps to simple tie down straps with Arno style cam buckles - much less complicated at the same weight.
The Jacks R Better website has a decent set of straps and buckles designed by and made for them.
Here's the winter tarp I use: http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=38474&catid=member&imageuser=2502
I should also mention that I used to own a Hennessey hammock and gave it up in favor of a top entry (easier entry and exit and less hassle to insulate). I never found the asymmetrical properties of the design to help in keeping my back straight (the tension line does most of that), and the depth of the hammock hinders sight when you're lying down as well as blocking some of the cooling breezes during hot weather (I prefer a narrow hammock then).
I use a hammock in the summer and a tent in the winter.
the only thing assymetrical about a Hennessy is the top. The bottom (Hammock itself) is a 60x 120 inch rectangle.
chiefduffy
12-21-2009, 13:49
I don't think anybody else in this thread has said it yet - but the main difference is how well you rest. I sleep better in my hammock in the woods than i do at home in my bed. I wake up rested and refreshed. Never could sleep on the ground without getting stiff and sore. I camped in tents for many years. Never again!!
Here's the winter tarp I use: http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=38474&catid=member&imageuser=2502
I should also mention that I used to own a Hennessey hammock and gave it up in favor of a top entry (easier entry and exit and less hassle to insulate). I never found the asymmetrical properties of the design to help in keeping my back straight (the tension line does most of that), and the depth of the hammock hinders sight when you're lying down as well as blocking some of the cooling breezes during hot weather (I prefer a narrow hammock then).
did you sew that tarp to your own specs or how else did you rig it like that?
warraghiyagey
12-21-2009, 14:38
I smell bad. . .
Thread drift? . . . . :-?
did you sew that tarp to your own specs or how else did you rig it like that?
Nope. I'm not that ambitious (or talented). It's a stock Equinox 10x12 foot tarp pitched the short way. When pitched at the right height, you can match up the bottom ends and stake them directly to the ground, then you guy out the middle of each side until they are tight (normally the tarp stretches a bit as shown in the picture). I use a micro carabiner to "lock" the middle grommets on each end together and I merely unfasten it from one side to get out when I have to - very simple and effective (note: my winter hammock is only 8 feet long (it's a Byer with the "parachute cords" removed and a 6mm climbing accessory cord inserted through each end seam instead). Longer hammocks may not be able to completely fit inside the 10 foot length of the tarp as shown.
I "Tinker" with stuff, I don't necessarily make it ;).
Nope. I'm not that ambitious (or talented). It's a stock Equinox 10x12 foot tarp pitched the short way. When pitched at the right height, you can match up the bottom ends and stake them directly to the ground, then you guy out the middle of each side until they are tight (normally the tarp stretches a bit as shown in the picture). I use a micro carabiner to "lock" the middle grommets on each end together and I merely unfasten it from one side to get out when I have to - very simple and effective (note: my winter hammock is only 8 feet long (it's a Byer with the "parachute cords" removed and a 6mm climbing accessory cord inserted through each end seam instead). Longer hammocks may not be able to completely fit inside the 10 foot length of the tarp as shown.
I "Tinker" with stuff, I don't necessarily make it ;).
that's pretty damn cool! have you ever had bad weather come in on you?
Nothing horrible. Just spindrift blowing around on the ground in a 20+mph. wind at 5 degrees. I've been toying with the idea of installing a zipper on each end but the little extra waterproofness might not be worth the work and few ozs. added (plus, if I just use the tarp as a, well, tarp, toting around a couple of unused zippers isn't logical. If I did a mess of winter hammocking I probably would have Brian at OES make me a 10x12 tarp out of spinnaker cloth with the zippers (or velcro) at the ends.
jbrecon2
12-21-2009, 15:07
ok call me crazy..........but it appears to me that many of the hammocks are accessed from a big hole in the bottom. what exactly keeps you from falling out at night? another question....there is really absolutely no way of knowing if hammocking is for you without......ohhh.....buying a hamock. thats one hell of an investment on a whim or a hope. I mean you can go to REI and try out a sleeping bag, or try on a pack, but this is a whole knew sleeping arrangement. Is it a pain in the ass (or dangerous) getting out to pee at night? And do most of the hammock setups come complet with tarp and everything you need in terms of securing the hammock? Caribiners ect????
