View Full Version : what is your set-up, at camp?
I tried hammocking last year, 2x, but was cold. and i had a TQ and an UQ. i think i run really cold. When i BP with a tent, i use a sleep bag, the TQ inside that, and 2 layers of clothes, maybe i need to duplicate that in a hammock?
I would really like to get back into hammocking while backpacking. What i found i didn't like about hammocks, vs a tent, was the lack of a "room" outdoors, like i have when in a tent. a place to keep all my stuff, clean and dry, away from critters and bugs, and a discreet place to change out of my hiking clothes, into my night time clothes. Can you guys post some pictures of your set up at camp? What do you ladies do? Where do you put all your stuff? do you have room in your hammock to hold a water bottle, your glasses, your inhaler, kleenex, lights, ?
also, i strung up a tarp, which takes a lot of time to string up the tarp and the hammock. if i only camp when there is no rain, why do i need a tarp above?
what have you done, when you get to a campsite, and there are no suitable trees to hang from? what if you don't know if there will great trees to hang from, on the new hike?
It seems, from what i read, that men hammock differently than women, they seem to need less stuff than we do....
any help or suggestions would be great! :)
leiavoia
10-25-2019, 15:06
Hang everything. After hammock is up, i clip my backpack up on the suspension line to hold all unused items overnight.
The Warbonnet Shelf is the single best answer to "where can i put my stuff". It hold so much and its right by your head the entire time. If you do not have a Warbonnet hammock, there are many options for storage including peak bag, ridgeline organizer, baby hammock, saddle bags, and sidecars/slings. The easiest answer is to just drop your pack on the ground under the hammock for quick access at night.
On tarps: besides rain, tarps a good for deflecting wind which can quickly blow away your quilt heat. Learning how to angle the tarp down as a wind block is something you should do. Tarps also keep out bird poop and leaf litter. They add some privacy. If you get a large tarp, it will give you more room for changing clothes and cooking in bad weather. Regardless, always bring a tarp. Always.
For changing clothes: yeah, wriggling and brief nudity will usually be involved ;-) It is the way of the hammock. If you want walking room, many people bring a plastic "Door Mat" to put under the hammock as a clean spot to stand on or place a back. I just use my pack rain cover.
As for lack of "room" outdoors... the outdoors is your room! If you feel you need more enclosure or privacy, then what you want is a large-style tarp with doors, or at least a beak.
For hiking into the unknown: thats part of the fun. You dont know until you go. If the site is not conducive to hammocks, walk on.
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fallkniven
10-25-2019, 16:16
I tried hammocking last year, 2x, but was cold. and i had a TQ and an UQ. i think i run really cold. When i BP with a tent, i use a sleep bag, the TQ inside that, and 2 layers of clothes, maybe i need to duplicate that in a hammock?
I would really like to get back into hammocking while backpacking. What i found i didn't like about hammocks, vs a tent, was the lack of a "room" outdoors, like i have when in a tent. a place to keep all my stuff, clean and dry, away from critters and bugs, and a discreet place to change out of my hiking clothes, into my night time clothes. Can you guys post some pictures of your set up at camp? What do you ladies do? Where do you put all your stuff? do you have room in your hammock to hold a water bottle, your glasses, your inhaler, kleenex, lights, ?
also, i strung up a tarp, which takes a lot of time to string up the tarp and the hammock. if i only camp when there is no rain, why do i need a tarp above?
what have you done, when you get to a campsite, and there are no suitable trees to hang from? what if you don't know if there will great trees to hang from, on the new hike?
It seems, from what i read, that men hammock differently than women, they seem to need less stuff than we do....
any help or suggestions would be great! :)
Sounds like you just need a much higher rated quilt than most people.
All my stuff before i go to bed goes back in my pack in my pack liner and hang thr pack from a tree branch or the end of my hammock. Drink goes on ground in arms reach. Small stuff goes in ridge line organizer. If its raining hard I tie my shoelaces tovether and fling them over the end of my hammock. Nothing but my drink is on the ground.
