So I made a zippered TravelPod. Not perfect yet, but I like it. Thing is, I made it barely to short to use with my most recent down hammock. So I made another hammock, shorter and wider, to fit the pod. I was kinda surprised at what I found.

- This one is much more comfortable than the down hammock. I started with 62"x114", hemmed, and used a zip-tie instead of whipping. I think I'm back to using full-width material.

- Also, with the shorter hammock I'll get better end-coverage with the tarp. Except I'll be more diagonal, so the coverage by my feet and head might be a bit worse. Doubt it'll make much difference either way.

- The two-way zipper on the TravelPod is much more convenient than the drawstring opening on the hammock sock. I think I made the pod too wide, though...haven't decided if I want it smaller or not. Right now it'll fit over the ridgeline and still give me some space underneath the hammock. I could remove an ounce or three of material, though.

- Here's the funny thing - the material I used for the hammock is very staticky. So that got me thinking. I bet if I used this fabric for the top layer of a down hammock, the static would cause the down to stick to the underside...right against my back. No cold spots that way!

- I made a 6 oz backpack, too. At first it was even bigger than my Speed, but I took some of the thickness out. Now it's probably 2300ci or so, with a water bottle pocket on each side and a mesh tarp pocket on the back. I put a panel against my back to hold a sit-pad and act as a frame. After making this one, I think a gearskin-type pack might be even easier to make than a normal pack.

I'll have pics and details of these up on the website sometime...hopefully before the move.