What about truly ultralight hammocks?

[Dale South]

Dale W., I went back and looked up my info on suspension weight. Stock HH Hyperlight suspension to 7/64 Amsteel – 2.9 oz less, 7/64 Amsteel to 2.25mm Dynadlide – 3.4 oz saved. Thats a grand total of 6.3 oz lighter.

[Michael Oppegaard]

That's it. I'm hiking this weekend but next weekend I'm ordering a Nano. After that we need to discuss bug nets.

[Kevin Babione]

I actually used the DP Hammock bug net on my last trip. A couple of notes:

It's very light (19 grams or .7 ounces) and that's inside a sandwich-sized ziploc.

I have a couple of cordlocks installed on my structural ridgeline that makes it much easier to adjust where the bugnet is hanging and to make it easier to get it out of the way when you don't want it.

I had some issues with the bottom of the bugnet staying in place. It covered me from the head of my hammock to about my waist but if you had a wind come through it blew it all to the side. I think I'm going to take 3 mini-binder clips the next time and attach one to the head of the hammock and then one on each side where the bug net reaches my waist. I think that will solve the blowing issue. I don't have any photos of the bug net in action or I would have posted them.

[Dale Wambaugh]

I went with 1/8" Amsteel on my Hennessy. I'm chicken :) The 1/8" has a 2500lb rating. The weight difference is tiny. It is easier to slice too.

I'm using 1" polyester tree straps which saves some weight over the stock Hennessy straps and they are longer as well.

[Dale South]

I am 175 lbs and with the Dynaglide so far so good. Probably three dozen nights with them. I have fallen before but not because of suspension failure.

[Dale Wambaugh]

I just got a batch of Dynaglide to make a structural ridge line for a hammock and guy lines for a big tarp. I like it for those purposes, but I think it is a little light for suspension use at 1000 pound rating vs 1400 minimum for 7/64" Amsteel Blue or 2400 for 1/8". I found the Amsteel far easier to splice and softer handling. I'm too old and fat to be crashing to the ground! {sound effect: sack of potatoes hitting the floor}

[Kevin Babione]

Been there, done that! In my case though, when the hammock failed (not the suspension) I was above soft grass and it was 6:15 in the morning so it was time to get up anyway!

The Dynaglide may have 1,000 lbs breaking point, but it doesn't give a feeling of confidence for us larger folks. My whoopie slings are all 7/64 and even that seemed small at first.

Even using the Dynaglide for my structural ridge lines seems to be putting too much pressure on it (but logically I know it doesn't).

[Stephen Owens]

I recently got a bubble pad from HH (10oz. 20 dollars) cheap for HH. It works good down to 50 degrees and saves having to switch to 4 seasons system or use a regular pad.

[Dale South]

Can't argue with your logic. What will work for one will not work for another. I have two hanging friends that weigh over 200 and both use dynaglide whoopies. My fall took place at 2:00 am on my fourth night in the 100 mile wilderness. It was hammock failure caused by me. It was my Adventure Racer which I had used many times without problems but I just could not leave well enough alone. I decided before that trip to use a hot nail and burn a second suspension hole in the ends like used in the other Hennessy hammocks. Big mistake. The ends were weakened and totally separated from the hammock. At two am I had to turn the hammock into a whipped end hammock (slightly shorter). I still have it, I still use it and it still works.

[Dale South]

Thought this might be of interest:

http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=25009&d=1311746299

[Dale Wambaugh]

Mr Owens wrote: "I recently got a bubble pad from HH (10oz. 20 dollars) cheap for HH. It works good down to 50 degrees and saves having to switch to 4 seasons system or use a regular pad."

So you use the pad between you and the hammock or below the hammock? I tried a "double bubble" windshield reflector and didn't care for it at all.

I'm not a fan of anything between me and the hammock surface, unless you can make it soft and smooth. For me, the real comfort in a hammock is that smooth, supporting surface. I have a Grand Trunk Ultralight that is like sleeping on satin sheets.

I have tried 5mm EVA foam pads cut to all kinds of shapes, a Speer Segmented Pad Extender with a Z-Rest, the Z-Rest alone, and a small Prolite pad. They all felt like poo. Adding insulation under the hammock allows better breathability and the ability to vary the thickness (read weight) to the climate.

