finding my hammock set-up

[Bas B]

Im trying get started on hammocking. There are no hammock sleeper that i know so its a bit of leap.
I wanna get a DD Camping+Sleeve+Tarp to keep costs in check, in case it might not work out.

I'm a bit struck on the mat, sleepingbag and insulation thing.
My tenting gear is a Thermarest Prolite Large and a Snugpack Travelpak Lite.
mid summer it works very well but last week i was in belgium and it was mostly so-so late summer tempertures. Most nights i had to pull a sweater or vest over my feet to stay warm, which worked like a charm btw.

The thing that bugs me with a hammock is that there seems to be less insulation from the ambient temps. Will the mat and bag be sufficient? I am considering a step from the travelpak lite to the extreme or get a liner like the DD Sleeper. I like Mummy bags and have very bad experience with sleeping in clothes.

Any help, pointers etc are welcome.

[dragon360]

Take a look at a fellow HF members videos - Shug. He'll give you a great starting point to understanding hammocking as well as answer many of your questions.

[Str1der]

Welcome.

In hammocks, you need insulation below and around you. Your sleeping bag will work around you, but you will need pads or an underquilt below since your bag will be compressed under your weight. Some hammocks have a double layer bottom to place a pad so it won't slide around, but you can make do without that. Most hammockers consider an underquilt to be the ultimate comfort in bottom insulation.

You will see most hammockers go with pads/underquilt for insulation below and either a sleeping bag or top quilt on top. The top quilt is basically 3/4ths of a sleeping bag without the part that gets compressed beneath you and therefore doesn't insulate you. It is lighter than a bag and easier to use in a hammock.

Most hammockers seem to agree that the temperature ratings on pads/quilts/bags applies equally to hammoks as long as you have a pad or underquilt as your insulation below instead of just the sleeping bag. Of course, those ratings can vary from being overly conservative to widly exagerated. As long as you know your gear, you should be fine. I would do a test hang in your backyard to fine tune everything before you hike into the woods and discover a problem.

Hammocks = lots of tinkering + eventual comfort!

[Lonely Raven]

Indeed, check out Shug's videos starting here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7NZVqpBUV0

You'll learn a lot from them, and probably come back to them frequently.

Hammocks are surprisingly warm and very comfy, but I feel you need to properly prepare/invest to get a decent level of warmth. Either invest, or carry extra bulk.

[garethw]

Im trying get started on hammocking. There are no hammock sleeper that i know so its a bit of leap.
I wanna get a DD Camping+Sleeve+Tarp to keep costs in check, in case it might not work out.

I'm a bit struck on the mat, sleepingbag and insulation thing.
My tenting gear is a Thermarest Prolite Large and a Snugpack Travelpak Lite.
mid summer it works very well but last week i was in belgium and it was mostly so-so late summer tempertures. Most nights i had to pull a sweater or vest over my feet to stay warm, which worked like a charm btw.

The thing that bugs me with a hammock is that there seems to be less insulation from the ambient temps. Will the mat and bag be sufficient? I am considering a step from the travelpak lite to the extreme or get a liner like the DD Sleeper. I like Mummy bags and have very bad experience with sleeping in clothes.

Any help, pointers etc are welcome.

Hi Bas

I'm in northern France so not too far away from you.. I rate DD gear as it is easy to get from their site and if you use the Euros convertor it includes postage. It is very good value for money so far seems robust enough. The US brands will cost you far more...even if you do have more choice.
I went through the same questions as you over the last few months and here's what I've ended up with.
I got the DD Travel hammock (both this or the Frontline are worth the extra for the mosquito net) and OD 3x3 tarp. I replaced the stretchy webbing you get with the hammock with a pair of whoopie slings from Ukhammocks.co.uk.

I made a pair of tree straps from 2cm webbing, each 2.5m long, I got in a climbing shop. I sewed loops in the ends and use with a couple of carabiners. It is all very quick to set up. The new webbing and amsteel have virtually zero stretch so the sag I want is what I get.

I have just ordered a snugpak underquilt, but have used a pad in the pocket of the hammock so far this year and its been fine. For the top I use a centre zipped military spec sleeping bag turned over as a top quilt. I simply slip my feet inthe box end and pull it over me. I've been warm since april in it.

cheers
Gareth

[Bas B]

Indeed, check out Shug's videos starting here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7NZVqpBUV0

You'll learn a lot from them, and probably come back to them frequently.

Hammocks are surprisingly warm and very comfy, but I feel you need to properly prepare/invest to get a decent level of warmth. Either invest, or carry extra bulk.

There goes more of my money, i'm a bit of a minimalist when it comes to camping/outdoors. I will check those videos, thanks for the leads.
DD and snugpack gear is pretty easily availably here in holland from several sites.
Thanks for the pointers!

[Shug]

Hope they help give you some insight to the hammock world. Build or buy a piece at a time.
Shug

[Cannibal]

I'd steer you more towards the Frontline Hammock.

I have both and find the Frontline to be a much better rig. I find it to be more comfortable and the integrated, but almost removable, netting is fantastic for a hiker in buggy areas. The cost difference isn't minor, but IMO it's well worth the extra coin. Not to say I don't like my DD Camper, but since you are trying to impress yourself with hammocks, go for the upgrade and see what it's really all about.

[secondechomatt]

x3 on shug's videos! Fantastic stuff, explains a lot of the different aspects of hammocking, without giving you two much to swallow!

[Raul Perez]

x4 on Shug's Videos. They are awesome!

I am a minimalist in hammock hiking as it is. If you want you can check out my gear videos and a brief overview of hammock camping at my blog:

www.watermonkey.net