Hanging?

Hurakan

Hurakan

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Jun 18, 2013
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Just curious as to how many people use hammocks instead of a tent when possible? And what setup are you running? And how do you like it? Be nice to see what you guys use and get some ideas.

Personally I really find it more comfortable, and over all a better system than a tent. I don't have to worry about the terrain as long as I have trees. Really quick and easy to setup and what really is nice is when I pack up, only the rainfly might be damp. I can still go to ground and use it as a bivy, but it wouldn't be something I would try to do unless I had too. I use a trash bag to put my backpack in and have sewn pockets inside and on the sides for my gun and some misc items.

For example: I have 3 Clark Jungle hammocks the Vertex, Flex 180 and the NX-250. I use Either a 20 Degree down UQ on everything but the Vertex and that uses the Climashield UQ.

For suspension I really like these http://dutchwaregear.com/whoopie-hook-suspension-kit-with-whoopie-sling.html other than when you get tree sap on the slings.

For a top quilt I have been using an old moonstone down bag I removed the zippers and its rated at 25 Degrees. However, I'm going to get a zero degree top quilt from underground quilts. I don't think its cost/time effective to make my own down TQ, im going to make one out of climashield 5.0 Oz Apex that comes in a kit and I just have to sew it. http://thru-hiker.com/kits/apex_quilt_kit.php Thinking it wont pack as well as down but work better as a car camping or spare TQ.

Also, what do you do with your dog? My Brother Airedale sleeps with him in the hammock, mines still a puppy but I'm thinking of making him his own bivy/sleeping bag I can either toss in a tent or attach it to hang under my hammock.
 
I'm a tent guy but you should talk to @12trysomething who is big into hammocks. He also has a YouTube channel called BackpackingAdventures where he talks quite a bit about his hammock setups.
 
Hey all that sleep above ground :)

Here is a short video from last night "Blizzard of 2015"


Lets talk hammocks
 
No hammock and no tarp here ......................... ever
 
I used a Hennessey Hammock this year for my week in the Uintas. I loved it! Slept comfy every night, and the bug screen kept the hords of mosquitos at bay!

I did use a Klymit half pad to help add some insulation to my sleeping bag though.
 
@Blake, my Brother loves his Hennessey and it's been thru some heavy storms with no problems. This year he bought a down under quilt and I'm going to sew velcro to sides so it fits better than using the shock cords. Under quilts are the way to go as your hammocks sides get covered and you also don't have a pad sliding around.

@12trysomething, nice videos you had me cracking up. I'm going to get some glow wire. I have been using reflective paracord but the glow wire is the way to go. His titanium dodads are sweet.

@Bob, I thought the same until I got sick of seeing my brother setup camp anywhere he wants and pack up without dealing with a wet tent or ground cover. He just shakes his rain fly and he's gone. Not too mention there's no blowing up pads, rocks, not having flat ground or if it's rains really bad water condensation or seepage thru the bottom. It's dependant on trees so it isn't always an option but when it is I'm using my hammock.

@ashergrey, I hear a lot of good stuff about that hammock. It's awesome to sleep without the rain fly!
 
There are so many great hammock makers out there. I currently have a:

Snipe from WildernessLogics
Netty from Hammeck
Argon from Dutchware
And a couple of Yukon (1 with a net, 1 without)

Dutch is selling a variety of hammocks, made with high end fabrics, for under $40. As stated above, the whoopiesling's suspension system rounds out a great setup.

The big step to total comfort, for me, was when I got my first underquilt. The can be viewed as a bit pricey, but I am very happy I saved and invested.

One of the best things to do, if interested in hanging, search out a group hang in your local area and test ride a bunch to see what you prefer. Hammock Forums has many listings for such events.

I agree with the versatility in site selection. I have spent the night in many a place where I never could have from my tent days.
 
