View Full Version : Figuring Out My Hammock, Hawai'i
This is a thread to track my experiences learning to use my HH ultralite a-sym and accessories. (Which started a little over a year ago.)
I am really enjoying it, when I'm able to use it. Unfortunately I don't get many opportunities since I can't use it at home, and camping is illegal in the forest reserves here without special permits. I have no interest in campgrounds. I'm only able to use my hammock during a few rare overnight volunteer conservation work trips.
My first experience with the HH ultralite asym was two nights in the Ka'u Forest Reserve, during a three day expedition flagging a bird survey transect and doing plant surveys.
Setup and teardown was a breeze. Getting organized inside was not a breeze. I quickly regretted bringing my sleeping pad since I could never arrange it inside. Had trouble getting my sleeping bag arranged and getting myself into it, as well. Getting dressed inside was also too much of a hassle, so I learned how a private site is important. :cool: The only knot I knew was the bowline. It was a major pain in the rear while setting up since it could not be tied while loaded, but it worked OK. All necessary learning experiences.
I was very comfortable all night, and absolutely loved the view out the bug netting! As soon as the first bit of light appeared at dawn I started waking up, and once the 'oma'o (hawaiian thrush) got noisy I was perfectly awake. I was still using my old marmot trestles 0F bag, but don't remember being cold like I have been in recent trips. The temperature was probably in the mid-50's at night. This forest had a fairly solid and high canopy, so there was little to no wind. It did not rain at all on this trip, so I was unable to catch any water with my tarp.
I found OK spots to set up both nights. The first camp site was a bit torn up by pigs and difficult to get around due to deadfall. The second camp site was more level, and I got a choice spot. Both times I was happy to get a private place away from the others with the nearly unlimited choice of locations I enjoyed.
The other two crew members were tenting, and I gave them a tour of my setup. They weren't hammock users.
The next time I was able to use the hammock was nearly a year later during an overnight at The Nature Conservancy's preserve at upper Honomalino (http://www.pbase.com/bkrownd/kona_hema), where they're restoring a large tract of middle elevation mesic forest after a century of ranching and logging. We were planting native plants in the former pastures, and watering plants put in earlier in the summer.
I found a great private spot out of sight of the cabins and the trails. The first problem I had this time was that it was difficult to find a good spot where I could tie off all my lines because young 'ohi'a trees are very bushy, with branches all the way to the ground and loose flaky bark. The branches either prevented tying lines securely to their trunks, or stuck into the sides of the tarp or hammock. After a lot of starting over the hammock was finally up and looking good. I used really simple knots this time, and they were satisfactory because it never got wet. I really need a tiny knot book to bring with me.
Before I got in the hammock at night I laid out in the dewy kikuyu grass looking up at the stars, trying to feel a bit less sticky after the day's sweaty work. "Wet Ones" just weren't adequate, but the rain dew on the soft grass was working its magic. After about an hour I was refreshed and started to get up when an unseen barn owl in the branches above me scared my pants off by suddenly letting out its trademark ghoulish scream! Yikes! :scared:
The elevation was about 4300 feet, and during the clear calm night the temperature was probably about 45F. By now I had a nice Marmot Helium 15F down bag, but it was an uncomfortably cold night. The down bag compressed beneath me more than my synthetic bag did, and half of me was too cold while half of me was somewhat hot due to overcompensation. Perspiration and discomfort resulted. That was when I decided I absolutely needed a down underquilt of some sort.
The view out the bug net top of the hammock was again wonderful, as were the slight cool breezes across my face and the singing of crickets. No rain again, and no wind. Fortunately I wasn't trying to collect the dew on my catchment tarp to drink, because the local birds fouled it in the morning. I gave one or two tours of my hammock the next morning. They pretend that they aren't jealous, but I don't believe it. :shades:
Torture, talking about laying in the dewy grass in Hawaii, when it is going to be -40 wind chills here tonight! :laugh:
Nice commentary, so far. Looking forward to more escape from this brutal winter through your descriptions/observations.
