I'm slowly getting it

[brambor]

So I am slowly getting this hammocking thing. I think. This summer I spent many days napping in my GT double hammock and loved every minute of it. I learned about lying diagonally and learned to get comfortable in a hammock. I haven't done an overnighter yet but I hope to do so in one of the the upcoming weekends.

I had a few practice runs pitching my tarp with the hammock. Check.

A few weeks ago I ordered BlackBird Double 1.7 with a Winter Yeti underquilt. Today I got my hands on the actual delivery of the product and proceeded to set up the hammock in the backyard. What a great hammock! In the brief time I enjoyed the stowaway shelf, the practicality of the mosquito netting, the footbox or the 'shug method' laying in the opposite diagonal. I haven't been able to utilize the 'spreader tieout lines or whatchamacallit. Not yet. Next time I set up this hammock it will be for an overnighter.

I did briefly test the underquilt and felt immediate warmth on my back and my backside.

I also realized why some recommend a piece of CCF under the feet and why a full size foam pad in the double cavity is a good idea. The underquilt, which I think is full size, is still not really reaching all the way to your feet. On the other hand, theoretically the footbox area does not support so much body weight to actually compress the insulation. In theory. I think it goes half way. It doesn't compress the down much but the additional CCF or double socks or down booties will be a good idea during the cold nights.

I think the same can be said for the area around your head and neck and upper shoulders. This is where some cold could probably creep in.

I have a few questions.

Is the line that tightens up when you lay in the hammock... the line that the mosquito netting drapes over to create 'livable space'... is the line called a RIDGE LINE? Or is Ridge Line really the line over which will go my tarp? It looks like the integrated 'ridge line' could be utilized for some 'shelf space'

I was trying to figure out which winter sleeping bag I will use in the hammock. I have one excellent bag which has a sleeve where to insert a foam pad. I thought it would be ideal but now after realizing that I will need some insulation UNDER my feet in the footbox. I think just using a regular winter sleeping bag will be more appropriate. I have an old rectangular LLBean and more recent mummy from The North Face. Which type is better to be used? Rectangular or a Mummy?

[default]

the yeti, as it is described on the website, is a torso length UQ (covers from shoulders to knees on a 6' user). so it would keep your core warm, but head and feet are up to you.

the line above you is the structural ridgeline, usually your tarp will have its own RL. and yes, ive used my WBBB RL to hang glasses/BD orbit lantern from, just make sure its smooth against the netting.

[MDSH]

It's fun getting it all together, right, brambor?

The first night in a hammock I didn't sleep well -- it was all new and the pad under me did not cooperate. But with your DL to contain a pad and an UQ besides ... you're in excellent shape. I endured two winters in Maine and think you're off to a great start with your gear.

Mike

[brambor]

Are there any opinions on rectangular vs mummy sleeping bags? I seem to recall somewhere someone recommending a square sleeping bag over a mummy but on the other hand the quilts have the foot area narrow like in a mummy bag.

[Bubba]

Gathered end hammocks tend to keep your feet together anyways so a rectangular bag would not be as efficient. A mummy bag would give your feet a smaller space to heat up. A common recommendation with the WBBB is to set up with the foot end higher than the head end to help alleviate the calf pressure that can be felt in gathered end hammocks.

A structural ridgeline or SRL on a hammock provides "structure" in that it maintains a constant sag regardless of the suspension angle and it supports the bugnet to give you some head space. The greater the suspension angle, the more slack the SRL will get, the lesser the suspension angle, the tighter it will become. 30 degrees is the angle that best provides a taut SRL.

[Throkda]

To answer your other question, yes the line holding up the mosquito netting is a ridgeline. The term is also used when talking about tarp suspension, but in that case, the poster will almost always be talking about a "continuous ridgeline," which is a cord strung between both trees, allowing the tarp to be suspended above or below it, forming a definite "ridge" in the tarp.

And yes, lots of people stow or clip things on their hammock ridgeline (letting socks air out, eyeglasses, sometimes an e-reader like a Kindle if you have a cover. 2QZQ sells a ridgeline organizer (a mesh set of pockets that gets suspended from the hammock ridgeline), while some hammocks come with one. With the shelf for storage, you probably won't need to use your ridgeline for much more than to hang a small light if you want one.

[MDSH]

I use my sleeping bag topside in the hammock and am very satisfied, especially since I learned how to get into it before lying down in the hammock, thanks to this forum. Even when compressed on the bottom not every square inch is always compressed. When not compressed it provides insulation. We move around during sleep quite a bit so there are always little gaps and voids that appear, needing to be filled (by surround down) to prevent heat loss.

The hood on the mummy bag, providing a continuous seal from body to head, including the neck, works very well to retain heat, which might not happen with a TQ.

I can't afford to buy a lot of specialized equipment so a sleeping bag does double or even triple duty: hammock camping, tent camping, and then when the grandchildren come to see me here at the house. Kids love camping gear.

I actually learned how to stay warm when living in Maine: wear a hat! Also, I bought an LL Bean down parka at the outlet store in Portland, $45 for a $180 item and can't find a thing wrong with it! Finally, down booties at night are worth their weight in gold.

Here in West Texas we get a lot of wind, which drops the temps quite a bit. Everything I learned in Maine about staying warm helps here where the wind chill factor is pronounced in a hammock.

Mike

[brambor]

Yeah Mike. I figured that finding a nice campsite away from the wind will keep you comfortable and go by temperature ratings. But find a nice view overlooking the valley where the winds and draft may pickup and you'd better have warmer bag and underquilt and enjoy the view.

[shuag]

One thing that has helped me has been doing weekly Sunday hangs in the afternoon while reading. I have found a spot to hang here where I live at my apartment. It has definitely helped me work the "bugs" out of the system.

[brambor]

It's funny but I did try hammocking when I was about 13. Spent a few weekends overnighting in a 'netting' hammock but back then I had absolutely no idea about diagonal lay or about underquilts and ended up just miserable like a trout in a fishing net.

Fast forward to my age of 45 and tons of outdoor adventures behind me and the technology of hammocking leapfrogging into a style that might actually work :-) . I'm excited to learn something new again.