Hammock and insulation for long distance

[Vargan]

Hello,

I have a HH Hyperlite at this time, that I've tested 4 or 5 nights in car camping situations. I bought a military camo biffy and poncho liner thinking to make an UQ with them, but seeing how bulky they are, I decided not to mutilate them, and just use them inside the hammock for the test sleeps (with sleeping bag). Now I am planning to do some RTW traveling, starting in S.A and I need to upgrade to real insulation.

Could anyone recommend some light and compact insulations that would work in the humid summer and to maybe -5C ?

I am also considering getting a different hammock for this trip. I would prefer something that may accommodate 2 people. I was looking at that the warbonnet large model. I like that it has a removable netting, and an optional winter cover to replace it. The double bottom is also nice for sliding some insulation in to keep it still.

Would the Warbonnet hammock be better suited for RTW travel type and gorilla camping? Would it be easier to insulate considering the double bottom? Can the HH snakeskins be used with it?

I will either upgrade my hammock, or just get that giant rain fly from them for better elements protection, and it might also be better for gorilla camping as it can be bought in camo.

[Nodust]

I use 20*F down quilts even in humid Louisiana. Just can't beat the packability and warmth. Your hammock would be fine if you are comfortable in it. Just get a bigger tarp if you want. There are many camo options available.

I only use snakeskins on tarps not the hamock. Hammock just goes in a stuff sack. Double ended sacks are great for hammocks.

I am not sure what RTW or gorilla camping is but could be fun.

[SilvrSurfr]

I have my reservations about whether a hammock is viable for round-the-world travelling. I'll agree with Nodust that 20*F down quilts are the most versatile, but I would expect you'll spend a lot of time ground-dwelling because, well, the world is a big place. Guerrilla camping (or stealth camping), in my mind, requires some knowledge of the countries and locales to which you will be travelling, knowledge that you're unlikely to have.

Assuming you'll be ground dwelling a lot, a pad may be better bottom insulation than an underquilt, especially if your expected lows are just -5 C (23* F). You might want a double-layer hammock to keep the pad in place.

[Vargan]

I already have an inflatable thermarest pad I could probably try.

To be honest, I'm not so sure how far I'm going to get. I know I be starting in south America where a hammock is useful, but where after I don't know yet, just want to have most of the situations covered.

I just want to travel for as cheap as possible, so if I see a chance to use it, I will.

[hutzelbein]

I have done a fair bit of travelling with a hammock, so here's my take.

Could anyone recommend some light and compact insulations that would work in the humid summer and to maybe -5C ?

I have used down insulation in Europe, USA, Australia, New Zealand and SE Asia and it worked just fine for me. However, I didn't really camp in Asia - I only used my sleeping bag as a blanket indoors because I'm always cold. Since most vendors now offer treated down, I don't think that humidity is a big problem anymore. Down certainly will be the lightest and most packable insulation. A 20°F underquilt and sleeping bag have worked for me down to 0°C. I probably wouldn't like to use it in lower temps, but I'm an extremely cold sleeper. If you sleep normally or even warm, 20°F insulation should be plenty fine for you.

What type of underquilt do you want to use? Full-length or partial? And do you want to go with a top quilt or a sleeping bag?

I am also considering getting a different hammock for this trip. I would prefer something that may accommodate 2 people. I was looking at that the warbonnet large model. I like that it has a removable netting, and an optional winter cover to replace it. The double bottom is also nice for sliding some insulation in to keep it still.

Only very few couples can *sleep* in one hammock. The consensus is, that a hammock is fine for cuddling and maybe napping, but not for sleeping. There are plenty of threads on this topic here that you might want to read. I would definitely recommend one hammock per person. You can still sleep close together by using the three-tree-method.

While the Warbonnet XLC is a nice hammock, I don't think the removable bug net is an important feature for somebody using it on an extended trip (like a RTW trip). The extra zipper adds some weight, and it is also fiddly. And you have to carry the net with you anyways - in contrast to somebody who takes it for separate hiking trips in all seasons and can simply leave the net at home. It also sounds as if you will be travelling in buggy areas most of the time anyways. If you are not very tall, I'd recommend going with the 10' WB Blackbird (no XLC). It's fairly light weight, and the bug net also catches some of the warmth in colder nights.

If you want to go with Dream Hammock, have a look at the Darien (the lightest option apart from no-net) or the Dangerbird (which also has a top cover). I would base my decision on the conditions I expect to see 90% of the time - and improvise when it gets colder or hotter. In your case: if you are mostly travelling in tropical areas, get a hammock without top cover, and drape a light cloth over your ridgeline in those couple of nights where the temps are around 0°C/32°F.