I never set up a tarp unless its going to rain. Also, I can walk up to a tree and have my hammock with quilts and tarp setup in 3 min.(tarp skin amd lazy slug tube) I am set up before my tenting buddy gets a his first tent stake in. Learn to simplify your rig and pack it so setting up is quick and easy.
wow, thanks for the replies! i haven't met anyone hammocking that i can ask questions of! after reading every sentence, i kept saying" oh! that's a good idea!"
it took me about 30 minutes to get my hammock and tarp hung last time, that is also what was putting me off of hammocking.
THANKS! :)
Five Tango
10-25-2019, 19:39
I love my Warbonnet Superfly for a cold weather/privacy tarp.You can shut out the rest of the world with the SuperFly.I use my sit pad under the hammock for a clean place to stand,hang all the smellables which include kitchen,first aid kit,toiletry hygiene kit etc. with the food.Takes roughly two bags to get the job done but all that is left is the day clothes and the pack which are hung under the tarp at the foot end unless I sleep with the clothes in a smell proof nylafume bag in the hammock to keep them warm for the next morning.
You can get a Dutch sidecar like was mentioned already,use a gear hammock hung off your hammock suspension to keep gear off ground and easily accessible.I use a little 2 oz boot hammock from SLD that holds my shoes and a bottle of water.I like to drink water in the middle of the night when outdoors.
leiavoia
10-25-2019, 20:05
Boot hammock? Hmmm... I actually use the boot itself as a hammock-side insulated cup holder. Then I always know where my water is in the darkness.
durunner
10-26-2019, 00:23
It gets quicker with practice.
sidneyhornblower
10-26-2019, 04:51
What i found i didn't like about hammocks...a discreet place to change out of my hiking clothes... put all your stuff?
For discrete changing, a tarp can be your friend. The hammock itself can also shield you from prying eyes to some extent and be used as a seat. Best is to camp with reasonable people who will give you some privacy when you announce, "I'm going to change clothes." A tarp draped nearly to the ground can give you privacy about like that of a bathroom stall or changing room in a department store, i.e. your feet may show but that's about it.
As has been mentioned, gear hammocks are lightweight, pack down well and keep gear off the ground if necessary. I made a small one that weighs 2 ounces. I don't always bring it and have often just put the pack on the ground under the hammock, wrapped in my tyvek sheet if it's raining. Hanging it off the suspension also works if the tarp extends far enough to cover it reliably.
Baka Dasai
10-26-2019, 07:20
If I need privacy, I get dressed in my hammock. Actually lying in it. It's a bit awkward, but not too bad.
For the "where to put stuff?" question, I make a lot of use of my hammock's ridgeline to clip things to. I have a small gear hammock attached to the ridgeline near the head-end of my hammock for a book, a jacket, and other odds and ends. My headlamp also goes on my ridgeline, and so do my glasses. My water bottle clips to the ridgeline. I even clip my pack to the ridgeline so that it always stands upright next to my hammock and doesn't fall over.
The "what do you do if there are no suitable trees?" question stresses me out and makes me do a lot of research before I go somewhere.
Five Tango
10-26-2019, 08:24
Boot hammock? Hmmm... I actually use the boot itself as a hammock-side insulated cup holder. Then I always know where my water is in the darkness.
The whole idea behind the boot hammock is to keep the shoes out of the spider zone.We have one called the Brown Recluse.It's the Brown Bear of spiders.My brother-in-law nearly lost a finger to one......
slugbait
10-26-2019, 10:01
It takes a bit of practice, but it is certainly possible to do a complete change of clothes while lying in a hammock, under your sleeping bag (unzipped) or top quilt. I have been doing this for years out of necessity (I volunteer with a Boy Scout troop).
cougarmeat
10-26-2019, 13:34
First, welcome to the world of posting on HF.
To set up your hammock quickly, you can use the simplest suspension - daisy chain straps and a carabiner (ENO's Atlas straps, Kommeck Python straps, Dutchware spider straps, etc.). If you don't have a structural ridge line (SRL) on the hammock, put one on or use a lightweight cord; something to indicate the desired distance between hammock ends so you don't have to figure it out each time.
