Gear Hammock And Underquilts?

**headchange4u** · 12-08-2006, 23:39

Is it possible to still use a gear hammock with and underquilt, specifically on a HH?

If so is there anything to take into account or and special techniques for hanging a gear hammock?

**slowhike** · 12-08-2006, 23:57

i`ll be curious to hear other opinions. i`ve used a gear hammock (pack cover) several times, & at least once w/ an insulated hammock.
i know that the way i used it (attached to the same two trees the hammock was attached to) it laid snugly up against the hammock.
this is of course going to compress the insulation (same w/ an under quilt), but at the same time the bags, etc in the gear hammock seemed to provide insulation.
i don`t remember any cold spots from the gear hammock.
but i have wondered if it might be better for breathability to have it not touching the hammock`s insulation.
i believe i tried this last winter using a treking pole at one end of the gear hammock to keep it away.

**Coffee** · 12-09-2006, 00:02

I haven't tried this idea, but why not hang it below the hammock from there the hammock is attached to the spretra/straps. This way you can let it hang as far below the hammock as you want.

I am planning on hanging either a gear hammock or a clothes line from my hammock in this way. The clothes line will be protected by my tarp and make it easy to dry thing out while it is raining.

**blackbishop351** · 12-09-2006, 00:27

I made a crappy knockoff from an old pack cover - I'm going to make a decent one out of my old ULB tarp soon - and hung it beside my ULB like on the JRB site. I don't have an underquilt yet, but I don't think this would compress one overmuch. Besides which, I don't plan on having much weight in one anyway.

**slowhike** · 12-09-2006, 12:40

Originally Posted by hammock engineer

I haven't tried this idea, but why not hang it below the hammock from there the hammock is attached to the spretra/straps. This way you can let it hang as far below the hammock as you want.

I am planning on hanging either a gear hammock or a clothes line from my hammock in this way. The clothes line will be protected by my tarp and make it easy to dry thing out while it is raining.

HE... i just added a picture in the "tips & tricks" gallery under "accessory line".
i`ve used this meathod quite a few times & it works great for gear hammock, water bag, etc, as well as a place to let your wet rain gear drip dry under the tarp.
the trick is getting the set-up lines orginized in a way that it`s easy to put up & adjust.
i made a really small sack (mabey 3" deep) that i put over the top of the treking pole. it has the lines permanantly attached & i store the lines in the sack when not being used.
i belive it weighs about one oz. ...tim

**headchange4u** · 12-09-2006, 13:12

Originally Posted by slowhike

HE... i just added a picture in the "tips & tricks" gallery under "accessory line".
i`ve used this meathod quite a few times & it works great for gear hammock, water bag, etc, as well as a place to let your wet rain gear drip dry under the tarp.
the trick is getting the set-up lines orginized in a way that it`s easy to put up & adjust.
i made a really small sack (mabey 3" deep) that i put over the top of the treking pole. it has the lines permanantly attached & i store the lines in the sack when not being used.
i belive it weighs about one oz. ...tim

That's a great idea. I really like that. As soon as I can get out I am going to try that.

**headchange4u** · 12-09-2006, 00:27

In the winter I hang pretty close to the ground. I'm afraid there won't be enough room for 1, possibly 2 underquilts and a gear hammock without compressing the down.

I had thought about hanging the gear hammock between the tree and hammock so it's not directly under the underquilt and there would be no chance in compressing the down. The downside would be that unless the gear hammock is covered by the ends of the tarp your gear would exposed to the elements like rain and it would hold water like a bath tub.

**headchange4u** · 12-09-2006, 00:47

I guess if you had gear in the gear hammock it would help pull it down and away from the underquilt.

**Coffee** · 12-09-2006, 02:15

You could hang it above the hammock either from the tree or the tarp tieouts. The only problem with this is that I think you would loos heat having the tarp farther away from the hammock.