The next outing was an overnight on windward Kohala, at Kanea'a (http://www.pbase.com/bkrownd/kaneaa). We were cutting down strawberry guava, shooting feral cattle, botanizing and collecting native plant seeds for reforestation stock. This area has long been where the ranch pastures meet the edge of the Kohala Forest Reserve, and feral cattle have been trashing the native forest badly. While everyone else set up their tents in the boring pasture (ech!), I was able to find a private and incredibly scenic knoll in the forest for my hammock, where the historic Kehena Ditch met a stream. It was the dry season, so the waterfall and stream were not flowing, but the scenery was still wonderful.
Setting up was a breeze because the spot I found was absolutely perfect for a hammock. (A tent would not have fit!) I tied off on the trees and exposed tree roots. I didn't have to worry about feral cattle bothering me up on the top of the little knoll. It was a dream site. The only bummer is that there are no native birds in this area. Nice crickets singing at night, but only a handful of alien junk birds in the morning. Needless to say there was also the occasional bellow from the feral cattle off in the forest.
The elevation was probably around 2800 feet, and perhaps 55F at night. I should bring my tiny thermometer to check these things. Again I slept cold because the down bag compressed beneath me too much. I compensated a bit by wearing more layers this time. There was a bit of wind, but I quickly got used to the "thwap" and flutter of the tarp and it only woke me up momentarily a couple times in the early morning. Not a problem. However, I was lucky because this area is often misty and foggy, and if there was fog blowing through I would have needed to put up my big tarp on the windward side to keep from getting soaked.
I gave a lot of tours of my site the next morning. This is the outing where I learned that one of the other guys was a former friend of Hennessy decades ago. None of the others liked hammocks, but I'm positive they were jealous of my awesome site anyway! ;)
I actually bothered to take a photo of my hammock site this time, but it doesn't do justice the wonderful location and views all around:
http://www.pbase.com/image/103532288/original.jpg
Kehena Ditch:
http://www.pbase.com/image/103532849/original.jpg
Unfortunately my most recent outing was in a bog, and I couldn't bring the hammock because of weight restrictions and uncertainty about setting it up in the bog forest. I really missed it, but the cabin at least had a nice lanai I could sleep on outdoors. (Can the hammock straps even work when the tree trunks are covered in 3 inches of moss with slime underneath instead of normal bark? The ground was over a foot deep boggy sphagnum moss.)
My next outing will be the palila survey on Mauna Kea in February, and we will be based in an arid scrub forest at Pohakuloa on the leeward side of the Saddle, about 6500 feet elevation. 3-4 nights, probably. It may be around 40 degrees at night, and the wind can really whip through there if it's stormy. Last year the weather was quite nice, and I'm hoping we'll get lucky this time as well. I finally ordered an underquilt, and went all-out and got a rain shield for it in case of blowing fog. My big problem at Pohakuloa will be setting up in a private enough area where nobody will steal my hammock!
Torture, talking about laying in the dewy grass in Hawaii, when it is going to be -40 wind chills here tonight! :laugh:
Nice commentary, so far. Looking forward to more escape from this brutal winter through your descriptions/observations.
Thanks. Spent most of my life in Minnesota, etc and visit yearly. I miss the real Minnesota seasons and New England autumns badly, and loved snowshoeing and the crisp winter nights. Always visit La Crosse for Thanksgiving, when the weather is (usually) wonderful there. Never realized how important seasons were to my internal clock and perception of time and nature until I moved here, where there aren't any seasons. I'd really like to move to Duluth some day, and spend many years wandering in the Great North Woods and the boreal forests. Still have a few years of exploring to do here, though. It is a BIG island, but getting smaller as I visit more new places.
Wish I could post more of these by hammocking weekly in the forest reserves. I spend all my free time in the upper elevation native forests here, doing bird counts and searching for rare native plants. Unfortunately camping in the forest reserves is forbidden, and the local hunters would turn me in if they found me setting up camp guerilla-style.
Cannibal
01-15-2009, 09:33
Those shots are beautiful!
NCPatrick
01-15-2009, 10:46
Thanks. Spent most of my life in Minnesota, etc and visit yearly. I miss the real Minnesota seasons and New England autumns badly, and loved snowshoeing and the crisp winter nights. Always visit La Crosse for Thanksgiving, when the weather is (usually) wonderful there. Never realized how important seasons were to my internal clock and perception of time and nature until I moved here, where there aren't any seasons. I'd really like to move to Duluth some day, and spend many years wandering in the Great North Woods and the boreal forests. Still have a few years of exploring to do here, though. It is a BIG island, but getting smaller as I visit more new places.
