hammock is your friend

So many people talk of hammocks on my last thread I decided to start doing a bunch of research on this to see if this is a viable option for me. Since I have never looked into this before I don't really know the good websites for the all good UL hammocks available.

I am trying to find a good website that talks about hammock camping all together saying what it involves, the dos and don't, what you need to consider, etc, etc. Any useful links would be greatly appreciated.

It seems the biggest pro is the comfort. Inreasing my comfort while limiting my weight seems like a no brainer to me saving weight from a bivy/tarp and pad.

http://hikinghq.net/hammock/hammock.html

Just found this website. It seems pretty darn cool, telling me about it as well as listing all the manufactors. If you have supliments to this, let me know <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Try:

http://www.hammockforums.net/

SGT Rock's site (which you found) is a great resource. In addition I recommend http://www.imrisk.com and http://www.tothewoods.net.

The father of modern hammocking you might say is Ed Speer. He sells hammocks and kits for making hammocks, etc at http://www.speerhammocks.com. But he also wrote a book called "Hammock Camping" which is a great resource for learning about hammocking. In fact there is a web site about the book, <a href="htp://www.hammockcamping.com." target="_blank">htp://www.hammockcamping.com.</a>

The most common brand of hammock out there is a Hennessy and his site is useful also, http://www.hennessyhammocks.com. But there are lots of other hammock producers as well (Clark Jungle Hammocks, ENO, etc).

Hammocks are definitely more comfortable than sleeping on the ground but there is some debate as to whether they are weight saving. A hammock and bugnet weigh more than a bivy (because of the need for lines to attach to the trees) and you still need a tarp. For warm weather camping they are more likely to save weight because all you need is the hammock and tarp whereas on the ground you would still need a pad. For cold weather it may reverse because you need more insulation to keep your heat in (the wind blowing under you really steals the heat).

But it turns out that ground sleepers need different amounts of padding to be comfortable too. Try this, get a light weight pad (borrowing might be best for an experiment) and try sleeping in your backyard. If you sleep well then a hammock won't be lighter. If you find the ground too hard then you are going to need more than one pad to be comfortable and so the hammock begins to look like a lighter weight option.

I already know that I won't be comfortable sleeping on the ground with anything less then an inflatable air matress.

After reading SGT Rock's site I am even more imperssed with hammock camping. There is much more versitility then I thought there would be. To be honest, the site sold me. Now it is just a matter of which one to get. I am still doing more research on bottom insulation. It seems you can buy something that is on the bottom outside but they are REALLY expensive. Luckily pads are super light weight and might work for me. I know warmth is a critical in the rockies, so I have to carefully look into this.

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Yes those underquilts costs a pretty penny. I haven't made that plunge yet. I use a CCF pad INSIDE my hammock. The trick with using a pad in a hammock is that the hammock comes up around your sides as well as being under you. So you need a wider pad that bends up to insulate around you as well as under you.

Ed Speer has a product that holds several small pads together to accomplish this.

http://www.speerhammocks.com/Products/SPE.htm

Yes, I have looked into these.

On another note...since from my understanding down sleeping bags are not as beneficial in hammocks, down quilts are the way to go. I guess that is why an underquilt or how ever you say that is so crucial since I really don't have any warmth protection on my back. Pads can only do so much....so.....I think I will be set for the summer months anyways and when fall hits and the temp drops I can better evaluate what I need.

I'm going to strongly recommend that you take a look at Big Agnes sleeping bags for hammock use. The pad slides into a sleeve in the sleeping bag, which keeps the pad from wiggling around in the hammock, which, I'm told, can be a real problem in many hammocks. Get a left-zip bag so it'll work in any hammock you might get. The system also works well on the ground.

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Big Agnes, just a satisfied customer.

Actually I think a sleeping bag a bit of a waste even on the ground. The problem is that the down (or whatever insulation you have) compresses under the weight of your body and so provides little insulation. That happens in a hammock and it happens on the ground. A quilt puts the insulation just on top of you where it will do some good (also saves weight).

On the ground the insulation under you comes from the pad.

In a hammock the insulation underneath can be a pad or an underquilt or both.

It seems like I am being forced to buy an underquilt in order to survive 3 season weather in the rockies. This is very unfortunate then <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

You don't have to have an underquilt, pad(s) will work fine. Which you prefer, quilt or pad, is more a comfort issue than anything. I don't mind a pad at all in a hammock with the system I use, some people just hate them. But either will keep you warm with sufficient R-value.

I have been comfortable in freezing temperatures in a hammock using just pads. As it gets colder you can just keep adding more pads. I'm not sure an underquilt is ever required. But it may be lighter weight and is certainly less bulky. For the time being I'm happy without an underquilt.

I have been down to 0 F with pads. Two oware pads (one lengthwise and one doubled the other way) and an insulmat SL basic. Almost 1" thick in total. I wore thermawrap clothes with a JRB RMS overquilt. I was chilly but survived and slept most of the night.

You will have to figure out whether you are a "back sweater" or not. If you sweat, you will need an UQ or peapod or something. Otherwise pads work ok. I like the evazote ones from owareusa or gossamer gear, as they're thin and flexible yet warm.

Also, look into an SPE, they get good reviews. And I second the mention of hammockforums.net

I made a Ray Way quilt from a kit for under ninety bucks - decent synthetic quilts with a variety of optional features. Mine is too warm in the summer. Great for spring and fall, when nights dip into freezing temps.

I got a Jacks R Better 3 season quilt with some of my tax rebate money - they make the Nest for the Hennessy with a slit that matches the opening on the hammock, the No Sniveler for a top quilt that you can wear like an extra layer for warmth (head hole) and the Hudson River, which I have, which I love to pieces and have used on my bed.