@12trysomething, I agree a down under quilt makes a huge difference. If your a DIY you can make one yourself. I don't think I would mess with down but using climashield is pretty cheap. You can make a nice one for $100. Only down side is it wouldn't pack as well as down, but you could go to ground better with it. I'm going to make a top quilt soon and its really similar to an under quilt. Only thing different is I would add Velcro to attach it and not elastic. http://thru-hiker.com/kits/apex_quilt_kit.php

I have the Z Liners from Clark for my two person hammock and we slept very well in 30 degrees with a lot of wind. Just bulky, but not so bad I would use it. They use Climashield HL.

The hammock's I have are very rugged and can do OK with light rain even without a tarp. However, I'm looking at a lighter version for quick overnight trips with good weather.

One nice thing about Dutch is hes really easy to work with. I had an issue with an order and wanted to leave a message so in the morning he would get it at work. Ended up waking him up at home and he couldn't have been nicer about it. Took care of it right away.
 
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Here are some pics of our hammocks. I don't have many pics of them, just never thought about it I guess.

ISLD LK 01.jpg

This is at island Lake last year. Wife usually sleeps cold and she was nice and toasty at 30 Degrees. This is the two person Clark Jungle Hammock Vertex. Its bulky, but once its setup its very nice inside. This is what it looks like inside. http://www.junglehammock.com/product/vertex-with-weathershield/

Dead Horse..jpg


At Dead Horse and it was very windy with some heavy rain while we were up. Hammock in the back is a Hennessy and im using a Flex 180.


Amethst.jpg


At Amethyst, Perfect weather the whole time. Wish I would have left the tarp off. NX-250 and Flex 180.
 
@Hurakan Glad to hear that your Bro likes his too. I have yet to experience a rain storm with it. (a week in the Unitas and NO rain!?! How does that happen?? haha) Some things I liked about my setup:

PROS:
Hammock sets up super fast
With snake skins the take down is even faster!
Love the bottom entry and how the rain fly and bug net kind of just set themselves up automatically.
Using my Klymit Inertia X-Lite pad I get the insulation I need to stay warm with only 6.1 oz of weight.
Can be set up on the ground for an emergency bivvy if needed
Sleep Comfy every night! :)

CONS:
While the setup is pretty light, it still weighs in around 3.3lbs (3.7Lbs if you include the Sleeping Pad)
Dependent on finding a campsite with trees
 
@Blake Merrell, I think the Hennessy is great Hammock. Its way faster to setup than mine. I have seen my Brothers take 4 years of abuse with a dog in it without a tear or any kind of issue. Hes just sick of his pad, he just got a zero degree Underground quilt after hearing me rag on him so much about being cold and his pad moving around. Hes going to love it, an UQ is what makes hammocks really shine.

Also, if you ever go without your pad I have used my empty backpack and it works OK. Just toss my extra clothes over it and its bearable. The sides get pretty cold with the wind.

My setups are heavier, slower and bulkier. But I can take a heavy snowstorm, if my tarp gets destroyed I can take moderate rain, its about 10 degrees warmer when I use my weather shield, and its just roomy as hell. Its overkill, but I don't mind. I am going to get a lighter one for the summer and longer trips. I find once you start hanging, the people you go with want to try it so I get them on sale and buy one every year.

We should find a place where we can just drive up too on one of the coldest nights this winter and test our setups. That way if there is an issue we can modify it on the spot. I'm always, tinkering with mine.

BTW checkout the suspensions from dutch. They really are pretty sweet, you might even drop some more weight from your setup.
 
I really got into the hammock idea in the tail end of 2013, and was looking at Hennessee, Exped, and of course the more abundant ENO systems. I was leaning on a Hennessee, then discovered the Exped Scout and was really attracted to it for the versatility and durability it promised but was put off after considering the weight on it. A full ENO setup looked to be about the same. As I was doing my research, the hammock world really opened up to me via Hammock Forums and Derek Jensen with all of his hammock knowledge and resources. That all led me to stumble upon the Switchback made by Tree to Tree Trail Gear. Disappointed that it didn't include a tarp and suspension with it like so many of the other kits out there did, I opted to go the DIY route.

