New to Hammock Camping

[Ed G]

Hello all. I'm brand new to hammock camping.

In fact, I just received my first camping hammock two weeks ago and have yet to try it out in the field. I have hung it up in my backyard to enjoy a few beers of course!

I purchased a "Jungle Hammock" from Tom Claytor at mosquitohammock.com.

Being from the Orlando, Fl area, most of my camping is done in the winter months. It is often raining and cool (40 degrees) at night.

My hammock came with both a rectangular fly and a diamond shape fly. Which fly shape is better for rain protection to keep a down bag dry?

The rectangular fly has clips sewn in to connect the mosquito netting's elastic cords and keeps the cords under the tarp. (set up pictures on website)

Any tips on keeping dry with a hammock would be greatly appreciated.

I am an experienced Florida Jungle backpacker - with a tent. I have carried a small nylon net hammock with me for years, but never relied on one as my sole means of shelter. I'm also real paranoid about getting down wet.

Thanks in advance!

Ed G

[neo]

you come to the right place and welcome to the world of hammock hanging,i have 4 hennessey hammock and use them all 4 season,i do not know anything about the hammock you have,but i did look at the website,looks pretty cool
keep us posted neo

[Ed G]

any advantage to the diamond over the rectangular or visa versa?

[SGT Rock]

One takes less stakes?

I'd have to look at it to get a better idea before I give you bad advice.

[Youngblood]

...I'd have to look at it to get a better idea before I give you bad advice.

Sarge,
Your underestimating your abilities... even I can give him bad advice before I look at it. http://www.mosquitohammock.com/

Youngblood

[peter_pan]

Ed G,

Welcome to the hanging crowd....lot's of good and bad adivce arround here.... you can tell the difference, as the bad advice is usually free....

As to tarps.... Both of the Moskito tarps lood like good coverage....Rock is right...the diamond will require only 2 pegs, where the rectangle will require aminimum of 4, assuming no convient log ( or is that a gator) to tie off too.

Tom's rectangle model does have those nifty tie loops on the underside to keep water from running to the netting....can't see them on the jungle model...if not there I would add them...they are a nice feature for a hammock that requires a lift of the netting as yours does....

I have been considering your model hammock...can you give us your height ass well as, a comment on how flat you lie and any comfort issues?

Almost for got ...this good advice cost a beer....will be down to see you on my next trip to Brooksville...

Pan

[Ed G]

I'd kinda like to keep the height of my ass confidential, but I will divulge that it is a cute one and I stand a towering 5' 9". My sport of choice is marathon running - not basketball.

I haven't tried out the hammock for more than a couple of minutes and it was darn comfortable for that length of time. Flatness really depended on the distance between supports. I built a camp fire area in my back yard and untill my pine trees grow to 4" in diameter, I have four galvanized fence poles in the ground dedicated to hammocks. Using two diaganol poles resutled in the longest distance (4-5 paces) and I was quite flat.

I'm not that far from Brooksville. Maybe 40 minutes. I actually live in Clermont which is right off of Route 50 (west of Orlando).

If you show up for that beer on a weekend, I hope you waterski!

regards

Ed G
Clermont

[peter_pan]

Ed,

Got it....east out of hernando county on rte 50 for 40 minutes to Clermont and a beer....I'll be the guy on the BMW motorcycle with a hammock in the saddlebag and a thousand miles, or so, of bugs on the wind shield.

Pan

["ME & U"]

I use a 8x10 tarp for my rig and find the better set-up to be as a diamond (offset) most of the time. In a down pour, I swap back to the rectangle ridge set up. It does offer a bit more coverage on the ends, although either way it rocks! I have gotten up to drop my diamond down a notch in a storm and it was still fine.
As for the down... not a fan personally. Had a wet bag more than once with rian and with a blown Platapus. I'm a stoked sleeper so my gear dries fast, I go synthetic.

[Ed G]

how did you end up with a wet bag from the rain?

That's what I'm inquiring about here. If it is more than likely that my bag will get wet from sleeping in a hammock, I'll stick to a tent and use my hammock for bug free R&R.

I already went the synthetic route and switched to a down bag to loose pack weight. I own a Mountainsmith Vison rated for 15 degrees and it weighs in at 1lb 13oz. Most comfortable and warm bag I have ever slept in. Especially when wearing silk long underwear.

When it is forecasted to be below 15 degrees, I hump a Marmot Merlin, synthetic bag rated for 0 degrees - but weighs in at around four lbs.

ed

[SGT Rock]

If you have a tarp up for good ventilation and a blow comes, you will have to get out and change it or risk a wet bag. There are some larger tarps out there like the JRB, Mac Cat and others that offer you a larger area so you get more protection when you set up for better ventilation.

I have been using my down bag in a hammock for years. It can be done.