The Hennessey has the bottom entry, and it works fine. As for the rest, if you're ever up in Northern VT, semd me a pm - you can try the stuff out in my backyard. Also check out hammockforums.net, there are get-togethers where you can check out stuff.
SGT Rock
12-21-2009, 15:14
I use a hammock in the summer and a tent in the winter.
I use a Hennessy in Summer and a homemade hammock in the other three seasons. I started my thru-hike in January and was toasty warm in the hammock.
As far as I know only the Hennessy hammocks have the bottom entry. The slit is in the middle - your feet go to the right of the slit, and the slit closes with the weight of the user (tension on the slit) and a velcro closure.
You could buy a cheap top entry hammock and experiment with setting it up (not much to do but vary the slack in the lines). If you like it you can consider getting one of the upscale models.
If you like the diagonal layout (asymmetrical) design of the hennessy but not the slit entry (not many do - it's just done as a weight saving method - and it allows you to set the tarp closer to the hammock in bad weather), you could look at the Warbonnet Designs hammocks.
Any hammock enthusiast would (or should) be happy to loan you his/hers for a backyard test.
As for the PITA peeing at night - it's easier to get out of a hammock (for these old bones) than crawling out of a tent. A big plus - if need be, you can pee while standing under your tarp in the middle of a rain... try that with a tent.
http://www.imrisk.com/testhammock/testhammock.htm
Follow link. Buy 4 yards of fabric from the Walmart fabric department dollar bin and a piece of rope. Sleep a few nights and see.
Only the Hennessy is bottom loading.
You haven't spent much time at Hammockforum.net yet have you.
Like the zen dudes say "feel the hammock!! Be the hammock!! ooom"
And remember, a fully equipped hammock setup is no lighter than a comparable tent setup.
Here's my setup up in Maine this summer
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Vy_S3894B-eHVqeKZ7B8wA?authkey=Gv1sRgCImO-uiPnIi3vwE&feat=directlink
sorry, but the hammock doesn't show at all. It's a imrisk design "Zhammock" Somewhere on the same site linked to at the top
As for the PITA peeing at night - it's easier to get out of a hammock (for these old bones) than crawling out of a tent. A big plus - if need be, you can pee while standing under your tarp in the middle of a rain... try that with a tent.
Yep. An absolute advantage over tenting. Just make sure you pee downhill :D. No need to "suit up" for nature's call in the rain. A BIG plus (I can relate to the "old bones" quote above, too)!
As for the PITA peeing at night - it's easier to get out of a hammock (for these old bones) than crawling out of a tent. A big plus - if need be, you can pee while standing under your tarp in the middle of a rain... try that with a tent.
haha! do it all the time. i love my tarp tent!
warraghiyagey
12-21-2009, 15:32
haha! do it all the time. i love my tarp tent!
Oh my goodness, now would be the time for me to post the angry kitty pic of you at Abol Bridge. . . . :p
you shut up! the adults are talking.
i was so very mad that day..
but i did learn that my badass little camera will float and eventually dries out and continues to work.
warraghiyagey
12-21-2009, 15:38
i was so very mad that day..
I know!!:D I have the pic to prove it. . . . but Cuffs, Two Speed and I were happily dry under their tarp with beers. . . . :p:):banana
I know!!:D I have the pic to prove it. . . . but Cuffs, Two Speed and I were happily dry under their tarp with beers. . . . :p:):banana
hey i had beer and was dry. it was just the things i had already unpacked that were wet. it's not my fault your retarded butt didn't warn me about the tidal wave phenomena in maine.
if i'd had a hammock, i could have thrown everything in it and it would have been dry.
If I had a hammock
I'd hammock in the morning
I'd hammock in the evening
All over this land
hey i had beer and was dry. it was just the things i had already unpacked that were wet. it's not my fault your retarded butt didn't warn me about the tidal wave phenomena in maine.
I hate dry beer! ;)
haha! agreed! my gear being wet i can handle. my beer being dry, not so much.
