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  1. #1

    Hammock socks for rain protection also?

    Hi everyone,

    new here and still a ground dweller but investigating how to go up without too much extra weight or bulk.

    I have read about the socks on the forum and here http://www.tothewoods.net/HomemadeGearHammockSock.html .

    Should be lightweight and apparently for spring and summer hiking might compensate part of the temp loss compared to ground dwelling.

    Another "problem" of hammock is requiring, ideally, a larger tarp. I thought that using DRW silnylon but inserting a reasonable surface of mesh in the upper part (head level) would allow to have it closed without too much condensation. A small tarp (actually the poncho) would go above that section, with generous margins, to protect that part from rain and to create a dry spot when not in the hammock.

    What do you reckon? Feasible? Nut?

  2. #2
    Senior Member headchange4u's Avatar
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    Your idea sounds good in theory. You should build one and see how it works

    You may save weight by just going with a larger tarp instead of a small tarp/sock combo, but I don't know if weight is a concern.
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  3. #3
    I'm not a fan of very big tarps; I find them cumbersome to setup, fold, dry ... and then I would loose some of the insulation provided by the sock.

    I have a poncho anyway. The sock should be a piece of nylon around 10 feet long and a bit more than 5 wide at the largest. Not heavier than a tarp normally.

    Or I could do a very large tarp to goes to the ground like a tent and trap air that way. But that's pushing it I think

    EDIT: a mockup (chaussette = sock )


  4. #4
    Senior Member animalcontrol's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hangonthere View Post
    Hi everyone,

    new here and still a ground dweller but investigating how to go up without too much extra weight or bulk.

    I have read about the socks on the forum and here http://www.tothewoods.net/HomemadeGearHammockSock.html .

    Should be lightweight and apparently for spring and summer hiking might compensate part of the temp loss compared to ground dwelling.

    Another "problem" of hammock is requiring, ideally, a larger tarp. I thought that using DRW silnylon but inserting a reasonable surface of mesh in the upper part (head level) would allow to have it closed without too much condensation. A small tarp (actually the poncho) would go above that section, with generous margins, to protect that part from rain and to create a dry spot when not in the hammock.

    What do you reckon? Feasible? Nut?
    absolutely feasible...should work no problem.
    your set-up would lose a 'dry' spot under the large tarp for cooking, socializing, etc but if you can live without that, your good to go
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  5. #5
    Senior Member Cannibal's Avatar
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    My concern would be the moisture pass-thru. Once the sock (chaussette) got wet, it's going to be laying against the hammock and making contact. Once that happens, your hammock is going to get moist. After that, your quilt/bag. I think it would work for light rains and drizzles, but in a storm I'd be leery of depending on it to keep me and mine dry.

    Agreed with headchange4u, build it - try it- let us know.
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  6. #6
    Senior Member sclittlefield's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cannibal View Post
    My concern would be the moisture pass-thru. Once the sock (chaussette) got wet, it's going to be laying against the hammock and making contact. Once that happens, your hammock is going to get moist. After that, your quilt/bag. I think it would work for light rains and drizzles, but in a storm I'd be leery of depending on it to keep me and mine dry.
    That's a good point. It's like when you're in a tent (not that anyone here will be able to remember way back to then...) and your sleeping bag touches the side wall in a rain storm. You wake with a soaked bag.

    Even silnylon reportedly passes water through with a good rain. With a tarp, it's not touching anything and all you get is a bit of spray, usually not enough to cause any problems. If it's touching, I have a feeling the pass-thru could be significant.

    Still, well worth a try. Things often function in real life far differently than in theory.
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  7. #7
    Good points. To avoid contact I would need to hang well on top and also somehow force sides aparts. But then I need a larger and heavier sock. That calls from some thinking through ...

  8. #8
    Senior Member ringtail-THFKAfood's Avatar
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    poncho in the center?

    I use a similar system except the poncho is in the middle. At one end is a Driducks jacket helt on the ridgeline with binderclips. On the other end is a sheet of spinntex held on with binderclips.

    The spinntex sheet is my staging area for packing and unpacking. I have rigged it with my bear bag cords as a dining fly.

    The Driducks jacket is to wear around camp and in case it is cold on the trail.

    Most everything is multi-use and you can stay dry.

    However:

    If it has been raining for several days and you want to stop slipping and sliding around on muddy trails and crawl into you hammock mid afternoon and read while drinking a hot cuppa then perhaps a larger tarp is a better fit. I use a poncho/fly most of the time, but sometimes I wish I had a larger fly.
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  9. #9
    Senior Member Rushthezeppelin's Avatar
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    You could always get around the wicking problems associated with sil by trying a material like spinnaker or cuben that are totally waterproof but of course this will cost more money.....on the plus side though it also more lightweight than sil.

  10. #10
    Senior Member TiredFeet's Avatar
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    To avoid contact, you could also arrange for the ridge line to pass through the sock and keep the sock well away from any contact on the top. I suppose you could also arrange to have the sock clipped to the ridge line in several places and accomplish the same thing.

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