So I also got a pad from Gossamer Gear, 41" wide specially for hammocks and light as a feather, and now I can use my down quilt as a top quilt. Folding the pad in half for ground use seems perfectly do-able. I fold it in half, roll it up and strap it to the outside of my pack.

You can get a kit from Thru HIker to make a down quilt for about two thirds the cost of a JRB quilt, or check out the Preacher's Wife threads at hammockforums.net to see about the cost of a 3/4 underquilt for your hammock (when you decide on one) as she does excellent work with a sewing machine.

AND - frequently hammockers sell off slightly used gear at hammock forum as well. So you might snag a deal over there on a whole setup, hammock quilt and tarp.

I've got pretty much the same set up, except I don't have the 41" pad. I use a blue, walmart ccf pad along with a fleece blanket inside the hammock. This has taken me down to 23F. I also use the RayWay quilt.

You can also make an underquilt from an old, lite weight sleeping bag. I believe that Phat uses a poncho as part of his "under covering". The silnylon cuts the wind and creates a dead air space. That's the idea behind the "hammock sock", which I have also made and use. The great thing about hammocks is all the experimenting you get to do!

So, you don't really have to have a top-of-the-line underquilt. But, they sure are nice! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

And Lori is right, if you hang out on the hammock forums board you can generally find what you need. They swap a lot of gear over there.

Tango

alot of underquilts aren't required replys is good to hear <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> I was actually not going to get one for awhile anyways while I tough out the summer months, and as it gets colder in the fall I can then evaluate what I need.

I have been too focused on SUL rather then enjoying the backpacking trip itself. So far I think I was able to put together a complete sleeping system and backpack that is around 5lb. That is very comforting (but pricey <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />)

I don't use an underquilt - I use a wide (27") blue foam pad inside a speer type rig, and then
to go colder I rig an integral designs silponcho underneath as first a windblock, and then later an
insulation taco/deconstructed underquilt - for cold weather I bring a vaguely hammock shaped ratty chunk of wal-mart poly batting that I stuff between the poncho and the hammock - basically an underquilt but the poncho has zillions more uses.

The pad pocket is a good idea. I use a pad under my bag in the hammock and find that it moves around during the night. Very annoying. If the pad is in a pocket under the hammock it would perform much better and stay put. BTW my home built hammock can be entered from either side. I'm not familiar with other hammocks. Are some hammocks enter from left side only?
My bag is a rectangle right zip that I use as a quilt in warm weather. I can kick it off me if I get to warm. I can zip it up and still move around if it gets colder. My hammock performed great on the last outing but my next modd will be a underpocket for the pad.

> If the pad is in a pocket under the hammock it would perform much better and stay put.

No doubt. What I like about the Big Agnes bag is that I don't have to have a hammock with a pad pocket, the bag sleeve takes care of it. That means it works in my bug-netted warm weather hammock and also in my lighter netless winter toploader (neither of which has a pad sleeve of its own, saving weight). A pad sleeve would be a good option if you only use one hammock, though.

> Are some hammocks enter from left side only?

Maybe, I don't know, but entry's not why I say that. Hennessey hammocks are bottom entry so you have bomb-proof bug protection (no zippers or velcro to mess with on the bug netting) and asymmetrical (the diagonal lay is built right into the hammock, feet to right, head to left). That means a left-zip bag works better in a Hennessey. It also works fine in any top-loading hammock I know of, so I recommend left-zip bags for anyone interested in hammocking.

> My bag is a rectangle right zip that I use as a quilt in warm weather. I can kick it off me if
> I get to warm. I can zip it up and still move around if it gets colder.

My BA Mystic has a full zipper; it's basically an overquilt that mates to a pad in a sleeve with insulation at the junction to prevent cold spots. Fully unzipped, you can toss it to the side. Fully zipped, it's a rectangular bag with a hood and decadently comfortable to roll around in. It's my luxury item, one choice of gear I made all on my own (as opposed to listening to folks more experienced than I am -- Hi, Bearpaw) that was actually smart.

Thanks to the folks in this forum and the hammocking forum, I finally have a set of gear that I'm happy with. And there's less of it than before. A lot less. A lot lighter. And a lot fewer mistakes made in the gathering (though I surely made more than a few on the way).

one thing I wonder about hammock sleeping: I'm a stomach/side sleeper. I understand on a hammock one has to sleep mainly on the back, some on the sides, so how is the transition for a stomach sleeper? Is there a stomach sleeper out there who can share his/her experience?

franco

There is a hammock made by Jacks-R-Better called a bridge hammock that allows you to sleep on the stomach.
Hop over to Hammockforums.net and you'll find several threads regarding this type of hammock.

Tango

http://www.jacksrbetter.com/

I'm a side/stomach sleeper and I sleep fine in a hammock, but again, you're best to try it yourself
first before buying one - the trick is to go slightly diagonal on a hammock so you're basically flat. then you can sleep on your side with no trouble at all. Just remember though, everyone is different. it's best to try it out yourself beforehand.

In a bed I generally sleep on my side or stomach. In a hammock I am generally on my back and sometimes (rarely) my side. For me, I think a bed is rather uncomfortable hence my need to go on my side or stomach. It is the slight curve in the hammock which makes it comfortable (for me) on my back. As has been stated by others, try it out first. Don't assume that because you sleep one way in bed means you will sleep the same way in a hammock. It certaintly isn't true for me. YMMV

For Overnight upto 3 day trips where i dont expect much more than a sprinkle or light shower i carry a Ul hammock and Fly both made from tyvek awsome light and sleps so comfy. combined with with my marmot hydrogen bag ive stayed perfectly dry in heavy rain but dont recomend it.