Hammock camping colorado archery?

[Sherman]

My setup from Hammock Gear weighs 5.5 lbs. They have a package deal that includes hammock, bug net, rainfly, under quilt, top quilt, suspension, and stakes for a great price. I love it. Took some time in the front yard to learn how to hang it and sleep in it. I’ve been in driving rain, wind, and the worst of it. Always stayed dry and warm. Their quilts are “comfort rated” not “survival rated” and I’ve been into the teens in my skivvies and stayed warm. The entry level setup is rated for 20 degrees. Most of my time spent in it the past few years have been in Colorado during September. If you go the hammock route, there is a plethora of info on the internet to dial it in. Do yourself a favor and dial it in before hitting the mountains. Good luck!

 

[D S 319]

I keep seeing this everywhere. Got plenty of nights in my ENO hammock, although only in warm, tropical environments that didn't require any kind of insulation... wouldn't an inflatable sleeping pad plus an appropriately rated bag be plenty to keep you warm? Considering the hammock option for this September in CO

You would be more than ok from my experience!

 

[Coveyleader]

My partner uses one. I don’t. He has a good setup, pros, level ground not needed. cons, it is cold unless you bring all the extra. I tried it in July and froze.

 

[Read1t48]

The only way you’ll know is if you try it yourself. I personally use them all year in colorado, but your mileage may vary. I’d highly suggest trying it before your hunting season.

@justinspicher which hammock do you use for your hunts? Can you share your set up? Thank you!

 

[justinspicher]

@justinspicher which hammock do you use for your hunts? Can you share your set up? Thank you!

I have a Kammock set up. It’s a bundle hat came with tree straps, hammock and a tarp. I’m not sure of the model, but I can check when I get home. The hammock is 11’ long and has the presewn attachments for an under quilt.

 

[ProAlpine]

Sometimes trees are more plentiful than flat ground in elk country.

 

[justinspicher]

I have a Kammock set up. It’s a bundle hat came with tree straps, hammock and a tarp. I’m not sure of the model, but I can check when I get home. The hammock is 11’ long and has the presewn attachments for an under quilt.

It’s a Kammock Roo. 11’ model.

 

[Txarcher]

Did it this year with 15 degree under quilt built into the hammock, used a 15 degree top quilt and a 12'x10' tarp. Saved just under 2lbs from my tent sleeping set up. I did not use the top quilt most nights. The only problem I had was we spent a few nights above treeline. I made a bivy with my tarp and trekking poles and put the hammock under it. It was not real comfortable that way but worked, no worse than a tent and sleeping pad. When we were below the treeline and I could use the hammock properly it was awesome and by far the most comfortable I've slept in the back country.

 

[justinspicher]

@Chaser96,

Did you end up giving a hammock a try?

 

[Chaser96]

@Chaser96,

Did you end up giving a hammock a try?

Yes sir I’m actually out here now. Did basically a base camp set up 1.5 miles from the truck but I’m loving the sleep I get in the hammock. If I was hunting with camp on my back every day I would probably try more of an ultralight set up but it’s great for this


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[justinspicher]

Yes sir I’m actually out here now. Did basically a base camp set up 1.5 miles from the truck but I’m loving the sleep I get in the hammock. If I was hunting with camp on my back every day I would probably try more of an ultralight set up but it’s great for this


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I think I’m gonna try a foam pad in my hammock for insulation.

 

[Novashooter]

I wrote out my setup in a different thread, so I wont go into that detail here.

There seems to be a few misconceptions people have about hammocks, specifically about the camping style ones we use. The first one is about hanging them, or lack there of. I live in the great plains in South Dakota. There is nowhere in this state I've failed to find a place to hang. It's really no different than if you had a tent. Would you pitch a tent in the middle of the grass field? Maybe someone would, but they wouldn't get away with it for long. No, you find a reasonable spot, ideally out of the wind, and in this case with at least a tree. Yes, you can hang a hammock from a single tree, although 2 trees are the way to go. In the last 3 years I can only remember one time I had to use one tree, and I've never once had to sleep on the ground without choice. Not even a close call. If you are in an area with lots of dead trees, I promise you can find 1-2 good live trees within a few hundred yards. The only places hammocks will not work is if you are way above the treeline at high elevation. assuming you would want to camp up there. The other might be somewhere such as northern alaska tundra where trees don't grow. For 99.9% of the lower 48 states you are going to be just fine. I would actually go so far as to say finding a suitable hammock hanging spot is easier than finding a suitable flat spot for a tent. The terrain it taken completely out of the equation, although I wouldn't hang over the edge of a cliff.