[Youngblood]

Ed,

How did you end up with two tarps? Are they the ones on the web site... an 8x10 rectangular and a 10x13 diamond?

Youngblood

["ME & U"]

Ed,

We used a betamid for abit and also a zeus. The first was a nasty thunder storm, the kind you wish you weren't in, and the rain blew in from all angles. The second was rain infiltration through the vestibule zipper when we woke up and commenced to tearing down. In both cases, I had a down bag and although not totaly soaked with the zeus, the betamid did us both in. It was a whopper! I thought for sure we were gonners. There was a pile of power line poles being contructed near by and they were struck several times during the night. We were way too close to this site but was all we could find for tenting. I'm a devout hammocker now and have not had the problems since.
I wouldn't worry too much about your down. Tweaking you rig will do all the tricks. One of the best features of a hammock is that your off the ground... the place where water chooses to be.
"U"

[Ed G]

Youngblood, I originally ordered (and paid for) the expedition hammock at $50 and the optional rain fly at $20. Shipping was $10.

When I received the package, it contained the $20.00 rain fly and the Jungle Hammock that does include the diamond fly.

Yes, these are the tarps on the website

Twas a mistake in me favour!

Me & U:

Oh, I have been in those types of storms.

Living in Florida, I have ended up camping in the middle of a few tropical storms. I was on an Island once when a hurricane came thru. The forest rangers evacuated the island - except for my buddy and I. They couldn't find us. It's true - it does sound like a freight train. Going in circles.

My buddy has the two man Zuess. He is always getting wet. I wouldn't get one of those after seeing how it performs in damp weather.

thanks guys

ed

[SGT Rock]

I spent 5 days in a tropical storm with my old A-Sym and it did well except for the time I kicked a stake out of the ground accidentily during a night trip to answer the call of nature.

[Ed G]

S.R.

That would certainly test your gear.

Where was this? Tropical storms don't usually last for more than a day.

Well there was that one weekend a few years back, the TS kept going out to sea and then circling back to the Jax area. That TS lasted about four days. I was camping 30 miles north of Jax.

I had a Sierra Zip stove with me that weekend. You truly can burn wet bark and twigs. I have found that chewed up pine cones are a terrific fuel and esy to feed into the fire.

Happen to know any of the guys stationed at the Armory in Orlando?

Must say the army provides you guys with some cool gear. Last week my next door neighbor (who just dropped his retirement papers) was packing up to go to the NTC in Calif and showed me his sleeping bag "system". I was jealous.

[SGT Rock]

The sleeping bag system is overbuilt and sucks. It was based on a good Wiggy design but the Army got another contractor to screw it up. Looses loft to quickly IMO and is WAY too heavy for it's rating.

In June 2001 Tropical Storm Allison hjit Ft Polk while I was in the field. It got to us around the 6th and then got stationary for the 7th and 8th before it moved slowly south and exited where it made landfall on the 10th. On the 11th it made landfall again.

[Youngblood]

Youngblood, I originally ordered (and paid for) the expedition hammock at $50 and the optional rain fly at $20. Shipping was $10.

When I received the package, it contained the $20.00 rain fly and the Jungle Hammock that does include the diamond fly.

Yes, these are the tarps on the website
...

Ed,
According to the site the Expedition Hammock is 8 feet long and the 8x10 feet rectangular tarp is for it but ordered seperately while the Jungle Hammock is 9.75 feet long and the 10x13 feet diamond tarp is supplied with it. Looks like they think you need the 10x13 feet diamond tarp with the Jungle Hammock... do you think otherwise?

Youngblood

[Ed G]

Youngblood

I believe the jungle hammock can be used with the rectangular tarp or the diamond shape. The netting straps can be attached to the hooks underneath - I think. I havent set up the hammock with either fly as of yet.

When I tent camp, during storms I use a rectangular tarp above my mini-camping hammock (smuggled into the country from Canada). I set it up in a "modified lean to" configuration.

The tarp is put up over a centerline rope, one side staked down and the other side tied to two trees (one rope at each corner of the fly). It has worked well in the past.

I guess when I start using my hammock as my sole shelter, I should use the same set up, but stake both sides at night when rain is approaching.

[Big Dawg]

Always been a tent camper, & trying to go lighter, considering the Tarptent,,, but,,, I've really been intrigued w/ hammocking. My 1st thoughts are that it wouldn't work for me, but I think that's just because I've always been a tent camper. My question is where do you keep your gear/pack? I've heard on the ground below you, or in the hammock at your feet. I wouldn't want my pack below my hammock because critters might get to it,, & in the hammock doesn't seem realistic,, I'm 6'5", 250 lbs. Also, I like tents because I like to have space to move around a little, when I'm outside of my bag. Will I miss this too much? I wish I could test a hammock, but it seems all suppliers ship them to you. None available at my local outfitter. Is there any way to test one w/o purchasing? Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!