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Eeyore
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Joined: 06 Sep 2009
Posts: 316 | TRs | Pics
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Eeyore
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 Fri Oct 05, 2012 10:18 am |
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Chief joseph
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The only hikers that I have seen using hammocks seemed to be a bit strange and they were alone, not sure if that's just a coincidence?
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Magellan
Brutally Handsome
Joined: 26 Jul 2006
Posts: 13116 | TRs | Pics
Location: Inexorable descent |
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Magellan
Brutally Handsome
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Fri Oct 05, 2012 2:48 pm |
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Hulksmash? 
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Eeyore
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Joined: 06 Sep 2009
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Eeyore
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Fri Oct 05, 2012 3:27 pm |
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| Chief joseph wrote: | | The only hikers that I have seen using hammocks seemed to be a bit strange and they were alone, not sure if that's just a coincidence? |
Most pioneers are considered strange by those who don't understand them 
I do travel with a friend sometimes, but he hangs also. Having a tent and a hammock on the same trip just complicates site selection. I did spend a couple of days traveling the PCT with a southbound thru who was cowboy camping (except for the night he had to get up at 1AM and rig a tarp). But I think that is more an exception.
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Traildad
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Joined: 25 Jan 2008
Posts: 754 | TRs | Pics
Location: Shoreline |
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Traildad
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Fri Oct 05, 2012 4:51 pm |
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I use both. The hammock is without a doubt more comfortable. If you are going to be above tree line it is not the best option.
Life is short so live it well.
Life is short so live it well.
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Mugs
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Joined: 02 Jan 2007
Posts: 208 | TRs | Pics
Location: Kent, Wa. |
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Mugs
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Fri Oct 05, 2012 10:16 pm |
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| Chief joseph wrote: | | The only hikers that I have seen using hammocks seemed to be a bit strange and they were alone, not sure if that's just a coincidence? |
Yep thats me, strange and weird, but I have always been that, even when I was sleeping under my cuben tarp, and on a gossamer gear thinlight pad. But then again we think you ground dwellers are strange and weird for not getting off the ground, and continually torturing yourselves and your body by not trying the bliss of a hammock....
Once you get in a hammock you never want to get out of it.
And ya I enjoy solo just as much as I enjoy company.
I miss my 4.8Lb base weight as a ground dweller...But I sure DON'T MISS the ground.
I miss my 4.8Lb base weight as a ground dweller...But I sure DON'T MISS the ground.
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Chief Joseph
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Joined: 10 Nov 2007
Posts: 7701 | TRs | Pics
Location: Verlot-Priest Lake |
LOL.....I was only joking my friends! Jerking on the Hulks chain and he's not even here, he is off having fun hiking and sleeping above ground....
I actually purchased an ultra-light hammock for $7 from a member here, haven't actually slept in it yet, but did do some lounging and yes it's really comphy, like floating on air.
Go placidly amid the noise and waste, and remember what comfort there may be in owning a piece thereof.
Go placidly amid the noise and waste, and remember what comfort there may be in owning a piece thereof.
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Hulksmash
Cleaning up.
Joined: 20 Apr 2008
Posts: 7113 | TRs | Pics
Location: Arlington |
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Hulksmash
Cleaning up.
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Fri Oct 05, 2012 11:22 pm |
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I still use a tent. Using a tent reminds me to get back in the hammock.
As for camping above the tree line....every time i think i'm gonna be spending time above the tree line, i find my self sleeping on the ground next to a pair of perfect hanging trees.  Really how many place are there to go in this state above the tree line. Baker, Rainer, Glacier Peak Summits. Ok St. Helens blast zone.
I think the final straw away from the tent was my trip up Vista Ridge. I expected to see no one except for maybe a passing through hiker or two. Instead of it was a flash mob, ended up sharing the only flatish spot with 6 total strangers. Had i packed the hammock i would have had a much more comfortable night.
