I read the topic that we are supposed to read before posting a new one... Hopefully I can provided enough details . For starters, I am used to using a tent and am contemplating on switching to a hammock. I am 5 foot 3 inches and 110 pounds. A 26 yr old Female. It will Definately have to be lightweight or ultralight, because at times, I will backpack up to 30 miles. I will be in 30 degrees and up weather when it is cold. And I also will hike and camp in warm and hot months. I would not like to get wet, so a tarp would be necessary. I would like to spend the least amount of money as possible, while also maintaining quality and durability. I can't think of any other info before I ask my questions, except that I camp and hike with a partener or group... And that I am just now getting back in the swing of things. I will answer any other forgotten info if anyone needs it.



My questions are: What is good hammock to start with as a beginner tree hanger? What would be a good tarp that would keep out even sideways rain? What would be a great lightweight sleeping bag in case I am unexpectedly caught in 20 degree weather? Is there anything I need to know I should have while hiking with a hammock? That's all I can think of... Right now anyway, lol. I would prefer if experienced hangers answered, and if someone has any suggestions about light weight gear and food, etc... I would love to know. Thank you so much!

Welcome to the Forum!!

I'm not a tree hanger per se, but I've played with the concept a bit. Do you have budget in mind for the gear you want?

Hello!



I send all hammock newbies to "Risk's Test Hammock" You can make that out of almost any scrap of materiel - and it's something to see if you like sleeping in it. Risk's site has some very good advice about hanging as well. If you can sew, you can make a homesewn speer pattern hammock for not a lot more effort than risk's hammock. I personally own a hennesey UL backpacker hammock, A speer 8.5C type that I made myself, a Warbonnet Blackbird, and a grand trunk nano-7. They're all different. I use the Speer, the Blackbird, and the nano the most. The nano is cheap and very light but has no bug protection, you'd have to rig something yourself. A homesewn speer type is not very expensive. A Hennesey won't break the bank is probably where most people start, they are easy to find, and the UL Backpacker model is fairly light.



Almost any reasonable tarp will keep you dry under a hammock if it's long enough to cover the whole thing and pitched right. I've been in horrendous storms in my hammock under a simple 8x10 ultralight silnylon tarp (such as you can get from campmor), and honestly, even the triangle tarp on the hennesey will do fine if you don't hang the hammock far below the tarp.



A 20 degree or more rated sleeping bag, and two or three blue foam pads or an *underquilt*. They can be pricy, and there are
many options here. Mine are all 800 FP down, and expensive.
as you mentioned you were on a budget, here's the bad news, With sleeping bags it's very simple, you can get lightweight, warm, or inexpensive, pick two. The good news is I can tell you
honestly if I had 600 dollars to spend on gear, I would spend 400 on my sleeping bag and 200 dollars on everything else from homemade, dollar store, and thrift store. If you give us an idea of a budget we can probably give you better suggestions here.



Aside from the hanging, there's nothing different about hiking with a hammock than without. And as for everything else, there's lot of advice on the parent area of this site. (and lots of us have lists posted.)

Where do you live?

I've done some hammock camping and I'm going to upgrade my hammock when I can. So, I have some experience and I need to know a little more. Specifically what is your max amount cash you're willing to spend? Did you know all the accessories involved in hammock camping?

Hammock camping involves the following stuff:

Hammock
Top quilt/sleeping bag
Underquilt/sleeping pad
Tarp
Bug net (if not integrated into hammock, unless you like bugs then this is optional. )
Ropes, tree straps, and hardware. (And this setup can be done in many different combinations!!)

If you already have a insulated sleeping pad, I may go ahead and throw out the idea of getting a dual layer hammock where you can slide the pad in-between the layers. This could save you the added expense on getting an under quilt. Sleeping onto of the insulated pad while in the hammock isn't that fun. I know from experience....

Once I know the answers to these questions, I can throw out some gear suggestions I've came across and have used before. Hammock camping is an addiction, the unreal amount of customization available makes it so addicting. You'll meet a lot of people with different setups. It can get expensive, but I'm like you know what? It's only money, money is forever our time on earth isn't so go hike!

Also, Hammock Forum the wealth of information regarding hammock camping is unreal and it's the holy grail. Words of caution: your WILL brain go into sensory overload trying absorb all the information on that site...

