My aim is never to win an argument. My aim is to find the truth. I am more convinced to what is true by actual experience than by speculation.
Hammock Tent
- Thread starter Mike_H
- Start date
I recently bought this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0952TXY2T?tag=wranglerorg-20
Haven't camped in the yet, just napped in the yard. I'm happy with the purchase as it was only about $50, but I plan to get a better one at some point.
1) They call it a "double" but no way. Maybe if you're both around 5'2" it'd work. I'm 5' 10" and my wife is 5' 7" and while we can squeeze in there's no way we're sleeping.
Are there any true double camping hammocks where 2 people can actually sleep?
2) It folds up small as there's no poles but it's heavier that expected. A backpacking tent is lighter, and probably easier to set up if you have a good site. But this gets you off the ground so that's a big advantage.
Once you have 2 or more people a tent will be smaller and lighter than multiple hammocks.
Definitely looking at the recommendations in this threat!
Haven't camped in the yet, just napped in the yard. I'm happy with the purchase as it was only about $50, but I plan to get a better one at some point.
1) They call it a "double" but no way. Maybe if you're both around 5'2" it'd work. I'm 5' 10" and my wife is 5' 7" and while we can squeeze in there's no way we're sleeping.
Are there any true double camping hammocks where 2 people can actually sleep?
2) It folds up small as there's no poles but it's heavier that expected. A backpacking tent is lighter, and probably easier to set up if you have a good site. But this gets you off the ground so that's a big advantage.
Once you have 2 or more people a tent will be smaller and lighter than multiple hammocks.
Definitely looking at the recommendations in this threat!
I’ve used them. I’m saying they are bad. My only intent is to helpyou, a new hammock camper, not have a bad experience.
I’ve studied “vapor barrier” as a means of insulation. Done right It’s an art. Done wrong it’s a recipe for disaster and misery. I’ve used closed cell foam, Mylar and bubble sheets. They were awful for the reasons I mentioned. Same reason neoprene seat covers suck.
Go to HD and buy a sheet. Sit on it for five minutes. Make a decision.
Sold thousands. 61 reviews.
i tried the pad route two decades ago. It sucked. I will never recommend it. Certainly not to a new hammock camper.
But you gotta do you.
Does this have a ridge line? Not the line that the bug net is clipped to but a line from end gather to the other end gather? If not, try adding one. Simple to do. It preloads the sag in hammock making it far more comfortable. The ridge line should be shorter than the overall length of the hammock. To be exact, it should be 83% of the length of the hammock. This could be a good kit to get started.
I’m camping now….
This line goes between the end gathers and keeps the sag set so you aren’t bent like a banana
Cheap mod the has a huge return in comfort.
For clarity.. that’s an 11’ DIY hammock. Half bug net. Fabric is 1.6 Hyper D. Hammock Gear 40F short underquilt and 55F Enlightened Equipment top quilt.
When you say DIY...You mean sewing them up yourself or just buying pieces that go together...or something in between? A project like that sounds fun, but right now, I don't have time to pull it off. Maybe if I really get into it...
FWIW, I noticed that Hennessy Hamocks was running a really nice sale on the 4 season Explorer XL that I've been looking at. Its actually been in my cart, so when I saw the sale kicked off this week, I pulled the trigger. 75 bucks off so I got it shipped to my house for about 250 dollars. I was pricing out onewind and had a few items in my cart on Amazon, but decided to go with the made in Canada option, since the delta was 75 dollars and I'm far more confident in the temp ratings of a Canadian Company vs going with Amazon, no matter how many good reviews they have.
I'll give it a test run here hopefully next weekend, and see how it works. I don't actually have any trees I can tie off to at my house, so I'll have to camp at mom and dads...Will also be a good test of the bug netting, LOL. The temp here is going to be pretty warm still though. I hope I can give the foam pad between the layer a good test. Worse comes to worse, its still a dual layer hammock that I could stuff my sleeping back in, and put an underquilt on (which I can get from Amazon next day, if I need).
Gonna have to get a couple wool blankets too. I'm excited!
Excellent choice. Looking forward to your next steps. I am excited for you!! Feel free to PM me if you have any questions you think I might be able to help with.
If the temps are high you'll be good. This trip will probably be more about learning to sleep in the hammock than staying warm. So.. Your goal is to lay diagonal across the hammock, not straight down the center. The latter will leave you in an awfully uncomfortable banana shape while a diagonal lay will leave you almost flat and far more comfortable. Experiment with orientation. Head left and feet right or the opposite. I slept head left for about a year not realizing that switching to head right was so much more comfortable.
I have found I don't need a pillow.
Bring a trash bag to throw your shoes in under your hammock. You could wake up with them full of free-loaders or gone completely.. ask me how I know this. A supermarket bag is good enough. I have a few dog poop bags in my kit. Come in handy for a lot of stuff and weigh nothing.
Don't be a surprise if your first night is less than perfect. Stick with it. You feel more exposed than you would be in a tent. Truthfully, you're not really, but it does feel that way. The whole orientation thing takes experimentation. As does getting in and out at night to "water the trees".
