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Been a hammock sleeper for ten + years but find myself sleeping prone more as i get older. Just think i may sleep better if i were flat. Seeking general advise on the possible switch. Looking at the Lunar solo and a 2.5-3 inch 25 wide 3/4 pad. Thnks for any recommendations...-sloan
https://www.moosejaw.com/moosejaw/sh...iABEgJNrvD_BwE
Forgive the ridiculous link...
I go both ways. Air and ground so before you chuck ten years of experience...
Try this Exped Pad. Get the medium wide or long wide- not the regular.
REI no longer has them but Moosejaw (and others) do and they are matching the anniversary sale coupon.
This pad has some actual insulation (a private label Primaloft) so it does better than the Neo-Air when used in a hammock.
The vertical baffles also work better in a hammock than the horizontal baffles of the Neo-Air series.
Point being: Buy this pad, try it at home. You may not like going back to ground as much as you think.
If you do like it.. then you got a pad and you can go shelter shopping.
If you don't like it... then put this pad into your gathered end hammock and you might be surprised. It could solve your hammock problem. I prefer bridge hammocks, but with a good pad in the gathered ends I find them workable. A double layer is ideal... so if this feels good maybe a hammock upgrade is the better move?
I find hammocks handy for getting up outta the muck or ducking into a random spot ground dwellers cannot.
I find underquilts annoying when I'm on the AT... it's pouring buckets... and there is a perfectly good shelter sitting there to duck into or a hostel stay that might require a pad.
Most importantly... when I walk over a bald, reach some stunning mountain view, or just want to sleep in an open meadow and stare at the stars...
If you use a sleeping pad with a hammock you can do whatever you want.
A hunk of polycro or tyvek for a ground cloth does the job to lay the pad on without breaking the scale.
First, get a full length pad. Your knees and feet with thank you. Having the bottom of your legs dangle off a 3" ledge isn't very comfortable. Sure, you can put your pack under your feet, but that's a poor option. First, you have to take everything out of it and second, it might be wet.
I have Luna Solo and a Skyscape Trekker. Of the two, I like the Trekker better. The Solo I rub my head on the wall of the tent sitting up which can be a problem if it's been raining or there is condensation on the walls. The foot of my bag also tends to make contact with the wall and gets wet with bleed through. The Solo also needs more room to set up then the Trekker.
Sorry you hammock evangelists, I simply can not sleep in a hammock.
Don't unload your hammock stuff before you try the ground. I thought about switching back from hammock to tent so I got a CS2. I did a week with the tent then immediately sold it.
That's too bad. Likely the industry will collapse as a result.Quote:
Originally Posted by Slo-go'en
:sun:banana:D
I didn't think I'd like hammocks but after giving them a fair shot I now love 'em.
They vastly increase the possibilities when it comes to campsites... many places to hang where a tent would never work. And it's easy to get a summer hammock/tarp/quilt set under 3lbs these days so it's also "UL Compliant" lol! :sun
+1. This is an underappreciated point. There isn't a lot of love for using a pad in place of an UQ in the hammock forums, but the XTherm keeps me warm and comfortable, whether in the hammock or on someone's back porch in a trail town.Quote:
Originally Posted by Just Bill
I’m grounded...I can’t hang!
I can't compare to hammocking really.... just can't get myself doing it. I've tried a little but just have a hard time getting comfortable
but I do love the idea of how versatile it can be.... I think just bill's point make a lot of sense....ultimate versatility.
I like to watch a guy on youtube, kenneth kramm. He keeps things simple. In a couple vids, he hung his hammock between a couple trees hanging over a cliff above a lake. wonderful!
I'll say this about pads. I like self inflating pads myself...
I have used old style self inflating thermarest pads for years. My favorite is my old trailpro. It's a bit thicker than my older basic one....I've slept on concrete slabs a few times with it...once under the space shuttle displayed at Kennedy Space Center!
Sadly, it's bulky and heavy....not too bad really for occasional, but I was trying to build a much lighter kit.
I tried inflatables at REI, ended up getting a nemo tensor because i couldn't take the krinkle noises from the others.... used it once, and a few other times trying it in the house.... I wanted to like it. I really tried. It seemed like a good pad..... but I just hated the experience. I took advantage of REI's return policy and got a self inflating pad smaller and lighter than my trailpro, for backpacking..an REI air rail, women's model (i'm a man, I don't care)
If you have an REI store near you, they let you try them right in the store to get pretty good idea of how it will be.
Well, yes and no.Quote:
Originally Posted by blw2
I hung with my Blackbird on my LT thru, but found on the northern half of the LT, the trees, in general, were so small in diameter, and thick, I had a real hard time finding places to set up. That’s not to say you can’t, but was a real pain. I wished I had my tent instead.
Not taking anything away from hanging, but you do have to find the right trees.
I have both to choose from, and find I usually grab my Duplex. Just seems less hassle (for me).
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I’ve gone back and forth and confess to eyeing a duplex from time to time. I decided to upgrade my hammocking set-up instead to increase packability and reduce weight. After tenting in the rain on the AT more times than I care to count I got tired of dealing with muck, wet tents, and trying to find decent spots to set up. I’m still learning how to keep completely dry in the hammock—haven’t completely mastered the sideways rain issue in thunderstorms—but I do sleep well enough to keep hanging. In the winter I use an underquilt. This time of year I use a Big Agnes ultra core wide pad.Quote:
Originally Posted by cr115
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A photo from the AT in Tennessee. I’ve since changed to a continuous ridgeline. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...9a1995e155.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...f83fedea86.jpgQuote:
Originally Posted by QuietStorm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Just Bill
15.7 ounces: Long Wide
12.3 ounces: Regular
14.6 ounces: Regular Wide
Best Use Backpacking Sleeping Pad Type Air Pad Sleeping Pad Shape Semirectangular Sleeping Capacity 1-person Insulation Type Synthetic R-Value 3.3 Repair Kit Included Yes Stuff Sack Included Yes
Thank you for the suggestions... My husband doesn't mind sleeping in a hammock when we go backpacking or camping locally - which has not involved more than two days in a row in flat land Michigan. He might be going with me on the AT this year for a week or two... I know that tent camping hurts his back, so I want to accommodate him with hammocking. We both have hammocks and rainfly. Since I usually sleep in shelters (carrying a tent for emergencies), is it necessary to have bug netting for the hammocks? Also, from what I gather, we will not need the "underquilts" for warmth in the summer, correct? Thanks!Quote:
Originally Posted by Just Bill
Most people find that some kind of insulation (whether pad or underquilt) is necessary when ambient temps drop below 70F (really!). As for bug netting, you should at the very least carry a headnet ... it weighs almost nothing and may save your sanity. You have to keep the rest of you covered or treated with insect repellent. Obviously a full bug net and pad underneath will provide the most protection. Noseeum netting cuts airflow quite a bit, so in summer it can be too hot, but often, the alternative is to be a pincushion.Quote:
Originally Posted by shelb
A hammock with full netting can serve as a net bivy when trees aren't around or if sleeping in a shelter is preferred. Protect the thin hammock fabric with a pad, though.
Much helpful hammock advice can be found at hammock forums dot net.