Please Explain

[Tri-Pod Bob]

After a trial run in a hammock over the 4th of July weekend, I'm hooked!! My Hennessy Explorer Deluxe Asym & accessories are on the way. I've been ground bound since the age of 6 (my 1st campout in the yard) & now 50 yrs later I can't wait to be a dedicated "Hanger" for the next 50!!!! Well, hopefully at least 30 or so!!!! LMAO

[markdek]

Please explain, best you can, how you can sleep straight in a hammock, and as someone else said, and not lock your knees. A good link to video or pic might help.

[The Old Boot]

Please explain, best you can, how you can sleep straight in a hammock, and as someone else said, and not lock your knees. A good link to video or pic might help.

There are two major types of camping hammocks - a gathered end type and a bridge hammock. The gathered end type people sleep diagonally across the hammock (not end to end). The width of the hammock along with proper hanging (tension etc) allows for a fairly flat lay. The bridge hammock lays flat to begin with and as long as you don't hang one end higher than the other by mistake, you get a completely flat lay out of it.
Sorry, no pics or videos but you can google or go to hammockforums.net for a ton of them.

[rhjanes]

Check out "Shug" channel. Very entertaining (he is a retired Ringling Brothers Clown). That is him playing bluegrass also. And makes TONS of videos on all things hammock.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7NZVqpBUV0

[Yukon]

It's interesting to show up at a nice campsite with plenty of flat ground for tents and plenty of trees for hammocks. The tent or tarp people will pitch their shelters and move on to more important things like hanging out with other campers, cooking and such, while the hammock people will spend a good 20 minutes deciding on the perfect trees to hang from, spend the next 20 minutes setting up the perfect hang, then at least another 20 minutes tweaking their hang or often starting over when perfection eludes them. Tons of fun to watch.

There is so much wrong in this statement, I wouldn't even know where to begin...

[perdidochas]

I am also in a puzzlement. Seems like Hammock + Fly + Underquilt + Sleeping Bag = ## not #. The dry provides the dryness. Cvt

Well, if you are interested in saving weight, you wouldn't want UQ (underquilt) + sleeping bag. You would either go to a pad and sleeping bag, pad and a topquilt (TQ) or a UQ and a TQ. A TQ is lighter than a sleeping bag. Regardless, if a hammock is a few ounces more (or even a pound or two more), it would be worth it. The comfort makes a big difference in quality of life.

[perdidochas]

Please explain, best you can, how you can sleep straight in a hammock, and as someone else said, and not lock your knees. A good link to video or pic might help.

Basically, you sleep at an angle. Your head is at one edge of the side of the hammock, your feet at the other edge. I often sleep on my side as well.

This pic illustrates it fairly well

hammock_angle_flat.jpg

http://www.treklightgear.com/treklif...tably-hammock/

[rocketsocks]

Check out "Shug" channel. Very entertaining (he is a retired Ringling Brothers Clown). That is him playing bluegrass also. And makes TONS of videos on all things hammock.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7NZVqpBUV0

I love "Shug"

[R1ma]

If you have a hammock pad do you still need an underquilt? How does the netting work?

Pad vs. UQ.
It's a personal choice. I'm good to about 45F with a pad. At 40F, a pads not enough insulation. Pads can move around in the night too. I've been woken up by freezing ankles lol. You won't need both unless your going to Mt Washington in February. Here's a very good write up: http://tothewoods.net/HammockCampingWarm.html

Some hammocks have an integral bug net. Some don't.

Now that your on HF, you could go to this: https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...ad.php?t=74524 in September to check out other people setups.

[oruacat2]

A TQ + UQ is, in the most simple terms, nothing more than a lightweight sleeping bag minus the zippers, drawstrings, hoods, etc, and both you AND your hammock hang inside it.

[chief]

There is so much wrong in this statement, I wouldn't even know where to begin...

Wow, you sure told me!

[Hoop]

Hey everybody, I've noticed something remarkable in this thread about hammocks - see if it ain't so!

Almost all the comments have been made in a spirit of good will, and it somehow has managed to stay on topic. Way to go, WB!!

It's refreshing not to hack through the gratuitous criticism that infects so many discussions here.

[Teacher & Snacktime]

I noticed it too, Hoop....but I'm not surprised. If you check out the credo of the HammockForum, you may note a lot of the posters here cross over, and stick to the friendly structure.

[chiefduffy]

I noticed it too, Hoop....but I'm not surprised. If you check out the credo of the HammockForum, you may note a lot of the posters here cross over, and stick to the friendly structure.

Nicely put, thank you. I like to think I resemble that remark.

[Grits]

Actually the sleeping pad is a necessity for warmth for me, and ENOs makes one just for the hammock, so the weight is included for myself which actually brought it up to about 5lbs

I have an ENO and it is a fun day hike hammock but not what I would try to build a kit out of when backpacking. It is way to heavy. There is a large cottage industry out there with 9 oz 10x11 tarps 10 oz. hammocks and 20 deg. underquilts and top quilts each under 20 0z. I will link you to some of them. My 4 season kit with a tarp with doors and 20 deg setup weights in at 5 lbs and that is with tarp hammock and quilts. Mine is a little heavy as I like the ease of setting up my blackbird hammock with the cinch buckle suspension. Check out www.hammockforums.net


tarps http://www.hammockgear.com/tarp-cf3-winter-palace/ or http://www.zpacks.com/shelter/tarps.shtml
quilts http://www.hammockgear.com/quilts/
hammocks http://www.buttinasling.com/hammocks.html or http://www.dream-hammock.com/DarienUL.html http://www.warbonnetoutdoors.com/blackbirds.php

[gunner76]

Please explain, best you can, how you can sleep straight in a hammock, and as someone else said, and not lock your knees. A good link to video or pic might help.

Try a Bridge hammock if you want to sleep straight and flat in a hammock. Other wise in a gathered end style hammock (type most hangers use) you sleep with your head on one side and your feet on the other. It also helps if you sleep with your foot end a few inches higher than the head end.

[Dogwood]

Yeah ENO has the Duo hammock that's sold at Dicks and REI but I wouldn't want to share a hammock with anyone on a thru on a regular basis even if it was Heidi Klum or Halle Berry. No room for me with all the damn lingerie and make up they would be carrying.

[Tuckahoe]

I have been considering setting up a hammock since last December. I've settled on the Ridge Runner bridge hammock and Cloudburst tarp from Warbonnet Outdoors and te Ridge Creek underquilt from Arrowhead Equipment. So now I just have to actually buy the gear.

[WalksInDark]

A couple of quick observations:

You are unlikely to save a meaningful amount of weight be going to a hammock.
Unless you are in the desert or on a bald, you have lots more sites to set up on when using a hammock.
No matter how much you read about hammocks and/or hammock camping, you can't really tell if you are going to like it without actually spending a couple of nights sleeping in a hammock.

Most importantly, there are weekend hang events setup throughout the year on Hammock Forums.net If you make plans in advance you can normally borrow a hammock setup for the weekend and give it a try. Alternately, you can just show up at one of the events, be a "groundling" if necessary (someone who sleeps in a tent)...and spend the weekend dropping your parts into various hammocks.

Hammock camping is something that is very easy to over think. JUST DO IT!

[Tuckahoe]

Well, I went ahead and placed an order for a hammock.