And welcome aboard! To answer your last suggestion, where would you like us to start?!?! There are links on the side of this forum that can steer you into some general ideas and directions.

Well, that does depend on the kind of pad - a thermarest is usually too narrow and doesn't bend well - a cheap-o *WIDE* (25 or 27 inch) blue foam pad (ozark trail from wal-mart) does work fairly well.

In fact I'm a strange bird when it comes to hammock, I hammock a lot, but to keep my weight down I do not own an underquilt. I normally use a blue foam (wide) pad in my hammock (with me, it's fine) and rig a my silnylon poncho underneath my hammock as a windblock, and then throw a few wadded up space blankets in it to act as an airgap for insulation - a sort of ultralight deconstructed underquilt that is my raingear when I'm not using it..

For example:



where I'm in a windy pass hanging in some krummholz fir overtop of 3 feet of snow.

or

for a better idea of how I set up start here, and look at the next four pictures.

That particular trip I was snowshoeing in in the spring, and melting water for snow.

Now, to put that in context, I'm a big guy, you may need more insulation and warmth to sleep comfortably than I do. My point is not to convince you to necessarily do things like I do, but rather to tell you there is no substitute for trying things like this out with "test runs" and things like the risk test hammock before going all in and dropping 700 bucks on a really good top and underquilt set.

I've never seen that before, Phat, that's cool. So it worked well, I presumed?

Thank you all so much! For my budget, I'm used to just dealing with what I have... But since that can get heavy for me and for the fact that I'm getting back into backpacking, I'll say I'll spend $400 and $600 if needed. But if I could spend less than 400, that would be nice, but sometimes I can't eat my cake too. I used to go camping and hiking with my dad, but it has been 8-9 yrs since we have done anything. I live in Oklahoma, but plan on hiking in Arkansas and surrounding states, so I probably won't get too cold if I keep in tune with the weather. But this last weekend, I went camping at kyle's landing on the buffalo river area, and I kinda got a little chilly at night. Good thing I didn't jump right into backpacking, because I brought extra blankets... I would have froze my butt off if I had not have. I do have a pad, it's like a sage color and a little thicker than some off the blue ones I have seen. I just got a cheap down sleeping bag from Walmart, which stuffs inside a small bag... Most likely why I got cold even though it said it was good in 32 degree weather, Definately want a new one. I would have asked someone there my questions, but oh a butterfly, I have A.D.D. and am forgetful... As well as mildly-moderately shy, hence the screen name QuietWillow. This way, I can have it typed for future reference and won't have to struggle to remember the plethora information of words spoken. Thank you all again =)

Nice to have another Ozark backpacker here. One of these days I'm going to go hike Indian Creek. I've been all around it but never in it

I haven't been hanging long but I'm pretty happy with the set up I have at this point. The one thing I'll be looking to add this year is some bug protection with a DYI bug net. If you haven't done so already I would suggest you check out the Hammock forum. Their web address is: https://hammockforums.net/forum/content.php

There is a tremendous amount of information to be gleaned from this site. I lurked there for a couple of months and learned quite a bit.

To answer your gear question, my set up includes: a "Weight Weenie" hammock from Butt In A Sling (BIAS) which weighs 8 oz.
and packs incredibly small; think softball size. My sleeping bag is a Big Agnes "Lost Ranger 15" which is down. I picked it up from Campmor for a pretty good price. My pad is my old Therma-Rest which tucks nicely into the sleeve provided on the sleeping bag. Overhead I have a truly full coverage tarp from Warbonnet. The tarp is the "Super Fly" and it weighs in at just over a pound. It has flaps that allow you to close it off from either or both ends; you can also leave them open if the weather is cooperative. There are so many options on pitching the tarp that I really think it's worth it. It also sits snugly in its stuff sack so again, you'll be dealing with something about the size of a softball. Bottom line, all of this can be pricy but it's certainly within the budget you've set for yourself and, with a little bit of luck and a sale or two along the way, you may even spend less than you're planning.

That's all for now. Take care and until next time...Be well.

snapper

Worked? heck yeah, I've been using it for years. With a blue pad in the hammock and a fleece on me it works well down to probably -5C or so with just the poncho as a windblock holding some wrinkled up space blanket to make a bit of an air gap. I've gone colder using a 1.5 inch batt of cheap wal-mart poly insulation. (I actually got to -18C this way, and did fine, although that was colder than I had planned for..)

