Hanging on the PCT

**hikelite** · 02-05-2011, 00:46

Originally Posted by shybird

hikelite, you are not the only one hammocking the pct this season... i just received and set up my first hammock (HH ultralite) and even though there seems to be more than ample evidence it's not ideal for the pct, at least in socal, i can't get over how comfortable it is! i'm pretty sold on it, but lingering doubts remain...

i very much would like to hear more about guysmiley's experience with it...

... the going to ground experiences interest me the most, but just more tips in general... i'm sure if i sit and think long enough, i could come up with more specific questions... the longest i've been backpacking is 10 days! so i'm reading up the best i can... so few folks recommend hammocking, i could REALLY use the emotional support of positive feedback about sleeping in the sky! C:

Are you thru hiking this year too? Awesome! When are you planning to start? I'm at 75 days. Yikes!

There have been others that hammocked the PCT. Ronnie from Israel comes to mind. He said he hung nearly every night, even in socal, but he said he had to hike further than he wanted sometimes to do it. That's why I'm planning to be flexible. I'm not using an underquilt. Instead, I'm carrying a NeoAir. It works great in the hammock and on the ground. On the ground, you just don't use the hammock. The tarp can still provide protection from precipitation though.

**shybird** · 02-05-2011, 15:37

our start date is 16 april, with plans to hitch back to moreno for KO... so, 70 days to go. (whoa!)

i read ronnie's stuff awhile back, found him very encouraging... i've high plans to do major recon and report back for others who are interested...

i went ahead and got the supershelter for my Hennessy... increased my weight, but it's very warm, and i find i need the warmth in the back country... we were setting up (my friend is considering a Tarptent model, but she sleeps well just about anywhere) in the park a few days ago and a random dude came up to chat about the pct... his name was serpentslayer.... and he had a few rattlesnake stories, sans rattles... made me even more excited. C:

anyways, i glanced at the neoair and and still considering it... are you carrying a ground cloth for going to ground? HH suggested, as well as other hikers, using a tyvek sheet...

and what sort of tarp do you have? (hope you haven't already answered that!) i'm wondering if i should spring for more coverage than the stock Hennessy... when i began to consider hammocking, i had no idea the can of worms it has turned out to be!!

**hikelite** · 02-06-2011, 00:50

Originally Posted by shybird

our start date is 16 april, with plans to hitch back to moreno for KO... so, 70 days to go. (whoa!)

i read ronnie's stuff awhile back, found him very encouraging... i've high plans to do major recon and report back for others who are interested...

i went ahead and got the supershelter for my Hennessy... increased my weight, but it's very warm, and i find i need the warmth in the back country... we were setting up (my friend is considering a Tarptent model, but she sleeps well just about anywhere) in the park a few days ago and a random dude came up to chat about the pct... his name was serpentslayer.... and he had a few rattlesnake stories, sans rattles... made me even more excited. C:

anyways, i glanced at the neoair and and still considering it... are you carrying a ground cloth for going to ground? HH suggested, as well as other hikers, using a tyvek sheet...

and what sort of tarp do you have? (hope you haven't already answered that!) i'm wondering if i should spring for more coverage than the stock Hennessy... when i began to consider hammocking, i had no idea the can of worms it has turned out to be!!

You're starting a few days before me. I'll be leaving the southern terminus on 4/20. It just happens to be my birthday

I'm not familiar with Hennesy's Supershelter. I tried one of his hammocks many years ago, and did not like the sewn in bug net and entrance slit. I haven't looked at them again since. They are excellent products! They just aren't for me.

I'll be carrying a Cuben Fiber tarp I made myself. It's not built yet, but as of this weekend, I have all my materials. I have several tarps I have made out of Silnylon as well. I prefer larger tarps. I use a 10x12 tarp usually. I like the 12' ridgeline to cover the ends of the hammock. My new hammock, single layer 1.1oz ripstop nylon, is 12' of material. With the sag, it would probably fit under an 11' tarp easy enough, but I also like the large living area. I recently made a hex shaped tarp, with catenary cuts, out of some leftover silnylon I had. It would work fine, but I don't think I want a hex. I'm going to make it a rectangle with 4 tie outs on each side. I'm on the fence about whether or not I will use cat cuts.

Yes, I carry a groundcloth. I use a piece of Tyvek as well. I got it very cheap on eBay. I also use a NeoAir. I've made some loops of grossgrain that hold 2 "wings" of CCF to keep my shoulders warm. This system provides the flexibility to sleep in the hammock or on the ground.

I just looked up the super shelter. It looks like it's an underquilt? I bet it keeps you warm, but it won't provide any padding if you sleep on the ground. I don't have an underquilt yet. If I did, I wouldn't rely on it until after KM. As Ronnie said, you can find trees in socal, but I want to be able to sleep on the ground. You could consider using a pad until you hit KM. Then switch to your super shelter. You should have trees available everyday once you hit the Sierra. The only place I would be on the ground after that would be above treeline. I like to sleep above treeline, but I don't think it's necessary. The only time there would be an advantage is if you wanted to be close to a pass for an early morning crossing. Most people recommend crossing later anyway.

I'm hoping to find a ride from Warner Springs to KO, so hopefully, I'll see you there!

**shybird** · 02-15-2011, 19:43

on the 20th of april, we will sing you happy birthday, hikelite, wherever we are. C:

and we'll be hitching to the kickoff, possibly from idllywild, so yes- see you there!

**hikelite** · 02-16-2011, 14:34

Thanks!

My start date might change. I've been pretty adamant about starting on my birthday, but I might just start even earlier. Who knows, you might find me there on the 16th. I doubt I'll start later, but if I don't end up getting my leave at work, there's a strong chance I'll head to the trail sooner.

I'm soooo ready to start hiking!

**guySmiley** · 02-23-2011, 17:18

Are you keeping an online journal, or planning on keeping one?

**hikelite** · 02-24-2011, 14:21

Originally Posted by guySmiley

Are you keeping an online journal, or planning on keeping one?

Me? Yes, mine is postholer.com/hayduke

55 days to go!

**PMSteve** · 04-17-2011, 13:56

Just reading through this thread and had to add my 2 cent's worth.

Back in 1972 I solo-hiked the PCT from Donner Summit to Bishop, CA. I camped in a tent the whole time but there were almost always trees to hang from.

In fact, the only time I saw another hiker use a hammock was north of Mt. Whitney in an area where trees were fairly scarce. He had one end of his rope suspension attached to a tree and the other end to a rock outcropping by using a climber's chock nut on a wire cable. He had put a folded-up t-shirt through the cable loop as chafing gear to keep his hammock rope from fraying on the cable.

I thought it was a clever set-up.

**AT88** · 04-19-2011, 21:03

Originally Posted by guySmiley

. . .I didn't see a single bear . . . [t]he reason for that might be I tend to avoid commonly used campsites, which is also a well known strategy to avoid such an encounter with bears.

Amen

The hammock does give you a lot more options as far as camping sites. No longer must we search for level ground in over-used camp sites.