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  1. #1
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    No topic for lightweight/ultralight?

    I expected to find a topic for ultralight backpacking / how to save weight. Comparing hammock setups and exchanging ideas focusing mainly on weight et c. It's such a hot topic inbackpacking/hiking/outdoors communities that I was surprised to see nothing about it here! Maybe I missed it?
    Weight is mentioned quite a lot here and there, but I haven't been able to determine if it's a core issue for many people on HF or not.
    Well, for me it definitely is!

    I don't feel like officially suggesting it as a new topic as I just joined, just bringing it up to check.

  2. #2
    Senior Member gargoyle's Avatar
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    I feel that the topic is a constant here. Every time I check in to HF, there's something new and lighter in the news. Super strong lightweight ropes, single layer hammocks, giant lightweight tarps that weigh less than a can of beer. Conversations of lightweight packs, new techno-logic layers of clothing and footwear.Down bags/sleep systems, uber gram weenie stoves and cook kits, smallest flashlights and water filters known to man.

    People here are very weight conscious, that's why most chose the hammock lifestyle, it is the lightest, most comfortable sleep system available, in my opinion. Packing extra weight can be a pain, so the info here has definetely opened my eyes to a better way.

    Not all of us are ever going to hike a thru at the Appalachian Trail,(yes, it is a dream of mine ..someday), but we do enjoy the relaxation and adventure of hammock camping. Some folks may never get farther than the back yard or local campground, due to economic or physical reasons.

    Do we all need the latest and greatest doo-dads on the market?. NO.
    Will a majority of the Hammock community endure -47* temperatures? NO.

    We are all a bunch of gear loving fanatics, who certainly enjoy the testing and refinement the ultra hammockers put into their gear. Knowing a product can work is a boost in our confidence as we take to the feild.
    Tester and fellow HF member ,Turk, whom I give high regards to, for putting his body out there for torture and testing. It can't always be fun to hike in sub-zero weather, with gear your not familiar with. Turk, I salute you.

    We are always on the trail of newer and better gear, and the first step we took was the hammock. Some here are ultra-lightweight, with packs for a 3-4 day trip weighing in at 10-15 pounds. Some here are car camping with all the luxuries of the Taj Mahal. It is a matter of taste and preference, in my opinion, that we camp/hike at our own comfort level.

    Hang your own hammock, has been a mantra here since I joined, and I feel it is proper that we all enjoy our swaying clouds of comfort, our own way.
    I believe Grizz summed it up best for me one day, when he said, "if someone is going to mention my crooked stitches, thats probably someone I don't want to hike with".

    Ultra gram weenie or bring the kitchen sink camper, we are a great community, who enjoys and support our hammock and its constant refinement. Our gear is a part of our soul, and makes us feel special, in a quirky sorta way.
    Ambulo tua ambulo.

  3. #3
    Senior Member HappyCamper's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by gaidal View Post
    I expected to find a topic for ultralight backpacking / how to save weight. Comparing hammock setups and exchanging ideas focusing mainly on weight et c. It's such a hot topic inbackpacking/hiking/outdoors communities that I was surprised to see nothing about it here!

    I don't feel like officially suggesting it as a new topic as I just joined, just bringing it up to check.
    I think this is a valid question on any kind of forum that includes people who backpack. Lots of people are here because of ailments (knees, backs, necks, feet), where they could no longer stand sleeping on ground. Same with carrying weight. People are looking for lighter solutions so they can enjoy the hike more. I know I do. Why not a specific category to make it easier to find lightweight hammock ideas?

    With that said, sometimes lightest isn't necessarily the most comfortable. . . thinking of the people who love their Aarn packs.

    Here's one of my favorite ultralite threads by Te-Wa. http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ead.php?t=9998
    Last edited by HappyCamper; 09-04-2009 at 09:37.
    Exercise, eat right, die anyway -- Country Roads bumper sticker
    Fall seven times, standup eight. -- Japanese Proverb

  4. #4
    Senior Member Cannibal's Avatar
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    I personally feel that UL and SUL topics are weaved into nearly every thread on this site. That said, I would support a forum that specifically deals with UL and SUL concepts. I just wouldn't want a bunch of threads that would not be moved in past, to be moved into that forum just because so much of the discussion involves weight. Like I said, it's not easy to find a thread about gear here that doesn't take, at the least, a weight detour.
    Trust nobody!

  5. #5
    Senior Member Mustardman's Avatar
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    There are lots of things that have been discussed or outright innovated by folks on these forums to reduce weight more and more... whoopie sling suspensions, partial underquilts, spinntex tarps, cuben fiber hammocks, molly mac packs... weight savings are a concern to many people around these parts.


