Please allow me to introduce myself.....

Hi. I'm Undershaft. I came over here from the Whiteblaze forums. So....this hammock thing is an idea that I find interesting. I'll be honest, I have a tent. It's a lovely 2 person tent that has faithfully served me for seven years now. I really love my tent and have mixed emotions about giving it up. My tent is roomy, weatherproof, easy to set up/take down, and makes a very comfortable shelter on the trail(let it be known, I'm quite comfortable sleeping on the ground). It is also heavy and kind of bulky. Neither of these "cons" have been a problem in the past, but I'm willing to take a chance that I can do better.

Last year I recieved a HH Expedition Asym as a gift. After examining the HH is seems like a great alternative to my beloved tent, but I'm still skeptical. I guess thats why I'm here. This hammock appears to be capable of doing everything my tent can do plus some other neat advantages. It weighs over 50% less than my tent, it will open up a whole range of new campsite potential, and will take up a lot less space in my pack. On the other hand....the hammock has no vestibule to store my crap and cook in during inclement weather, has very little space inside, and I'm a bit unsure as to it's horrific weather coping ability. I have visions of being very wet in this hammock.

Here's the deal: I depart Harper's Ferry on May 20th heading northbound to Katahdin. This is the longest hike I have attempted and naturally I want to reduce my pack weight. I am planning on using my hammock for this reason. I have spent a grand total of two afternoons in my backyard inside the hammock. So far I don't hate it, but I'm not in love yet. A couple of issues have me unsure as to whether I even want to keep dating my hammock. I'm willing to give it time to allow the chemistry to develop, but I will need your help. Over the next six weeks I will be asking questions. Lots of questions. I'm used to figuring things out on my own, but this hammocking deal seems to have a lot of tricky little details associated with it. Therefore, I must call upon your collective experience to get me ready for 1,100 miles of hammock hanging. Think you can handle that?:eek:

Welcome.

Ask away.

One thing a lot of us do is get bigger tarps than the stock one. The stock HH tarp doesn't allow much room for error or useable space underneath.

Another issue is staying warm. The biggest heat loss is from underneath. Some people use a pad, some use an underquilt, and others use a combination of both.

Once you get it down it is really nice. Just be prepared, there is a learning curve. Not hard, just different than tenting.

Undershaft, first off, welcome to the hanging gang. I'm a relative newcomer here and still very much in the "newbie" phase of learning about hammocking. I have been head over heels in love with my hammock from the first night I slept in it. You couldn't have found a friendlier and more knowledgeable group from whom to get advice. Collectively, the senior members here have many years of hammocking experience and are always more than happy to share what they know. Ask away with your questions, you'll always find plenty of answers. Again, welcome aboard! :D

Welcome to the Hammock Forums. If you are worried about weathering ability, I would say get a Hex Tarp (under replacement rain flys) or a MacCat. The MacCat is easier to get taut. Also, for storing gear you can make/get a gear hammock.

..hope you guess my name....:)

Welcome to the site! :)

As others have stated a larger tarp will give you more room than almost any tent. Be sure to check out Just Jeff's site:

http://tothewoods.net/

It's a great primer on cold weather hammock camping, staying dry, DIY gear, and any other thing related to using your hammock.

Welcome to the hanging gang..... if weight is an issue, consider the 8x8 sizes 20 percent lighter than 8x10 and the Mac Cat.... same or better economy too.

pan

Welcome to the site. Check out Michelles thru-hiking journal at www.trailjournals.com. Her trail name is Certain. She started at Springer the first part of March and is using a HH. May help to give you some peace of mind. BD

Welcome Undershaft,

Most of your questions should be found either with a search here or over at White blazes hammock camping forum:www.whiteblaze.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=104
Asking a question here is like throwing raw meat at a hungry wolf.:D
A bigger tarp would be my first suggestion also. Several to choose from. I have 3 I use on different occasions.

Again welcome.

Bigger tarp will allow you more coverage. The main reason I use a top entry hammock is so I can cook and stuff while inside the hammock.

If you want to know all your options check out Jeff's website: http://www.tothewoods.net/ There are some great comparisons between tarps: http://www.tothewoods.net/HammockCampingDry.html