I hate it for ya, having to live in Hawaii and all instead of Minnesota... :p
(kidding, nice reports - thanks!)
koaloha05
01-15-2009, 12:44
bkrowind, Thanks for the post & pictures!
One of the primary reasons I purchased my 1st hammock was for a hiking/backpacking trip to Molokai. Trip has been postponed due to a coworkers unfortunate accident. Probably a good thing. Needed more time & experience with this whole concept. Like you discovered the cold bottom side issue. One issue that I think I've resolved is the cold butt yet overheated situation with the bag (Marmot Helium). I don't use the bag. Converted over to quilt use. Easier to get into and more flexible in climate control. Plus less mass and pack volume for similar warmth.
Live along the SouthShore of L. Superior east of Duluth by ~100km. -13F this AM. Superior/Duluth was -23F. Seasons are nice, but this winter has returned to "normal". Good snow and cold. You really want to move to Duluth? Shoveling snow daily. The feeling of a rock hard cold truck seat. Forgetting to plug the block heater in. The ? will the truck even start? And it's only January!
rigidpsycho
01-15-2009, 12:48
Love the pictures, it makes me want to go back for another visit. I was in Waikiki in '07 for my daughters Make-a-Wish trip. I almost took my hammock, but my talked me out of it b/c we were going to be so busy with all of th activities that were planned for us while on our trip.
One of the primary reasons I purchased my 1st hammock was for a hiking/backpacking trip to Molokai.
On Moloka'i you should go on the tour of the Nature Conservancy's Kamakou preserve, to see what Moloka'i was really like before people wrecked it. The native forest birds are almost entirely extinct, but there are some interesting native plants. The TNC site should have a list of tour dates for the year.
Pohakuloa, where I will be the first week of February, is experiencing 50 MPH winds today. It's a scrub/shrubland, so there's nowhere to hide. The wind was reading 80-100MPH on the summit ridge. I guess if I can use my hammock there I'll take it down and store it in the car during the day, even though that's more work.
hikingjer
01-21-2009, 20:39
Your Hawaii TRs are interesting. Keep 'em coming. If permitted by landowners and government authorities, one would think hammocks would be perfect for Hawaii.
...The native forest birds are almost entirely extinct...
That's awful. :eek: Good to read about all this plant and wildlife surveying and consequent habitat restoration.
After they shoot feral cows, they put that beef to good use, like donate it to homeless shelters or food banks?
I received the JRB Winter Nest and the Weathershield and some of their tarp tensioners and lots of new cordage (flourescent!). I'd love (need) to practice setting everything up, but haven't located anywhere that'll work yet. :crying: I only have 4 easy hangs of experience, and have not perfected the setup angles and tensions yet, or decided on knots.
I also need to (attempt to) go visit this location and find out if any of the trees are tall and strong enough and the right distance apart for hammock support!
I need to move the tarp outside the snakeskins since I'll have to pack up quick at 4AM daily with no way to dry anything out. I may leave my tarps up if it isn't windy, and cover them with a cheap plastic camo tarp/net for the day to deter theft. Hopefully I'll find a private enough spot for sleep, security and changing.
Your Hawaii TRs are interesting. Keep 'em coming. If permitted by landowners and government authorities, one would think hammocks would be perfect for Hawaii.
They are, for many reasons. In a pig-free area it can be very difficult to find clear flat dry ground the size of a tent footprint.
That's awful. :eek: Good to read about all this plant and wildlife surveying and consequent habitat restoration.
It's a relatively new concept here, but seems to be growing exponentially after a very slow start. Hopefully the momentum will be enough to slow the weed and vermin invasions soon. Some of the necessary steps are politically unpopular, though. Fences, restrictions, poisons, biocontrols, exterminations, snares, culls, money, involvement of "outsiders", etc. Lots of angry people at public hearings who don't like the sound of one thing or another.
After they shoot feral cows, they put that beef to good use, like donate it to homeless shelters or food banks?
