View Full Version : Hammock camping - please enlighten me
The Kisco Kid
04-10-2013, 21:39
I've come across a lot of hammock campers and am interested, but don't know the first thing about it.
Do most people use a regular pad and sleeping bag? I have seen Jacks r better setup with the underbag but I having trouble understanding the concept.
Please help.
https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/showthread.php?t=8921
Start reading, especially the "sticky" threads about gear. Keeping your backside warm is the biggest challenge with a hammock but for the benefits of site choices and comfort it's an easy decision for most.
SouthMark
04-10-2013, 22:01
The underbag is an "under quilt". Basically sleeping in a hammock requires some form of insulation under you just like sleeping on the ground requires a pad not only for comfort but also insulation. The part of a sleeping bag that is under you does not provide much insulation because it is compressed by your weight. Hammock campers use foam pads or under quilts for bottom insulation and top quilts. Usually with temperatures below 70º some form of insulation is needed under you in a hammock. Think of it like this, a hammock is somewhat like a bridge that ices over first, cold air completely surrounds it. In spite of what some think though, it is not difficult to sleep warm in a hammock. I have gone as low as 2º and been warm and toasty with 35-40 mph winds. I know some that have slept in -27º temps quite comfortably. Hope this helps.
Austin_Knott
04-11-2013, 12:52
I do a bit of hammock camping, and will be doing that on the AT this year. I do not recommend slap straps. https://hammockforums.net/ is a great place to start. Also, http://www.whoopieslings.com/
Austin_Knott
04-11-2013, 12:55
If you are looking into buying a hammock, let me recommend the Blackbird Hammock by Warbonnet. http://www.warbonnetoutdoors.com/blackbirds.php
Read the book The Ultimate Hang. It will give you all the info you need about hammocks. Attend a hammock hanging event near you if possible. Then just get out and use your set up and find what works best for you. I use a Warbonnett Blackbird hammock with their adjustable suspension and a top quilt and underquilt by Jacks R Better. Have remained cozy and warm down to the 15 - 20 degree range with no problems. I do own a tent and occasionally use it in very cold weather, but for me a hammock offers a great deal more comfort. But as SouthMark says, staying warm in a hammock is a bit more of a challenge than in a tent.
Attend a hammock hanging event near you if possible.
lol "Hammock hanging event"?
Just buy a hammock, hang it up, sleep in it. Use an underquilt for colder weather.
couscous
04-11-2013, 16:42
Take a 3-1/2 hour drive to Pine Grove Furnace S.P. Apr 26-28 and attend the MAHHA hammock hanging event.
Answers for every question you have will be available with 100+ hammock hangers.
https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/showthread.php?t=55534
lol "Hammock hanging event"?
Just buy a hammock, hang it up, sleep in it. Use an underquilt for colder weather.
luddite,
I am so sorry to offend your intellect with my choice of terms. Glad to provide you some comic relief. But, if you read my post you and I essentially said something very similar. But of course your response was vastly superior to anything else posted by us Neanderthals.
Spirit Bear
04-11-2013, 17:29
I've come across a lot of hammock campers and am interested, but don't know the first thing about it.
Do most people use a regular pad and sleeping bag? I have seen Jacks r better setup with the underbag but I having trouble understanding the concept.
Please help.
Don't even go down this rabbit hole, I am warning you, the first time you hammock camp and leave the tent at home, you will never go back to sleeping on the ground. Then you turn into someone obsessed with staying warm in your hammock when the temps dip down to below 50 degrees.
Good luck and have fun, I never slepte well on the ground on any form of pad, the hammock though is sooooo comfortable.
When you register on hammockforums.net you can check the "calendar" on the home page to see what events are in the works.
Also, see "Northeast" under the Forums tab for hangs in your neck of the woods.
I suggest you attend a hang - the folks will be friendly and very helpful showing their set-ups, and will answer all your questions. It seems a bit complicated at first, and not everyone likes them, but IMO hammocks are more comfortable, more versatile and more fun. You need a tarp for weather protection, a top quilt and underquit (or pad); those two items may vary depending on the season.
Cost and weight are comparable to tenting.
hoppy from GA
04-17-2013, 21:09
A cheap hammock like the Grand Trunk Ultralight can be had for about $20 on Amazon. Hang it up with any ropes you have laying around before graduating to more expensive suspension methods. Also, hang it with some sag and lay in it diagonally and you'll almost be laying flat. see how you like it before investing in something more expensive. Results may vary. see www.hammockforums.net (http://www.hammockforums.net) for additional info.
gunner76
04-17-2013, 21:43
First...as already stated ...get the Ultimate Hang book 2nd...Attend a group hammock hang. It will allow you to check out a bunch of different rigs and setups. 3rd...there is no one perfect hammock, tarp, UQ, UQ ect. Everyone has their favorite. I have about 15 hammocks and I am still looking for the perfect one ( I keep going back to the BlackBird). 4th Test your gear under controlled conditions before you get out into the woods and find out something doesn't work the way you thought. 5 have fun
Hairbear
04-18-2013, 06:26
When you start out dont get overwhelmed ,it all come natural after a while. The hang in your area will give you the info at a digestable hands on level.
toemaetoe
04-18-2013, 11:34
As much as I love forums and reading about other people's experiences and gear, here's a well-kept secret about hammock camping: it doesn't have to be that complicated. My shelter kit includes a Grand Trunk Ultralight hammock (like someone mentioned above, it's a super deal) with tree straps, a NeoAir mattress, a couple of normal 0 and 40 degree sleeping bags, a lightweight bivy, a tarp and some titanium stakes, and a piece of Tyvek. Then I just kind of mix and match them depending on where I'm going and what season it is. For most trips, I bring the tarp, hammock, a sleeping bag, mattress, and the Tyvek. It's easy to go from ground to hammock (and even to a shelter, if I'm feeling social) with those pieces, depending on where I end up sleeping, and I'm prepared for sudden changes in the weather (very important in Maine). And I'm always plenty warm, despite the fact that I'm a cold sleeper. I really like the flexibility of this set-up; you might too. Also, none of it weighs much, and I'm kind of a wuss when it comes to pack weight.