Take a tape measure to a park and identify trees the usual distance apart (plus or minus 12 ft for gathered end hammock), then pace it off and/or use your body and hiking poles as a measure so you can quickly determine the best spaced trees at your campsite. In time (a short time) you'll be able to do this by eye.
You have a little room to move around in a tent, but you are mostly on your hands and knees. With the hammock, put one or two poles on side of your tarp - it's called porch mode - to lift it up. That provides a dry area outside the hammock - usually enough for a small camp chair - like those three legged triangle shaped stools. My folding chair is a full bucket chair that folds to a loaf of bread sized bundle.
For privacy, you can lower the edges of the sides of your tarp or just drop them a bit and change behind the hammock (between the hammock and side panel - opposite the most visually exposed direction. If your tarp has doors, you can close those. If not, the fact that trees are at the end of the hammock provides some blockage. Your actual "exposure time" is much less than you'd think. If you try it at home, looking at the second hand on your watch, you'll see the actual time of extreme exposure is only a few seconds.
I tell a lady camper friend it's okay if she has to pee at night and uses a corner under her tarp (with the sides down for sleeping and the end doors closed) - just be sure where your shoes are.
Backpack can be hung under the tarp - from the same suspension as the hammock. Shoes are usually on a small ground sheet in front of the hammock, or, if you wear flip fops or some other camp shoe, you can also hang your hiking boots from that hammock suspension line and just have the flip flops (no dark hidden insides) on the ground.
There are numerous Gear Hammocks that can be strung up under/over/beside your sleeping hammock. I believe SimpleLightDesign (SLD) has some on closeout. Or you can use various additional storage bags hung from the hammock ridge line. The shelf on the BlackBird is handy, but I'm always concerned that the material is just mosquito netting. I use and under quilt protector (UQP) and somethings just throw things temporarily in the UQP when I'm not in the hammock. But a gear hammock is handy because you don't have keep pulling things out of your pack and putting them back in. Once it comes out, it goes in the gear hammock because chances are, I'll use it more than once. A ridge line organizer is handy for things like eye glasses, flashlight - quick grab items - things your want to keep separate and easy to reach.
The tarp does much more than protect against rain. It blocks the wind, it offers privacy, it blocks the bright sun from shinning right in your face during a daytime nap and it blocks a bright moon from shinning right in your face at night time. It keeps bird poo and pine needles off your face and hammock.
No trees - how can that be :) When I started, I thought there would be trees everywhere. I live in the PNW - specifically Oregon and we have, you know, TREES. But soon I learned it can be more of a challenge. The trees have to be the desired distance apart. Small enough in diameter for my strap suspension and distance apart. And what comes up often - nature's joke - is a third tree is often growing off to the side but between the perfect two trees so that it interferes with the tarp. As with the tree distance, you develop and eye for that. With just a little practice - just a little - you'll walk into a grove and know just what trees you want. But back to No Trees - If you know that's a possibility for a very minor number of days on the trail, you can bring a sleeping pad like a therm-a-rest or cheapie rolled up blue foam pad. Instead of a door mat sized ground sheet you'd bring a full body length sheet (I use black plastic "visqueen" plastic sheet - dries quickly. And I put tape on the edge of one side to mark it so I always have the dirty side down). You can suspend your tarp using your hiking poles, lay the ground sheet down and put your pad on that. If it might be buggy, you can lay your hammock on the pad and tie the bug net ends to the hiking poles to lift it off your face. It won't be your best night, but you'll get by. If you know you'll be several days without trees, then ... I hope I don't get kicked out for saying this ... it's time to bring your tent.
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Sometimes there are trees aplenty
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Sometimes you need to bring the really long straps
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When it's good, it's good.
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Using poles to suspend tarp and hold bug bugnet.