I really wanted a lightweight hammock like that complete with bug net and double layer for a pad. As you can see, I'm limited with my budget, so a nice UQ was out of the question. So, I found out about diygearsupply.com and bought nearly all materials there. Having not touched a sewing machine since home ec class in jr high and doing terribly with it, I had my wife show me the ropes to setting up her machine. Well, after a few practice runs on some scrap fabric, I was feeling confident enough to start my hammock. Going off of only pictures, I patterned as best I could after the Switchback. I also made a minimalist tarp with sil-nylon and pattern from DIY. I then made myself some whoopie slings with dynaglide purchased from Dutch, some amsteel loops, and finally, some tree straps. The whoopies are bridged to the loops with aluminum loops. I just use the simple marlin spike with the tree straps to finish off the suspension. I also made myself a bishop bag with some of the leftover spare sil-nylon.

To finish off the whole kit, I got myself 8 aluminum MSR mini groundhogs. Up to 6 are used for staking out the tarp and hammock as desired. The other 2 are used on the Marlin spike. I also purchased a $5 large sized windshield reflector for an insulative pad. It measures about 72" by about 25". It's basically a thin flimsy styrofoam type pad with the silver reflective sheet on one side, weighs just a few ounces, and folds up quite compact. It fits perfectly in between my hammock layers, does not move, wraps over my shoulders, and kept me plenty warm in mid-summer. I have still packed my z-lite, more for use as a pad to sit on while cooking, sitting around campfire, and as an extra layer in case I have to go to ground or if I expect it to get down to the thirties and below. If I'm going to a place where I know I'll have good tress and mid summer, I'd probably leave it at home now that I know the windshield is adequate, at least in mid-summer here along the Wasatch thus far. All together, not counting the z-lite, the whole setup weighs in at approximately 3.5 lbs or so.

Oh, and I use the standard glow wire for my guy lines.

What's nice about the way the Switchback bug net works, along with some others out there, is that you can simply just flip the hammock over and lay on the other side when the bug net is not needed.

I also love my hammock for many of the same reasons mentioned above...

  • Relatively lightweight
  • Fast & easy setup, easy takedown
  • Versatile: Can be set up on any slope with suitable trees and can go to ground as a bivy type tent when trees are not available
I still don't know feel brave enough to take it out in winter yet though.

Here's a shot of it...

upload_2015-1-28_22-34-58.png
 
@WasatchWill, That's really nice! I also am learning to sew, I'm impressed. Which rip stop did you use for the hammock? The pads like the Hennessey are pretty much a sunscreen for the windshield anyways. Have you considered making your own UQ and then really push the weather? I thought about doing down but I hear its a pain. I have both, and the Climashield Z liner was toasty at 30 degress and would go to ground well. Just wont compress like down. I'm going to DIY one this spring.

I like how your bug netting is setup, being able to flip it over is also really useful. I think you thought it out very well, very nice. One thing though I really like is how my http://www.junglehammock.com/product/nx-250/ has pockets on the side. I have to move my UQ a bit too get to it but its very useful. So, I did a DIY and added some smaller pockets to the other hammocks. The large ones will come in handy if your using a pad to stuff your clothing or anything that can help insulate the sides. I think you would do fine in the winter, just add some clothing or an empty backpack to the bottom if you get cold. Its not great but I have had to do it when I first started and thought a pad or UQ wasn't a big deal. Its never happened again lol.

Is your family now all wanting you to make them their own hammocks?
 
Hurakan said:
@WasatchWill, That's really nice! I also am learning to sew, I'm impressed. Which rip stop did you use for the hammock? The pads like the Hennessey are pretty much a sunscreen for the windshield anyways. Have you considered making your own UQ and then really push the weather? I thought about doing down but I hear its a pain. I have both, and the Climashield Z liner was toasty at 30 degress and would go to ground well. Just wont compress like down. I'm going to DIY one this spring.

