First real Night Out, Lots of Questions

[canoebie]

I keep hearing about waterproof claytors and mine is definitely not, I have two and they are both breathable ripstop. I use a thermarest, however I do not inflate it, I leave the valve open. It really helps and allows the hammock to conform to me more.

I also wonder if your hang is too tight. I find that when I hang too tight, my pad travels more and I get more "shoulder squeeze." I am not familiar with your climate, but I do know that if you have waterproof material I would guess with some certainty you are getting a lot of condensate. We lose a lot of water over the course of a night through our breath (tarp condensate) and through our skin. (hammock condensate)

I try really hard to convince my ground dweller clients when I take groups on canoe trips to leave the windows of their tents unzipped so they will not have that clammy wet feeling when they get up. More often than not they think they will be "warm" with everything tight as a drum. When it gets below 40, they literally get rained on from the inside of the tent fly because of the condensation. Dry on the outside, wet on the inside. I just love the way mother nature teaches.

[titanium_hiker]

<snip>
I try really hard to convince my ground dweller clients when I take groups on canoe trips to leave the windows of their tents unzipped so they will not have that clammy wet feeling when they get up. More often than not they think they will be "warm" with everything tight as a drum. When it gets below 40, they literally get rained on from the inside of the tent fly because of the condensation. Dry on the outside, wet on the inside. I just love the way mother nature teaches.

Sigh. This is why I want to take my own shelter (hammock!!) besides being much more comfy than on the ground, I'd be able to avoid the clamminess, which is what makes me coldest (besides the actual temperature.)

Oh, and slack is best for hanging the hammock, cranking it tight makes it harder for you to lie on a diagonal.

TH

[nwmanitou]

First of all, thank so very much to you guys who have chimed in. I've spent hours reading and re reading this forum to learn what I can.

I guess a little more about me. I hate sleeping in tents. I much rather prefer sleeping under a tarp. The tent that I do have is 90% mesh with a rainfly that attaches outside of the poles. The only time I use my tent is when I go hunting, since out camp is up on a ridge with very few trees for protection. (I plan to change this of course)

But there just isn't anything like sleeping in the open. I honestly feel far more secure and comfortable if I can open my eyes and see what's around rather than a sweaty tent wall.

The time that I was asleep in my hammock was some of the best rest I've had in a looong time. I am seriously contemplating getting a hammock stand for the house and sleeping there instead of my bed, besides, my wife likes to sprawl out anyways. What really got me going with hammocks, after last years freezing attempt (I didn't know about the forum then) was a friends post in another forum. He used to work and live in the jungles of French Guiana for months in a simple hammock (no bugnet either, just citronella candles and repellent). Hethen posted pics from a trip above the treeline in the Swiss alps, in the same hammock. He dug a trough in the snow for his hammock and used his snowshoes and ski poles to tie the hammock to. All he had for insulation was a fleece blanket doubled over and held to the underside of his hammock with bungie cords and duct tape. For a final touch, he attached a garbage bag outside of the blanket as a vapor barier. He slept find he says.

I might consider an underquilt now that I've heard of those super thing yet warm foam pads like the Gossamer Gear pads should I have to go to ground. I don't care about soft ground, I just don't like being cold.

My plan for the future:

make an SPE
make a new hammock out of breathable material
Build a tarp out of the same material my current hammock is made from
Begin toying with the idea of an underquilt.

I've found some 1.1 oz untreated ripstop in the camo that I want. I have a whipped end single layer hammock in 1.9oz ripstop that seems to hold my weight well, with little stretching (280lbs). I wonder if I a double layered 1.1 oz hammock with gross grain reinforcing the hems woulnd't be just as stable. Also, anyone know what it takes to make the bottom of a hammock mosquito proof? I know that my current hammock is certainly bug proof, maybe even snake proof as i was bending pins trying to get them through the urethane goating, but this new stuff doesn't even have DWR.

[canoebie]

Also, anyone know what it takes to make the bottom of a hammock mosquito proof?

1.1 oz breathable, use permethrin, much as I hate the stuff. I have a few get through my two layers on my claytor occasionally. I hate getting my cheeks bit.

[Peter_pan]

going to ground: a closed cell foam pad, ordinary usage sit pad. (the plan is to cut it down so pad+pack = body length, but I'm not brave enough yet, using the pad for tenting atm.) the underquilt is amazing what it does for your "slip off pad wake up" thing- totally kills it. I recommend.

Breathable fabric is a must.

For rolling fog, have a look at the hammock socks in the forum.

TH

TH,

Good to see you active again....Switched locals too.... cool.

If you would like a top quilt very inexpensive.... send me a PM.... JRB has several Demo models available as we switch out to the new colors....

Pan