First Hang - Cold too...!

[Hooch]

Congrats on the first hang, Bmike! I'm glad it was a good one. I've got 2 cooler weather hangs coming up in the next 3 weeks or so. DevilDoc and I are doing a section on the AT and the RRG November Hangout is coming up the weekend after that. Yay!

[nogods]

I've had only one opportunity to try a below 40 degrees hang since i got my hammocks in September. Tonight's low will be 54 and tomorrow's high will be 66 - I'm in Buffalo!!!

ah...but come friday the lows at night will dip into the low 30's and highs will only be around 50 so I should get a chance to try a cold hang this weekend. I think i'l give the Clark once last try Friday night and then compare it to the Claytor Saturday night.

[BillyBob58]

Hey neo... Question for ya... In the summer is the double bottom on the claytor jungle enough to keep you warm underneath or do you still need some sort of thinner pad?

Neo may have a dif opinion, but I don't thin k that "double layer" would help much. It's not actually a sleeve, if memory serves correctly. It is literally an extra layer that is only secured on one side, making placing the pad ultra easy. You reach in the hammock, raise the layer to one side like you would a blanket as you get into bed, and place the pad, then lower the extra layer of nylon back over the pad. Like Neo said, I couldn't even tell a pad was there except for warmth. Neo will have to tell us if there are any condensation issues.

But, with no pad in there, that extra layer would just be squashed flat and of little or no use as insulation or trapped air space. Or so it seems to me. Sure is easy to use with a pad, though!

Has anybody here used the Claytor with a pad and also a hammock with UQ or SS? If so, I'd like to know if they think the pad decreases comfort any compared to no pad? Or Neo, is the Claytor any more comfortable without the pad, assuming temps allow it to be used that way?

Side note: I think it's the best bug net design I have seen yet. Is the net removable in cold weather, to save ounces?

[BillyBob58]

Hey Bmike, it looks like you have a pretty good hang there with the stock HH with tarp attached to the hammock. And naturally, things got a little floppy once you got in. No worries though, I slept that way a whole week not having a clue what the problem was or that there was another way to do it.

Some bungees or tensioners will help a lot with that floppiness. So will hanging some weighted stuff sacks ( sand, rocks) from the hooks on the left and right tarp ends. Another trick is to really tighten the tarp DOWN onto the hammock, BEFORE you tighten it on the ridgeline. Plus tensioners if available. None of this will solve the problem, but it sure will help.

To get rid of all floppiness ( or at least as much as possible with that tarp design), tie the tarp to the trees. However, that will introduce another problem with this small tarp. Now when the hammock sags, the tarp will stay put, putting distance between you and tarp ridgeline, and you may find you are hanging a bit exposed. You will have a lot less sag if your trees are only 12-14 feet or so apart. It looks like you were hanging with a fairly good distance to the trees.

nother pic... wow, i am close to the road! just up and down that little gully.
was really loud this afternoon when i was taking it down. don't know how i slept!

[bmike]

Hey Bmike, it looks like you have a pretty good hang there with the stock HH with tarp attached to the hammock. And naturally, things got a little floppy once you got in. No worries though, I slept that way a whole week not having a clue what the problem was or that there was another way to do it.

Some bungees or tensioners will help a lot with that floppiness. So will hanging some weighted stuff sacks ( sand, rocks) from the hooks on the left and right tarp ends. Another trick is to really tighten the tarp DOWN onto the hammock, BEFORE you tighten it on the ridgeline. Plus tensioners if available. None of this will solve the problem, but it sure will help.

To get rid of all floppiness ( or at least as much as possible with that tarp design), tie the tarp to the trees. However, that will introduce another problem with this small tarp. Now when the hammock sags, the tarp will stay put, putting distance between you and tarp ridgeline, and you may find you are hanging a bit exposed. You will have a lot less sag if your trees are only 12-14 feet or so apart. It looks like you were hanging with a fairly good distance to the trees.

Yeah, the tress were pretty far apart - so I sagged quite a bit. I choked the huggers and had maybe 2-3 feet on each end of the line - so I was way out. Pulled as tight as I could and adjusted once or twice in the night.

I made tensioners for the side lines with some bungies. Might have to do the slingshot ones though - afraid I'm going to tear those bungies to pieces. I used your method of pulling down first - but I think with the tree spacing it wasn't going to work so great no matter what I did. The less initial sag there is the better that tarp will hang.

Picked up some more bungie this morning for the ridge tensioners on the tarps. I'll try it out and eventually when I make a blackcat I'll be tying to the trees.