Hammocks

[Wojo14]

Do you guys really use these as shelters for hunting?
Maybe with a tarp over it?
Early season or summer scouting?
They look cool and practical as long as its not freezing cold.
I loved laying and napping in hammocks as a kid.
I picked up an ENO on sale.
~Wojo

 

[Ruskin]

FYI for anyone reading this and thinking about a hammock, Costco has their version of an eno on sale for $20 at my local store.

 

[mauiarcher]

I went down this rabbit hole and been working on a light weight hanging set up for my elk hunt tgis fall. I can still go to ground if needed. I am fairly confident this will be a great, more comfortable option for me where I hunt with very little weight penalty. Yes, I will use a tarp if any chance of rain.

You can get started relatively cheap as a lot of existing gear can be used...i already used floorless tarp last year and a top quilt. You can use your existing pad as well. Only additional gear I needed was a hammock and suspension. However you can get as expensive and complicated as your budget will allow. I had an Eno for years but once I contemplated using in the back country/hunting....wanted to cut weight. I think my dutchware netless was about $42 (huge upgrade over the eno and half the weight).

Hammock forum is an awesome resource. Ultimate hang book is great. Sean "shug" Emery's you tube videos are awesome. Some find him a little corny but I love him. Also Dutchware gear is about the best one stop shop with reasonable prices.

Best of luck.

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[WoodBow]

I ran a hammock and tarp 2 years ago. It wasn't terrible but wasn't my cup of tea. For me, finding the perfect place to hang it was a real pain. You need trees within a certain size frame and within a certain distance of one another. Seems like it wouldn't be an issue but I found it to be an issue at every camp we made. Finding a spot that worked for me and 2 other guys with tents was not ideal.

For reference, I slept in the hammock in my house for months building up to the hunt. I slept awesome in it. The issue for me was how the hammock behaved with an underquilt. Maybe fancier underquilts work better. Mine was diy and that could have been the issue.

 

[mauiarcher]

I ran a hammock and tarp 2 years ago. It wasn't terrible but wasn't my cup of tea. For me, finding the perfect place to hang it was a real pain. You need trees within a certain size frame and within a certain distance of one another. Seems like it wouldn't be an issue but I found it to be an issue at every camp we made. Finding a spot that worked for me and 2 other guys with tents was not ideal.

For reference, I slept in the hammock in my house for months building up to the hunt. I slept awesome in it. The issue for me was how the hammock behaved with an underquilt. Maybe fancier underquilts work better. Mine was diy and that could have been the issue.

As you state, Site selection is the only thing I am concerned about at this point. But this is why I can also go to ground with the same set up. My chameleon will also serve as a bit if needed if there are any bugs. No issues what so ever with the quilt (hammock gear). I just need to determine whether to bring an under quilt (game changer) and a pad, just use a pad for the hammock, or commit to the hammock with only the UQ. I will likely do the later if not hunting with ground dwellers because I suspect site selection won't be as challenging not having to find level ground. I also have a couple dog bones made for larger diameter trees or a further spread if needed.

That being said, all planning could go out the window and I may end up using a stove/tipi combo.

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[robtattoo]

I have a budget setup I use down in the Florida & Georgia swaps where dry ground can be impossible to find & cotton mouths are an unavoidable concern.
I use an Eno double nest inside an eBay special bug net, covered by a Bushcraft Outfitters 10x10 tarp. I picked up a Slumberjack under quilt last winter. It's cheap & heavy but man is it warm!
My Kifaru Woobie serves as my top quilt.
I'm a fair weather hanger. I much prefer a tent if it's going to be cool & by cool I mean anything under 50° at night.
My setup weighs around 6lb all up, but it's purely for camping from my truck or boat. It also cost under $100 not including the woobie.

If you've never slept in a hammock there is a learning curve & be aware that a nice, mild 55° night in a tent will freeze your ass off without some kind of under insulation!

 

[zman]

Do you guys really use these as shelters for hunting?
Maybe with a tarp over it?
Early season or summer scouting?
They look cool and practical as long as its not freezing cold.
I loved laying and napping in hammocks as a kid.
I picked up an ENO on sale.
~Wojo

Love my hammock. Have a clark. Still need a pad and a bag of course you dont end up saving any weight. But I sleep alot better and finding a site to camp is as easy as finding two trees 10-14 feet apart. Where I hunt there is very little flat ground.

 

[CDNPO]

I have run an eno knock-off for years, in fact, just came back from a backcountry fishing portage. I used to use a sleeping pad for under insulation, but now run an underquilt, bag/top quilt and a tarp. Packs small and light. I use amsteel blue for a ridge line and if it is buggy weather, I use some noseum to seal me in. It is not like a tent in that you will need to learn how to set it up long before you can set it and forget it. However, with the proper insulation, temperature is never an issue. I had a 30deg bag and a DIY Costco quilt for my underquilt this weekend and took it down to 25 deg up north last weekend without issue, just kept my base layer on.

The upsides for me are:
-where I go, there are tonnes of trees, so setup isn't hard (just pace out approx. 12-15 feet between two trees that will hold your weight, clear and under brush and hang).
-even though I sleep on my stomach at home, in the hammock, sleeping on an angle (with the hammock hung with the appropriate slack), I get a very flat lay which allows me to sleep on my side
-my back feels great in the morning

Downsides for me:
-its a solo shelter, so pairing up requires two systems
-unless you have/make some gear slings, your stuff is not generally in reach while in bed
-you have to physically get up and out of bed to make coffee, unlike a floorless


Hammocks aren't for everyone but since you have an ENO, test it out with some insulation(top and bottom) appropriate for the weather, chuck a tarp over it if it might rain and see if you can sleep in it before finding yourself hating life in the back country. Getting the right amount of slack during set up and using a ridge line are key for me.....