Dirtbaghiker
10-26-2019, 21:39
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2 days ago
I use Dutchware Chameleon hammock with the mesh side car. I put my shoes in there because I don't like to leave anything on ground overnight.. Yes I have fear of something running off with my salty shoes overnight!! My pack I usually clip to the straps of hammock.. It doesn't add much weight because it's usually empty at this time.. I don't really bring anything that I don't use, and I usually try to pack the bare minimum because it just easier and fast to set up camp and break down camp not have so much stuff to keep track of. My cook kit and food go in the ursack.. My quilts/underquilts being used with hammock, tarp is always above me.. Weather it remains in mesh snake skin or it is pitched. My clothes are being worn and if for some reason I have extra clothes, they are in stuff sack in my hammock used for pillow or just there. I do carry my helinox chair because that has become my creature comfort item.. More times then none, that is usually sitting out some where in camp.. Or in side pocket of my pack. In winter or cold trips, I will bring my sol light closed cell torso length pad, to sit on, or God forbid I have to go to sleep on ground (which has never happened) . That's pretty much it for me.. So easy, so simple lightweight and fast. I can make camp and break camp quickly and conveniently. It works for me and took me a while and many trips and plenty of research and trial and error to get it dialed in for My liking..
This turned into a rather large wall of text, hope some if it is useful.
I am really new to hammock camping and it looks like those with way more experience and better answers have covered a lot of your questions already. Definitely ran into some of the same pain points you have though and here is what I have found helps:
Where do you put your stuff?
I started with an ENO SuperSub which did not have any of the nice built in storage a lot of cottage vendors have added but I also got a ENO Underbelly Gear Sling. My expectation was that I would be able to store anything and everything in the sling and even reach down to grab it at night. Turns out my humongous 65 + 10 liter Deuter had no intention of hanging out in that gear sling so I ended up only sticking overnight items that I would want. I found that gear sling to be pretty far from ideal, though I would be up for trying either it again with a different hammock or maybe a different sling.
Now I use a WarBonnet Ridgerunner Hammock which has got built in saddle bag pockets up by the head. These are phenomenal for any and all overnight stuff, just got to be careful with heavier items like a water bottle to try and keep the sides a bit even.
With my overnight storage figured out though I didn't quite have a solution I was happy with for the rest of my gear. One of the big pushes for me into hammock camping was watching as a huge puddle formed underneath my tent and wishing I was dangling from a tree, not inclined to leave my pack directly on the ground. My solution with the ENO was to plunk my backpack and boots into my camp chair which worked great. Next trip though I was hoping to lighten my load, decided to ditch my chair and instead brought some 4 mil plastic sheeting (https://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-3-ft-x-50-ft-Clear-4-mil-Plastic-Sheeting-RSHD403-50C/204711656). This was great as it kept my gear dry from the ground, could be tucked over to keep it dry from side splatter under my tarp, gave me a place to change on when the ground was a bit muddy and only weighed 3 oz (just cut off as much as you think you want, if you mess up you still have 45 feet to work with!). Got the idea from one of Shug's awesome videos, honestly the whole thing is probably worth a watch on this topic (as are many of his other ones).
https://youtu.be/vbtaVJeKuN8?t=411
Now this may sound wasteful but I realized on my last trip I missed my camp chair quite a bit but I also think I would have a hard time giving up that nice large space for laying gear down and standing on easily that only weighs 3 oz so... I might be bringing both next time. Either one though left me feeling happy that my gear was off the ground and would be protected from the rain (as long as it was under a tarp).
In terms of the hammock setup time that was really rough on my first trip. I was so excited at the prospect of hammock camping but was to timid to dive into the cottage vendors right away I brought that ENO SuperSub 6, the underbelly, the bug net, the underquilt and a tarp. I swear I must have spent 30 minutes each night that trip putting it all up... The number one most absolutely amazing time saver I can recommend would be a tarp sleeve (also called snake skins). This is just a small sleeve that lets you pack up or deploy your tarp super fast by yourself. For me that was the most miserable part, trying to tie up and pack down this unwieldly giant mess of material that could also be wet. Of course Shug has already covered these so you do not need to bother imaging what they look like. I got the sleeve from hammock gear (https://hammockgear.com/mesh-tarp-sleeve/) and it works great with the 13 ft tarp I have, I imagine it would fit just about any camping tarp. I am extra lazy and even leave my stakes tied to the lines, roll my tarp up carefully but when I want it down (after hanging each side) it is literally just pull back the sleeve, stick in the already attached stakes and then tighten.
https://youtu.be/DAYLi_mDzPI?t=59
The other big improvement to setup time was moving to a hammock that had an integrated bug net. One less item to hang. I did gain time by going from my ENO underquilt to a pad but next time will be back with an underquilt and should be even faster. And as with all things, more you do it the faster you get.
