3 Season Hammock 2011 – East Coast

No suggestions?

The list looks pretty solid. I don't know a whole lot about hammock set ups, so I can't help there, but as far as the tools go, you may be able to drop a little weight.

Ditch the second bic and bring a matchbook as a backup fire source.
Replace the leatherman with a simple razor blade and cover.
Ditch the trowel all together and use your poles, a rock, a stick or something else you can find on the trail.

I'm not sure how cold your feet get, but your socks are a bit heavy. You may be able to drop an oz there.

The last thing I notice is that you should be able to drop the windshirt because you have the driducks shirt as well. I would instead bring a medium driducks so that you can wear insulation under it and ditch the windshirt.

Agreed with the above. I don't know much about hammocks either but if you are only shooting for freezing than maybe a lighter quilt but that's a big investment. Any real weight loss would require you to spend some big bucks like a cuben tarp, and with a hammock, you can only go so light.

I have strap and whoopie setups for my hammocks. I say add some whoopies – dynaglide if you fit the weight limit. My dynaglide whoopies and adjustable ridge line are .3 oz. each. I find the setup very quick and easy. Not as idiot proof as just straps, but close. You could get a bug net made of tulle to drop weight on that. They weigh around 2.5 oz. Don't know that the expense would be worth it for you though. Good list.

@Chris – Thanks for the suggestions. This is a 3 season list so there are items like the windshirt that stay home in the warmer months. I use the Driducks as a dual purpose item as much as I can. Good suggestion about sizing up though on the Driducks and I will see about a lighter backup sock. The lighter, scoop and knife are debatable so I will see what I can do with them.

@Tyler – a custom lighter quilt is on its way actually. It did cost a bit more than I would like, but I have no doubt it will be worth it. It is a 35* topquilt from HG with some of the newer 7d material on both sides. As for the tarp you are right, its hard to justify spending the money on a cuben upgrade to shave an ounce.

@Jeff – I have dynaglide whoopies for my other hammocks with a masons line fixed ridge line, but i have not put it in this rig yet. Part of the reason is that the strap option while heavier is SO MUCH EASIER to deal with. I have a Nano 7 setup that weighs in at 8oz with a full suspension that I have been trying to transition to, but the traveler is quite a bit more comfortable. I keep tinkering though. As for the bug net I have the tulle on the workbench ready to go, but i just need the time to go finish it. At $10 for the material its well worth a shot to drop 5oz or so. If you are looking Maybe for the next trip.

Nathan,
I see no reason to "hack away". You are very well "dialed in" with an excellent list of gear…great job. As a hammock camper myself, my gear list is extremely similar, including the same hammock, underquilt, and windjacket. Your weight is under 13 lb. Yes, you could shave a few ounces but IMO you are at the point where it no longer matters from a comfort standpoint.
A few comments I would make…
1. I would not ditch the Montane wind jacket; even though it is slightly redundant with the DriDuck jacket, if you own one like we do, you know how darn comfortable it is. It is one of the "luxury" items I justify by bringing down my packweight in other areas.
2. I would switch out the Leatherman tool for something smaller and lighter.
3. You could really make a difference by changing to an ultralight pack such as the GG Murmur or one of the Zpack Blast packs. The Murmur, though not extremely rugged, is durable and large enough to handle you gear if handled properly, and is not very expensive.
4. I just ordered whoopie slings for my Traveller. I will not save any weight but I find it so much easier to undo with the toggle vs. the slip knot technique recommended with the standard Traveller setup.

Gerry – Thanks. I feel comfortable in the setup, but am always open to suggestions.
I love the Montane and it one of my favorite pieces of gear that I usually keep with me, but sometimes I can leave it. I dont think its a redundant item though as it serves a different purpose than the Driducks.
The pack suggestion is a good one and its something I have been tossing around for a while now. I really like the Ohm and have not really had any experience with a fully frameless pack so there is a little trepidation there. That being said one of the packs I had been eyeing was the Blast 30. I would have given it a shot a while back, but cuben = $$$$ so maybe next year……
Out of curiosity and to clarify did you get the line option on your traveler? I hear there was a bit more fussing on that then the strap setup I got. Weight wise the line option and the whoopies should be about equal, but you can always shave a little here and there with shorter tree straps or smaller whoopies.

Nathan,
Yes, I went with the line option on my Traveler but am switching to the whoopie sling and tree straps. The line requires an easy to make slip knot. BUT the knot is extremely difficult to "unslip". To keep from hurting my hand, I have to wrap my bandana around my palm for protection, then wrap the loose end of the line around my hand, then yank fast and hard, nearly as hard as I can to undo the knot. IMO, not worth the hassle.
The Blast looks like a great pack for sure. But for $90 the Murmur is a great little pack, even though they are currently out of stock at Gossamer Gear. For 20 lb or less weekend 2-4 day hikes, it is extremely comfortable and being frameless is not an issue at all.
P.S. I love your avatar.

Gerry – the line set up does not sound friendly at all and I would switch over too if I had to deal with that. On the other hand that strap setup is so easy.
Thanks on the avatar. Calvin and Hobbes is still one of my favorites and I even managed to turn my kids onto them as well. One of these days I expect to come home to find a yard full of snow zombies.

You've got a great list there! I would only suggest that you ditch the wind jacket – it seems redundant. Whoopies would save you a few ounces, too. The WB hammocks are great, but I like my DIY better than any hammock I've tried. I've saved a bunch of weight moving to a DIY tulle bugnet (a la PapaSmurf at HammockForums) – just a consideration. I lived in Pennsylvania up until a few months ago, and never had a bug get through the tulle netting.