Outfitting for a multi-day trip (from almost scratch)

[ampersand]

After using my ENO hammock as a camping extra for a few years, I'm finally ditching the tent (well, actually it's finally fallen apart) to hang full time while on the trail. My mom and I are planning a multi-day trip next month, and I'm outfitting myself basically from scratch. I thought I'd post a list of the gear I'm pulling together — because voyeurism!

I'm hoping writing this all down will help my brain grasp it a little better. Fellow newbs, it might also help you as you stock up on gear. But I'm new, too, so take this with a big grain of salt. For the veterans, this is your chance to criticize (constructively, please) like the salty old codgers you are. If this is a dumb thread, oh well.

A few disclaimers: I realize there are cheaper (and more expensive) options. I realize there are lighter (and heavier) options. I'd love to hear about alternatives, but the hammock and tarp were heavily researched and are already bought and paid for. Rest assured, there will eventually be others in my quiver.

Hammock: Warbonnet Blackbird double-layer (1.1 inside, 1.7 outside)

Long story. I like the BB's features and probably don't need the extra length of an XLC. I need a double layer to use a pad. And I'm prone to back pain, so I wanted a firm lie (hence the 1.7 outer, which should also add durability). With Whoopies, it should be about the weight of a 1.1 DL with straps.

Suspension:
- Whoopies (included on hammock)
- tree straps (already have 6' straps, but may get bigger ones and/or Amsteel extenders; trees are big!)
- carabiners (smallish aluminum climbing biners)

I know there are other ways, but this is what I've used on my other hammock and I'm familiar with it.

Tarp: Warbonnet Superfly

I'm starting with a four-season tarp because I don't know what kind of weather we'll encounter on our trip and I want plenty of room for porch mode, plus the Superfly seems like a winner in general. Eventually I'll get a smaller, lighter tarp so I can choose based on the trip.

Tarp rigging:
- 180' spool of Zing-It (ridgeline, guy lines; I still need to practice splicing)
- 25' hank of shock cord (for self-tensioning lines, possibly door guy lines)
- probably some Dutchware
- stakes, up to 12 (still deciding, but probably the 7.5" Y-shape variety)

I'm thinking I'll try a continuous ridgeline to start (probably along these lines), but I haven't quite settled. I'm going to keep poking around until it gets down to the wire and I need to decide. I don't have my tarp yet anyway, so I've got some time.

Other accessories:
- MountainGoat snakeskins

I'm not sure what else I need. There's tons I want, but I'm hoping I'll be set with what's above.

Insulation: I already own a pretty nice Marmot down sleeping bag and a 3/4 Thermarest pad. Sure, I'd love some dedicated quilts, but that can wait.

Any thoughts on what I might be missing? I'd rather have someone bring it to my attention now than discover on the trail that I'd overlooked something.

As always, HYOH (which I've started to read as "hang your own hammock"). Big thanks to all the great minds on here, including Shug, dejoha, and many, many others. I even like the dumb questions people ask, because I was too embarrassed to ask on my own.

[OutandBack]

You have a well thought out plan. I like it.
The only thing I would recommend is don't wait for your trip with your mom. As soon as your gear arrives do some backyard testing.
That will really help you test and adjust for what works and what does not. You might want to add some foam ear plugs
I have to use them in my back yard to get to sleep.

[ampersand]

You have a well thought out plan. I like it.
The only thing I would recommend is don't wait for your trip with your mom. As soon as your gear arrives do some backyard testing.
That will really help you test and adjust for what works and what does not. You might want to add some foam ear plugs
I have to use them in my back yard to get to sleep.

I'll certainly be pitching in my back yard before we head out — in part because I agree that it's important to practice and in part because I won't be able to wait.

Ear plugs are a good idea, but I might be too paranoid to wear 'em overnight in the woods!

[Nodust]

I think you will have a good trip and be very comfortable. After a few trips you will decide how and what to change up.

Have fun. Now you just need a few more hammocks, tarps, Dutch stuff. It never ends.

[OutandBack]

I'll certainly be pitching in my back yard before we head out — in part because I agree that it's important to practice and in part because I won't be able to wait.

Ear plugs are a good idea, but I might be too paranoid to wear 'em overnight in the woods!

HaHa no the ear plugs are for the backyard. In my backyard I can hear barking dogs, cars driving by that kind of stuff keeps me awake.

[ampersand]

HaHa no the ear plugs are for the backyard. In my backyard I can hear barking dogs, cars driving by that kind of stuff keeps me awake.

Ah, read that too quickly. Ear plugs are a go

[DanglingModifier]

What you've described matches about 90% of my current main gear and accessories.

You haven't mentioned where you'll be going and what the weather might be like there. If your pad is a standard 20" tenting width, or the slightly wider 24", and you move around at night then you could definitely have some cold spots. Stuffing some extra clothing around yourself can help, as can bundling up before bed. Your bottom insulation is definitely your weakest and fiddliest link in that setup depending on the temps at night. The DL hammock helps reduce pad movement, but they still have a tendency to squirm out from under you at night.

As OutandBack suggested, be sure to try it outside near home before you get out on the trail. You might find upgrading or supplementing that bottom insulation to be less of a luxury than a must-have.