If bugs are going to be an issue you can try this.. Most night bugs are attracted to light. Leave your hammock zipped up and hang a light at one end of your tarp. Turn it on a few minutes before turning in. The bugs will migrate to it. When ready to sleep, turn it off and hustle in to the hammock leaving the bugs outside. I used to use something like this. And Luci Lights or Luci Candles are a good solar solution.
The DIY question.. I suppose the answer is "both". Of course I have pieced together my kit from various manufacturers.. Mostly Z-Packs, HammockGear, Enlightened Equipment, Zimmerbuilt and HyperMountainGear. But I have also sewn a lot of my own gear. I've made four or five tarps, top and under quilts, more hammocks than I can count, stuff sacks, carbon fiber trekking poles. It helps that I have a sewing machine. In the backpacking/hammock world we call it a "thread injector" so it sounds a little more manly.
As mentioned above, I still use three of the hammocks I made. Easy project if it's a net-less. More complicated with a bug net, but not too bad. Removable/zippered bug nets are even more complicated. All the tarps I made have been replaced by HammocGear tarps as I worked through my kit to lighten it as much as I could. I've sewn Dyneema Composite Fabric. It's just really expensive so mistakes are unforgiving. I rely on the pros. Same for my backpacks. All are DCF. Three are full custom Zimmerbuilt packs. One is a Z-Packs Arc Blast. For reference... my summer tarp weighs 4 ounces.
Trees or lack of or poorly positioned trees.. When camping out of the Jeep I often use only one tree, with the other end on the Jeep roll bar. It leaves me a little lower than I like to lay but makes site selection a lot easier. There are a few companies that make pole systems that allow you to have no trees... Check out TensaOutdoors
Being able to hang on my property has been a huge advantage. I get to test gear year round even if I can't get out on the trail. And it gives me an easy retreat if things go sideways. My wife and daughter think I am nuts.. maybe so.
Man this thread is great. I have been hammocking inside my LJ about once a year and usually freeze my tail off in a bag that works just fine on a pad on the ground in the same 45-50F temps. Also there's not enough length for a ridge line or a long enough hammock so I think my whole body is on the calf ridge. It's too late to deal with a few of these issues for this year (I'm leaving a week from tomorrow) but I've got some ideas...like maybe instead of my mummy bag inside the hammock, I run the hammock through a full size bag so it acts like an under quilt.
Do any of these hammocks have a glory hole in the bottom so I can just drop my "drain hose" through without getting out?
(Obviously with some sort of receiving container if I'm inside the jeep). I don't know if it's the elevation or what but I end up taking a leak 3-4 times a night despite only doing it about once at home, and care with the amount and types of fluid consumed. By the time I get out of the hammock and jeep and back in I'm wide awake and cold.
Do any of these hammocks have a glory hole in the bottom so I can just drop my "drain hose" through without getting out?
(Obviously with some sort of receiving container if I'm inside the jeep). I don't know if it's the elevation or what but I end up taking a leak 3-4 times a night despite only doing it about once at home, and care with the amount and types of fluid consumed. By the time I get out of the hammock and jeep and back in I'm wide awake and cold.
Man this thread is great. I have been hammocking inside my LJ about once a year and usually freeze my tail off in a bag that works just fine on a pad on the ground in the same 45-50F temps. Also there's not enough length for a ridge line or a long enough hammock so I think my whole body is on the calf ridge. It's too late to deal with a few of these issues for this year (I'm leaving a week from tomorrow) but I've got some ideas...like maybe instead of my mummy bag inside the hammock, I run the hammock through a full size bag so it acts like an under quilt.
Do any of these hammocks have a glory hole in the bottom so I can just drop my "drain hose" through without getting out?
I'd guess that the extra urination is due to being cold at night vs when you're home in bed....Or, you drink more when you're camping (alcohol) which is a diuretic
I'd guess that the extra urination is due to being cold at night vs when you're home in bed....Or, you drink more when you're camping (alcohol) which is a diuretic
I intentionally didn't drink beer in the evening on the last trip to test this theory...still got up a bunch of times. Could definitely be the cold though, and I can't rule out elevation...I live at 1200' and these trips are at 10-12k'. Last week we ran up to the cabin at 7,300' and the first night I was up 4 times. Third night only once, like I was adjusting. Also no alcohol involved there...been on a little bit of a health kick and haven't had alcohol since 7/16.
EDIT: Turns around it's a real thing. https://www.pacificadventureclub.co...tion, a phenomenon known as altitude diuresis.
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Internal bladder pressure increases with decreasing outside pressure. I calculate it to be....
...a lot.
Seriously, measure the pressure of your tires at low elevation then at high elevation.
High elevations are usually very dry. Combined with typically increased activity levels, one will usually drink more in response to feeling dry.
Another potential variable is diet changes. Carbs and salt make the body retain water. Reducing these will prompt the body to flush excess water. Carbs are the bigger factor, and why people drop weight so quickly when starting a keto diet.