    I don't agree, however, that hammocking is the natural choice for lightweight hiking. To me, the natural choice there is something like a bivy bag or tiny little tarptent. I would be miserable sleeping in either of those, though Hammocking can be made very lightweight, but the insulation systems are almost always going to add additional weight you simply wouldn't see in an ultralight ground setup. Most of us are willing to pay that slight weight penalty for the massive increase in comfort, which is why we're here

  6. #6
    Senior Member angrysparrow's Avatar
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    I agree with everyone that weight is important, and that it gets focus here at HF. It has been suggested to the mods via PM a couple of times that a section might be a good idea. After talking about it, we don't disagree, but Cannibal's post articulated it well.

    Quote Originally Posted by Cannibal View Post
    I just wouldn't want a bunch of threads that would not be moved in past, to be moved into that forum just because so much of the discussion involves weight.
    There are indeed many discussions where weight is an integral part of the thread, but not the *only* facet of the discussion. For instance a thread about a particular tarp will talk about weight, but that doesn't mean it doesn't belong in the tarp section any more. A thread that talks about lightweight suspensions certainly involves weight, but it still belongs in the support section. And the same goes for hammocks, quilts, bags, pods, pads, etc.

    So, while weight is indeed a central theme, if we had a dedicated sub-forum what would go in it that doesn't belong in another section already?
    “I think that when the lies are all told and forgot the truth will be there yet. It dont move about from place to place and it dont change from time to time. You cant corrupt it any more than you can salt salt.” - Cormac McCarthy

  7. #7
    Senior Member GrizzlyAdams's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by gargoyle View Post
    I feel that the topic is a constant here.
    agreed.

    I believe Grizz summed it up best for me one day, when he said, "if someone is going to mention my crooked stitches, thats probably someone I don't want to hike with".
    Thanks for the attribute, but I don't think that was me. In any case not too many regulars on HF are going to be critical of someone else's DIY work in a non-constructive way.

    Of course, I've hiked with Dutch...
    Dutch : ah, Grizz man, you like to drink when you're sewing?
    Grizz : I know better than that man, why?
    Dutch : Well I was just looking at this baffle seam on your UQ man, and it looks like you pulled off the road fast to pick up a six-pack at a road joint. No, it's cool man, think you could sew up a hiking shirt for me that had stitches like that? I got this urban camo material...
    Grizz : Ahh,...

    Quote Originally Posted by gargoyle View Post
    Ultra gram weenie or bring the kitchen sink camper, we are a great community, who enjoys and support our hammock and its constant refinement. Our gear is a part of our soul, and makes us feel special, in a quirky sorta way.
    Quirky, that's us. Definitely quirky.

    Grizz

  8. #8
    Senior Member Cannibal's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by GrizzlyAdams View Post
    Thanks for the attribute, but I don't think that was me.
    That one was Just Jeff. I remember it only because I was feeling sorry for my sewing skills when I read that. Kind of one of those "Yeah, up yours" moments in my head. I've been proud of my ugly gear ever since.
    Trust nobody!

  9. #9
    Senior Member animalcontrol's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cannibal View Post
    That one was Just Jeff. I remember it only because I was feeling sorry for my sewing skills when I read that. Kind of one of those "Yeah, up yours" moments in my head. I've been proud of my ugly gear ever since.
    I'll do it one better...
    "The only person who criticises another persons DIY gear is the guy who only uses commercial stuff"
    cept Dutch and I'll hike with him anyday (and his DIY stuff looks better than any commercials stuff)
    Well, there goes my theory
    "Every day is a new day to a better future"
    "Of all the things that matter, that really and truly matter, working more efficiently and getting more done is not among them." ~ Mike Dooley
    "What if I told you that you couldn't have anymore of anything... No more friends, no more money, no more anything, until you first got happy with what you have?"~ Mike Dooley
    "The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing." ~ Socrates

  10. #10
    Senior Member gargoyle's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cannibal View Post
    That one was Just Jeff. I remember it only because I was feeling sorry for my sewing skills when I read that. Kind of one of those "Yeah, up yours" moments in my head. I've been proud of my ugly gear ever since.
    Thanks for correcting my mis-qoute. I apologize, Professor, so much info and many talented folks. Hard to keep all the info straight.

    Mustardman, while the natural choice may be the tent, the LOGICAL choice is the hammock.
    Ambulo tua ambulo.

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