View Full Version : Sleep System
Old River Rat
07-15-2010, 22:08
I am new and would like to get some ideas on my choices so far for a sleep system. I would also like to hear some comments on hammock vs. tent.
Hennessy Deep Jungle, with a zipper mod.
Speer Peapod when it becomes available again.
JRB No Sniveller Quilt and liner.
This seems to cover all seasons.
Right around 7 pounds . . .
I haven't researched hammock's tremendously but I have heard nothing but good things about Warbonnet hammocks. When I decide to give one a try I'm going to be getting a Warbonnet Blackbird myself...
As for tents vs. hammocks, I think I just heard a can of worms open...
WILLIAM HAYES
07-16-2010, 09:20
go to hammock forums you can learn a lot about hammocks there
....... or just stick with a tent to save weight and stay warmer.
gunner76
07-16-2010, 10:53
Warbonnet hammock 1.7 Double Blackbird
As many of us, when I was young I could sleep on rocks while hiking (and did a few times). Now that I am older, my back makes it hard to get in and out of a tent so I switched to a hammock. Since it is at chair level I have no problem getting in or out and my back does not hurt in the morning. Set up and take down is only a couple of minutes. My hammock is comparable in weight to many ultralight tents (many of which I can not fit into becuase of my size)
Are hammocks perfect, no, some places may not have a place suitable for hanging the hammock and some parks do not allow hammocks (bad rap from when people use to drive nails ect into the trees years ago).
I do own a tent and will it use again if I have too, but as it is 5 pounds plus I do not want to hike with it. If I could afford to buy another tent I would buy Lighthearts new 2 man tent as it super lightweight and big enough for me to fit in.
I also got a hommock for my wife and when she sit got in it she said "this is soft" and then fell alseep. When she woke up she asked if we could take the hammocks on our next camping trip.
Picture is of wife first time in her Warnbonnet Blackbird 1.1 double
It is interesting that some animals sleep in trees and some on the ground.
Both are good options. I keep meaning to try a hammock some day.
Are there good hammock options for 60 pound kids? She is still small enough that I like to keep her in a tent with me, because of the bear thing. You never know. Can two share a hammock? I would guess not. How about 2 hammocks under the same tarp?
I have a Hennessey hammock and it's very comfortable and durable. I've had mine for a a few years now but they suck in cold weather unless you have an under quilt. I'm probably going to use it in the warmer months of my thru hike next year.
Isn't the Deep Jungle a lot heavier than the Backpacker?
So far the best solution I've found is that for hikes less than 50 miles - take my hammock. For hikes more than 50 miles - take my tent.
The hammock doesn't weigh much but by the time I add in all the accessories the weight/benefit ratio favors the tent for longer hikes.
Old River Rat
07-16-2010, 14:20
I checked and there is a 9 oz. difference in the Backpacker and Deep Jungle. The Backpacker would be my choice, as it comes with a top entry option, but I am too heavy for it. I like the top entry as opposed to the bottom entry. More natural.
I have never felt comfortable on the ground until I used cots. That was back in my 4X4 camping days. I could have carried a mattress. Before cots, I could never get a good nights sleep.
4X4 camping was fun, but there was no health benefit. Also, it is very limited now where you can drive a truck. The area I camped on was a hunting club filled with oxbow lakes. It has since changed to where only ATVs can be used. And you must stay on established roads. Certainly not Leave No Trace camping.
I have a couple of years before I will have the time to hike. I am just beginning to explore this sport. I don't think weight is going to be a problem starting out because I am not planning any long distance hikes in the beginning. Ounces right now are not a big concern. But I can see where light equals comfort not matter how far you have to carry.
I am a member of the hammock forum too.
Fiddleback
07-18-2010, 10:59
I have a Hennessey hammock and it's very comfortable and durable. I've had mine for a a few years now but they suck in cold weather unless you have an under quilt. I'm probably going to use it in the warmer months of my thru hike next year.
Isn't the Deep Jungle a lot heavier than the Backpacker?
They suck in cold weather unless you have under insulation. An under quilt is just one alternative.
pach255 is already on the right track; the thread's title is "Sleep System". And it's the system that counts. My 7oz, 3/8" thick, $24 pad is good to the low/mid-20's...in concert with the rest of the system which is significantly less than seven pounds.
Sleep systems are very much an individual thing and very much impacted by the individual conditions encountered in the specific climates and weather where one is camping. I favor starting off light and cheap and building from there based on backyard experiments which I think are particularly necessary for hammock systems.
Find what works for you...for most of us, hammock hanging provides the most comfortable night's sleep ever experienced on the trail. And that's just the main benefit...;)
FB
mtnkngxt
07-18-2010, 23:03
I was hammocker for a while, but I've come back down to earth.
Too much stuff that had to be fiddled with and adjusted. When I get done hiking, I want to set up camp, eat, and then go to bed. In bad weather this is hard enough without having to adjust tarps, hammocks, quilts, and then cook and eat.
