Advice on my John Muir Setup Please

**josh hikes** · 06-13-2014, 08:24

I will be hiking the John Muir Trail in July and have put off buying my hammock way too long. Before I pull the trigger would like to make sure I am not making any bad calls here.

PAST:
I have hung in an ENO DN, Yukon outfiters w/ net and large Mexican hammock. Usually use a old tent foot print as a diamond tarp and may pull out a home made tube bugnet if I want the room of the eno inn the summer.

FUTURE?:

Hammock:
BIAS Weight Weennie 60” DBL layer with knotty mod (~14 oz., due to dbl layer.)
http://www.buttinasling.com/wewemi.html

Bug net
http://www.buttinasling.com/bbu.html
http://theultimatehang.com/2013/09/t...ug-net-review/

Cuben Tarp:
$295
http://www.hammockgear.com/standard-...rp-with-doors/

Tarp flyz
http://dutchwaregear.com/flyz.html

Suspensions:
My homemade whoopies and 15' poly straps for the big trees.

My thinking is I want something light, but comfy up to a point. Trail is a bit over 200 miles and I am 6' around 175lbs. I would use a nano air pad inbetween the double layer WWM, If needed I could take the net to ground as a bivy with the pad and tarp as a shelter for the few spots I should expect with no trees. Any insight on how an open bottom net would work as a bivy would be helpful. I would like to upgrade my tarp coverage to make sure I don't get wet way out on the trail and have a decent option for a ground tarp with a tyveck ground sheet. Not sure on the best stakes to use out there.
I went with the extra wight on the WWM to have more width for comfort and dbl layer so putting that air pad underneath is less fussy. I would like to be lighter, but it feels like this may be the right call for an air pad insulation setup.

I do plan on doing a few local hikes after setting it up at the house to get my system down before I head out in July.

Any feedback you guys have is appreciated on any component of my system. Thanks.

**Tendertoe** · 06-13-2014, 08:38

My only suggestion would be to get a bugnet with a side zipper - like the Warbonnet Travel Net - instead of an open bottom type of bugnet.

The open bottom bugnets don't close 100% and even if they did, where would you put the opening when using it as a bivy? At the top above your head or something? I just couldn't see it working well as a bivy especially if you do indeed plan on using it that way and it wouldn't just be an "if I ever have to use as a bivy I could struggle through it but chances are I won't ever have to" type of situation. If you do need to use it as a bivy I would purchase something that would definitely work in that formation and an open bottom type of bugnet just isn't designed to work well in that formation.

I would also recommend 2 Grip Clips one on each side of the bugnetting and put a piece of shockcord to stake it out to open the bugnetting up when used as a bivy.

**josh hikes** · 06-13-2014, 11:46

Originally Posted by Tendertoe

My only suggestion would be to get a bugnet with a side zipper - like the Warbonnet Travel Net - instead of an open bottom type of bugnet.

The open bottom bugnets don't close 100% and even if they did, where would you put the opening when using it as a bivy? At the top above your head or something? I just couldn't see it working well as a bivy especially if you do indeed plan on using it that way and it wouldn't just be an "if I ever have to use as a bivy I could struggle through it but chances are I won't ever have to" type of situation. If you do need to use it as a bivy I would purchase something that would definitely work in that formation and an open bottom type of bugnet just isn't designed to work well in that formation.

I would also recommend 2 Grip Clips one on each side of the bugnetting and put a piece of shockcord to stake it out to open the bugnetting up when used as a bivy.

I would prefer to save the 2.25 oz by using the zipper less net. I figure I could keep it off me by stringing the ridgeline through the ends, and just go out of the cinch up hole from the side of my mat, kind of like a tent (in tents I unzip a tiny exit hole to minimize bug entry and can imagine this birthing style method working here). I may even skip the net if we go to ground in a dry breezy area (have in strung up above and ready just in case.. Going to ground can be done away with, but I think it is easier to let it happen 1 or 2 nights out of the 21+ day trip. Good call on the grip clips, I think they will be worth the extra 1 oz of weight.

Am I fooling myself in thinking that my tarp would work as a good shelter with fixed length trekking poles when I have to go to ground?

**Insaniac99** · 06-16-2014, 15:16

Originally Posted by josh hikes

Am I fooling myself in thinking that my tarp would work as a good shelter with fixed length trekking poles when I have to go to ground?

It works, but you A) need extra stakes to guy out the tarp. and b) Practice a bunch so you do it fast and can set it up in such a way that the wind won't blow it over.

**josh hikes** · 06-16-2014, 17:38

OK. Bought hammock, net and tarp. (I really should have asked for feedback here sooner) Hopefully they get here in time to use on my July 4th shake out and test hike in AK. JMT is set for mid July to Aug.

Working on finding out right kind of stakes to use here.
https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...ing-on-the-JMT

I have never had a double layer hammock, so I am wondering if this will allow me to now use a CC pad over my neo air pad. I like the idea of saving weight and setup time, but have only slept on a CC wally pad once and was not thrilled about it. Not sure if it will be as warm as my neo air, but may just bring both to AK and make a choice there.

**Tendertoe** · 06-17-2014, 08:37

Good luck. I'll be interested to see some pictures and hear how the bugnet does in bivy mode.

**2ply** · 06-17-2014, 09:39

If you use the neo air it will be more comfortable with partial inflation. The cc pad, or any pad really, is for retaining warmth and not for comfort so the cc pad might be your best light weight option.

**dakotaross** · 06-17-2014, 10:52

If you don't mind the bulk of the CC pad, chances are good you'll be warmer with it.

**southmark** · 06-18-2014, 06:48

I'll be headed out to do the JMT August 5. My setup will consist of a WB Traveler hammock, homemade HUG bugnet, WB Yeti under quilt, GoLite Ultra 20 top quilt, Zpacks cuben tarp, and a Gossamer Gear Sleeplite pad for my legs and in case I have to go to ground.

**josh hikes** · 06-18-2014, 12:01

Cool, thank you for the info. I have looked into this for avoiding going to ground:
https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...(climbing-kit)

http://www.rei.com/product/698028/bl...d-stopper-nuts
May cut the cable and replace it with a chain link of amsteel.

I will be there July 15th to ~Aug 5th heading south. Let me know if you had any info you were looking for. I may have figured it out.