4 pound over-cover for a HH

**GrizzlyAdams** · 09-26-2009, 17:29

I finally got around to having ZQ do a zipper mod on my first hammock, an HH Explorer Ultralight.
I got a good deal on a Supershelter undersystem, so I thought this winter I'd be trying my hand at
winter camping in the Explorer. But an overcover is needed, so I made one.

There's at least one old thread on this, which helped.
Based on my prior winter camping using
a hammock sock, I knew I wanted ventilation, and that the side of the hammock is closer to my
face than the top. So I mused on how to make the overcover conform to whatever the hammock shape
was doing when it had a body in it, to ensure ventilation, and to optionally have ventilation near my face.

Following the wisdom of others I cut the basic shape following the shape of the bugnet.
The basic shape is parallelogram, from which corners are trimmed. The trimmed areas provide the ventilation.
The dimensions shown in the figure below are those to cut, assuming a 5/8" roll hem all around. Basically
I cut the head and foot corners to a base height of about 12", and cut the side corners to about 15" on a side.

Getting the overcover to conform to the hammock turned out to be the trickiest bit, but what worked in the
end was using an idea Risk floated long ago for bugnets---use weight in corners. I put the weights on the ends of the straight line where I cut the corner to the tie-out.

OK some pictures. Here the hammock is loaded with a model (on the left), and empty (on the right)

There's a centered tab on the ends, like a tarp, and a bit of shockcord that runs to the suspension line.
The corners of the cut end are drawn together with a short piece of light shockcord,
to help hold the overcover to the side of the hammock at this end.

Both tie-out sides have tabs with shockcord that goes to the tie-out ring.
On the entry/exit side I've fastened it with a trail stick that is easily fiddled with to get in and out.
If I want more ventilation then I leave it undone,
the weights hold the overcover done, and it settles a little higher,
leaving about an inch or two high "air gap" near that tie out.

.

On the inside...the top cover adapts regardless of whether
I'm on my back or on my side.

Here's the pocket where I put weights, there are four of them.

Without the weights, but with the shockcord (which can and will be trimmed to size),
this overcover weighs just 2.8 oz (made of 1.1 oz untreated nylon from DIY Tactical).

"But Grizz", I can hear you say, "What's this about a 4 pound over-cover?". Well, you could use these weights....

*

Of course, this is a bit academic before this is tested in the wild. But colder weather is coming!

Grizz

* this is a an English coin, with value 1 £

**KerMegan** · 09-26-2009, 17:39

I know I read one of the thru-hiker tips was to get rid of your change after a town day, but those must be _some_ coins...
KM

**Perkolady** · 09-26-2009, 18:44

Wow Grizz! That's really cool!

I've been trying to think of something for my HH's, but I always get stuck on how to attach it. Great idea!

Thanks for sharing this! Great job!

**Ramblinrev** · 09-26-2009, 19:01

My over cover is cut essential to the shape of the bugnet and is attached by shock cord to the tarp hooks. Slots in the corners allow the tie outs to pass through the overcover. Of course this really only works if the zipper mod is not used.

**MacEntyre** · 09-26-2009, 19:13

Well worth it, Grizz!

I'm taking notes... mine is on the drawing board.

- MacEntyre

**pgibson** · 09-26-2009, 19:37

You had me scratching my head at the title Grizz, but all looks good.

**Dutch** · 09-27-2009, 00:13

That a real nice cover you got there. Keep up the good work.

**GrizzlyAdams** · 09-27-2009, 13:42

True confession---hemming that marpat DIY Tactical fabric was a real pain. Has to do with the fabric and the cut on the diagonal of the weave I think. Got me to thinking about alternatives...

What makes that over-cover "work" and it is just Risk's corner weight idea. Instead of a bugnet it is applied as an overcover. All I've done is size it to fit the HH netting, and allow for ventilation near the bottom edge and at the head and foot.

I think what's possible is a simpler design which is nothing but a hemmed rectangle, with the corners turned up and sewn on one edge to make a pocket for the weight. Dimensioned appropriately it might work for the HH, and the Blackbird, and who knows... The idea would be have it be short enough in length to leave air gaps at the ends for ventilation, and be wide enough for coverage in the collection of hammocks of interest.

There's a cost in terms of weight and bulk, but would be a very easy thing to put together quickly.

Hmm.

Grizz

**GrizzlyAdams** · 09-27-2009, 23:05

I couldn't let the idea of a simple over-cover go by without trying it. In the space of 1 hour I cut the fabric (actually 2 pieces, to minimize waste) and put the thing together. This time I used 1.1 DWR nylon. It is much much easier to work with than the material for the HH overcover....I could form the roll hem as I was sewing, no pinning or ironing needed.

So the design is a simple rectangle, with corners folded up to form pockets for coin weights. I made it wide enough to cover the netting on a Blackbird.

Here it is laying on my Explorer. Head end on the left, foot end on the right.

Here it is laying on my Blackbird.

Later this evening I spent another hour putting in a zipper for ventilation around my face, and bits of Omnitape to hold ends together. I'll do a proper write up on this with more pictures and design details later this week. Looks like an idea worth keeping though.

Grizz