Do I need to put up a tarp?
Aside from the benefits of quick/tear down the sleeve also helps answer another question you had, if it is not going to rain do I need a tarp? I would never go on a trip without a tarp (weather forecasts in Minnesota are reliable about 5 minutes out) but it does mean you do not have to deploy it. If you feel 100% certain it will not rain and you do not need the tarp for warmth (both blocking wind and building a bit of residual heat) then you do not have to hang it. If you are a late sleeper you might get bothered by early morning light streaming in but nothing rolling over in your hammock and burying your face can't solve. I am a bit more reluctant to trust the weather though so I always hang my tarp but will just leave it in the sleeve if weather seems dry and there is not much wind. Worst case I get up in the middle of the night and spend 5 minutes deploying it, best case I get to watch some beautiful stars and then roll over and bury my face in the morning.
No trees?
For not having any good trees I have not run into that, completely dread it but as always Shug does have a video on it. Sure that will happen sooner or later, but hopefully much, much later.
https://youtu.be/0j54vMKGhiQ
cmoulder
10-27-2019, 07:19
When backpacking, put stuff in the backpack and use the pack's haul loop and a cord with a slipped clove hitch to tie it to hammock CL. It's off the ground, it's covered, it's free and it adds no weight (OK maybe 0.32g for the cord).
https://www.hammockforums.net/gallery/files/7/4/1/1/4/hanging_pack_from_hammock.jpg
cougarmeat
10-27-2019, 13:57
You can search for treads about this - there seems to be two schools of thought on warmth and sleeping attire. I like to wear some light cotton jammies because it's easier to wash clothes than it is to wash down quilts. Some suggest the less you wear, the warmer you will be - because your gear doesn't make the warmth - you do! All the gear does is help you keep what you make. I guess the idea if you bundle up too much, you don't make that cocoon of warmth surrounding you. But I'm guessing these A vs B situations are talking about really different temperatures, like -15 degrees vs 20 degrees. Try wearing less - just something light that doesn't restrict circulation - and let your top quilt/bottom quilt do their job. If you need extra heat, those pocket hand warmers work great and give 4 to 6 hours of warmth. Be careful though - because they can leak and you'll find black stuff on your hands or gear (depending on the quality of the "hot pocket").
flask_ehrlenmeyer
11-25-2019, 21:45
i'm an over-50 hammock hanger, heavy, with arthritis and stuff. i also like to camp every month of the year.
i sleep every night in my WBBBXLC, double layered. i went with double layered because it's supposed to be good for heavy people and it decreases bug bites from the underside.
even in summer i sleep with the zero -rated wooki underquilt, which is built for the WBBB and is stupid-proof. if it's warm out, i hang it a little more inefficiently by way of a couple of extra carabiners.
in cold weather (and i have used this setup down to 4°F) my TQ is a zero rated HG burrow and because i'm sensitive to any draft even with a sock (do recommend in cold weather, even with winter cover) i lay a HG 40° burrow between the hammock bed and the UQ. that way it lofts up to fill any little air gaps and also gives me more warmth at the shoulders.
i use a tarp to keep the rain and dew off in summer and to keep of snow in winter, but it's also important as a windbreak, which greatly affects your warmth. you also get pretty good privacy even if the tarp isn't closed all around you: someone has to be working hard to glimpse your squishy bits if you change just sitting with your feet over the edge.
as for where i leave my pack, i just leave it on the ground under my hammock, near the foot end. sometimes i have a small pad or something to put it on if the ground is damp, but usually not.
don't worry about how long it takes to pitch. you get faster at that as you go along. i'll admit that i often take my time about it, because i'm fussy about the perfect angle, but if i just need to get the thing up in a hurry, it's a quick job. i also second that thing about the snakeskins.