"Bears couldn't care less about us....we smell bad and don't taste too good. Bugs on the other hand see us as vending machines." - WetDog
Albuterol! it's the 11th essential
"Bears couldn't care less about us....we smell bad and don't taste too good. Bugs on the other hand see us as vending machines." - WetDog
Albuterol! it's the 11th essential
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Chief Joseph
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Joined: 10 Nov 2007
Posts: 7701 | TRs | Pics
Location: Verlot-Priest Lake |
Well Hulkster, at least you weren't "alone".
Go placidly amid the noise and waste, and remember what comfort there may be in owning a piece thereof.
Go placidly amid the noise and waste, and remember what comfort there may be in owning a piece thereof.
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forest gnome
Forest nut...
Joined: 24 Apr 2003
Posts: 3520 | TRs | Pics
Location: north cascades!! |
those things are DANGEROUS!....I seem to recall a trip to the wallowas and some great thunder and wind storm flattening our tents....
poor guy in the hammock tied between 2 smaller trees was bouncing up and down like 4-5ft....and his rainfly ripped off but he caught it at the last second in the rain/wind...we laughed about that!
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DaleW
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Joined: 13 Sep 2009
Posts: 407 | TRs | Pics
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DaleW
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Sat Oct 06, 2012 9:04 am |
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| Hulksmash wrote: | | I still use a tent. Using a tent reminds me to get back in the hammock. |
Amen! I miss out on so much by sleeping in a hammock: rocks, roots, running water, mud, varmints and bugs. I think it is an evolutionary shift, like Neanderthal to Homo Sapiens. Yes, only those of low forehead and thick brow would enjoy sleeping on the ground 
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HitTheTrail
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Joined: 30 Oct 2007
Posts: 5455 | TRs | Pics
Location: 509 |
I have not used a tent in around three years because I think hammocks are a so much better option. The whole kit with rain fly can be up to a pound or more lighter and have better weather protection (depending on what you have). If you think they are only for the off-beat minority read a few tens of thousands of posts on the hammock forums. But then again that may just reinforce your view!
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Criminal
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Joined: 25 Mar 2004
Posts: 869 | TRs | Pics
Location: Cloud hidden, whereabouts unknown. |
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Criminal
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Sun Oct 07, 2012 9:11 am |
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| Hulksmash wrote: | | I think the final straw away from the tent was my trip up Vista Ridge. I expected to see no one except for maybe a passing through hiker or two. Instead of it was a flash mob, ended up sharing the only flatish spot with 6 total strangers. Had i packed the hammock i would have had a much more comfortable night. |
That's a great point I hadn't thought of. Flatish spots are often difficult to find, especially when you run out of water on a steep ridge. A hammock would open up a lot possibilities.
So let me ask a few questions to the hammock gurus. I used to carry a hammock back in my C141 flying days; strung up to the seat anchors on the side walls, the motion of the airplane would rock me gently to sleep.... until I woke up because my back was so freaking sore from sleeping in a banana shape. This wasn't one of those cheesy pocket size ones either, it was a heavy mesh job that stuffed into a sack the size of a loaf of bread.
So how comfortable are the 'real'' backpacking hammocks? Can you roll onto your side? Easy set-up? Names of some good ones? I'm mostly worried about comfort, given my experiences, but also ease of deployment and adjustment.
Also, does the hammock take the place of the tent *and* the sleeping pad, or do I still need to tote the pad?
Because I am mad about women, I am mad about the hills
Said that wild old wicked man, who travels where God wills. - Yeats
topohiker.com
Because I am mad about women, I am mad about the hills
Said that wild old wicked man, who travels where God wills. - Yeats
topohiker.com
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HitTheTrail
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Joined: 30 Oct 2007
Posts: 5455 | TRs | Pics
Location: 509 |
Hulk probably knows more about this but. You should never sleep like a banana, you should always sleep on a diagonal so you are flat. If you want to toss and turn get a bridge hammock. Also, I find bottom insulation is the biggest downside to hammocks. They are cold so you need a under quilt or down filled insulated inflatable pad. I use an Exped UL 7 downmat and find them warm and very comfortable. But I tend to sleep on my back.
