Geeze, Kevin is that a greenhouse or a small chapel? {{{{GRIN}}}}}

With that porch and the swing, you just need a banjo [up Deliverance theme, fade to exit]

Edited by dwambaugh on 07/23/2011 19:24:51 MDT.

Dale,

Thanks - it really is as big as it looks. I like to put my poles under one side to hold it up in the direction I'm most interested in watching - usually towards my hiking buddies. It's really nice to have tarp that provides that kind of coverage and sets up so easily.

We had a couple of huge thunderstorms roll through the night that photo was taken and everything under the tarp stayed dry. I do like to put down (as shown in the photo) a polycro groundsheet under my tarp so that when I get up to answer natures call during the night my socks don't get all wet as I find my Montrails (especially in a mossy place like this one).

Speaking of which...Have other hammock users noticed that some gremlin moves their hiking shoes to the left or right a foot or more as they sleep? I sit in my hammock, take my boots off and line them up with the laces wide open so I can easily slip into them when I get up. I sleep for a little and then, when I sit up again, my boots are off to the side a foot or so and not where I left them. Dang gremlins!

PS - Why didn't you start this thread in the Hammocks forum?

"PS - Why didn't you start this thread in the Hammocks forum?"

They have the information there and I wanted to share with my UL buddies. As one person said on HF, "preaching to the choir." Indeed!

I was kidding--- I know that is a typical A-frame hammock tarp size. The coverage is needed with a "bunk" that is 9+ feet long. The diamond-pitched tarps don't give me a lot of foul weather confidence. I have the Hennessy Hex tarp that is about the same size, but it is PU coated and *not* light.

Great writeup, Dale! Made me hanker for hammocks again after quite a number of years giving up on them. I used to make quite a few hammocks back when Ed Speer's book, Hammock Camping first came out and Risk was still active on his MYOG hammock website, and I tried out a lot of different ideas back then. I could never really find the comfort zone in hammocking and so abandoned the idea. However, I've always been intrigued by the concept, especially, as you said, the ability to camp anywhere, even on steep, rocky terrain. Here in Japan a properly designed hammock would help me find camping spots that are often impossible to camp in in the very steep, very tree-covered, rocky terrain here, where ground campsites are often very small and hard to come by.

I've been a member of the Hammock Forums since it first started, but haven't been active in a long time... since before people like Te-Wa and The Professor joined and became popular. When I stopped by last year to learn about the newer and latest ideas for making hammocks, like whoopee slings, ultralight bridge hammocks, and Amsteel lines, I was so overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information that had accumulated during my absence that I snuck away with my tail between my legs. I haven't a clue how to get started now, or where to sit down and get a very strong base in making my own hammock now.

I've had an idea for a long time that I would really like to work out. I've been designing it on paper for quite a few years now and even bought some of the materials. Since I do most of my walking above tree line here in Japan, I need a shelter system that can be taken to the ground, but many opportunities exist for stringing a hammock between two points, and with a hammock I'd be able to camp in those difficult areas that often frustrate walkers here, plus, with the torrential rains here, a hammock would get me off the flooded grounds when I can. I'm thinking of making a hammock that is also a bivy, since basically they are the same thing, except one of them is just strung up. The problem is, most of the material that is used for hammocks is not very water resistant, and so the hammock wouldn't function so well as a bivy under a ground pitched tarp. I'm thinking to make the hammock/bivy out of lightweight kite Tyvek or two layers of Momentum, and reinforcing the material for when hanging, by sandwiching long strips of 1.4 nylon along the sides and one along the bottom, unstitched so as not to create a seam ridge. By creating two overlapping top flaps to the hammock I can effectively close the hammock when using it as a bivy and protect my quilt underneath. With this setup I can camp just about anywhere, hung up or on the ground and just use my Jacks R Us Rocky Mountain Sniveller as a serape and underquilt, and carry a narrower top quilt to augment the Sniveller.

I have no idea whether anyone else has done this, though I've looked everywhere. I'm also completely confused about whoopie slings and all those attachment thingamajiggies. I want to go light, and I'm not sure what people at HF are using these days for their hammocks. All seems so confusing.