To the OP.. curious where you hike and hang that you have to worry about prying eyes.
I have hung with some pretty big groups (solo or with one other person most of the time) but never came across a situation where people were trying to cop a peek.
Also not sure if you are aware that we have a ladies forum as well. Great place to discuss the intricacies females deal with on the trail and in a hammock..
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
I use a Dream Hammock Gear Sling for all my on site storage needs.
The reason you pitch a tarp, in cooler temps, even when you are not expecting rain, is to keep wind from stealing warmth from your insulation kit. Cold sleepers and those pushing the limits of their insulation, will notice this as probably one of the major factors in maintaining a comfortable sleeping range.
Dublinlin
11-27-2019, 08:06
You can search for treads about this - there seems to be two schools of thought on warmth and sleeping attire. I like to wear some light cotton jammies because it's easier to wash clothes than it is to wash down quilts. Some suggest the less you wear, the warmer you will be - because your gear doesn't make the warmth - you do! All the gear does is help you keep what you make. I guess the idea if you bundle up too much, you don't make that cocoon of warmth surrounding you. But I'm guessing these A vs B situations are talking about really different temperatures, like -15 degrees vs 20 degrees. Try wearing less - just something light that doesn't restrict circulation - and let your top quilt/bottom quilt do their job. If you need extra heat, those pocket hand warmers work great and give 4 to 6 hours of warmth. Be careful though - because they can leak and you'll find black stuff on your hands or gear (depending on the quality of the "hot pocket").
I’ve heard that often over the years as well, that bare skin to bare skin (like your bare legs together) is warmer inside a sleeping bag than you’d be clothed inside the same sleeping bag. However, my school of thought is I might have to get up in the middle of the night to take a short walk outside to answer the call of nature and, frankly, I don’t want to have to leave the warmth of my cocoon to DRESS in the cold before embarking. In the winter I wear layers to bed—a BREATHABLE base layer (longsleeved runners top and yoga pants or leggings), then a BREATHABLE winter top and fleecy jogging pants, then my microtherm down jacket with my oversized best up old down vest over that. Oh, and I wear thick long wool socks. NOT the same socks I was wearing inside my shoes, but dedicated “in the hammock only” socks, because even if you’d swear the socks you had on before going to bed are dry, they aren’t. And your feet will freeze all night if they are in barely damp socks...better to go without socks at all than to try to get away with wearing the socks you had on during the day. (In non-winter, I just wear 3/4 length yoga pants and a short sleeved BREATHABLE top. I never pack any cotton.) Over all that, I have my down topquilt. If it’s going to be under 40 degrees, I just pack my zero degree HG Econ TQ. If it’s not going to be under 40, I use my 40 degree UG Bandit TQ coupled with my 50 degree LL Operator TQ. If it’s a chilly night I sleep with the LL quilt inside the Bandit. If it’s not cold enough for both I pick whichever I need and toss the other out of the way (but still in easy reach) in my peak shelf. Beneath me I always have a WB Wooki UQ covered with a 2QZQ UQP...or, if it’s really windy or nasty out, a WB sock which, often, I leave unzipped most of the way because I like lots of fresh air even when it is frigid out. Also, less apt to wind up with condensation that way. But the sock gives me total wind protection on the back side and decent wind protection on the side where I have the top half of the arched opening unzipped. I also leave my Trail Lair’s big net deployed year round—keeps my pillow and covers from sliding over the edge of my hammock and spilling out. For my tarp, I use a WB SuperFly if expecting harsh weather or lots of wind or will be camping in a crowded situation where privacy might be at a premium, but 9 times out of 10, it’s just my WB MiniFly that I bring. The Minify is my favorite.
