View Full Version : Starting out with the Expedition
dsshepard
06-02-2007, 08:43
I received my Expeditions yesterday, 1 for me and 1 for my son. I set mine up this morning with the 10x8 fly and laid in it for a while. It seems pretty comfortable. My son and I will sleep in them tonight for the first time using the inexpensive Walmart blue pad. These are our first hammocks so we are really looking forward to backpacking with them.
headchange4u
06-02-2007, 09:28
Welcome to the hanging crowd. Once you guys spend a blissful night in the hammock you will never want to sleep on the ground again.
FanaticFringer
06-02-2007, 15:33
Happy hangin to both of ya.
dsshepard
06-03-2007, 08:57
My son and I slept in the hammocks last night for the first time in our backyard. We live in North Carolina just outside Charlotte and had a fantastic opportunity to test the weatherproofness as we had rain all night from Tropical Storm/Depression Barry.
We both slept great and learned a few things. I learned that because I am heavier than my son that I didn't have my hammock up high enough. Towards the morning I would occasionally bump my hip bone on the ground when moving around. As long as I was still, everything was fine. I suspect the nylon webbing stretched quite a bit because upon examination in the morning, all knots were fine and nothing had slipped down the tree. I was tempted in early hours to get up and tighten the webbing to the tree, but with the constant rain, I decided to just not move around too much. I have ordered some 1" polypropo webbing and descending rings and look forward to trying that.
The other thing we learned is that after about 8 or nine hours of constant rain, the flys started to leak. I was wakened by an occasional mist as a drop would fall and hit the bug screen. I normally get up at 4:00 so I got up and went into the house with my sleeping bag only just barely damp. Almost as if I had slept under the stars and had a heavy morning dew. Not too bad. Right now we both use synthetic mummy bags so it was not a problem. My son on the other hand continued to sleep on through the early morning until I woke him up at 7:30 as he was starting to get wet (even though he did not know it).
I am hoping a can of spray water repellent will solve that problem. Overall we both really enjoyed our sleep and we really look forward to doing some local backpacking in the Uwharrie Forest and spend a few nights sleeping in the wilderness.
FanaticFringer
06-03-2007, 11:38
My son and I slept in the hammocks last night for the first time in our backyard. We live in North Carolina just outside Charlotte and had a fantastic opportunity to test the weatherproofness as we had rain all night from Tropical Storm/Depression Barry.
We both slept great and learned a few things. I learned that because I am heavier than my son that I didn't have my hammock up high enough. Towards the morning I would occasionally bump my hip bone on the ground when moving around. As long as I was still, everything was fine. I suspect the nylon webbing stretched quite a bit because upon examination in the morning, all knots were fine and nothing had slipped down the tree. I was tempted in early hours to get up and tighten the webbing to the tree, but with the constant rain, I decided to just not move around too much. I have ordered some 1" polypropo webbing and descending rings and look forward to trying that.
The other thing we learned is that after about 8 or nine hours of constant rain, the flys started to leak. I was wakened by an occasional mist as a drop would fall and hit the bug screen. I normally get up at 4:00 so I got up and went into the house with my sleeping bag only just barely damp. Almost as if I had slept under the stars and had a heavy morning dew. Not too bad. Right now we both use synthetic mummy bags so it was not a problem. My son on the other hand continued to sleep on through the early morning until I woke him up at 7:30 as he was starting to get wet (even though he did not know it).
I am hoping a can of spray water repellent will solve that problem. Overall we both really enjoyed our sleep and we really look forward to doing some local backpacking in the Uwharrie Forest and spend a few nights sleeping in the wilderness.
Seam sealing your tarp should help. You will love the ring/buckle supports.
blackbishop351
06-03-2007, 12:03
Good to see another hanger in the area! There are a few of us around here, so feel free to get in touch if you want to do some hiking!