I am a fan of under covers. Living in a wet cool climate, I will never be sleeping overnight without some sort of insulation. Using the undercover protects from rain and spray and can be adjusted to suit whatever clearance I need for insulation, or support the insulation itself.

In another post, I wrote about my re-inventing the Garlington Insulator, which is an under cover combined with plastic bags filled with crumpled space blankets for insulation. I've taken it one up and made the under cover into a poncho, and I'm making envelopes/bags from folded and taped space blankets. The weight of two insulation pads is 10-12oz and cost is under $16. The silnylon undercover/poncho is custom/DIY and weighs 9.7oz with stuff sack. I can get 2+ inches loft, plus the thermal/rain/wind value of the under cover and the reflective space blanket surface. I think I could take on 32F or even less with a 20F sleeping bag and the insulation described above.

[Stephen Owens]

I am trying the bubble pad as a lightweight alternative to having to carry the 4 seasons system in the summer. My self inflating pad is not cut to fit and moves around. The bubble pad seems to be the right amount of insulation for cool summer nights and fits better. It is noisey though and I had to put some velcro strips on it to keep it in place. I have the ultralite backpacker and the strings that come attach to it are worthless.

[Kevin Babione]

I tried pads in my hammocks too – I ended up with cold spots because a 20" pad just doesn't wrap very well in the curved world of a hammock.

If you get a chance, borrow an underquilt from someone and you'll never go back to sleeping on a pad in a hammock. Mike at Te-Wa makes the Summer Breeze 3/4-length underquilt that weighs 10.3 ounces and, at least for me, is good down into the 30's.

[Stephen Owens]

Thanks for the info. A friend of mine has a under quilt. He said it is plenty warm, but had to get a larger tarp because it will get wet. Is the one you have waterproofed?

[Dale South]

I have four under quilts for different conditions (or just a gear freak really). I have been in some really severe storms and have never had one get wet. The smallest tarp that I have used in a bad storm was a JRB 10 x 10 pitched in a diamond shape and the UQ stayed perfectly dry. Sgt. Rock over at HF stayed dry during a hurricane with a stock Hennessy tarp. Two things seem to help in these conditions: 1) location choice- pitching perpendicular to the path of the storm, and sheltered by trees, terrain, etc. 2) pitch of tarp- pitch trap ridge line low on the hammock and stake sides low to the ground.

I carry a Zpacks CloudKilt to which I added two more corner tie-outs that I could use as an undercover for my quilts if necessary but I have never needed it. I have carried two kitchen trash bags with a corners clipped to allow my suspension lines to pass through to slide down on the ends of my hammock for protection from blowing rain but again I have never needed them.

I think maybe one of the reasons I enjoy using a hammock is the fun in being creative.

Cheers,

Dale

[Dale Wambaugh]

Dale South wrote, "I have four under quilts for different conditions (or just a gear freak really)."

DO TELL :)

There is rain and then there is the foggy, foggy, dew. Three days of 50F highs and 90% humidity and you have a nice soggy mass. Have you had any issues with condensation? What climate(s) have you used the under quilts in?

Good idea on the trash bags. That sounds good for a small tarp like the stock Hennessy Asym. A 45 gallon LDPE bag is 1.4oz and about 44" long. A space blanket could help too, lashed on with a little line.

+1 on the fun with hammocks.

[Dale South]

I just returned from a trip in NC where the highs were in the 80's and lows were low 60's with high humidity. Rainy all day for a couple of days and nights. Last night on Max Patch a heavy fog rolled in. I pitched my tarp low on both sides (almost to ground and the ends closed in as in tent mode). My summer 2/3 down UQ was damp feeling but only on the surface of the DWR fabric. I have had other trips when there was heavy mist/fog and so far have never had a problem. I share your concern for wet/damp UQ's but after six years using hammocks I have gained a lot of confidence in my skills to stay dry and warm. I survived a three week June section hike in Maine in 2008. 26 days of rain that June.

[Dale Wambaugh]

Ahh, forgot about DWR. I guess you don't need to think "sleeping bag" and can get a little more out of the box when designing UQ's. Good news.

[Dale South]

For those not familiar with Just Jeff's web site on almost all aspects of using hammocks it is a very useful resource:

http://www.tothewoods.net/JeffsHikingPage.html

[te – wa]

x2

I tip my hat to Just Jeff. His site is where I gained curiosity and understanding of the Underquilt. And, well, here I am. :)

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