If you are set on a hammock I'd suggest a.
Eno Single Nest
Whoopie Slings, Tree Straps, Toggles from Opie, and webbing clips from HammockForums.
OES MacCat Deluxe in Spinnaker with Doors for Winter Weather
ThePerfectTrees Burrow Top Quilt and a Crowsnest Underquilt. Both made by a friend of mine Stormcrow.
Personally I've run the full circle of sleep systems, and have settled on an MLD tarp and a TT Moment.
Currently I am running a
TT Moment 29oz
2 Ti Shepherd Hook Stakes .5oz
Neo Air Short 9oz
Either a Montbell UL SS #3 or a TPT Burrow Quilt. 25oz
So total Sleep System weight is under 4lbs.
couscous
07-19-2010, 04:46
The past three nights I've been hanging over logs, rocks and on a 20 degree slope which left the few flat areas for tent users and kept me out of the shelters. My sleep system was a Hennessy and quilt which total 2# 12oz. I have a tent that is lighter than my Hennessy, but the pad I need to be able to sleep on the ground more than makes up the difference. Last night I would have been better with my tent and pad as I simmered in the heat and humidity at the Dahlgren Backpackers Campground in Maryland.
The past three nights I've been hanging over logs, rocks and on a 20 degree slope which left the few flat areas for tent users and kept me out of the shelters. My sleep system was a Hennessy and quilt which total 2# 12oz. I have a tent that is lighter than my Hennessy, but the pad I need to be able to sleep on the ground more than makes up the difference. Last night I would have been better with my tent and pad as I simmered in the heat and humidity at the Dahlgren Backpackers Campground in Maryland.
Interesting. My favorite hammocking time is in the heat of the summer. IMO, it's much harder to cool off in a tent than it is in a hammock. The longer you lie on your sleeping pad, the closer it gets to body temperature. In the summer, that's not a good thing.
Conversely, the colder it gets the bigger the weight and volume difference gets in favor of tenting over hammocking.
Country Roads
07-20-2010, 19:54
Dagone you hammock people! I have enough gear and now you are starting me to thinking about getting a hammock. This is contributing to my gear head sickness :eek:.
Seriously though about sleep systems, sometimes you just have to experiment for what is right for you and your hike. On short hikes I use a tarptent (TT contrail, or SMD lunar solo or a GG one), short neoair and a Montbell UL Spiral #3 sleeping bag. This keeps me warm into the upper 30s and weighs between 3 1/2 pounds and 4 1/2 pounds, depending on which shelter I take.
On long hikes, if weather is mostly summer, I will take one of the above shelters, the same sleeping bag but switch to a Gossamer Gear night lite pad cut down to my size with a torso length 1/4 " thinlight pad on top. Works out to about the same weights, more durability, more warmth, but a bit less comfort.
For a thruhike, I would use a warmer sleeping bag for spring and fall, but use the same shelter and pad.
chris948
07-20-2010, 20:37
I looked for it, but couldn't find it, have you tried a hammock before?
I love the concept, but cannot get a good nights sleep in one. My feet don't like to be elevated like they become in a hammock but more importantly I like to sleep on my side, which is hard to do in a hammock unless you're gumby.
Not saying you shouldn't, but you really want to make sure it's right for you before putting a lot of money into it.
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=38474&catid=member&imageuser=2502
My winter hammock setup. Inside the tarp I use a $20.00 hammock with a Golite Feather-lite 40 degree bag wrapped around the hammock with a 50 degree Montbell down liner and a down jacket and fleece or down pants - good to 5 degrees with a hot water bottle.
TinaLouise
07-21-2010, 10:43
I am new and would like to get some ideas on my choices so far for a sleep system. I would also like to hear some comments on hammock vs. tent.
Hennessy Deep Jungle, with a zipper mod.
Speer Peapod when it becomes available again.
JRB No Sniveller Quilt and liner.
This seems to cover all seasons.
Right around 7 pounds . . .
I use a Clark Tropical hammock and my sleep system consist of my winter quilts (top and bottom) and my summer quilts (top and bottom)and a silk top sheet. I found that one set of quilts didn't cover the range of temps that I camp in. I camp year round in NC, GA, SC areas. Temps range from about 18 degrees to 107. Weights range from about 7 lbs to 4 lbs (hammock, tarp & stakes, top quilt, bottom quilt, silk sheet) My quilts are are homemade and designed to fit me and my hammock.
Before you go on any trips, test your gear in a safe location, like the backyard. I usually don't need my summer underquilt in temps over 77 degrees at night but I'll still pack it for those "just in case" situations. Plus in those temps I do not carry a top quilt, only my silk sheet. Test your gear in different temps to see what works for you. And don't assume that because a piece of gear says it's rated for a certain temp that you will actually be able to use it at that temp!!
TinaLouise