SGT Rock
12-21-2009, 16:11
http://www.imrisk.com/testhammock/testhammock.htm
Follow link. Buy 4 yards of fabric from the Walmart fabric department dollar bin and a piece of rope. Sleep a few nights and see.
Only the Hennessy is bottom loading.
You haven't spent much time at Hammockforum.net yet have you.
Like the zen dudes say "feel the hammock!! Be the hammock!! ooom"
And remember, a fully equipped hammock setup is no lighter than a comparable tent setup.
Here's my setup up in Maine this summer
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Vy_S3894B-eHVqeKZ7B8wA?authkey=Gv1sRgCImO-uiPnIi3vwE&feat=directlink
sorry, but the hammock doesn't show at all. It's a imrisk design "Zhammock" Somewhere on the same site linked to at the top
That is exactly what I was going to suggest. I think my three season hammock cost me about $12 to make not counting the tarp. For a Tarp I use an Etowah 8'x10' and I can set it up totally enclosed like a tent if I sling it really low.
I wrote a piece about what I did on my hike to stay warm: http://hikinghq.net/stay_warm.html
The hammock part starts halfway down the page.
Just Jeff
12-21-2009, 23:43
You can get a Hennessy from REI and use their "no questions asked" return policy if you don't like it. That's what the policy is for...to make it easier for you to feel comfortable making large purchases from them.
There's definitely a learning curve for the details, but the basics are the same as ground sleeping. You need weather protection (tarp), bottom insulation (pad or underqulit), top insulation (sleeping bag or top quilt), and the hammock. It's that simple...we're actually re-organizing Hammock Forums on these lines right now. Or it can be much more complicated if you're the tinkering type. Undercovers, overcovers, whoopie slings, fully-enclosed tarptents, etc...but that's only if you want it to be.
SGT Rock has a great page on how to use hammocks...definitely follow his link. Here's my attempt at explaining the basics of it.
http://www.tothewoods.net/HammockCamping.html
Hope it helps. It's pretty addictive...pretty soon you may be hanging with the sub-zero crowd!
Just Jeff
12-21-2009, 23:47
Forgot to mention...Hennessy is a great product for a starter hammock. Lots of folks end up upgrading, though - Warbonnet, JRB, Speer, etc. Plus, those three are all made in America by hikers who support this community, if that's important to you.
Hike your on hike ..... find your own way......be you.....and it will be all good...........................:banana
Just Jeff
12-22-2009, 00:15
Yep - that's what it's all about. Finding what system works for you. That's the great thing about hiking...if you're the one carrying it, nobody else's opinions matters! :D
jbrecon2
12-22-2009, 10:50
so i am about 220 5'8 muscular build. In your opinions, what is the hammock for me. In other words, if you were 5'8 220 going on a thru hike which hammock would you choose......
jbrecon2
12-22-2009, 10:56
also, on the warbonnet site he says "Also if ordering a hammock, you MUST choose between line/tree strap suspension or adjustable webbing suspension. If you don't specify I may send either"
what does this mean? what is the difference and which is simpler?
so i am about 220 5'8 muscular build. In your opinions, what is the hammock for me. In other words, if you were 5'8 220 going on a thru hike which hammock would you choose......Warbonnet 17. Single Layer, no doubt.
also, on the warbonnet site he says "Also if ordering a hammock, you MUST choose between line/tree strap suspension or adjustable webbing suspension. If you don't specify I may send either"
what does this mean? what is the difference and which is simpler?Line/tree strap suspension is a strap that goes around the tree and the line is tied onto it using something like a slipped buntline hitch or other similar knot. Adjustable webbing suspension is excatly what it says it is. If you'll watch this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWlM0pROnpU) by Brandon, owner of Warbonnet Hammocks, the difference will be perfectly clear.
Not to get off topic, but if you'll go over to Hammock Forums, you'll get a lot more and a lot faster answers to all that is hammocking. :D
Just Jeff
12-22-2009, 11:41
Line/strap is like the Hennessy system...it's lighter.
Webbing is more like the Speer system, if you've seen those. It's easier...especially when you make it adjustable.
Brandon's video is good. Also a detailed description with pics here:
http://www.tothewoods.net/HammockCampingSuspension.html