Initially they usually only shoot the bulls, because the bulls are very dangerous, disrupt ranch herds, and break fences. The neighboring ranches try to trap the cows and truck them to the slaughterhouse, but eventually there are a few that are so remote or shy they can only be eliminated by rifle, on foot or from helicopter. If the carcass is remote there's no point trying to salvage it.
One of the obstacles to removing sheep and pigs from the forests is objections of "wasting meat". (As if there were ever a shortage of meat, of all things) Snared pigs can't be eaten. Sheep and goats are shot from helicopter on the remote mountainsides, and the effort to remove the carcasses would be ridiculous. However, to generate better PR they grab some of the easier ones and give them away. (for a good premium over what it would cost at the supermarket, I'd expect) I think they might even enlist some people who know hunting to dress the recovered carcasses. I don't really know the details.
bkrownd - Aloha - I'll be on Maui mid March for 12 days - hoping to hang there some. Would love any upcountry suggestions if you have any for Maui. PM if possible. Aloha and Mahalo!
Terrific report and a very different documentation of a hammock experience. Sounds like you are hooked. It takes a bit of practice but ain't the comfort worth it?
Beautiful pix.....
Shug of the Sandy Socks
I just got back from a week of bird surveys on Mauna Kea, in particular counting the (very) endangered palila (http://www.pbase.com/bkrownd/palila). We stayed in the driest part if the island, Pohakuloa, at the base of the South slope of Mauna Kea, at about 6000 feet elevation. The weather was very dry and calm all 3 nights I was there, with fairly ideal sleeping weather of 45-55F.
Pohakuloa is a large military training base and firing range (on many square miles of recent lava flows), and our accomodations on the edge of the base were more interesting than usual because they were training in helicopters over the impact area this year. Choppers, rockets and machine guns every night until between 10PM and midnight. Pohakuloa is locally famous for the recent depleted uranium controversy, after finding fragements of DU scattered across the base and some people claiming to measure elevated radioactivity in the air (via dust). Exciting, huh? On the bright side the fact that Pohakuloa is a federal facility means that the native plants and animals have to be protected by law, and they have a large conservation facility and staff. Pohakuloa's greenhouses grow some of the world's rarest plants. Some are decended from just a handful of the last individuals in existance at remote locations on the base. Some were even thought to be extinct for many decades.
I didn't have much time to set up, so instead of look for a decent place in the scrub forest I chose to take the easy route and set up in the abandoned aviary, making use of the structural posts to tie off. I actually set up my hammock in one of the large aviary pens. This is the aviary where they used to breed and raise larger endangered native birds, such as the hawaiian goose (nene), crow ('alala), moorhen ('alae 'ula), etc. It was abandoned probably around the early 1980's when newer facilities in more appropriate locations were developed. The chicken wire and wood walls and "ceiling" of the aviary also protected my hammock from theft, pigs, mynas, and freak weather. It worked out well.
I got my Winter Nest underquilt and Weathershield a while ago, but various things kept me from testing them out. First I took the opportunity to move my tarp outside of the snakeskins while setting up. This became a source of headache during teardown because it was difficult to roll up the slippery tarp outside of the snakeskins - need to do something about that. Not testing the underquilt was a bit of a problem because the directions that ship with the underquilt include tiny photos that are quite impossible to see any details in. I wrestled with the underquilt for about a half hour before figuring out what was going on. The Weathershield went on easily after that. My only real complaint is that the velcro (hate that stuff) on the underquilt didn't stick to the hammock entrance velcro very strongly, and I frequently had to re-attach it during the week while getting in and out. Well, it was a success anyhow.
Inside the hammock I used my Marmot Trestles 0F sleeping bag under me, and my Marmot Helium 15F bag on top of me. I wore a winter hat, flannel jammies, long sleeve shirt and "fleece" jacket. I was taking no chances with the quality of my sleep! (We were in bed at 9PM and up at 4AM every day, and counting birds on transects on the mountainside from 7AM to noon.) I ditched the flannel jacket the last night because it was just too warm. I had problems with being too cold with just the Helium bag this autumn, but I was toasty and comfortable on this outing with the double sleeping bag and new underquilt. Next time I'll ditch the synthetic bag.
Unfortunately the palila are not sleeping so well. The population continues to decline and it looks like they may get elevated to critically endangered. I'm working on the photos this evening and will post some photos of my odd setup as they become available.