I ALWAYS bring a large dog—big enough and confident enough to engage a bear or other intruder while I get a head start down the trail(!), though, truth be known I’d probably be staying behind ganging up with my dog, worried about him. Because I travel with a dog, I always string up an extra ridgeline off center from my hammock’s ridgeline and lower...about eye level and just a little in front of me when I’m sitting in my hammock. On this line, I have a reposition-able Prussic Loop that I clip the dog’s mule tape “leash” on—keeping it short enough that he can’t get wound around my tarp stakes. But, honestly, the dog’s ridgeline has turned out so handy that I’d put it up even if I didn’t need it for him! In the summer I drape my hiking pants over it and clip my shoes to it and hang my backpack off it. That way every thing is handy to reach from my hammock, yet out of the way, off the ground and still under my tarp. If I need to get up in the night, I slip my loose fitting hiking pants over my yoga pants before tromping out into the weeds. Then when I get back, slip them back off while holding the dog’s ridgeline for balance, drape them over the ridgeline and crawl back into my hammock knowing I’m not dragging any trail grime, stick tights or ticks back in with me! The dog’s ridgeline is also where I hang wet clothes to dry on rainy trips. And it’s where I drape my poncho...keeps it enough away from my hammock but within easy reach still under my tarp.
For the dog I have a floored, DIY 3 sided tarp windbreak that I hang from the dog ridgeline and position so that my hammock partially shields the open side of his “tent” and I throw a thick piece of CCF pad on the floor of his “tent”. It has to be pretty brutal out for him to actually USE his 3 sided tent, though. Generally he winds up sleeping with his head poking out from under my tarp and his rear end right where my feet will land if I get out of my hammock.
That’s my set up.
I use my dutchware chamelion and warbonnet mamajama 3 seasons(winter fall and spring i use 20 degrees cro quilts
In summer i use a set Of terripin outfitters modular shells)
To keep my rig together and for easy deployment i use a turtle tote from terripin outfitters
I'm male, so this may not be completely in line with your needs. This is my kayak/car camping setup. No trees required and a large cocoon of privacy and wind shelter. It's a CRO Winter Haven tarp with internal poles over a Chameleon Wide with ridgeline organizer, sidecar, peak shelf and side sling hung from a Tensa 4 stand. I was using a JRB 20 degree UQ and a 15 degree synthetic sleeping bag as a TQ that weekend. The grey thing under the hammock is half a yoga mat where my shoes go. 178377
I use the storage (sidecar and side sling) for my night clothes, pillow and top quilt before I get into the hammock for the night. I hate squirming around trying to get off the quilt to cover up. I keep my drink and book in the peak shelf. My glasses and battery pack go in the ridgeline organizer. My phone goes in a Hangtime Hook connected to the battery to charge overnight. Since I'm usually running the GPS in my watch, it gets put in the ridgeline organizer to charge, too. When I'm kayak camping, my gear is already in dry bags and just gets piled up under the hammock. my chair goes under the tarp.
I like a long sleeve polypro base layer and pants to sleep in when the weather is cold, cotton pajamas when it's warm.
Fellow female hammocker here, I've found I actually have less stuff than my husband or dad but I'm a bit of minimalist within reason. I use a warbonnet ridgerunner (WBRR) hammock which has wonderfully large saddlebags that you can cram all your knick-knacks into. I typically only have my headlamp, water, kindle, and extra socks in my saddlebags. As per the tarp, this took me minute to master and each person is different when it comes to their setup, I have found a continuous ridgeline works best for me. Here's a link to the setup I use (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-IkTg4z6UY&list=PLcm3C8mqeMIajfkq3NxI6-NWjRhN8KOCg&index=8&t=0s). If you do run cold, up your insulation. I have a 20*UQ custom for my type of hammock and an insulated sleeping pad I put in the sleeve. I also have a 20*TQ.