Another misconception I often see is about comfort, or lack there of. I'm not really certain why this comes up, and I'm sure some people simply don't like them, but I'm pretty sure most people who say this have never really tried one that wasn't trash. Again, we are talking camping hammocks, which can be gathered end or bridge hammocks. They are not the $15 rope things you hang in your yard for decoration. There are tons of dirt cheap Chineese camping hammocks out there, and I'm betting lots of them have zero design to them, such that they too are about as useful as a decoration. Not all of them are horrible, I had, actually still have, a cheap one that is not too bad. Do your research online to find brands of cheap ones that are good. All of the higher end brands are very good. The best way to describe a hammock is a hanging cot. Between a pad on the ground (in a tent or not), or a hammock it isn't even a close call. The comfort of a hammock is a mile ahead. A cot in a tent can be just as good, provided it is big enough, but that's not really lightweight gear at that point. The one instance I think someone wouldn't want a hammock is if they are a stomach sleeper. Why anyone would want to sleep face down is beyond me, but many people do. If you are one of those, then a hammock probably isn't the way to go. People with bad backs, a hammock can be a godsend. Sometimes I get asked about tossing and turning at night, or even getting into and out of a hammock. There's no issue with either. You can roll around in them all you want, it's no different than a cot.

The last misconception I often hear, and this is a big one, is that you wouldn't want a hammock in a storm. Nothing could be farther from the truth. I've spent plenty of time in bad storms in tents, even big canvas wall tents in the Boy Scouts. I've been through storms in lean to shelters. I've been through storms in a bivy sack with a rain jacket over my head. Canvas wall tents and cots are the best, no surprise, but besides that the hammock is the best there is. Lightweight tents especially are the worst in rain. From frames that don't hold up to the wind, to water pooling inside, I have yet to see a tent that is as good as a hammock can be. If you were to get a tent, absolutely get one with solid poles. Flexible poles do not hold up. If you've never slept with the side of a tent pushed against your face, you've never really been in a bad storm. There are plenty of normal tents that fit the bill, but last time I looked most ultra light tents were pretty flimsy. That was 10 years ago though, maybe there are better options today. A quick search shows there are tents that are supported by hiking sticks, and that may be a great way to go. Or just get a hammock. The hammock itself is off the ground as high as you want, it will never get wet on the bottom. The top side is all about your tarp. If you get wet at all, you messed up. Something like the Warbonet Super Fly tarp set up right, you will not get wet. Rain could be going perfectly sideways, and you would not get wet. They do have limits like anything, but even gusts of 40-50 mph winds they hold up fine.

Hopefully that clears up some misconceptions. I don't know a lot about the exact weights you can achieve with each setup. You can see some crazy low numbers from backpacker hammock setups, but those kinds of setups are not what you would want as a hunter. If weight was the only thing that mattered we would all be using bivy sacks which work fine for a day, but are miserable for a week. One of the great things about hammocks and tents is it gives you a place to dry things out, and get out of the wind. Again about the weights, all setups can vary depending on need. Someone winter camping Alaska would probably need a much more robust setup for a hammock, where a tent might end up being lighter because it doesn't need as much stuff. Same thing for those down south where all you would need is a hammock, bag or quilt, and a tarp. The Hammock is going to be a lighter setup than the tent and all that goes with it. For most of us I think the differences are going to be so close I don't think I would consider weight when going for a tent or hammock. When I say hammock setup, this is what I consider the things to have for most people, including right now in Colorado. The hammock itself of your choice. An underquilt. A sleeping bag or top quilt. A tarp. That's all that you need. Lots of people get concerned about the underquilt, but there's no reason to be. It's just some insulation you hang below you. The down ones are fantastic, but you don't need to spend a fortune, especially not for september type weather. You can get a decent synthetic one from Arrowhead for $115, and I'm sure there's plenty of Chineese ones out there for much less that do a good enough job. The one area you shouldn't skimp is the tarp. I used a plain old blue poly tarp, it worked, but it is not something you want to use for backpacking. Don't try to save those 2 ounces by getting the most minimalist tarp you can. Save that weight by using lighter rope, and or don't bring stakes with you. A Warbonnet Superfly is in the ballpark of 20 ounces, and you will never regret it. Using a tarp without doors requires a bigger tarp to compensate. Trying to use a bare minimum size tarp only results in failure.