Photos of the setup:
http://www.pbase.com/image/108920710/original.jpg
http://www.pbase.com/image/108920712/original.jpg
http://www.pbase.com/image/108920714/original.jpg
koaloha05
02-06-2009, 21:09
Regarding the velcro issue. During my short time as a HH user I didn't bother mating the Nest with the HH entry velcro. The JRB suspension system allows you to just slide the Nest and WS to the side, slip in. Your weight with sometimes a bit of a wiggle caused the Nest + WS to slip back into position.
Bit confused with your SnakeSkin and tarp situation. With the stock HH tarp just sliding the SS back over the tarp is quick and easy if you leave the SS on the tarp ridge guy lines and rig the tarp on its own line vs. the HH suspension line.
Perching with the birds. Good use of what was available.
slowhike
02-06-2009, 21:39
Pretty cool having the protected place to hang your hammock! Nice shots of the birds too!
Bit confused with your SnakeSkin and tarp situation. With the stock HH tarp just sliding the SS back over the tarp is quick and easy if you leave the SS on the tarp ridge guy lines and rig the tarp on its own line vs. the HH suspension line
I want the (dry) hammock inside the snakeskin and the (wet) tarp outside of it, so I put the snakeskin between them as you can see in the pix. (with a bit of squinting) However, I was expecting to wrap the tarp around the snakeskin but it's just too slippery and won't stay put. I'll figure out something. Elastic bands, tarpskin, who knows...
I don't get the people who stayed in the buggy cabins. Afterwards they even swapped "war stories" about the famous magnitude of snoring one of them did. No doubt they all took turns passing gas, as well. (very gassy meal choices this time) Meanwhile I had a private quiet place in the moonlight and a cool breeze across my face. People are just confusing.
Pretty cool having the protected place to hang your hammock! Nice shots of the birds too!
The old aviary was certainly an appropriate setting, since I was out on the palila survey. We start the Mauna Loa bird surveys this week, but there won't be any overnights for the rest of the surveys. Sad, because I really love sleeping in the forest, but apparently nobody else agrees with me. I don't get it...
I'm from Kohala, born and raised. Got into hammocking as an idea of how to stay out of the bogs, I was a tarper before that. I've spent a lot of time in the forest and the valleys. Unfortunately the earthquake destroyed most of my most used trails :-( I've hung all kinds of places here. Even had to hang from the rails of the lua walkway at Halape one night after arriving during a thunderstorm and flooding, looking for the quickest way to get warm and dry. If I were you I'd try to avoid down as much as possible. I'd be happy to discuss some of my successes and failures with you. Feel free to PM me. My standard setup is the Hennessy backpacker asym with a thermarest prolite 4 (just in case I have to sleep on the ground, plus it stays in place better than the lighter weight gossamer gear pads I used for awhile) and an army poncho liner as a blanket. If its colder I usually just dress warmer although I do own a Western Mountaineering Highlite for when I go up higher and colder. The first thing I did was to get a new tarp, Mac-cat tarp are way better than stock, I can stay way dryer. BTW I used to be a veterinary technician and go to Pohakuloa often to work with the birds. Ahfat (who was in charge at that time) is an old friend of mine. You hung in the old Nene pen :-)
Heya!
My old bag is synthetic, but the first big trip I instantly hated it for being so bulky, heavy and terribly difficult to get into the (large, even) stuff sack. It really sucked. When I saw how small and easy the others' down bags compressed I decided to get one. At this point I'm heavily invested in down - there's no turning back now! :D I'm a cold sleeper so I have many layers on at night. Must be from all those years of using electric blankets thru the winter.
I pack a pair of tarps for extra tarpage if really needed, but haven't had the opportunity to break them out yet. I've used the hammock 6 nights so far, and not a spot of rain yet. The weather has always been ideal...sheesh... I really wish I had a good way to try it out at home and practice for adverse weather but the yard isn't that private and, well, there's the bugs. Not sure when the next chance to use the hammock will be. I always use it for volunteer outings, and I don't have any more overnighters on the horizon at this point.
