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  1. #1
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    things I learned this weekend

    I just spent a couple nights in my hammock in my mother's backyard and discovered a few things.

    First, my sleeping bag is way too heavy for 40+ degree weather. I didn't even have it zipped up past my hips and I was sweating pretty heavily. I'm going to have to get a lighter bag..or...start using the bag as a blanket. I'll give it a try after I get my CCF pad.

    Second, hanging my tarp could be a lot easier if I'd put some thought into suspension. The guy lines to the ground are fine, but I really don't like tying them to the tree.

    Third. I should really try to remember that I need to take a rubber mat or rug to put on the ground. It would make getting out and into the hammock easier, plus I could have put my sleeping bag on outside of the hammock and just eased back into it.

    Other than that, the Warbonnet was awesome and the Speer rain fly keeped me dry. I stayed pretty warm until I woke up dripping sweat in the middle of the night. At that point, I elected to go inside the house.

  2. #2
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    it's much easier to make adjustments at the rl pull tab of the tarp rather than at the tree itself. i like to keep a loop in the end of the guyline used on the tree, it's not attached to my tarp. i girth hitch the tree with the guyline like it was a tree strap, so the line's attached to the tree rather than the tarp. then i make adjustments/tie the line to the pull tab on the rl of the tarp, much easier. you could even attach a fig. nine to the tarp rl and do it the same way, but i find a slipped buntline hitch to one end of the tarp and a trucker's hitch on the other works great.

  3. #3
    Senior Member Rushthezeppelin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by fulminated View Post
    Second, hanging my tarp could be a lot easier if I'd put some thought into suspension. The guy lines to the ground are fine, but I really don't like tying them to the tree.
    Figure 9s help LOTS in setting up a tarp quickly between the trees without knots (well besides putting a slippery half hitch behind to make sure it doesn't slip).

  4. #4
    Senior Member JaxHiker's Avatar
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    I use Figure 9s everywhere. They're on the ridgeline for the tarp and I use four reflective lines with plastic 9s for the tarp tie-outs. The side hammock tie-outs also use 9s. I love 'em.

  5. #5
    Senior Member cavediver2's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by fulminated View Post

    Third. I should really try to remember that I need to take a rubber mat or rug to put on the ground. It would make getting out and into the hammock easier, plus I could have put my sleeping bag on outside of the hammock and just eased back into it.
    lay sleeping bag so zipper is straight up and down with the hammock try not to use the bag with zippers on it's side for two reasons the zipper pulls stick out when you sleep and move in your sleep could be a chance for a snag or a poke I don't think you would have any problem hurting the material of the warrbonnet at all but just in case you would'nt need to worrie about that. Second if it is straight up and down you just unzip it fold it open and sit down like you would normally sit in it and then swivel around and put legs in and there you go your in like flin. I might also mention that if you have zipper on top of you it makes it easyer to zip up or down and also allows for better ventilation when you do get hot.

    hope this helps I had to learn the hard way a long time ago.

  6. #6
    canoebie's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by cavediver2 View Post
    lay sleeping bag so zipper is straight up and down with the hammock try not to use the bag with zippers on it's side for two reasons the zipper pulls stick out when you sleep and move in your sleep could be a chance for a snag or a poke I don't think you would have any problem hurting the material of the warrbonnet at all but just in case you would'nt need to worrie about that. Second if it is straight up and down you just unzip it fold it open and sit down like you would normally sit in it and then swivel around and put legs in and there you go your in like flin. I might also mention that if you have zipper on top of you it makes it easyer to zip up or down and also allows for better ventilation when you do get hot.

    hope this helps I had to learn the hard way a long time ago.
    This is a great tip Cave Diver. When I have newbies on the river, I will be sure to tell them this. It will be much easier for them. Thanks.
    “Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?”
    ― Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

  7. #7
    Senior Member te-wa's Avatar
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    depending on your bag, the chances are high that you have a 60/40 or 70/30 split between top and bottom insulation. something to ponder.

  8. #8
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    some bags are one continuous baffle so you can move the down from top to bottom or vice versa to adjust for the temps. my marmot is like this.

  9. #9
    canoebie's Avatar
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    For summer canoeing, I have rectangular synthetic bags, so I don't think this will be an issue. And one of the joys of a canoe is that we can take weight and bulk. When it is really cold, I carry a wool blanket for everyone, which could be added. I really read with interest the weight dilemmas you backpackers deal with. Makes me want to get into it, I just don't have the time because I am paddling so much. I learn immensely though, when I do take it up, I will be way ahead of the curve.
    “Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?”
    ― Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by cavediver2 View Post
    lay sleeping bag so zipper is straight up and down with the hammock try not to use the bag with zippers on it's side for two reasons the zipper pulls stick out when you sleep and move in your sleep could be a chance for a snag or a poke I don't think you would have any problem hurting the material of the warrbonnet at all but just in case you would'nt need to worrie about that. Second if it is straight up and down you just unzip it fold it open and sit down like you would normally sit in it and then swivel around and put legs in and there you go your in like flin. I might also mention that if you have zipper on top of you it makes it easyer to zip up or down and also allows for better ventilation when you do get hot.

    hope this helps I had to learn the hard way a long time ago.
    I actually had my bag exactly like this, except I was lying on my side with the zipper facing the top of the hammock. Once im on my side and sleeping, I don't roll over very often.

    Two things that I an issue with were

    A) The temps only got down to ~50F degrees and this bag is rated for ~20F. I realize that temp ratings are kinda iffy, but that's the only thing that can explain me waking up in the middle of the night, sweating heavily.

    B)After pushing the bag around my hips to cool down, I ended up getting cold.

    I figured I wasn't going to manage to regulate my body temperature well, so I went inside with a lesson learned. Now, I'll carry my lighter bag and start the night out with it. If I need more warmth, I'll have my heavy bag as a blanket to pull on top of me.

    This pretty much means that I'm going to have to get a snugfit quilt for colder weather camping. I was planning on doing that anyway. Thankfully, it's going to start warming up soon and I won't need to be insulating myself from freezing temps until later in the year.

    I'll look into getting a set of figure 9's. Thank you for the advice on those.

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