So yeah, get one of those cheap Grand Trunk hammocks (and a tarp, if you don't already have one), and just try it out with your current gear. You might find, like me, that it all works out pretty easily and doesn't require a big investment in new, specialized gear.
Oh, and the piece of advice I wished I'd had when I started hammocking, get some tree straps of some sort. You'll feel bad if you scrape up a tree, and they're not much extra weight. The rest of it is just a matter of practice and taste.
Fog Horn
04-18-2013, 12:21
I have a brand new Warbonnet BlackBird for sale on the used gear forum. It has all the quilts and anything you need on the listing. I also have a Hennessy on there too. If you decide to make the leap to hammocking but don't want to pay full price for your set up, please take a look. I'm trying to sell it all to build a new setup!
I'd like to second Hammockforums.net and recommend watching the YouTube video series by Shugemery
Pt 1 -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7NZVqpBUV0
Whoooooo Buddy !
Lots of good advice & comments here, and like one said, it ain't that complicated. You need a hammock, a tarp, and insulation. For me, it's a Warbonnet Blackbird hammock, a Speer Winter Tarp, and a Thermarest prolite shorty pad. Keeps me very comfortable in the temperature range I expect, and gives me the option of sleeping on the ground if I want to (something an underquilt doesn't do). My system weighs about 3 pounds - you can certainly get lighter, but this works for me, and it's worth it for the quality of sleep I get and the site options I have. The tarp is huge, I have enough room under it to stand, cook, change, whatever.
Most people who try hammocks, myself included, get the best sleep they've ever had in the woods, but they're not for everybody.
MDSection12
04-18-2013, 13:31
The Grand Trunk Ultralight is a cheap way to get into hammocking... But it's not very comfortable, at least not for me (6'1" 200 lbs.) I could never get a diagonal lay with mine, without my feet sticking out. I moved up to a Grand Trunk Single, which is longer and wider... Much more comfortable.
I agree that hammocking doesn't have to be complicated, but often the 'simple' ways to hang hammocks are way more complex than the so-called 'complicated' ones. Grab some whoopie slings, you'll be glad you did.
Oh, and the piece of advice I wished I'd had when I started hammocking, get some tree straps of some sort. You'll feel bad if you scrape up a tree, and they're not much extra weight. The rest of it is just a matter of practice and taste.
+1
But I'm not sure they add much weight at all over some kind of bark damaging rope ;) . I've got a pair of 15' long tree straps for big Sierra trees, and the pair only weigh 90g.
I think on HF there is a thread about hammocking on the cheap, but I can't find it right now. It might be on Just Jeff's site.
Basically, a Grand Trunk or ENO hammock + bug net + bag + wally blue CCF pad + rain fly is almost the cheapest, good 3-season setup you can do. All in (minus the bag naturally) your at ~$100-150
I've come across a lot of hammock campers and am interested, but don't know the first thing about it.
Do most people use a regular pad and sleeping bag? I have seen Jacks r better setup with the underbag but I having trouble understanding the concept.
Please help.
Well, lots of good comments here, but to answer your question more directly...
No, most hangers use an underquilt and topquilt, but it may very well be that most start out using their pad and sleeping bag in the hammock like I did. Lesson #1 on tenting - the pad is primarily for insulation, and secondarily for comfort. This is because when you're laying directly on the sleeping bag, that section of insulation you're laying on can't insulate you. A misunderstanding of this point is the primary reason for not understanding how to stay warm in a hammock.
Now, Lesson #1 on hanging... since the hammock supports you, there is the opportunity to place insulation below you as well as above you. So its the equivalent of having a 2-part sleeping bag and not needing the pad. The insulation on the bottom is held up against your backside, but you're not laying on the insulation, or at least your weight is not compressing it.
Plenty of other lessons that have similar simple explanations. Let's tackle another one that is always asked... Where do you put your pack? Answer... where its dry. Assumption being you're dry because you have a tarp overhead, and since you're hanging off the ground, naturally the pack, shoes, etc., would go underneath you.
Keep asking questions!
A sleeping bag can work fine. Depending on the temp, I just open it up and turn it sideways and use it like a quilt. You need the pad or something like reflectix regardless of how you use the bag unless it pretty warm
cavediver256
04-20-2013, 21:16
Can't believe no one has mentioned Shug....he will explain it all. This is a 10 part video series on YouTube.... Here is the first one. Try and keep up!!!!! ;-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7NZVqpBUV0
Hairbear
04-21-2013, 11:49
Don't even go down this rabbit hole, I am warning you, the first time you hammock camp and leave the tent at home, you will never go back to sleeping on the ground. Then you turn into someone obsessed with staying warm in your hammock when the temps dip down to below 50 degrees.
Good luck and have fun, I never slepte well on the ground on any form of pad, the hammock though is sooooo comfortable. Ive been warm as toast in 10 degree weather.
Don't even go down this rabbit hole, I am warning you, the first time you hammock camp and leave the tent at home, you will never go back to sleeping on the ground. Then you turn into someone obsessed with staying warm in your hammock when the temps dip down to below 50 degrees.
Good luck and have fun, I never slepte well on the ground on any form of pad, the hammock though is sooooo comfortable.
I went back. Now go back and forth.