Beautiful countryside, thanks for sharing
I want the (dry) hammock inside the snakeskin and the (wet) tarp outside of it, so I put the snakeskin between them as you can see in the pix. (with a bit of squinting) However, I was expecting to wrap the tarp around the snakeskin but it's just too slippery and won't stay put. I'll figure out something. Elastic bands, tarpskin, who knows... bkrownd
Maybe a way out for that unwieldy tarp
think sailboat in prep for a squall
teat your tarp like a cumbersome mainsail. Untie tarp pullouts but do not untie tarp head or foot. Pull snakeskin over hammock as usual. Then jiffy-reef you tarp to the hammock/snakeskin (mainsail lashed to boom). Use one line about twice the length of hammock and chain knot (rip-stitch method) around tarp and snakeskin. Space loops 6 8 inches apart (for starters). Although it requires two hands to chain the rip stitch knot down the length of tarp/hammock combo and tie the last loop (lock stitch) one hand can untie the lock-knot and pull rip-stitch method to free-up the full length of tarp/hammock.
John
Maybe a way out for that unwieldy tarp
think sailboat in prep for a squall
teat your tarp like a cumbersome mainsail. Untie tarp pullouts but do not untie tarp head or foot. Pull snakeskin over hammock as usual. Then jiffy-reef you tarp to the hammock/snakeskin (mainsail lashed to boom).
I was thinking about using elastic bands, but yeah something like that.
I was able to use my hammock this week during a bird survey in central Kona, at the Kona unit of the Hakalau Forest NWR. This refuge unit was formerly ranch land which is infested with feral cattle, pigs, sheep, donkeys, horses, etc. (Hawai'i, Barnyard Of The Pacific) It was acquired for the NWR several years ago due to its (then) population of endangered native birds such as the 'alala, 'io, 'akiapola'au, 'akepa and Hawai'i creeper. Unfortunately the 'alala is now extinct in the wild and the 'akiapola'au is extirpated from Kona. The 'akepa and Hawai'i creeper are declining and may be soon extirpated from Kona. The forest understory has been completely stripped out by cattle and pigs, and clidemia and christmas berry are invading at the lower end. The NWR was struggling with budget cuts even before the economy went sour, so it can't send staff on the 250 mile round trip to Kona to monitor the unit, remove feral animals, start restoration work, etc. They recently started work on fencing, and a small fenced unit to raise rare plants found in the refuge may soon be built. It's a frustrating subject, so on to the hammock stuff...
Anyhow, I set up my hammock at the USFWS camp at about 5100 feet elevation. It was partly cloudy in the morning, rainy in the afternoons, and dry at night. The sloped pasture with remnant trees was a difficult terrain for the hammock since solid trees tended to be widely spaced and each surrounded by scrubby trees and shrubs. The liberal distribution of cow pies also limited options a lot. I finally had to tie from a just-solid-enough tree to a corner fencepost up the slope from the main camp, which worked fine. The only problem was the danger that a cow or pig would run though my hammock while following the fenceline, but it didn't happen. As always, I had far more privacy, quiet and scenery than the other people. Most of these people have hammocks for their field work, but only one other was using one this time.
I did OK on the setup this time. No problem attaching the underquilt, and my bad knots held fine. The only problem I had was some difficulty with the initial alignment between the hammock and tarp. Things were a hint crooked when it was all tied off, but it worked.
It was probably in the lower 50's at night, since there was no frost on the ground in the morning. For insulation I have the JRB underquilt with weathersheild underneath me. I slept on top of my synthetic sleeping bag, and under my Marmot helium down bag. (not inside either) As usual, my temperature was very nice everywhere with several layers of clothing on me and about $1000 of insulation at my disposal. ;) Only two annoyances this time: condensation on the top of my down bag and some rapid flapping of a loose area of the tarp right along/above the ridgeline. ("...flap, flap, flap, flap....") I wonder if I could eliminate the condensation on top of the (dark blue) bag by having a white sheet over it...?
When I bought my Marmot helium sleeping bag it arrived with strong "wet dog smell". The smell went away after a few weeks of airing out, and stays away if I keep the sleeping bag out in the open. When I got my JRB down underquilt in January it did not have "wet dog smell". I kept the underquilt in its vented bag at home. When I opened it for setup this time it now has "wet dog smell". I have to conclude that "wet dog smell" is a result of our constantly high humidity, and that hanging my down in an airy place should prevent it.