Would the Warbonnet hammock be better suited for RTW travel type and gorilla camping?

Pretty much any hammock in earthy tones is suited for stealth camping. If you are using a tarp and an underquilt, maybe even an underquilt protector, the hammock itself will hardly be visible anyway.

Would it be easier to insulate considering the double bottom?

Any double layer hammock (most vendors offer this feature) is suitable for keeping a sleeping pad in place. That said, unless you expect to go to ground frequently, an underquilt is the more comfortable solution. If you want to go with pads, you will either need to take a short extra pad for your shoulders, or DIY a Segmented Pad Extender (SPE).

Can the HH snakeskins be used with it?

Yes, the snakeskins should work. At least the large size. However, I find snakeskins mostly a nuisance. A hammock in snakeskins takes up more space in your pack than a hammock in a simple double ended stuff sack. If, for any reason you want to take the hammock out of the skins, you'll have a hard time getting it packed up again without hanging it. I also think, the snakeskins are heavier than a simple stuff sack. Additionally, I use my stuff sack as a peak bag for extra storage in the hammock. The snakeskins are not as versatile.

I will either upgrade my hammock, or just get that giant rain fly from them for better elements protection, and it might also be better for gorilla camping as it can be bought in camo.

This is not an "either - or" question. You will need a tarp in any case. Especially in humid areas. For my trips, the WB Mamajamba has been perfect. If you don't expect to hang in hurricanes or at very low temps, you won't really need doors (unless you want privacy - but it sounds as if you're doing mostly stealth camping anyways). No doors means less weight - which is a big consideration on a long trip where you have to carry everything.

[bacall79]

Hello Vargan,

Used my hammock for 2 months on the AT last spring. I have a WBBB double layer with a Mt Washington under quilt. Temps got down into the twenties a couple of times. I got cold the first night so I put a 3/16" pad that I had bought from Oware between the 2 layers of my hammock. Warm and cozy after that. The pad was light weight but bulky to carry but worth it.

[FLRider]

What hutzelbein said.

Generally speaking, sleeping two to an hammock (the Clark Vertex, Flex 180, and other "two-bed" hammocks notwithstanding--note that these are not the ones marketed as "double" hammocks with a single bed to them, they're the ones with two actual separate hammock beds connected somehow) is not particularly comfortable. I've managed it, but it required a significant difference in weight and a very flexible partner to pull off--and it was still not as comfortable as sleeping one per hammock. If it weren't for my partner's preferences, I would definitely sleep alone but close. Note that, for me, though, it was still more comfortable than sleeping on the ground. YMMV.

Earth tones will do you just fine for stealth camping; camo isn't really necessary. The trick is to show up after dark and leave before dawn...or sleep somewhere where no one goes. As long as you don't have anything reflective or very light colored, you'll be hard to see. However, that being said, there are very few places in the world where you can do that legally. Check local regs and be prepared for trouble if you're found out if they don't allow for that.

A 20* UQ will cover most temperatures you're likely to see when moving by foot. Unless you plan on being somewhere with a significant continental climate during local winter, 20* will do you just fine. In the tropics, there will likely be nights where you want to leave that off, but that's okay. If you need under insulation at all, venting your top insulation will keep you cool enough. Down will be lightest, most packable, and last the longest; just make sure to take moderate care about getting it soaked. Slightly damp is okay, soaked is not.

You're definitely going to want a bug net for warmer climates, especially if you're going to be in the jungle. It will save you on sleep and may just save your life if malaria and/or other mosquito-borne diseases are common there.

Hope it helps!

[cardo]

I've read several RTW journals at crazyguyonabike.com. The one I'm following right now is "The Really Long Way Around" by Chris Pountney. He started in Paris and is now at the China-Laos border. It seems that he wild camps about four out of five days, depending on weather, surroundings, need for wi-fi. From his pictures it looks as though the opportunities to hang (he doesn't hang,) are non-existent from about Turkey to the middle of China. Think of all the 'Stans, the Gobi desert, Mongolia, etc.

For a trip I'm planning around CA, OR, and WA; I'm going to figure on hanging but carry an air mattress JIC. For a RTW, I'd plan on the ground and carry a hammock JIC.

A tent for two will probably be more fun than a hammock for two.

There is also the mails: Many people send equipment back and forth from home as they travel from, say, the West coast to the East. Crossing the Sierras and the Rockies in the Spring with a chance of snow then sending stuff home as they get into the Plains and Summer.



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