Will be spending a year traveling from Panama up through Central America into the states starting in Sept. of this upcoming year. My travel style involves hitchhiking and wild camping whenever possible. The goal is to develop a sleep system that will cover a range of conditions from suffocating tropical rainy nights laden with bugs to crisp desert chill in the mountains. Would appreciate any advice with regard to nighttime temperatures in the colder mountain ranges (through mexico) as well as any insight into sleep systems for 2 people (my thought right now is a 10x10 silnylon tarp setup with a homemade bug net paired with custom 40 degree quiltstyle bags and a VAPR-style bivy). My goal is to create a light and compact system that incorporates ultrahigh breathability for the tropics with the allowable risk of a few chilly nights in the desert mountains. Thanks for all your help!

hammock!

Jarred
This is not White Blaze. A hammock may not be the best choice , in fact not a much of a choice , for two people in the desert nor above tree line.
Franco

Franco,
Well he could use the hammock for the majority of his trip, until Mexico i imagine.

If he can sleep in a hammock, I don't see why he couldn't use one. Can also be used with a tarp and made bug-proof, so why not?

The temperatures, I travelled from Costa Rica till Mexico while I lived in Honduras for a year, the temperatures never get very cold, though high up in the mountains I would say a sleeping bag which brings you comfortably through 0°C would be in order. It shouldn't get under 0°C, so you don't need a heavy winter bag or something. You always could take a summer sleeping bag, and take for a the mountains a silk inlet with you, and maybe wear some extra cloths.

For real current temperatures, check google ;)

He says he needs a sleep system for 2. That pretty much rules out the hammock.

Use a 10 x12 tarp to cover the hammock and you have a two for one shelter. I do not know what the second person will do, however, except use a smaller tarp to covder the hammock, then both move to the bigger size tarp when sleeping on the ground. In the tropics, I think sleeping in a hammock would be great. Not as hot and away from ants and crawling bugs. Many people in Central America sleep in hammocks inside their homes.

Many people in the Peruvian amazon sleep in hammocks in their house. The whole family in one hammock because they can afford only one mosquito net.

Depending on where you are, protection from mosquitos is really important because of malaria. A good mosquito net is very important in malarial regions. The hot setup 20 years ago was to find a French Army surplus mosquito net. In some places I'd also worry about poisonous snakes without a tent.

Find a tropical infectious disease clinic to find out what immunizations you need for the places you're going. Treat all water carefully.

--Walter

Two hammocks and a tarp is going to be a heavier set up than a Double Rainbow or a Lunar Duo, plus just think of the logistics. There are hammock for two but don't often see reports of hikers using them , at least over a prolonged period of time, but it would be an ideal set up to get rid of an unwanted companion.
BTW, I somehow think that it is easier to set up a hammock or three inside a house then on unspecified locations...
Franco

I have thought about such a trip for myself before and I would go with the Tarptent Double Rainbow so that you could make it free standing if need be with your trekking poles. Some people like hammocks but personally I have been in far to many environments where there were too few trees to use or to many too close together. Better to be safe than sorry.

For bags just get a good 30F one that has a full zip that you can quilt out later. Much more versatility and safety.

Edited by brettpeugh on 04/17/2009 11:37:43 MDT.

Brendan, I have done this trip and all I can says is bugs bugs bugs, oh and snakes snakes snakes oh and hot hot hot oh and cold cold cold. I averaged $4.00 us per day for food and lodging and while I walked/swam/surfed the entire west coast of Costa Rica and was fine on the beach the jungle is just scary. Watch out for rainy season as travel by foot can be quite difficult. This is a great trip. I took no bag and used blankets as I needed them If you are in the jungle which is everywhere hammoks are great, NOTHING can prepare you for the bugs/heat/humidity. I would start with a lonely planet guide book. One last peice of advise, If you dont know the area dont be on the road after dark. Ali

moved

Edited by barefootnavigator on 04/17/2009 14:10:14 MDT.

:)

thanks for all the insight guys, much appreciated.

another question, are there any commerically available quilt'style summer bags (35 degree plus) that you have had experience with and/or could recommend?

Thanks again,
Brendan