A couple other thoughts:
1. When shopping for the Dutchware consider getting 4 Tato Gear Tarp Door Hooks and mini cord locks. Those in conjunction with shock cord guy lines on your doors and small prusik loops on your corner tie-outs of your SF (for the opposing door to hook to) mean no need for door stakes when battening down in storm mode. Another prusik on the SF side pull-out guy line allows the doors to be pulled back when open or porch mode. Pretty much you'll never really need a dedicated stake per door flap.
2. Because of item 1 above, 12 stakes is probably overkill. I bring 10 and have only rarely used all of them. 6-8 is the norm I use assuming there are no other suitable guy line anchors nearby (rocks, trees). You can also often share a stake on one side or the other between the tarp and WBBB bug net tie-out.
3. MountainGoat's snake skins are awesome. They do such a good job of packing things up that I leave all my guy lines attached to my SF tarp with no tangling during packing/unpacking. The only thing that tended to tangle were the longer side pull-out guy lines. To fix that I sewed a couple really small drawcord pouches out of bug netting that are permanently attached to my side pull out guy line. I then stuff the long tangle prone side pull out lines into their own pouches before packing everything up into the snake skins.

[ampersand]

What you've described matches about 90% of my current main gear and accessories.

You haven't mentioned where you'll be going and what the weather might be like there. If your pad is a standard 20" tenting width, or the slightly wider 24", and you move around at night then you could definitely have some cold spots. Stuffing some extra clothing around yourself can help, as can bundling up before bed. Your bottom insulation is definitely your weakest and fiddliest link in that setup depending on the temps at night. The DL hammock helps reduce pad movement, but they still have a tendency to squirm out from under you at night.

As OutandBack suggested, be sure to try it outside near home before you get out on the trail. You might find upgrading or supplementing that bottom insulation to be less of a luxury than a must-have.

A couple other thoughts:
1. When shopping for the Dutchware consider getting 4 Tato Gear Tarp Door Hooks and mini cord locks. Those in conjunction with shock cord guy lines on your doors and small prusik loops on your corner tie-outs of your SF (for the opposing door to hook to) mean no need for door stakes when battening down in storm mode. Another prusik on the SF side pull-out guy line allows the doors to be pulled back when open or porch mode. Pretty much you'll never really need a dedicated stake per door flap.
2. Because of item 1 above, 12 stakes is probably overkill. I bring 10 and have only rarely used all of them. 6-8 is the norm I use assuming there are no other suitable guy line anchors nearby (rocks, trees). You can also often share a stake on one side or the other between the tarp and WBBB bug net tie-out.
3. MountainGoat's snake skins are awesome. They do such a good job of packing things up that I leave all my guy lines attached to my SF tarp with no tangling during packing/unpacking. The only thing that tended to tangle were the longer side pull-out guy lines. To fix that I sewed a couple really small drawcord pouches out of bug netting that are permanently attached to my side pull out guy line. I then stuff the long tangle prone side pull out lines into their own pouches before packing everything up into the snake skins.

Super helpful, thank you.

- We'll be headed from Washington state over to Minnesota. Don't yet know our route, but I'm guessing we'll have some cold nights. Definitely plan on bundling up before bed. We'll have a spot to sleep indoors once we get to Minnesota.
- I'm also thinking of getting some extra insulation to stick between layers of the hammock. I hadn't thought a lot about that, but your point about that being my weak spot w/r/t insulation is a good one. (My mom has an even worse back than mine, so we're car camping. If things get REALLY bad, I can tuck my tail between my legs and sleep in the front seat — or join her in the tent.) If I have a double-layer hammock, is it still necessary to let as much air out of the pad as I would otherwise?
- Thanks for the door hook idea. Twelve stakes does feel like a lot, and I'd welcome a better door setup than just staking them down individually. Will check out your suggestion.
- Yeah, it didn't take long to figure out that MG's snakeskins were the way to go. Everyone on here seems to rave about 'em.

By the way, I've seen your comments a few times and really like your handle.

[DanglingModifier]

Thanks for the kind words. Us grammar handles need to stick together.

I didn't realize you were car camping. That will make it a lot easier to stay warm since you aren't limited to what you can carry on your back.

You're going to want to let some extra air out of the pad regardless of the hammock being a single or double layer. They stay put even less when they are full. Losing air also means losing some insulation.

On a car camping trip in June I brought two pads. One was an old thick and heavy Thermarest, and the other was the wide cheap Walmart blue foam pad they sell for around $15. The advantage to having both was really wide comprehensive coverage in the hammock (stacked and overlapped), and really thick and comfortable double-thick padding when I was forced once to the ground.

If I were to stuff clothes around me in the hammock I'd do that outside my sleeping bag/TQ. I wouldn't stuff it between the layers of the hammock. Too easy to lose it when it shifts around if it's down there.

Given the fact that you're car camping you could probably bring along a nice thick wool blanket to double over and stuff under you in the hammock if you get cold.

[ampersand]

^^ Thanks on all fronts. It's a car camping trip, but I plan to use it as a dry run and pack like I'm actually backpacking. That's why I didn't advertise it as a car camping trip. On the other hand, you're right; keeping a few spare blankets in the car makes more sense in a pinch than sleeping in the front seat.