If there are no suitable trees to hang from I will unfortunately go to the ground, but I have a sleeping pad so it isn't that bad. As per keeping critters out of your stuff, I have a camp chair I usually bring and when it isn't in use during the night I'll throw my stuff on it and stick it under my tarp then put my pack cover over my bag (just in case). For privacy, I am not really picky I typically just shout "I'm changing" and my camping cohorts will give me the privacy I need. If you need additional privacy you can always pitch your tarp at angle that gives you the privacy you need (unless you have DCF tarp which can be somewhat transparent).
Do you have a ridgeline on your hammock? If so, many different hammock brands, I'm thinking of Hammock Gear specifically, make little gear nets/organizers that you can hang from your ridgeline that are specifically designed to hold a few small items like a cell phone, head lamp, tissues, etc. This prevents them from getting lost in the hammock when you have your TQ/sleeping bag in it, plus there's less risk of it falling out of the cinched stuff sack that is attached to your hammock. I do hear what you are saying though about the lack of a "room". I found that having a little ground tarp was nice, coupled with using my tarp to create this space. When I camp with others, I set up on the edge of the campsite so that way I can just change in privacy behind my tarp, and then I have a dry space to fit my bag my hammock. I did buy a little $9 mesh gear hammock off amazon which worked really well with my webbing loops ENO Atlas straps- I suspended it with two carabiners off the excess under my hammock so my bag was off the ground. Now that I hammock camp with my dog, his pup tent goes lateral to my hammock, so I can no longer use that little set up.
cmoulder
09-21-2021, 11:22
Do you have a ridgeline on your hammock? If so, many different hammock brands, I'm thinking of Hammock Gear specifically, make little gear nets/organizers that you can hang from your ridgeline that are specifically designed to hold a few small items like a cell phone, head lamp, tissues, etc. This prevents them from getting lost in the hammock when you have your TQ/sleeping bag in it, plus there's less risk of it falling out of the cinched stuff sack that is attached to your hammock. I do hear what you are saying though about the lack of a "room". I found that having a little ground tarp was nice, coupled with using my tarp to create this space. When I camp with others, I set up on the edge of the campsite so that way I can just change in privacy behind my tarp, and then I have a dry space to fit my bag my hammock. I did buy a little $9 mesh gear hammock off amazon which worked really well with my webbing loops ENO Atlas straps- I suspended it with two carabiners off the excess under my hammock so my bag was off the ground. Now that I hammock camp with my dog, his pup tent goes lateral to my hammock, so I can no longer use that little set up.
I like some sort of ridgeline organizer, and the HG version is good but any with some stitches to make 2-3 pockets is good IMO. It's really the only accessory I use for the hammock when backpacking, because I use the backpack itself to stow un-used gear and hang the pack off my head-end CL by the haul loop, per post #16 above.
cougarmeat
09-21-2021, 11:46
For a specific item, 2QZQ - now working with DutchWare - can make a custom ridgeline "bag". For example, you might want a size that will fit an iPad Mini (inside an outdoor case). Depending upon your trees and transportation method, you might just go for a full gear hammock; a small hammock that holds the gear/clothes that comes out of a pack or dry bag.
The "what do you do if there are no suitable trees?" question stresses me out and makes me do a lot of research before I go somewhere.
I'd love to see the geographic distribution of HF members. I suspect it's heavily weighted toward the eastern & northern US, where suitable trees are just about everywhere. Far easier to find suitable trees than it is to find a suitable place to pitch a tent.
Otherwise, just follow Shug for the answers to all your questions.
leiavoia
09-21-2021, 14:02
I'd love to see the geographic distribution of HF members. I suspect it's heavily weighted toward the eastern & northern US, where suitable trees are just about everywhere. Far easier to find suitable trees than it is to find a suitable place to pitch a tent.
I think you're right. Finding a hammock spot stresses me out, too, here in Oregon.
Y'all got little baby mountains out there! Here on the west coast, "backpacking" usually means up in the mountains, and ranges from 4,000-10,000 feet. Those areas are near timberline and buried in snow until July. Many of the best backpacking destinations are places that have few trees, and the trees that grow there are small.
And in more recent years, wildfires have burned up much of the lower elevation places we hike in shoulder season when higher elevation hikes are snowed in. Burn zones are not good hammocking.