BIAS Hammock Choice Help

[JCook5003]

Hey Guys-

I've researched a ton here and am ready to order a hammock. That's where I need some of you guys to weigh in and give me some advice. Since I dont have a sewing machine or the skills to build a hammock I've decided to buy one.

I've been eyeing the BIAS Camper Hammock which is a single layer of 1.9 nylon rated at 300 pounds, which is funny because it seems most vendors rate a SL 1.9 at around 250 pounds. I've also been checking out the BIAS Campus Lounger which is a polyester hammock that is supposed to feel a lot like a taffeta material. In this hammock I would require the double layer which is rated to 350 pounds.

So now down the questions. I'm about 270 pounds right now which I hope will start shrinking once I start hiking and backpacking I plan on using whichever of these hammocks I choose for backpacking, I'm on a tight budget so cost is a concern which is nice because BIAS has a great deal on the Campus Lounger in a DL right now ($56) but the Camper is $47.

I really like the Camper because it's so light which will be nice in my pack, but I also really like the double layer because like most I will be starting out with a pad and sleeping bag. I've read tons of posts that a DL is better for using a pad, but my plan is in the future to get a TQ/UQ setup so should it really be my main concern?

Next obvious thing is the material, nylon vs taffeta. Which do you prefer? Any upsides downsides I should know about? Will be significantly better for my weight?

Any other opinions, insights, or suggestions are always welcome.

Thanks Guys!

[Cali]

I will say the Taffeta one is heavy and not really for backpacking, hence the name campus lounger. Just my $.02. Look at the Weight wienie in a double layer for a very light weight hammock that will hold your 270 lbs., the single layer is rated to 250.

[jbrianb]

I will say the Taffeta one is heavy and not really for backpacking, hence the name campus lounger. Just my $.02. Look at the Weight wienie in a double layer for a very light weight hammock that will hold your 270 lbs., the single layer is rated to 250.

It's a good point... we may have a branding issue with the CL (wouldn't be the first time we Buttheads at BIAS got it wrong). The Campus Lounger is 9 oz. in a single layer. It's a lightweight, no-stretch taffeta and it's very strong. In fact, at the price point ($28), the weight (less than an ounce over a WW), and the strength, it's a very good buy.

We call it the Campus Lounger because of the availability of collegiate colors.

To the OP's question, a Camper hammock would be great or a CL or WW in a double layer would be good, too.

[Cali]

It's a good point... we may have a branding issue with the CL (wouldn't be the first time we Buttheads at BIAS got it wrong). The Campus Lounger is 9 oz. in a single layer. It's a lightweight, no-stretch taffeta and it's very strong. In fact, at the price point ($28), the weight (less than an ounce over a WW), and the strength, it's a very good buy.

We call it the Campus Lounger because of the availability of collegiate colors.

To the OP's question, a Camper hammock would be great or a CL or WW in a double layer would be good, too.

Thank you for setting me straight on this. I always thought the taffetta was much heavier. Thank you.

[Sweeper]

I will say the Taffeta one is heavy and not really for backpacking, hence the name campus lounger. Just my $.02. Look at the Weight wienie in a double layer for a very light weight hammock that will hold your 270 lbs., the single layer is rated to 250.

Well, you might want to check the BIAS site soon - Brian and I have been doing some emailing lately and my WW started to give out after 4 nights and several backyard testings....he's going to move the weight back down to around 225 for the WW single layer per what he told me. The WW didn't fail, but it was starting to tear at the channel end stitching and would have eventually failed. I am at about 240 right now. A double layer 1.1 would probably be great, but nothing beats the sweet hang of a 1.1...I just need to lose the weight!

The better news is that Brian offered to replace it with a Camper when I didn't even ask for it - what customer service!

Sweeper

[bear bag hanger]

Don't know much about nylon vs taffeta, but if it's true that taffeta is heavier, then I'd get the nylon version. Stick with the double layers. You may find that using double layers with a pad to be more than acceptable and not get an under quilt. Under quilts are more comfortable, but usually more expensive and heavier than a pad and extra layer in the hammock body.

[jbrianb]

Don't know much about nylon vs taffeta, but if it's true that taffeta is heavier, then I'd get the nylon version. Stick with the double layers. You may find that using double layers with a pad to be more than acceptable and not get an under quilt. Under quilts are more comfortable, but usually more expensive and heavier than a pad and extra layer in the hammock body.

Nylon and polyester are tricky things. Comparing the fibers, here are some observations:
Polyester is a superior fabric in these regards: it has a higher burn and melting point than nylon, it has less stretch than nylon and it doesn't stretch when wet like nylon. It is also more UV resistant (not the color necessarily, but the fabric doesn't break down under UV light as quickly) and polyester is stronger for its weight than nylon. It's also absorbs less water than nylon (nylon absorbs a little while polyester absorbs none into the fibers themselves, though water can be trapped between the fibers). For this reason, polyester "dries" faster.

Why does everyone use nylon? Why would anyone WANT to use nylon?
Polyester is usually more expensive than nylon and, thus, not as widely available or used as nylon in a lot of applications. Additionally, finding particular styles of polyester can be difficult. I've tried and tried to find an affordable polyester ripstop fabric, but it's impossible unless I bulk order from China.

While I definitely agree that many polyester fabrics are heavy, all are not necessarily so. If you had a 1.1 ounce polyester ripstop alongside a 1.1 ounce nylon ripstop, the nylon fabric would have a lower weight tolerance.

I think people of my generation who remember godawful polyester suits and women's pant suits from the 70s have a (justifiably) poor impression of the fabric due to its overuse in garments once upon a time. That polyester suit I had to wear in the family portrait in 1976 took me at least 30 years to get over.

[JCook5003]

So it would seem that everyone agrees I cant go wrong no matter which I choose.

I've often heard polyester hammocks referred to as feeling better against the skin......perhaps that really is the deciding factor, although the light weight of Camper cant be ignored in a single layer for my weight.............

So many choices and so little money.

[PapaSmurf]

.....and polyester is stronger for its weight than nylon.

Correction, if I may.
Most everything that I have read seems to say that Nylon has a slight strength advantage over Polyester for static loads and a much larger strength advantage for dynamic or shock loads.

This infomation from Nemo may be of some help.
http://nemoadventureanywhere.blogspo...-nylon-vs.html

[spaceweaseal]

Check out their XL Camper.