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Tent Hammocks part two


norseman

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Does anyone have anything new to report?

 

I joined a hammock forum. Also thinking about my own project.

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I looked at hammocks several years ago and almost pulled the trigger on a Warbonnet. In the end, I decided against it because it is would be used when backpacking and the weight was too much for me to justify. I could get a Zpacks cuben-fiber tent for much less  weight and have more room inside. Moreover, if I'm caught out on a rainy day and had to hunker down, the tent provided a much better space than being confined to a hammock.

 

I might still get a hammock and use it on overnights when I know the weather is going to be good.

 

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I have 2 hammocks right now and may get a third.    One is a Warbonnet Ridgerunner "bridge" hammock.   I have low back and neck issues.  The bridge hammocks, compared to traditional gathered-end hammocks, allow for a flatter "lay" instead of being positioned like a banana.   Another is an UL ENO gathered end hammock.   The one I'm considering is a Amok Draumr hammock .. this is sort of like a bridge hammock but oriented with the head and feet 90 degrees from the line of the main ropes for dead flat lay.

 

I'm not interested in hammocks for run of the mill car camping or backpacking, I'm looking at them in the context of "hanging" over rocky stream beds trout fishing where there simply is no flat ground to set up a tent on but there are trees.   I do not know if I can do the hammocks at all but I'm going to try.   As wiiawiwb suggests, it is possible to get very light tents that are noticeably lighter than a hammock with the same features ... fly vs tarp, etc.   Only adding utility, the ability to camp in places I simply can't with a tent, would push me that way.   Succeed or fail, I think the ENO hammock is a keeper if only as a place to keep gear up off the ground and away from pesky rodents.

 

I will try to report back over the summer regarding actual field results, not just what worked or didn't, but why or why not because those factors might not apply to everyone equally and could predict different outcomes.

 

MIB

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MIB makes some excellent points especially where a hammock shines....it's ability to get you above water and sleep on a "level" pitch.  I can remember many times where I couldn't find a perfectly level piece of earth to set up a tent.  Dense forest and a lot of roots and sharp rocks. A hammock is perfect for this. You could be on the side of a mountain and if you can find two tie-out points you will sleep level.

 

When you encounter really rainy, muddy areas a hammock gets you up and over the mess.

 

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My camps are heavy. Cots, stoves, tables, chairs and wall tents. You just keep stringing mules together. I really wanna par down to just one saddle mount and one pack mule. Back packer cots are a joke for some one my size. So are little sleeping pads.

 

Guys on this hammock forum keep talking about something like a warbonnet XL and a diagonal lay with a foot box. Im skeptical its comfortable. But I’m desperate enough to maybe try it. The more I look at designing a hanging cot of my own the more it would just make sense to pack a cabelas cot in there. I dont think its gonna save much weight or bulk.

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I switched to a hammock 4 years ago and I will now go to great lengths to avoid sleeping in a tent. Most of my camping is in northern MN with thin soil, few flat spots, it is hard and rocky in most places (Canadian Shield). One of the guys that I fish with had always used hammocks. For canoeing/portaging I find my hammock, ENO double nest, packs much smaller and is quick and easy to set up. My kit includes bug net (a must up there the mosquitos are killer) and rain tarp. I pack it all into a small dry bag, weighs about 3 lbs. 

 

The key for comfort is getting a good diagonal lay. I put my Thermarest pad in at the angle I want. I find it helps keep you in the proper direction and also adds a layer of insulation against convection heat loss on colder nights. I have an iffy back and I sleep so comfortably in my hammock that if my wife would let me I would put a couple anchors in the wall and hang one in the bedroom. 

 

Hammockforums is a good one. I also got a lot of great newbie tips from The Ultimate Hang. 

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On 4/26/2018 at 0:45 AM, norseman said:

My camps are heavy. Cots, stoves, tables, chairs and wall tents. You just keep stringing mules together. I really wanna par down to just one saddle mount and one pack mule. Back packer cots are a joke for some one my size. So are little sleeping pads.

 

Guys on this hammock forum keep talking about something like a warbonnet XL and a diagonal lay with a foot box. Im skeptical its comfortable. But I’m desperate enough to maybe try it. The more I look at designing a hanging cot of my own the more it would just make sense to pack a cabelas cot in there. I dont think its gonna save much weight or bulk.

 

Had a friend with chronic back problems try one. He's a convert based on the sleep verses being on the ground.

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