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A New User’s Look at Hammocks


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Viewing 8 posts - 26 through 33 (of 33 total)
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  • #1762486
    Kevin Babione
    BPL Member

    @kbabione

    Locale: Pennsylvania

    Dale,

    Sorry – I didn't mean on Hammockforums.net – I meant in the Hammock forum here on BPL. There aren't a ton of posts there, but we do have our own BPL forum.

    #1762498
    Miguel Arboleda
    BPL Member

    @butuki

    Locale: Kanto Plain, Japan

    Thanks for your tips, Kevin. I have watched both Grizz's (his knowledge is quite amazing) and Shug's videos (which are very entertaining) and read a few forum posts at HF, but geez there is a lot there.

    What hammock are you using in that photo. may I ask?

    #1762514
    Kevin Babione
    BPL Member

    @kbabione

    Locale: Pennsylvania

    It's a Grand Trunk Nano-7. With the whoopie slings, a 6-foot tree strap, an 8-foot tree strap, two toggles, a Dynaglide structural ridgeline and three cordlocks (one of which has a mini-light) it weighs 307 grams (10.8 ounces).

    I also have a Grand Trunk Ultralight and I was pretty comfortable in it (suprising, for a hammock that's available at CampMor for just $25) so I thought I'd try the Nano-7. With the same suspension setup, the GT Ultralight comes in at 440 grams (15.5 ounces).

    I'm a big guy – 6 feet tall and 270 pounds – and I've been very comfortable in all the hammocks I own (I also have two Speers and a couple of Byers). It doesn't take much of a diagonal to drop you into a flat sleeping position.

    #1762519
    Dale Wambaugh
    BPL Member

    @dwambaugh

    Locale: Pacific Northwest

    Kevin wrote, "Dale,

    Sorry – I didn't mean on Hammockforums.net – I meant in the Hammock forum here on BPL. There aren't a ton of posts there, but we do have our own BPL forum."

    DOH! I never noticed! Maybe a moderator can move this thread, although I may have helped the cause by bringing the message to the unwashed :) I'll have to read through the contributions there too.

    #1762528
    Dale Wambaugh
    BPL Member

    @dwambaugh

    Locale: Pacific Northwest

    Kevin, your lighted cord lock idea is genius. What are you using for bottom insulation?

    It is amazing how inexpensive a hammock can be. I got one of the Grand Trunk Ultralight hammocks for $15. Sierra Trading Post has deals often.

    I took the Grand Trunk Ultralight and removed the poor (and heavy) suspension rope and steel s-hook and replaced it with a big Wild Country carabiner just like the Nano 7. Not only did I already own the Ultralight model, it is a bigger hammock too, so I started my modifications there. The fabric is very breathable and great for day hike napping on hot days. Like Kevin, I added Amsteel Blue whoopie slings (a sliding loop arrangement) and 1" polyester tree straps. I have some Dynaglide on order for a couple projects and I'm going to add a ridge line to this hammock. For those who don't know, a structural ridge line is a strong line that runs from one end of the hammock to the other, and aids setting the hammock up, getting the right amount of sag in the fabric and making it more comfortable. It is handy for hanging lights, stowage bags, insect screens and wet clothing.

    When I removed the stock suspension from this hammock, I was surprised to see that the hammock body is so simple. It is a 9.5'x4.5' rectangle of cloth with a simple hem on each side and a channeled hem on each end, with three lines of stitching for strength and safety. The fabric alone is about 9oz, IIRC. That's all there is to it! The ends are gathered with a high performance rope and can be tied off with a climbing-safe hitch, or as I did, to simply gather the fabric on a carabiner. It is acceptable to simply use a lark's head hitch using a closed eye that has been spliced into high performance braided line, like Amsteel Blue. That's all there is to it. You can go to the fabric store, buy 4 yards of ripstop, make a few hems and you have a hammock.