Edit: You might also need a bug net. Most good hammocks come with them built on. A cheap hammock with a separate bug net works too.

 

[Novashooter]

I think I’m gonna try a foam pad in my hammock for insulation.

Something like a Thermarest basic pad does work, I used them. You read about people having condensation issues with them, but that's not a problem I had. The biggest issue I had was you are trying to make a semi-flexible pad fit under you in a fully-flexible fabric cot. If everything was aligned right, it worked fine. If you rolled off it, you had to wake up and get it back under you at night. It didn't really slip around per-se, but it doesn't allow you to move hardly at all. I even tried it in a double layer hammock with the pad between the layers, and it is only marginally better.

I highly recommend you get an underquilt, even a cheap one. Lots of people have made their own from an old sleeping bag too.

 

[justinspicher]

I did use an old therma-rest pro-lite pad on my last trip. I didn’t inflate it and it worked pretty well. I’m on the fence about an under quilt.

 

[Novashooter]

I did use an old therma-rest pro-lite pad on my last trip. I didn’t inflate it and it worked pretty well. I’m on the fence about an under quilt.

I see you mentioned your hammock is sewn for an under quilt attachment. I think you may be mistaking them for tie out points. Most people use those to tie out the side of the hammock to keep the fabric/bug net out of their face. I'm guessing this is more of a short person problem, as I take up enough room my hammock is always taut. I suppose you could use them to attach an underquilt, but that isn't their main function. The standard way to hang an underquilt is by bungee to each end of the hammock. The bungee allows the quilt to shift with you while still keeping tight to your body. If you buy a pre-made underquilt they have a bungee setup with hooks. All you do is hook them on each end, and tighten or loosen the bungee's as you need. You can loosen them for a little gap if it's too hot. You can tighten them up if it's cool. It's really easy stuff. Other than cost, there are zero downsides. The weight of them is minimal, in the 20 ounce range.

 

[justinspicher]

Thanks for the info, it was an assumption and you know what that can mean.

 

[Chaser96]

I’m back home now. I loved the sleep I got in the hammock. I used a hammock sleeping pad made by klymit and it worked great. I slept with my clothes on when it got down to about 30 degrees but I never had an issue with getting cold. I’m normally a side or stomach sleeper but in the hammock I sleep on my back and use a neck pillow and get wonderful sleep. I’ve tried sleeping on the ground with a pad and it doesn’t compare at all to sleeping in a hammock


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Novashooter]

Yes, it really can be great. It's not perfect, and it has it's downsides, but comfort isn't really one of them. As you figure out what you like, it can get even better from there. Some like bridge hammocks, some gathered end. Some like soft single layer, some like a firmer double layer hammock. It is every bit as diverse for choices as there are tents.

 

[OXN939]

I keep seeing this everywhere. Got plenty of nights in my ENO hammock, although only in warm, tropical environments that didn't require any kind of insulation... wouldn't an inflatable sleeping pad plus an appropriately rated bag be plenty to keep you warm? Considering the hammock option for this September in CO

Following up on this after getting some backcountry time in with this system.

I'm currently using an eno hammock plus bug net with a 3P tent footprint as my tarp. It's my new go to for anywhere that has enough trees to accommodate it. Lighter than a tent, much more comfortable and decently warm if you bring a sleeping pad. Had one super rowdy night in the backcountry where we were at about 11 grand and it rained for 10 hours straight... my buddy's stone glacier tent got soaked through, and about the only dry stuff was what was under my hammock and tarp. The only big recommendation I have is to make *sure* you get your lines tight if it's going to rain, as they will stretch and make the experience much less comfortable when they get wet.

 

[Aggie007]

I sleep really well in hammocks as I prefer hammocks in the amazon, but never considered one for cold weather. That airflow under you, even if it doesn't get to single digit temperatures would make it hard to get warm. Seems counter productive when trying to conserve calories.