My son and I slept in the hammocks last night for the first time in our backyard. We live in North Carolina just outside Charlotte and had a fantastic opportunity to test the weatherproofness as we had rain all night from Tropical Storm/Depression Barry.
We both slept great and learned a few things. I learned that because I am heavier than my son that I didn't have my hammock up high enough. Towards the morning I would occasionally bump my hip bone on the ground when moving around. As long as I was still, everything was fine. I suspect the nylon webbing stretched quite a bit because upon examination in the morning, all knots were fine and nothing had slipped down the tree. I was tempted in early hours to get up and tighten the webbing to the tree, but with the constant rain, I decided to just not move around too much. I have ordered some 1" polypropo webbing and descending rings and look forward to trying that.
The other thing we learned is that after about 8 or nine hours of constant rain, the flys started to leak. I was wakened by an occasional mist as a drop would fall and hit the bug screen. I normally get up at 4:00 so I got up and went into the house with my sleeping bag only just barely damp. Almost as if I had slept under the stars and had a heavy morning dew. Not too bad. Right now we both use synthetic mummy bags so it was not a problem. My son on the other hand continued to sleep on through the early morning until I woke him up at 7:30 as he was starting to get wet (even though he did not know it).
I am hoping a can of spray water repellent will solve that problem. Overall we both really enjoyed our sleep and we really look forward to doing some local backpacking in the Uwharrie Forest and spend a few nights sleeping in the wilderness.
Silnylon is only water proof up to a certain water pressure - for heavy rains such as you are getting from Barry, the water pressure on the fly could be enough to force the water through the silnylon.
Not much you can do about that - it's simply the properties of the silnylon.
The only real solution for heavy rais such as you had with Barry is to use heavy material, usually ripstop with a thicker coating of water-proof material. But then the fly gets much heavier so most just suffer through heavy rains with the silnylon.
slowhike
06-03-2007, 15:57
like teedee said, silnylon will do that sometimes. the rain makes it's way through the silnylon to collect on the under side, then as the rain drops continue to hit the fly, it's like they are "thumping" the taught tarp & causing a mist from the wetness on the under side.
but did you notice if it was happening over a wide area or did you by chance just see dripping from certain places, like near seams?
I received my Expeditions yesterday, 1 for me and 1 for my son. I set mine up this morning with the 10x8 fly and laid in it for a while. It seems pretty comfortable. My son and I will sleep in them tonight for the first time using the inexpensive Walmart blue pad. These are our first hammocks so we are really looking forward to backpacking with them.
:) welcome to the hanging crowd,me and my oldest son use the tom claytor jungle hammocks:cool: neo
rptinker
06-03-2007, 18:37
Welcome!:)
It might be condensation that you are experiencing and not leakage. If you are using a claytor manufactured 8x10 tarp chances are it would be made of polyurethane coated nylon tafetta. Seal the seam with PU sealing compound although a thinned silicone sealant will work as per experience.:cool:
dsshepard
06-04-2007, 17:16
but did you notice if it was happening over a wide area or did you by chance just see dripping from certain places, like near seams?
It was happening over a wide area on both of our tarps. I don't think these are silnylon. Per mosquito hammock's website "Made of waterproof Nylon Tafta (210T)". Like I said, it took a while before it started leaking. It wasn't pouring under the tarp, but if I was in the wilderness, it would have caused us problems because things were starting to get wet.
rptinker
06-04-2007, 19:09
It was happening over a wide area on both of our tarps. I don't think these are silnylon. Per mosquito hammock's website "Made of waterproof Nylon Tafta (210T)". Like I said, it took a while before it started leaking. It wasn't pouring under the tarp, but if I was in the wilderness, it would have caused us problems because things were starting to get wet.
I think the tarp has a PU coating. Tarps coated with PU are not really that waterproof. The tarp has tiny (almost microscopic) hole in it. If the the Polyurethane coating is not liberally applied then rainwater would somehow pass through it. I would suggest calling Tom Claytor for some clarification (a replacement?).:o