looking for camping hammocks on a "reasonable" budget

[datman]

ok, so were pretty new to this whole thing, we have our first outing planned for early June to Yellow River state park in northeast Iowa.

We have $400 set aside to spend on 2 full hammock set ups (one for me and one for the mrs) - bug net, rain fly etc. Any suggestions on who to go with while staying reasonably within this budget? We've been looking at the ENO one link systems, is this a good option? or is there better out there at a $200x2 price point?

[Shug]

Paul at Arrowhead has some good all-in-one hammock starter kits. No tarp included though
http://www.arrowhead-equipment.com/s...mmock_Kit.html

Or google camping hammocks and you'll find some cheap hammocks. That'll save you some money for tarps.
Shug

[TFC Rick]

There are a ton of options out there. I would encourage you to read here as much as you can. There are several items that come up in the for sale area here.

Right off my head i would recommend a Dutchware hammock ($38--$44 with ridge line) with hanging hardware ($20ish). There are several good less expensive tarps out there. Jack's R Better has one close to $100 dollars. You will need insulation, but I would imagine not much in June, although I'm not at all familiar to where you will be camping.

Hope that helps a tiny bit and welcome to the fun!


EDIT: And what that guy said^^^^^^^^..................He kinda knows stuff

[miyanc]

my first question would be if you were able to attend a local hang? not needing to even stay, although I am sure you could, but to be able to see, feel and lay in someones rig may help to make choices.

I would also think about your options. is it car camping? A tarps only real job is to keep you dry and maybe wind free. The hammock, net and such is what you will interact with more. If it were me on that budget looking to get into this I would consider a walmart tarp and a dreamhammock, hammeck, warbonnet, jrb, etc. This will give you the best sleep system and still stay dry. Now if you were backpacking I would think about a dutch set up maybe even a halfwit and then get a wl tadpole.

all of this depends on your willingness to do some trial and error. I would get the items as quickly as I could and make sure I did as much backyard experimenting as possible. If either you or your wife or maybe a family member can sew, well then diy will more then get you under the price point with out compromise.

[daneaustin3]

Can you sew? You can diy nearly every piece you would need including quilts for under $250ish.

[Caminante]

That seems like a tough budget to me, even with DIY, for purpose-built hammock gear. But I think it could be done with some re-purposing. My first hammock trip I used a "blue tarp" from HD and a summer sleeping bag as a top quilt. I didn't need an UQ as low temps were ~68-70 but I suspect Iowa in early June may be chillier than that so you'll want under-insulation of some nature. Assuming you have a sleeping bag that could be a TQ, maybe for one setup:

$75 hammock + suspension
$10 blue tarp
$125 Climashield underquilt or $0 if you use a sleeping pad (I'm told this is less comfortable, but have not personally tried it)
$60 bugnet
$0 Utilize sleeping bag for top quilt

$145 (sleeping pad) to $270 (underquilt) Total

To hit your target, I think you'd need to be able to re-purpose a sleeping bag and sleeping pad for insulation. If you were to DIY, you could take ~$125 off of that and hit your target with an underquilt.

[Rollintent]

Assuming you are car camping and that you already own a sleeping bag or about any kind of blanket/s to use as top insulation, I too would look hard at the kits that Arrowhead Equipment offers. With two beginner kits you would only be $30 over budget and a walmart poly tarp or two would give you all the essentials for a successful June hang at that latitude.

[zukiguy]

If you're not hiking I'd recommend the SnugPak Under Blanket. It's kind of heavy/bulky but the price is better than most DIY projects.

For your $200......
< $30: DIY tablecloth hammock with strap suspension (add whoopies later if you choose)
< $20: Fronkey style net of walmart sheer curtains or similar

< $50: Underquilt: Snugpak
< $0??? Topquilt: Repurposed sleeping bags

< $10 Tarp: Walmart or Harbor Freight big blue or camo tarps.


Or: If you want a more ready to roll option. A Hennessy Hammock Expedition (you maybe want the Explorer if you're over 5'10"). If by chance your wife is small/petite you can get a free "Cub" hammock right now with purchase (good for up to 5'7" and 120lbs). Get the same UQ and TQ setup. Maybe upgrade to a Hex tarp for more coverage.

Good luck

[JSH]

Been thinking about your question. I had similar goals 18 months ago being new to hanging. You mention the "mrs" also. Your first outing might be best in your backyard. I'd also prioritize where you spend your money to focus on a hammock. You might each try out the first one you select. I opted for a Warbonnet XLC which pushed my initial budget a bit but I'm so glad I took that route rather than experiment with lesser engineer hammock options. I didn't know any better and might have formed the wrong impression of hanging if I'd messed up with a hammock. I'd suggest getting the right hammock as a start. Letting your wife try out your first might help you determine if you both need similar designs.

I re-purposed down sleeping bags for top insulation and used some DIY CCA pads for under during the first couple months of use. Tarp was a used plastic tarp. These worked sufficiently well for me to appreciate the value of hanging.

Hope this helps. ghood luck

[SilvrSurfr]

I'd stay away from ENO - much better options abound. It sounds like your budget is somewhat arbitrary - you've set the budget without looking at how much two full setups would cost.

I would think the only way you'll get near that budget is if you leave insulation out of the question. A tarp will be at least $70 (HH Hex or Kelty 12 x 12), and a hammock with suspension will also be around $70 to $85. Once you buy cord for the guylines, ridgeline, stakes, etc., your budget is blown.

But you still don't have any insulation, which is going to be a major problem. Anything below 70* F at night and you'll need some sort of bottom insulation - a pad or quilt. A ccf pad can be purchased for $10 or $15, and I've found them to be good down to the mid-20s (if you can deal with the condensation). You're still going to need top insulation as well.