I loosened the weathershield and underquilt a bit in the mornings so that the condensation trapped inside could dry out during the day. I was very happy the second day when it rained a bit in the afternoon and everything was still dry when I checked it later.
Takedown was much smoother than previously. I was able to gather the tarp neatly this time by wrapping the diagonal anchoring lines around it as I rolled it up.
Photos follow...
Rainy above, dry below: (weather shield open at ends to air out during day)
http://www.pbase.com/image/110858294/original.jpg
Using fence post:
http://www.pbase.com/image/110858311/original.jpg
Site:
http://www.pbase.com/image/110858402/original.jpg
http://www.pbase.com/image/110858404/original.jpg
This week was probably the last bird survey of the season. We stayed at the Nature Conservancy's (TNC) Honomalino preserve, and surveyed a transect that started at the topmost corner of Manuka NAR up in the high elevation lava fields of Mauna Loa and went down across private and Nature Conservancy land in Kapua ahupua'a. We only saw the most common native and alien bird species on the transect. The native ecosystems and their problems were interesting. It filled in a lot of my spotty knowledge of the area. We crossed dry kipukas and old lava fields at the upper end, recovering ranch pastures and feral animal damage in the middle, and recovering native forests in the lower end. I did find some stenogyne macrantha here and there, which I had only seen one individual of before. Very busy during daylight, so unfortunately I didn't get many photos.
We stayed at TNC's Honomalino camp at about 4300 feet elevation. The other surveyors stayed in the bunkhouses. I set up my hammock in a wonderfully private site just above the buildings, in former pasture that is quickly becoming reforested with koa. There are scattered 'ohi'a and a few other shrubs. The ground is thick pasture grass with ferns popping up here and there. Some of the grass is soft kikuyu grass, which is soft and wonderful to lay in.
The weather was unusually warm for the site, but with normal occurance of precipitation and fog. It was overcast the first night, but dry and clearing before morning. A big Moon made pre-dawn activity atmospheric and easy. The second night started with thick fog, which become rain after midnight and finally clearing just before dawn. I slept very cold at this site with just my Marmot Helium bag last summer, which inspired me to get an underquilt. (That trip was also much colder with clear night skies.) This time I was predictably toasty with layers of clothing, JRB down underquilt and weathershield, synthetic old Marmot bag under me, and Marmot Helium bag on top of me. I was quite comfortable, and slept solidly.
The rain and fog did not cause any problems (no wind at all), but I did have condensation issues. I think my underquilt saturates with humidity at home and while using the hammock that moisture condenses on the inside of the weathershield layer at night. I make sure to let the weathershield hang loose during the day to air it out, and then wipe out the remaining water drops/puddles before snugging it up again at night.. The other condensation issue I have is on the top of my down bag and a couple of interior hammock surfaces, from my breath. It is usually too humid for any of this to dry off during the day unless the Sun comes out strong.
The pasture grass with scattered koa trees is an easy setup landscape. I found a private spot with a convenient dip in the ground between two trees so I could attach the hammock lower on the trunks and still get good ground clearance. Setup was smooth this time. I tied everything up with my usual clumsy idiot knots. For the first time I managed to do it without creating any overly tight knots anywhere. Takedown was much easier than in the past.
Problems: I had a lot of stuff in the hammock with me this time, and of course this is a major hassle. I really wish the hammock had chambers at head and toe ends to stuff items into, and a way to reach outside of the top mesh to grab things outside or jettison unwanted stuff. Forgot to take a drink with me for the longer night, but fortunately I slept soundly. Lost one of the little JRB carabiners in the tall grass, which unfortunately don't come in helpful bright colors. Might remember other problems later...
Site:
http://www.pbase.com/image/111376745/original.jpg
View in the other direction:
http://www.pbase.com/image/111377251/original.jpg
Fenceline through native forest:
http://www.pbase.com/image/111377727/original.jpg
I spent another long weekend at the Kona Hema preserve in Honomalino. I put up my hammock in the now-usual spot, just as pictured above. I was helping with a reforestation project for 4 days, and spent 3 nights out there. I set a record of 3 nights without any bird poo on my hammock tarp!
