Hi all,
Some of you may have seen my intro post in the "Introduce yourself" forum, regarding sleep system weights (ground vs. hammock) for couples who share all gear.
Not being quite ready to abandon hammocking in favor of the lighter weight of a ground system when TWO PEOPLE SHARE ALL GEAR, I'm interested in hearing what other folks, who backpack with their significant others and share most gear, do.
So far the most promising direction is to get 2 hammocks on 3 trees, along with a lighter hammock than what we currently have, and use a single large tarp. But, truth is, very little of the weight of a hammock setup is in the tarp-- most of the "additional" weight of a hammock is in the bottom insulation and rigging.
It's probably somewhat important that I point out me and my wife's commitment to sub-10 pound baseweights, if possible. (current midwest summer base is 7.5 pounds when using a ground setup).
Should also mention our current hammock setup, 2 of all the following (because nothing can be shared):
Hennesy Ultralight Backpacker
JRB 8x8 Tarp to replace the stock tarp
JRB Nest
JRB top quilt.
By the time we carry 2 of all the above, the hammock system weighs over twice what our 8x10' tarp, Bug net, single 2 person quilt and torso length foam pads weigh. (9 pound hammocks (2), 4.3# ground).
We found we got cold at about 70deg at night using foam pads. This is a common summer night time temp here in SW Michigan, so I don't consider leaving the bottom insulation home realistic. Thus the Nests we bought, which we haven't even tried yet, given the comparabe step up in weight in bulk.
Any thoughts regarding hammocking for couples, while trying to stay as light as possible?
Kerry
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