Hammock and tarp use?

[Shraggs]

Been hammocking for a couple of years now, but not a ton of days yet. Do it for the terrain. It is comfortable, it is finicky to learn initially but with practice you can do it in dark. I like it a lot, but will still use ultra light ground based too.

My set up:
Henessy hyerlite
Bear paw 10’x10’ cubes tarp
4 guy lines, 2 stakes
EE 20* quilt reg wide 950 t diwn
EE 20* under quilt short 950 t down

Above is an ounce or so below 4 lbs. been in 28* and was good. Much colder and I’ll uograde my quilt & under quilt

John

 

[RJC]

Hammocks are great in warmer months but I've had some extremely cold nights when the wind starts to howl in the fall. I've never used a underquilt but would almost always use a 0 degree bag underneath my body. I'd love to use as shelter for hunting but I prefer the storage options of my tent.

 

[Mike 338]

Idaho in Sept is about as fair weather as your going to get. You can get snow though up high. I used a hammock during mid-October. First night I froze. Quilt had voids in it. Seems the company has addressed that though. Anyway, there is a learning curve. I slept in my hammock for a week in the backyard in December. All sub 25 degrees and slept fine. Much more comfortable than a tent but not as protected from wind and the second you get out of your quilt, your outside. No significant weight/space savings either. You use it cause you like it and that's about it.

 

[ohoopee]

Idaho in Sept is about as fair weather as your going to get. You can get snow though up high. I used a hammock during mid-October. First night I froze. Quilt had voids in it. Seems the company has addressed that though. Anyway, there is a learning curve. I slept in my hammock for a week in the backyard in December. All sub 25 degrees and slept fine. Much more comfortable than a tent but not as protected from wind and the second you get out of your quilt, your outside. No significant weight/space savings either. You use it cause you like it and that's about it.

I use a cuben winter palace at 10 oz and burn my msr for a few minutes first thing in the morning to make climbing out a little cozier for the cold mornings. Plenty of space for cooking breakfast and having coffee out of the elements.

 

[Mike 338]

I use a cuben winter palace at 10 oz and burn my msr for a few minutes first thing in the morning to make climbing out a little cozier for the cold mornings. Plenty of space for cooking breakfast and having coffee out of the elements.

I'll have to check into that. It hasn't been a problem yet but one of these days I'm gonna get a healthy dose of mist com'in in on me.

 

[ohoopee]

I'll have to check into that. It hasn't been a problem yet but one of these days I'm gonna get a healthy dose of mist com'in in on me.

Mike,
The cuben Winter Palace is really amazing all year piece of gear. Plenty of room to store gear, cook and lounge in the winter and the Porch mode during rainy days keeps me from feeling claustrophobic. If I were 30 years younger, I probably wouldn't pay for the extra weight savings of cuben (dyneema).

 

[Where's Bruce?]

With Whoopie slings, the right UQ and TQ, a well-made four-season hammock and a big tarp with doors, you will be much warmer and drier than any tent set-up. Anyone who says different lacks experience. There are people who have tried hammocks and there are people who are hammockers. Ignore the former. A hammock can be a toasty cocoon…unlike a tent which holds more cold air. Bridge hammocks (and other designs) are preferred by stomach sleepers and my Clark NX-250 is fine for side sleeping. Also ignore those who say you don’t want bug netting. Being able to seal yourself in and ventilate is vital. If I’m too warm I unzip the weather shield and let cool air in. If I wanna star gaze bug-free, again the mesh is welcome. Without it a hammock can feel like a coffin (especially those you enter from below). Anyone with enough patience to spend a weekend in their backyard learning to adjust Whooping slings can become proficient in getting their hammock dialed in and lay flat in it. The Ultimate Hang is a great book for beginners. I was chasing buffalo for a week, never sleeping in the same place twice. It was snowing every minute of every day except for two hours on one day. We’re talking serious, wind-driven snow that made finding trackS and glassing impossible. The only way to get on em was to hike until you located em. Ever try to pitch a tent in a storm? No fun. I can pitch my hammock in minutes. Once the tarp is up I can be outta the weather while stringing my Clark. Then it’s just a matter of having the right top quilt and bottom quilt and some extra items like an EE Hoodlum, perfect for cold trips. I crashed (destroyed actually) five motorcycles in my youth and suffered serious back injury but sleep like a baby in a hammock. Tent camping, even with a heavily insulated, 3.5” thick EXPED mattress with a high R rating leaves me sore and slow in the morning. I fall asleep faster in a hammock, it stays completely dry regardless of weather (try to do that in a tent) and if the tarp is wet, I strap it to the pack…no prob. In crappy weather (short term) I will take a hammock over a tent anytime however, if the weather is crap for days or weeks, I wanna big tent with a stove. Being trapped by weather messes with your head.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

There were beautiful tents on the surrounding pads before the storm clouds moved in that night...those campers were all gone by 2am.

 

[JClark]

I utilize a warbonnet blackbird hammock with down under-quilt and top-quilt and tarp with doors. Once you learn how to adjust the under-quilt you can be as toasty warm or cool as you like. Lay flat and no rocks, sticks or uneven ground to worry about. 2 trees on a hillside and I’m laying level while those with a tent are still trying to find a level campsite. Best I ever slept outdoors was in my hammock...plus it makes a nice lounge chair!