I like how your bug netting is setup, being able to flip it over is also really useful. I think you thought it out very well, very nice. One thing though I really like is how my http://www.junglehammock.com/product/nx-250/ has pockets on the side. I have to move my UQ a bit too get to it but its very useful. So, I did a DIY and added some smaller pockets to the other hammocks. The large ones will come in handy if your using a pad to stuff your clothing or anything that can help insulate the sides. I think you would do fine in the winter, just add some clothing or an empty backpack to the bottom if you get cold. Its not great but I have had to do it when I first started and thought a pad or UQ wasn't a big deal. Its never happened again lol.

Is your family now all wanting you to make them their own hammocks?
Click to expand...
I used 1.1 breathable ripstop nylon 2nds for both my bottom layers. It is extremely thin and lightweight and thus would not trust a single layer hammock made with it. In fact, if I push my finger into it hard enough, it will poke a hole through. But doubled up with a roll channel along with the bug net layer on it and a strip of 200d Oxford in the end channels to reinforce it all and triple stitched together, it holds up really well. I have considered a DIY UQ with some Climashield but haven't committed to it yet. I'll be interested to see how yours turns out. Down would be more ideal for the packability, but definitely above my confidence level for a DIY job with it. I've even seen a video of someone who came up with a way to take a mummy bag and cocoon it around their hammock. Didn't look as comfortable though and would make it harder to get a diagonal lay.

I do have some gear pockets sewn up on the inside as well as some D-Rings on the inside coming from each end a few inches to allow me to hook a pillow up (usually just my down coat in its stuff sack or other sack of clothing) to either end and an extra storage bag if desired to the other. Helps to keep it all from sinking to middle and needing to be moved out of the way when I get in and out.

Really, the biggest downside to my hammock that I can think of, is it doesn't really allow for a fixed ridgeline. I'm sure there is a way to rig one up with it if I wanted, but that bug net is currently suspended by a soft ridgeline called a "clothesline" on the inside and secured to the trees on the outside with some elastic cord. It's great for hanging socks on to dry, hanging glasses off of and fastening a light on, but not much else.

Those Jungle Hammocks are pretty nice looking and look like they're well designed with lots of features but are way out of my price range at the moment. I would love to have that double one they have to share with my wife on some trips. As for the rest of my family, I made my kids some jr size ones using some regular 2.0 ripstop purchased at JoAnne's. They have more fun swinging with them than relaxing.
upload_2015-1-29_10-9-27.png

I've given my wife a cheap $25 basic hammock from Walmart I bought as a trial hammock before investing more into them. Now I'm seeing basic parachute style hammocks of various brands at the same price all over the place. At first it was awkward for her, but after figuring out the diagonal lay and putting a small pillow, she enjoys napping in it now. Still haven't gotten her converted to fully camping in one. She prefers the extra privacy for changing clothes and what not that only a tent can provide.
 
As soon as I make the UQ Ill make sure to post it. Probably be a month or two. I'm actually, liking the Z liner UQ. Its pretty tough, I could easily go to ground with it. Just bulky, but its way cheaper than down and works well. My issue is I'm always bringing people that have no gear so I have to set them up. And I cant afford down TQ or UQ for everyone.

The two person hammock is very nice, but you could also sew two hammocks together. You more than welcome to check mine out and measure it all out. I get a really good deal on them as I get them on sale, repeat customer, and a military discount. They really work with me, that's why I buy them.

The down isn't so much that its hard to sew, as you sew it basically all without the down then stuff it in later. Its just a mess and also the down is expensive. I would rather just look for a sale and it probably would be the same cost. http://thru-hiker.com/projects/down_underquilt.php

You could get a tarp that has more coverage. Might help with the privacy concern.
 
The thing I like most about your setup's is that the hammock can be used to leisurely relax in. My Hennessy Hammock doesn't "easily" allow for casual lounging. Otherwise I love the all-in-one setup. and from the looks of it the weight is pretty light compared to some.
 
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