Lots of Newbie questions

[bredler]

Okay, I'm new to this and have lots of questions so I'll number them to limit confusion:

1) How much protection do you get from dew in a HH?
2) On the NC part of the AT, how cold will it get during mid May and what additional insulation (if any) will I need for my hammock?
3) I'm brand-spanking new, like green green green. I've only been hiking twice, but I'm getting into it more now. Is a hammock going to be a hassle?
4) Does anyone just take their pack and keep it with them in the hammock?
5) Not specifically hammock related, but what kind of stoves do you guys use?
6) What sleeping bag do you recommend for the mentioned time and place in question 2?
7) Any Musicians out there?

Thanks for taking some time to help me out,
Brendan

[Take-a-knee]

Hello and welcome to HF.

A stock Hennessy tarp will certainly keep the dew off of you, sideways rain might be another matter. Most here have aquirred/ made a larger silnylon tarp. For NC mountain weather in May, I'd plan for lows of 40 and be prepared for 30. A lot of us here use homemade alcohol stoves. There are a few guys here who've made just about all of their hiking kit. I reccomend you start with a closed-cell foam pad for bottom insulation. It will need to be at least 28inches wide for your torso, you can trim the area from your buttocks down narrower. An outfit named OWARE sells 1/4 foam pads 3' wide, order two. The other alternative is some sort of underquilt, Jacks R Better makes a down version, the Nest and the No Sniveler. If you want a synthetic version, that is a homemade proposition. Start with the pads first and see if they work for you, some people complain of excessive sweating from lying on the pads, I've never had a problem with that. Conventional sleeping bags don't work well in a hammock, esp a hennessy. It is best to use a quilt. Ray Jardine sells a synthetic quilt kit, Thruhiker sells a down kit. A wearable parka bag like the Exped Wallcreeper or the Feathered Friends Rock Wren is the best of both worlds. You put the bag on like a sweatshirt, leave your feet sticking out the bottom, sit down in the hammock, pull your feet inside and close the drawstring at the bottom.

[Bulldog]

I really cant answer # 1 and # 2 as Ive only been in NC in early April, and dont use a HH, but as for # 3) Id say no, although some days Ive been to tired to hang and just slept in the shelter. Although these were long days in GA on my Thru. Along my attempt I only slept in the shelter once in over a hundred miles. In all of my travels all over the AT From GA to NJ I have always found a place to hang.

4) If my pack is empty, which most of the time it is, is just hang it off of the support lines, otherwise I put my pack cover on it and lay it under my hammock.

5) My stove / cook system is the Trail Designs Claderia Cone for a Snow Peak 900 mL cookpot. The stove is a simple alcohol stove ( a V8 can inside a soda can )

6) I use either a Western Mountainering MeagaLite as a quilt (for winter) or a Jacks r Better No Snivller. As a side note if Im carring the MegaLite, I use the NS as a underquilt.

[slowhike]

welcome to HF brendan.
it's hard to say what the weather might be like in the NC mountains in may.
i've been on mt mitchel in aug when it got down to 38°f & other mountains in feb that were more like a spring day.
i always watch the weather reports 1 or 2 days before going & just before leaving, then i try to be prepared for a little lower temp than called for. but you can get a better idea what your under insulation (quilt or pad), top quilt, & sleep clothes will keep you warm in if you test near home.
practice w/ the hammock, tarp, & your insulation will make setting up on the trail much simpler.

here's a non-hammock forum were HF members talk more about their stoves. http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/f...splay.php?f=42
...tim

[FanaticFringer]

Okay, I'm new to this and have lots of questions so I'll number them to limit confusion:

1) How much protection do you get from dew in a HH?
2) On the NC part of the AT, how cold will it get during mid May and what additional insulation (if any) will I need for my hammock?
3) I'm brand-spanking new, like green green green. I've only been hiking twice, but I'm getting into it more now. Is a hammock going to be a hassle?
4) Does anyone just take their pack and keep it with them in the hammock?
5) Not specifically hammock related, but what kind of stoves do you guys use?
6) What sleeping bag do you recommend for the mentioned time and place in question 2?
7) Any Musicians out there?

Thanks for taking some time to help me out,
Brendan

1) I'm no expert on dew issues, but the stock tarp on a Hennessy is small and would offer much less protection from not only dew but also rain , wind, etc.
A bigger tarp would be a better option. Search here for other tarp options and also go to www.tothewoods.net for some good tarp comparisons and some info. about undercovers that help protect the hammock against dew and other elements. Really good hammock camping stuff on that site. Here's a tarp I ordered that would offer great protection from the elements http://www.jacksrbetter.com/index_fi...010%20Tarp.htm Speer hammocks also has a similar tarp.
2)I'm guessing temps in May in NC could be all over the map depending on altitude. Pads are a cheap and effective way to insulate the bottom of the hammock. Underquilts are also nice and many use a combination of the two. This item works well with pads www.speerhammocks.com/Products/SPE.htm
3)A hammock is no hassle at all but like many things new, there is a learning curve. Much less of a hassle than sleeping on the hard ground. Experiment close to home, absorb all the info, and ask questions like your doing and you'll be fine.
4)The pack can be put in the hammock. Some do this for additional insulation such as for their lower legs. Most keep it either under their hammock on the ground, attached to the hammock on the suspension rope or webbing, or attached to a nearby tree.
5) Here's a thread about stove options http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ghlight=stoves
Also check out www.whiteblaze.net for a bunch of info. also.
6)Many of us use a quilt such as a No Sniveler or Nest or others which can be found here www.jacksrbetter.com Lots of other options as well. Some just use their existing sleeping bag in a quilt style. It's much easier than trying to zip yourself up in a bag inside a hammock. You will also be crushing the bottom of the insulation of the bag when lying on it and this will offer little warmth from underneath. Much better to use it quilt style. Some have no problems with zipping themselves up. Careful with those zippers as they can tear a hammock.
7)Not sure about musicians but you should maybe post that question in the non-hammock related thread. They like you to stay on the topic of hammocks and hammock related things as much as possible.
Welcome to the site and your new found addiction.

[Cannibal]

Welcome!

1. Bigger tarp = easier to stay dry. However, the stock HH tarp can work just fine. Practice with it. I've used the stock asym fly in driving wind and rain; not quite sideways, but **** close. Of course, this assumes you go with an HH .

2. Don't know; haven't been there yet.

3. Hammocks are way easier to deal with than a tent IMO. There is a learning curve, but most of it is out of the way after about a week. The rest comes fairly naturally, especially with the help of some of the folks on this site. Practice makes comfortable.

4. I have a nylon pillowcase that I throw my pack into. I'm paranoid about buckles and things in my hammock; the pack bag keeps the hardware off my hammock surface. I put my pack into the pillow case then throw the pack into the hammock to use under my knees when they are sore. Otherwise, the pack hangs outside on the suspension.

5. SnowPeak! I play with DIY stoves, but demand reliability and efficiency from my stove on the trail. I'll take the weight penalty on that one.

6. Quilt, quilt, quilt.

7. Used to be; now I play the radio.

Have fun!