I do normally turn into a ground dweller below -10 o so.

Look into Wilderness Logics Tadpole tarp. I have one and love it! I'll get back to you on the hammock. Too many options and I'm about finish my daily Starbucks and get to work.

You've received some excellent info already. My entire family (wife and two daughters) all hammock, pretty much exclusively. Once you get your personal system down, you'll likely become a convert and stay that way. I started out making my own hammocks, before they became commercially available, from rip-stop nylon and rope. We pretty much use Hennessey's here, the fit has been great, and we saw no point or need to change. But....you'll hear lots of opinions about hammocks, all with merit. It boils down to personal preference. Down to about 20 deg., we stick with a Ridgerest pad inside, cut to size, and a good down bag or quilt, and that's it. I tried but don't like underquilts...just didn't work for me, plus, some of the places I hike run out of trees and I end up on the ground anyway. Foam pads work everywhere. We'll sometimes sling coated ripstop as an "undercover" to block wind. I used to use shiny mylar emergency blankets for the reflective value but found they shred after a few nights. We like simple. At the very start, about 20 years ago, I used those cheap net "pocket" hammocks from Walmart....even those horrible things were more comfortable than rocky ground!

I may attempt to make my own hammock... Seems like all the ones I've looked at online say that they are 11ft. And that just seems gigantic to me. If I do DIY it, I'm 5ft 3in, what is the shortest length I should go? Or does anyone know what other 5 footers say about the normal length? Are the comfy in a huge sling? It's actually kinda overwhelming, but I think once I get everything figured out, it will be worth it

When I make them, I start with about 3.5 yards of ripstop. Remember, much of that hammock is suspending it where it gathers on the ends, which is why it seems so long. I sew 3" reinforced hems on the ends "tapered" at each hem end so the sides of the hammock draw about an inch tighter than the middle. You'll sleep diagonal, across the center line. So, 10-12 feet of cloth is a good start. You can always shorten it. I use Stitchwitch to iron over the side hems, unless you just want to sew it. Make sure it's uncoated ripstop. You want it to "breath".
Your rope can be any good nylon rope with the proper weight rating. You can get fancy with suspension lines later...or not.

You want it to be long, because the idea is you won`t sleep with the curve of the hammock - you want to sleep crossways across it - that`s why they are made long. Instead of lining your head and feet up with the hanging ropes and being in the shape of a banana, you can angle your head and feet about 20 degrees from that - when you are a bit crossways you can sleep pretty much flat - of course if you don`t like that you angle a bit the other way. I can sleep on my side and even my stomach like that in a hammock. For your first one, I would definately stick with the longer lengths. I have shorter hammocks (like my little nano-7) but they aren`t as comfortable as the nice big ones.

Oh I see. It may be awhile, but whether I DIY or buy, I'll let you you know how it went. If I remember, lol. Thank you all for the information! Getting ready for another hike, I'll be on the ground yet again for this one





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You could always whip up that "risk's test hammock" and try it out.. that'll give you a good idea for size and how to sleeep in it with no sewing involved.

Check out Amazon honestly your best bet just read reveiews and watch youtube videos for more in depth looks visually. I would look into the ENO hammock, snug pak jungle bag for warm weather has a built in mosquito net, and kelty noah tarp all available at amazon for $200.00 tops on amazon I know I looked your talking like 4#. The sleeping bag super good deal right now Columbia has one their site for $100.00called the reactor 25 its 48 ozs.

O my gosh, I am so sore! Friday, around 10am, we went in on a 31.6 mile hike on a OHT in Arkansas. I'm so tired, I forget exactly the name of where we entered... But i do know 1118 before Moccasin, well after if you'd come in the other direction. I didn't realize how out of shape I am. All I can think of is that I'm glad I am giving up cigs. The half of the first day was when it started to get me... Heart rate raised greatly going uphill and legs and feet got sore, but I ignored it and pushed on. The second day, my legs were already sore when we started, but again we had went that far, so my thoughts were that there was no use in whining... Because that wouldn't get me anywhere. But a couple of miles before we was going to make camp, we had to go up this hill. I was dragging and almost to the top when I realized I had tears rolling. I was like, "Why am I crying, oh... I'm hurting!". The third day, was the best day, I hurt so bad that it didn't hurt. And at lunch, I popped some ibprophin and put an energy packet in my water, and off I went. Well my lessons are to exercise, to figure out how to lighten my load, to invest in better socks and boots, and last but not least... Don't jump into a 30 or more mile hike when not used to it anymore, but aleast I know I can do it if needed, lol. But regardless of my pain, I am so thankful that I got to see some amazing beauty. Well worth it. Definately gonna have hike the other trails, better prepared of course