    Amsteel Blue is very popular line and the 1/8" line is rated at 2500 pounds. Redden Marine in Bellingham, WA has a great price on Amsteel line and good service. There are smaller dimensions available and the product has many possible uses for shelters and other UL gear. It is easy to splice and is used to make whoopie slings. Dynaglide is another product that is popular with hammock users.

    #1762536
    BER —
    BPL Member

    @ber

    Locale: Wisconsin

    Miguel,

    Some of the other posters here have far more experience with hammocks than I, and certainly most on HF do, but I like to tinker with hammocks and have used them camping a couple times (though most of my camping is with my wife and on the ground). So here's my 2 yen.

    I found difficulty getting truly comfortable in a gathered end hammocks too (and I've tried several brands). I have not had that issue with bridge hammocks. They might be worth checking out. Bridge hammocks have a bit of a bad rap for being "heavy", but that is usually related to the spreader bars, and if you use hiking poles, several folks at HF have posted ways of using your hiking poles for the spreader bars. FWIW, I built a simple non-netted bridge that weighed 10.5oz including the suspension/tree straps. The spreaders added another 10oz. (Link: http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/showthread.php?t=30867 ) I'm fairly sure someone could knock an ounce or two off if they were committed. The hammock I linked was an experiment, I am not so concerned about a couple ounces here or there. My next one will undoubtedly be a few ounces heavier. I'm a canoe camper, what can I say.

    I think the idea of using a waterproof fabric is also frowned on by many, but there are those who use cuben hammocks (of the heavier variety), and folks using insultex for insulation (essentially a vapor barrier), and if you are using a pad inside your hammock or between layers, what's the difference. The pads are not breathable. And if you think you will be going to ground, you'll probably want a pad rather than an underquilt anyway. Haven't tried this, but guessing that the shape of a bridge would lend itself to a bathtub floor better than a GE hammock.

    Just a few thoughts. Happy hanging.

    #1762669
    Kevin Babione
    BPL Member

    @kbabione

    Locale: Pennsylvania

    Dale,

    I have a couple of choices in my arsenal for underquilts and they depend on the temperatures I'm expecting.

    My current go-to UQ is a Te-Wa Summer Breeze – 10.4 ounces of downy goodness including the weight of the suspension. It's a 3/4-length underquilt but I've had it down to the mid-30's and have been quite comfortable. Te-Wa is an excellent commicator (I badgered him with way too many emails) and his workmanship is top-notch. His prices are also tough to beat

    I also have a JRB Shenandoah (Long) that I've used as an UQ and I have a MLD Spirit that will also work as an underquilt. The JRB suspension system is really versatile and I strongly recommend it.

    I live in Pennsylvania and if I'm going out from late October through early April I'm taking my 38-ounce Speer Peapod (that includes two ounces of overfill). It's the single most expensive piece of equipment I've ever purchased, but it's really warm and replaces both the top quilt and the underquilt. I've had it down to 15-degrees and the only thing I added to it was to drape my Montbell Ex-Light Down jacket over my torso (I wasn't actually wearing it).

    For top quilts I have a BPL Coocoon UL60 (Long) that I prefer for most of my trips, but I've also used the JRB Shenandoah and my MLD as top-quilts.

    I've tried sleeping on pads (a Z-Lite and a GG Torsolite) but I don't find them nearly as comfortable as using an underquilt. I have a Speer SPE (Segmented Pad Extender) that I've actually never used. It seemed to make the most sense if you're using a pad as your insulation because of the "wings" that wrap up to keep your shoulders insulated. One of my hiking buddies just purchased a Ridgerest So-Lite (short) and was really happy with it. YMMV.

    #1762671
    Kevin Babione
    BPL Member

    @kbabione

    Locale: Pennsylvania

    Dale,

    I put three cordlocks on my Dynaglide ridgeline before I attached it to the hammock/suspension. Two of the cordlocks are used to keep my bugnet in place and the third is one of the lighted cordlocks you can buy from MLD and other places. It doesn't throw off a ton of light (I don't think I'd try to read with it) but it is handy to have from time to time. I can simply reach up and click to get enough light to find my beanie if it's fallen off my head.

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