Would the hammockers here have any suggestions (including whose threads I should look at on HF?)

Miguel,

I started with a Speer hammock as well - purchased while Ed was still in the hammock business. I was so impressed with the comfort that I bought an overstuffed Peapod from him as well. Then I began to wonder how I could make it lighter.

The whole concept of the Whoopie Sling took a little time to understand, but once you do it really shows you a much easier way to hang your hammock. I use 7/64" Amsteel whoopie slings that I usually buy from WhoopieSlings.com

For my straps I carry a 6' and an 8' (in case I have to use one of the few old trees in the PA mountains where I do most of my hiking) and the Marlin Spike Hitch to attach the Whoopie Sling. My toggle for the Marlin Spike Hitch is a small piece of aluminum tube cut from an arrow. It wasn't until I finally understood that the loop end of the Whoopie is held by the Marlin Spike Hitch knot and NOT the toggle that I understood how it worked.

Professor Hammock (Grizz) has some really good videos on YouTube that are worth watching. Shug's videos are also always entertaining.

Good luck!

Dale,

Sorry - I didn't mean on Hammockforums.net - I meant in the Hammock forum here on BPL. There aren't a ton of posts there, but we do have our own BPL forum.

Thanks for your tips, Kevin. I have watched both Grizz's (his knowledge is quite amazing) and Shug's videos (which are very entertaining) and read a few forum posts at HF, but geez there is a lot there.

What hammock are you using in that photo. may I ask?

It's a Grand Trunk Nano-7. With the whoopie slings, a 6-foot tree strap, an 8-foot tree strap, two toggles, a Dynaglide structural ridgeline and three cordlocks (one of which has a mini-light) it weighs 307 grams (10.8 ounces).

I also have a Grand Trunk Ultralight and I was pretty comfortable in it (suprising, for a hammock that's available at CampMor for just $25) so I thought I'd try the Nano-7. With the same suspension setup, the GT Ultralight comes in at 440 grams (15.5 ounces).

I'm a big guy - 6 feet tall and 270 pounds - and I've been very comfortable in all the hammocks I own (I also have two Speers and a couple of Byers). It doesn't take much of a diagonal to drop you into a flat sleeping position.

Kevin wrote, "Dale,

Sorry - I didn't mean on Hammockforums.net - I meant in the Hammock forum here on BPL. There aren't a ton of posts there, but we do have our own BPL forum."

DOH! I never noticed! Maybe a moderator can move this thread, although I may have helped the cause by bringing the message to the unwashed :) I'll have to read through the contributions there too.

Kevin, your lighted cord lock idea is genius. What are you using for bottom insulation?

It is amazing how inexpensive a hammock can be. I got one of the Grand Trunk Ultralight hammocks for $15. Sierra Trading Post has deals often.

I took the Grand Trunk Ultralight and removed the poor (and heavy) suspension rope and steel s-hook and replaced it with a big Wild Country carabiner just like the Nano 7. Not only did I already own the Ultralight model, it is a bigger hammock too, so I started my modifications there. The fabric is very breathable and great for day hike napping on hot days. Like Kevin, I added Amsteel Blue whoopie slings (a sliding loop arrangement) and 1" polyester tree straps. I have some Dynaglide on order for a couple projects and I'm going to add a ridge line to this hammock. For those who don't know, a structural ridge line is a strong line that runs from one end of the hammock to the other, and aids setting the hammock up, getting the right amount of sag in the fabric and making it more comfortable. It is handy for hanging lights, stowage bags, insect screens and wet clothing.

When I removed the stock suspension from this hammock, I was surprised to see that the hammock body is so simple. It is a 9.5'x4.5' rectangle of cloth with a simple hem on each side and a channeled hem on each end, with three lines of stitching for strength and safety. The fabric alone is about 9oz, IIRC. That's all there is to it! The ends are gathered with a high performance rope and can be tied off with a climbing-safe hitch, or as I did, to simply gather the fabric on a carabiner. It is acceptable to simply use a lark's head hitch using a closed eye that has been spliced into high performance braided line, like Amsteel Blue. That's all there is to it. You can go to the fabric store, buy 4 yards of ripstop, make a few hems and you have a hammock.