Man this thread is great. I have been hammocking inside my LJ about once a year and usually freeze my tail off in a bag that works just fine on a pad on the ground in the same 45-50F temps. Also there's not enough length for a ridge line or a long enough hammock so I think my whole body is on the calf ridge. It's too late to deal with a few of these issues for this year (I'm leaving a week from tomorrow) but I've got some ideas...like maybe instead of my mummy bag inside the hammock, I run the hammock through a full size bag so it acts like an under quilt.
Do any of these hammocks have a glory hole in the bottom so I can just drop my "drain hose" through without getting out?
Convection trumps conduction. The ground is retaining some warmth that is gone once you're suspended. The slightest breeze passing by you will suck the warmth from you in a blink. Not sure, but it sounds right. I have slept on the ground only a few times and those were decades ago.
I assume you're connected to the front roll bar by the windshield and the opposite rear corner. What is that distance in an LJ? And what is the length of your hammock. Does your hammock have a ridgeline?
I have a friend who hangs at BIG negative temps.. like -30F to -40F. Those temps can kill you. Not for me. Things wrong REALLY fast at that temperature. Anyway, he turns his coat inside out after zippering it up with the arms inside and slides his feet in, right over the quilt. Not over the hammock. That might work but I suspect you don't own a mummy bag big enough to encase the entire hammock, especially if there is a ridge line on the hammock.
So one of the very early Hennessy hammocks was a bottom entry setup. I never tried it. There are tales of guys dangling their participles out the bottom entry to take care of business. Just keep your shoes out of the way. Far more common is a pee bottle. A large dedicated Nalgene. Kills two birds. You pee in it, so that problem is solved. Then you toss the warm bottle in the foot box of your top quilt to warm your feet. I never did that either. I can make it through most nights without needed a biology break, and if I do get up, no problem getting back to sleep. In really cold weather I have boiled water, poured it in a Nalgene put the Nalgene in a cozy, then in a ziplock and tossed that in the foot box. It doesn't give off enough warmth to risk it leaking. A wet quilt is game over. Truth told, just throwing the cozy covered Nalgene in the bottom of back pack (usually hanging on the foot end tree) is enough to keep the water from freezing. PSA-Not all Nalgene's can handle boiling water without deforming and make sure there is no air in the Nalgene after filling it or it will compress while it cools and you're have a hell of a time unscrewing it in the morning. Ask me why I know these tidbits...
I suppose this makes sense.
I am wrong person to offer any feedback on the whole fluid, alcohol intake & peeing..
I have a tradition that is upheld every time I am on the trail. I usually drink it all on the first night so I don't have to carry it.
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I'm Italian... it's easy.
Roll on your side, open the bottle, insert and let 'er rip. Probably best to use a wide mouth 32 oz Nalgene.
Like I said.. never did it.
Kinda agree. But it's not bad when it's ice cold. And a splash in hot chocolate before sleep works.You had me right up until fireball!
Usually Bulleit or Makers Mark. Casamigos if we don't have a ton of miles the next day.
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I’m a four roses, wild turkey, woodford guy. I also like to dabble in the gins, rums and tequilas too, lol
Gin never did it for me.
Two fingers of Tequila and half a lime FTW.
You need to carry as much!!
Usually it's the opposite but soil, while not quite an insulator, isn't really a good conductor of heat, either, at about 30-100 times worse than most materials used for heat transfer. So in this case convection wins.
Yes, and not far - probably not 7' if I had to guess. It gathers pretty badly around my feet and face. I'm not sure a ridgeline would work right because my height at 6'0" is probably close to 83% of the distance between those corners, if not more.
A buddy gave me his military modular sleep system which has multiple optional layers but it worked well last time even on top of the hammock...I ended up with my arms and head out of the bag to cool off. But it's bigger and bulkier than my other bags which is why I'm thinking my smaller bag might work if the hammock is inside it. It's a pretty small hammock...lightweight material, no spreaders or ridgeline or anything like that. Its small enough that I just close it up and tie it up to the roll bar in two places to keep it from hanging and swinging while I wheel.
If I'm pretty sure it's not gonna rain I might try setting it up with a ridgeline between the roll bar and a tree. But some of these campsites are above timberline and I'm not gonna mess with poles and stuff.
I've heard of the nalgene thing, never tried it in the hammock because the way it hangs in the TJ (like a banana) it's gonna slide down to my hips. But I don't camp that cold. It's high elevation Colorado but it's still August. Might get down to the 30s at the coldest, and I suspect the closed up soft top holds some of the heat in better than if I was just out in the open. At the very least I'm protected from wind. I'd have been in bad shape on these trips if I hadn't been inside the jeep.
I've never been much for the hard stuff, but I used to enjoy a beer or two most nights. Nowadays I'm finding sleep more difficult to come by (even in my own bed) so I plan to abstain this year, or maybe enjoy my beer with lunch.
Gins never used to, but a buddy of mine is a pretty good bar tender and has introduced me to a few that are surprisingly good. I'm starting to develop a taste for it...especially with the flavored carbonated waters. In fact, I'm having a Lemon LaCroix with a splash of lemon juice and a couple fingers of a London Dry right now!
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