Can I get some opinions on my hammock setup please?

[BiGR Rich]

First things first, some details about me: about 5'8", 165 to 170 pounds, and weight is not a terrible concern (since I would be car camping / motorcycle camping / or hiking a mile into the woods). I want to run some ideas past the gurus here to save myself time & money though. Here is what I'm thinking for my setup:

1) Grand Trunk UL with amsteel continuous loops in the ends, whoopie slings into a toggle on the straps.
2) Currently have a HH fly (stock one from the Exped Asym) on a separate ridge line (paracord at the moment, but willing to swap if necessary).
3) Fronkey bug net attached to ends with paracord being used as a removable (and non structural) ridge line.

For insulation I do have a couple of options (down TQ & UQ is out of the equation financially....):

1) Thermarest Solite pad trimmed down to fit inside a mummy bag.
2) 40° synthetic mummy bag from Walmart
3) 0° synthetic mummy bag I think from Sears
4) And an old fleece sleeping bag that I've had for years

Of course, I have a bunch of the usual odds and ends - wool socks, fleece thermals, etc.. The 0° mummy bag has slits cut into it at the foot box and under the shoulders so I can use it as a poor mans peapod, but Velcro to shut the slits when being used normally.

The most hanging I'll likely be doing is when touring around on the bike, so temps above freezing. Are there any glaring faults in my hammock setup? I do have a couple ideas for upgrades like a larger rainfly, more Dutch Bling to simplify setups, and possibly a second hammock underneath to sandwich my pad.

Thanks for your time and responses!

[hutzelbein]

How much do you want to spend on your set-up? And did you already check out the cottage vendor's websites?

If it was my choice, I would go with a cottage shop and/or DIY. The quality and service of the small shops is pretty much always better than that of the big players. And you often save money and weight to boot.

Let us know your budget, and we'll be able to advise you better.

[BiGR Rich]

The budget is ..... tight. If I really need something I can save up for it, but I can do many things myself (like cutting the slits in the mummy bag and sewing them back up). And it's tough to miss the cottage vendors here! I ordered some stuff from Dutch already, and will be ordering some more bling soon. The only big purchase I'm looking at is a larger tarp right now, and even that can wait for a while since I'm not doing any winter hanging.

I was more referring to my hammock suspension setup along with using paracord for the tarp. Or any glaring faults that could leave me cold and wet on the ground.

[SilvrSurfr]

Well, you obviously know that paracord has no business in any hammock application or you wouldn't be asking. Dump the paracord ridgeline tout de suite and get 1.75 or 2.2 mm Zing-It, or 2.0 Dynaglide. If you're really conservative, get a 7/64 or 1/8 inch Amsteel Blue ridgeline. However, at your weight, 1.75 mm Zing-it will do. You can buy an ASR or fixed ridgeline from Dutch or BIAS or any of several vendors, or you can buy it buy the foot and splice it yourself. I like 1.75 mm Zing-it 'cause it's good for my hammock ridgeline, tarp ridgeline and tarp guy-lines. A 180' roll is only $25 to $30.

I'd skip the whole idea of second hammock to sandwich your pad: that ain't gonna work out too well. More trouble than it's worth. Get a DL (double-layer) hammock. I've got a BIAS Weight Weenie Micro DL that I use with a pad - it never moves between the two layers. Dutch is also selling a DL. I also made a DL tablecloth hammock: pretty comfy and only cost me $26.

You've got decent insulation but bulky and heavy. However, normal people experience condensation when using a pad in a hammock, and it gets worse the colder it gets (at least for me). There are some freaks who experience no condensation with pads. I don't know what's wrong with them!

An HH Hex tarp or Noah Kelty 12 would be a cheap upgrade to your postage stamp Hennessy tarp - that thing's a joke. Weather protection is the single most important part of your setup. You should be able to find a decent (though heavy) poly tarp in the $60-80 range. Expand your price range to $85-130 and you can get a silnylon tarp that's much lighter.

Once you get the weather protection done, an UQ will be your greatest improvement in hammock comfort, hands down. You can start out cheap with poncho liner underquilts, or get a synthetic UQ good down to 25 degrees for $100.

[cougarmeat]

I've used the HH tarp you have and it isn't so much a "joke" as it is barely acceptable. That is, in order to stay dry, if it rains, you'll want to lash it down close to the hammock and steep. So as soon as you are out of the hammock, you are pretty much in the rain. Definitely better than nothing, but clearly can be improved upon. I'm in the Big Tarp camp. So I second your investment in the Noah Kelty 12 (or maybe even 16 - but then you need wider apart trees). If you continue with your hammock evolution, you will eventually get something besides the Kelty - but then you can use it to cover the picnic table at the camp ground or many other "shelter" uses.

[BiGR Rich]

Good info gents, thank you.

Paracord is a funny thing.... it seems to always be around and it's cheap. But I'll definitely take the zing-it into consideration.

As far as the pad goes.... it will be a permanent fixture one way or another. Only because I expect to go to ground from time to time. Traveling by motorcycle can get dangerous riding around looking for a decent hanging setup, so there will be situations where sleeping on a pad is a last resort.

Again, thanks again for the info!

[hutzelbein]

If you don't have problems with using a pad in the hammock - great. But if you find your pad a bit narrow, you could think about supplementing it with a 3/4 underquilt. If you DIY, it shouldn't cost you too much. Especially if your pad is doing most of the insulating. The underquilt would mainly help with insulating your shoulders or any areas that are not protected by the pad.

[Shug]

I so go with whatcha got and just get on the trail or road. You can always upgrade a piece at a time if you desire once you get the knack for hanging. Getting out and using it will let you know where you stand. Concentrate on set-up and good pitches for now.
My opinion.
Carry forth.
Shug

[dooge]

I think it sounds fine but I wouldn't cut down your thermarest just use the sleepingbag as a quilt on top. I like to put a cotton liner ( a fitted sheet would work ) on the pad so I'm not lying on plastic.

[FLRider]

I would avoid the pad and make a poncho liner underquilt (PLUQ) for the temperatures you're talking about. That'd run you ~$30 in materials, doesn't need to be sewn (links below for directions), and should get you down into the mid-40s comfortably. If you add a layer of cheap insulation (another ~$10, tops), you should be good down to freezing-ish. This assumes that you're the theoretical "average sleeper" (I'm not; I'm an exceptionally warm sleeper: I got the no-sew version to be comfy down to 41* and the sewn up version with one layer of InsulBright down to 25*).

Link to the no-sew directions (go down to post #7 for the updated directions).

Link to the sewn up version.

Note that both of these are going to eat up quite a bit of pack space and weight, though, considering their temperature ratings (the no-sew will be ~3 to ~5 L of space and weigh ~24 to ~26 oz; a 45* F 3/4 down underquilt made with 0.67 oz/sq yd fabric and 850 FP down will come in at ~9 to ~11 oz and pack down to ~1 L of space). Factor that into your packing for the motorcycle and your hiking trips.

Hope it helps!