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[Cng]

Lots of great advice here. I did a thousand miles and over two straight months in a hammock. I’ve got a Hennessy but upgraded my tarp to a Warbonnet Superfly because the one that came with the hammock is tiny. As others have said, they have their pros and cons. I’ve setup in the dark on a hillside when I couldn’t find flat ground plenty of times and slept perfectly. I’d have been miserable in a tent. But I still haven’t ponied up for an underquilt, so cold weather can be an issue. I like an underpad because it’s multi use and I have the option to sleep on the ground if I want, but the only reason I’ve ever gone to the ground is due to getting cold, so an underquilt would probably solve that.

Don’t let slings and tarps and whoopies and all that scare you. Just grab a cheap Eno and go camping for a few days to see if you can sleep comfortably. If so, sell it and get a Warbonnet setup or similar.

 

[Read1t48]

For me, weight has always been the biggest downside. It’s not a weight savings or lighter setup, generally, in comparison to a silnylon shelter, sleeping bag, and pad.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Don’t let slings and tarps and whoopies and all that scare you. Just grab a cheap Eno and go camping for a few days to see if you can sleep comfortably. If so, sell it and get a Warbonnet setup or similar.

This. Based on my limited experience, you are either going to sleep well or not and you will either like it or not. Before you drop big bucks into a winter rig, they some warm weather camping in one. It is a cheap easy way to get a taste and decide if it is for you.

 

[Clancyharris09]

I use a hammock most of the time when backpacking. Just adding a blow up pad makes a world of difference for comfort.

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[bncrshr77]

I'm in the middle of dialing my hammock setup as well... Have the Dutch Chamelion, Cuben tarp with doors, EE 20 deg top quilt and the HG 3/4 length phoenix 20 deg underquilt...

Like everyone says, take your time and figure out how to set it up right and I imagine you will like it.

I'm not convinced I can set my hammock up nearly as fast as my Tarptent Moment DW but I do like the flexibility the hammock adds of sleeping on a hillside when needed and worst case scenario I could make a ground bivy out of it.

Also having the tarp is great in case you want to sit out a storm.

All in all It just seem like a more versatile setup to me and I'm giving it a go this year chasing Elk during archery season in CO this year!

 

[KBC]

The last Hunt Backcountry podcast was all about hammocks. Definitely worth a listen.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

If I were shopping hammocks right now, this is likely the one I'd get. Can serve double duty.

https://junglehammock.com/product/mark-2-bivy-ground-tent-camping-hammock/

I recommend Whoopie Slings because you can make slight changes in the angle of the hammock in a second...huge time saver and you can feel the difference when everything's just right. Just accept it as part of the learning curve. They are quite simple actually, they just appear more complicated than they are. Practice in the backyard is key...you will end up with a variety of under-quilts and top-quilts.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Oh and a huge tarp (at least 11') with storm doors will completely encapsulate you and allow you to run your tarp higher, giving you more head room. I run a Mega Ogee, it's perfect.

Yep, hammock is in there.

Can be used as an emergency shelter as well.

 

[PlanoDano]

I have to agree with
Read1t48

Weight is the issue when using a hammock for light and fast camping.
I run an older WW BB DL, with Mama Jama, WB torso length under quilt, JRB top quilt, and Gossamer 1/4 thinlite between layers. System has been good between 15 and 20 degrees F. Problem is with lines stakes and stuff sack the system comes in just over 6 lbs. I could save weight by upgrading equipment but not that much without going to DCF.

The good part of hammock camping is that you do not need level ground to set up.
The bad is it makes a lousy ground system if no suitable trees are available.

 

[Baron85]

Lots of great advice here. I did a thousand miles and over two straight months in a hammock. I’ve got a Hennessy but upgraded my tarp to a Warbonnet Superfly because the one that came with the hammock is tiny. As others have said, they have their pros and cons. I’ve setup in the dark on a hillside when I couldn’t find flat ground plenty of times and slept perfectly. I’d have been miserable in a tent. But I still haven’t ponied up for an underquilt, so cold weather can be an issue. I like an underpad because it’s multi use and I have the option to sleep on the ground if I want, but the only reason I’ve ever gone to the ground is due to getting cold, so an underquilt would probably solve that.

Don’t let slings and tarps and whoopies and all that scare you. Just grab a cheap Eno and go camping for a few days to see if you can sleep comfortably. If so, sell it and get a Warbonnet setup or similar.

One thing i would like to point out is there is a huge difference in comfort between an enos and a quality hammock setup. I tried an enos and it was ok but nothing like my warbonnet xlc blackbird. I think shorter people might be ok in the enos but it was a no go for me at 6’5”

 

[SkunkCabbage]

Mike,
The cuben Winter Palace is really amazing all year piece of gear. Plenty of room to store gear, cook and lounge in the winter and the Porch mode during rainy days keeps me from feeling claustrophobic. If I were 30 years younger, I probably wouldn't pay for the extra weight savings of cuben (dyneema).

I’m looking at picking up a CF palace tarp for the hell hole I hunt. Are you happy with the size of it? I’m looking at the 12’ ridgeline for an 11’ hammock