I didn't mean to go off ranting... To stay on topic, I probably will try out Risk's. If I don't like it, I'll try something else. Thanks guys

I know how that feels. Oh, one more thing, pictures or it didn't happened!

I'll offer you should feel darn good about how you held up. I've been telling people on the forum here for years that Ozark trails are some of the toughest you'll hike anywhere and 10 miles a day here is the limit I recommend for hikers in darn good shape.

I keep my hikes around 8 miles or under, generally closer to 6 miles a day, because I like to dawdle around a lot and I mostly bushwhack (hike off trail).

It's important to note that bushwhacking here is not more difficult than hiking our trails. It's slower for sure but it's very often quite a bit easier.

In my opinion when you start doing more than 6-8 miles a day here you're zooming by some spectacular scenic spots that are well worth spending time at and I believe it's almost shameful if you don't.

I routinely turn down hikes with friends who insist on doing that many miles. My whole purpose for being out there is to immerse myself in that scenic beauty and I just will not rush by it. Sometimes I just stay there for a day or two and ditch whatever plan I had. If I'm lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time, I'm staying there. My only regrets when I've got back stemmed from not stopping. I've never regretted not making more miles.



The past week has been about as good as it gets here. Good to hear you got out and enjoyed it!!!

A lot of people find they sleep much more comfortably in a hammock than on the ground. Your budget range is reasonable. In picking a hammock, I imagine you'll want a bug net for warm weather hiking. At your size, you should only need a single layer hammock (as opposed to double layer). A standard 10' length would be fine. Generally, there are 3 basic suspensions that you can choose from. There are ropes (on cheaper hammocks, but a hassle), web straps with carabiners (super easy to set up), or whoopie slings (smallest, lightest suspension, but a little more complicated than straps). Those things should help you narrow your hammock decision. I'm partial to my Warbonnet Blackbird, with straps and biners for ease of use.

The next big thing to consider is bottom insulation. In a hammock, you need most of your insulation underneath. (That seems counterintuitive, yes.) You might want to play with closed cell foam pads to see if they work for you. Be forewarned that they tend to slide around in a single layer hammock. They stay in place much better when sandwiched in a double layer hammock, but that would be overkill for your size. I used one for a year, and found they kept me warm into the 50's, but I had some miserable nights when it was colder.

In contrast, an underquilt is very warm and doesn't move around as much. If you plan to be in 20-30* weather, you'll want a 20* rated underquilt, unless you'd get a 40* rated quilt and supplemented with a pad and extra clothes. (Note that a 20* underquilt alone is versatile, since you can always loosen it to vent heat in warmer weather.) It seems like the high end cottage manufacturer's temp ratings are much truer than with mass produced gear. You could go with a full length underquilt for max warmth and convenience, or with a 3/4 length to drop bulk/weight. If you do that, however, you'll need a short piece of foam to insulate under your legs (which negates any bulk/weight savings), unless you would already plan to carry a pad to be covered in any condition, including sleeping on the ground.

For top insulation, you can use your regular sleeping bag. There's no need to wrangle yourself inside as if you would on the ground. Just zip the first 18-24" of the foot end closed and pull the rest up like a blanket. That's how topquilts are made to be used. You can get a true topquilt to save a lot of bulk and weight, but your budget probably will only allow either an underquilt or a topquilt.

For a tarp, silnylon is probably in your budget. You'll want it to be slightly longer than your hammock. Diamond shaped are the easiest to set up, but I like a caternary cut with 4 stakeout points to provide better rain protection.

That's the basics, anyway. You'll definitely want to spend some time getting used to a hammock setup in a back yard setting before you venture out. There's a bit of a learning curve to figure out how to dial everything in so you're warm and comfortable.