 

[paleraider]

I have played around with hammocks before but never really took one out on a trip. After my hunt last season I may try to get more up to speed on them for this upcoming year. I had a heck of a time finding flat open spots to camp, in all my travels I found 3 suitable sites for the TUT and none of them where really "flat". So I think having one and being comfortable in using one is a great tool to have in ones arsenal of back country gear.

 

[cvandervort]

Used one last year for my backcountry mule deer hunt and a fly fishing trip. I am relatively new to it, and tried to work some things out while I was out there.

Lessons learned: figure out how you like to sleep and how to hang your hammock accordingly (1st night was a long one...) and second, gear management was way different, especially when it starts raining sideways!

I loved the flexibility of going to ground, speed of set up, and the comfort.

Still prefer my floor less/stove combo, but I may take the hammock again this year, after learning a few things


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[1signguy]

Been doing the hammock for several years now- I sleep incredibly in one!
As said- You have to get past the learning curve. Setup is everything. Practice at home and learn how to get the right hang. Then learn how to use an UQ properly. For Fall Elk hunts a Clark is very hard to beat!

 

[Where's Bruce?]

http://www.rokslide.com/forums/sleep-systems/30768-product-whaddaya.html?highlight=Clark

 

[Wojo14]

That Clark Mark is really cool!
~Wojo

 

[blackdog of vt]

Since my back is jacked up and can't sleep worth a crap on the ground I tried out a few hammocks before settling on the Hennessy expedition deluxe and have no regrets. I got the package deal with the snake skins and longer straps. I now use rap rings and carabiners for about a 5min setup.

 

[NWhikerAl]

"Downsides for me:
-its a solo shelter, so pairing up requires two systems
-unless you have/make some gear slings, your stuff is not generally in reach while in bed
-you have to physically get up and out of bed to make coffee, unlike a floorless"


Why do you have to get up and out of the hammock to make coffee?
Watch some of "Shug's" videos his whole reason for going backpacking is "Breakfast from the hammock".

 

[Seth Hatecke]

I haven't used one on a hunt, but on a camping trip in CO I used a hammock setup. Tyvek tarp with rocks for substitute grommets for my shelter. The hammock was a double wide from costco. Then I just laid my cheap thermarest pad and mummy bag in the hammock. I got it bowstring tight before I laid in it each time, and it was extremely comfortable. Also very cheap. Tyvek was free, hammock was $25. I already had the pad and bag.

 

[WV Mountaineer]

Yep, use them almost extensively. Cold or warm weather. I have tarps for the weather and I have made the appropriate qults for temps from teens to 80. I love it.



One of the most helpful things I can tell you is don't be afraid to go long with a hammock. I've made a bunch and bought about as many. From 9 feet to 12.5 feet. I'm 5'8" ad settled on an 11.5 foot long hammock. your length is what allows to to get a flat lay in them. Not knocking anyone's choices but, if yo like the 9.5" eno's, you'd loose your mind in a 11-12 foot hammock. Because as comfortable as the eno's are, the longer hammock are so much better. I prefer dutchware gear as far as hammocks go. You can't build them as cheap as he sells them. And, he offers various lengths and unlimited material. Make sure you get the under quilts and top quilts. You will stay as warm as the quilt is rated to regardless of the weather. And, they are so much more comfortable than a sleeping bag and pad. Just make sure the material you choose is rated for your weight. If a hammock stretches, it becomes uncomfortable. Good luck and God Bless

 

[twall13]

Hammocks are my preferred sleep system in the back country. Obviously you can't use them effectively above treeline or in the desert but most places I go I find more trees than flat ground. I've slept on some hillsides where you couldn't ever get a tent but with the Hammock I slept really well. As others have said, there is a learning curve and you need insulation under you but I've slept comfortably in temps down to 15° on several trips with the right quilt setup. I don't really save any weight with my Hammock setup, which was my original hope when I started experimenting with hammocks several years ago, but I sleep better and have found there are enough other benefits that it's become my primary system.

Do some research and experimenting and give it a shot. I'd be happy to answer any questions you have as you figure it out.

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[Wojo14]

Twall13, love the picture! Awsome looking camp and surroundings!
That's what I picture a hammock camp would look like.
My main reason for tryin ghammocks are the comfort. I do not particularly like sleeping pads.

Question, you use an underquilt below, then a top quilt over you? No sleeping bag. I think a bag would be difficult.
Does the underquit attach to the hammock?

I am going to try a hammock with bug net and tarp on some summer scouting trips to see how I like it. I would not need for any quilts, but if I like this camp set up, I might look into quilts.

~Wojo

 

[twall13]

I do use an underquilt and top quilt but used a pad and sleeping bag when I started. Pads are harder to manage in a hammock and I never liked how much I sweat on a pad (on the ground or in a hammock). The underquilt has shock cord that attaches via mini carabiners to the Hammock suspension. They are designed to pull snug into the hammock without your weight being able to compress the insulation.

If you plan on using a hammock set up for scouting be aware that your back will get cold in temps that you might normally be fine without insulation on the ground. I typically still sleep with an underquilt for any temps below 70-75 for the nighttime low though it is a much smaller underquilt rated for warmer temps.

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