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DaleW
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Joined: 13 Sep 2009
Posts: 407 | TRs | Pics
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DaleW
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Sun Oct 07, 2012 10:51 am |
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| Criminal wrote: | | So how comfortable are the 'real'' backpacking hammocks? Can you roll onto your side? Easy set-up? Names of some good ones? I'm mostly worried about comfort, given my experiences, but also ease of deployment and adjustment.
Also, does the hammock take the place of the tent *and* the sleeping pad, or do I still need to tote the pad? |
Backpacking hammocks are very comfortable.
Yes you can roll on your side.
Setup is as easy as any tent with a fly, but you do need a couple trees
You can set up in places where you wouldn't dream of pitching a tent or can barely walk for that matter. Rocks, roots, slope, bugs, water and mud don't mean much when you are sleeping 18" off the ground.
Hennessey and Warbonnet are two of the leading names.
You can use a pad, but an "underquilt" retains the comfort of the hammock.
I wrote a long post on my first experiences with hammocks at:
https://www.nwhikers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7994104
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The short(ish) story:
Backpacking hammocks are probably larger than the one you hung in the aircraft, typically 60"-65" wide x 120" long, or even a bit more. Typical hanging spans are 12'-16'. That allows you to lay diagonally and your back is flat and well supported. I am a side sleeper at home, but find sleeping on my back in a hammock to be natural and comfortable.
You can sit in a hammock too. I've taken one on day hikes and used it for a chair or a nap. It only takes a couple minutes to hand a basic hammock.
Hammock fabrics range from 1.1oz to 1.7oz ripstop nylon, some a little heavier. Some manufacturer's make double layered hammocks and you can slip a CCF pad between the layers, or just rely on them for extra strength, particularly if you are over 200-225 pounds.
Hennessey and Warbonnet make asymmetrical hammocks to aid laying on a diagonal. The basic hammock design is to hem the sides of a 60"x120" or so piece of ripstop and make rope channels on the ends with triple or quadruple rows of stitching. That wouldn't take an experienced sewer a half hour to make.
The most popular suspension is to use "whoopie slings" which are adjustable slings made of Amsteel Blue which is a hollow core Dyneema line. One end is made into an eye and looped through the hammock channels in a lark's head and the other end is made into a sliding eye and carabinered to a strap that goes around the tree. The tree straps for PNW are usually 1" x 8' polyester with sewn eyes. There are several other suspension methods.
Insect screens can be a separate sock that surrounds the whole hammock, or an integrated screen with a zipper on the side. The original Hennessey design has a slit in the bottom/foot end of the hammock and the top insect net is fixed.
For anyone using a hammock in North America in temps under 65F, bottom insulation is needed. Insulation can be a CCF foam pad simply laid in the bottom of the hammock, or between the layers of a double layer rig. Foam pads need to be much wider than the typical 20" wide pad used for ground sleeping. IMHO, the CCF foam really detracts from the comfort of laying on the hammock skin. They shift and buckle and are hard to get in place. The best method of bottom insulation is to use an "underquilt" which is a big baffled quilt with down or synthetic fill that is hung under the hammock on shock cords, making sung contact with the hammock bottom. A good underquilt can double the cost of a hammock.
For top side insulation, you can use a mummy bag or a quilt. A top quilt is a lot easier to get in an out of. You can just drape a mummy bag over the top and zip the side up part way to form a foot box. With most of the hammocks with an integrated bug screen, a left side entry sleeping bag works best. It takes a little wiggling to get all the way in a mummy bag, but it isn't too bad.
The top of the hammock rig is just a big tarp. There are some small asymmetrical tarps, but a big 10'x12' hex-shaped tarp is more common. For really wild weather there are tarps with doors on the ends. With a big hex tarp, you can prop one side up in "porch mode" and have a nice view and a big area for cooking, dressing or just lounging.
One guy in Minnesota has gone winter camping with his hammock at -26F! His name is Shug and he has several hammock videos on You Tube. The guy is a hoot to watch:
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