Amsteel Blue is very popular line and the 1/8" line is rated at 2500 pounds. Redden Marine in Bellingham, WA has a great price on Amsteel line and good service. There are smaller dimensions available and the product has many possible uses for shelters and other UL gear. It is easy to splice and is used to make whoopie slings. Dynaglide is another product that is popular with hammock users.

Edited by dwambaugh on 07/24/2011 10:31:03 MDT.

Miguel,

Some of the other posters here have far more experience with hammocks than I, and certainly most on HF do, but I like to tinker with hammocks and have used them camping a couple times (though most of my camping is with my wife and on the ground). So here's my 2 yen.

I found difficulty getting truly comfortable in a gathered end hammocks too (and I've tried several brands). I have not had that issue with bridge hammocks. They might be worth checking out. Bridge hammocks have a bit of a bad rap for being "heavy", but that is usually related to the spreader bars, and if you use hiking poles, several folks at HF have posted ways of using your hiking poles for the spreader bars. FWIW, I built a simple non-netted bridge that weighed 10.5oz including the suspension/tree straps. The spreaders added another 10oz. (Link: http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/showthread.php?t=30867 ) I'm fairly sure someone could knock an ounce or two off if they were committed. The hammock I linked was an experiment, I am not so concerned about a couple ounces here or there. My next one will undoubtedly be a few ounces heavier. I'm a canoe camper, what can I say.

I think the idea of using a waterproof fabric is also frowned on by many, but there are those who use cuben hammocks (of the heavier variety), and folks using insultex for insulation (essentially a vapor barrier), and if you are using a pad inside your hammock or between layers, what's the difference. The pads are not breathable. And if you think you will be going to ground, you'll probably want a pad rather than an underquilt anyway. Haven't tried this, but guessing that the shape of a bridge would lend itself to a bathtub floor better than a GE hammock.

Just a few thoughts. Happy hanging.

Dale,

I have a couple of choices in my arsenal for underquilts and they depend on the temperatures I'm expecting.

My current go-to UQ is a Te-Wa Summer Breeze - 10.4 ounces of downy goodness including the weight of the suspension. It's a 3/4-length underquilt but I've had it down to the mid-30's and have been quite comfortable. Te-Wa is an excellent commicator (I badgered him with way too many emails) and his workmanship is top-notch. His prices are also tough to beat

I also have a JRB Shenandoah (Long) that I've used as an UQ and I have a MLD Spirit that will also work as an underquilt. The JRB suspension system is really versatile and I strongly recommend it.

I live in Pennsylvania and if I'm going out from late October through early April I'm taking my 38-ounce Speer Peapod (that includes two ounces of overfill). It's the single most expensive piece of equipment I've ever purchased, but it's really warm and replaces both the top quilt and the underquilt. I've had it down to 15-degrees and the only thing I added to it was to drape my Montbell Ex-Light Down jacket over my torso (I wasn't actually wearing it).

For top quilts I have a BPL Coocoon UL60 (Long) that I prefer for most of my trips, but I've also used the JRB Shenandoah and my MLD as top-quilts.

I've tried sleeping on pads (a Z-Lite and a GG Torsolite) but I don't find them nearly as comfortable as using an underquilt. I have a Speer SPE (Segmented Pad Extender) that I've actually never used. It seemed to make the most sense if you're using a pad as your insulation because of the "wings" that wrap up to keep your shoulders insulated. One of my hiking buddies just purchased a Ridgerest So-Lite (short) and was really happy with it. YMMV.

Dale,

I put three cordlocks on my Dynaglide ridgeline before I attached it to the hammock/suspension. Two of the cordlocks are used to keep my bugnet in place and the third is one of the lighted cordlocks you can buy from MLD and other places. It doesn't throw off a ton of light (I don't think I'd try to read with it) but it is handy to have from time to time. I can simply reach up and click to get enough light to find my beanie if it's fallen off my head.