My set-up is unchanged, but my efficiency is improving. I went with the quick and easy stupid "knot" I've used for a while now. The problem with it is I can't get the tension I'd like. It held fine with some initial sag, and even untied very easily this time. Takedown was a breeze. The site has sloped ground underneath the hammock, and I'll probably try to choose a different spot next time because this made it very awkward to get in/out and to dress. Unfortunately I didn't have any other problems because the weather was ideal for hammocking - again an unusual stretch with no rain worth mentioning. How am I supposed to learn what doesn't work if I'm not challenged by the weather? Well, nevertheless I enjoyed it.
It was unusually warm at night, and I went without my usual synthetic sleeping bag underlayer, only using my down underquilt and down sleeping bag as a cover, in addition to clothing layers. I slept better than before, though the last night for some reason I couldn't figure out I didn't feel like I was properly settled in the hammock.
Everyone else slept in the bunkhouse as usual. With the forest all to myself I discovered how effectively one can bathe with just a washcloth, a few cups of water, and a few squirts of soap. It wasn't even cold like I had expected, and very refreshing to sit in the soft kikuyu grass and scrub all the sweat off. W
My barn owl was around again. She greeted me with a few annoyed screeches as I went up to retire the first night. The next morning she was flying among the trees overhead in the full moonlight, and settled in a branch maybe 15-20 feet from me after I gave a few "hoo-hoo"s. She flew off after I turned on my headlamp to check what kind of bird she was. She passed over me again during my "shower" the third evening. I heard her screeches and clucks as she soared among the trees hunting every night.
BillyBob58
08-10-2009, 09:47
I was thinking about using elastic bands, but yeah something like that.
I have used 2 sets of skins, a smaller set for the tarp and one larger set for the hammock and Super Shelter(SS) undercover(UC). Worked great, very fast! I tend to prefer skins with the tarp for set up in windy conditions and speed of set up in pouring rain. So I usually have the tarp in the skins, but often stuff the hammock in a bag, leaving one end attached to trees as I stuff the other end in the sack. This makes set up of the tarp pretty quick and easy in the wind and pouring rain( of course, if tying the tarp to the trees and not the hammock suspension.
Another approach, using the HH Super Shelter or also sometimes a down UQ or a down Speer Pea Pod with top loading hammocks, I sometimes leave ALL of this gear(except tarp) attached to the hammock and stuff the entire deal, hammock and all insulation(sometimes even top quilt), into one large stuff sack. Just untie from one tree, start stuffing into the sack as you start walking towards the other tree. All under the tarp if it is raining, then skin the tarp. Wet straps might be a problem with this method, especially if using down. But some systems, like cinch or ring buckles, allow for removal of straps if absolutely needed.
Then, when time to set up for the night, once you have hung first the tarp and then the hammock to the trees, you are pretty much set for bed. The SS or quilts are right where they were when you slept in them last, more or less. Probably needing only minimal adjustment. As opposed to separately stuffing each quilt or SS pads and space blanket, then reattaching and readjusting them all over again when you make camp that night.
Or, you can skin or stuff sack the hammock and then just put the wet tarp in a sack as described above. Untying from one tree, stuffing into sack as you walk to other tree. That is pretty easy also during take down anyway.
I guess there are quite a few ways to "skin" this cat! ;)
I have enjoyed reading your reports and about your learning curve!
Thanks for the input.
After the initial problem experience with the tarp outside of the skins I've been spiralling the tarp anchor lines around the tarp as I gather it up and it has been secure and much easier to deal with.
I don't think I want to stuff the underquilt in a sleeve together with the hammock and tarps since all that stuff is often wet with either condensation, dew or rain. All three are a constant problem even on "dry" days here. Might be an idea for emergency takedown, though.
BillyBob58
08-11-2009, 20:39
Thanks for the input.
After the initial problem experience with the tarp outside of the skins I've been spiralling the tarp anchor lines around the tarp as I gather it up and it has been secure and much easier to deal with.
I don't think I want to stuff the underquilt in a sleeve together with the hammock and tarps since all that stuff is often wet with either condensation, dew or rain. All three are a constant problem even on "dry" days here. Might be an idea for emergency takedown, though.
You are welcome! :)
I don't blame you, I wouldn't want to stuff wet items with down either. So far, I have never done that. Plus, you would have areal hard time stuffing a quilt or SShelter pads plus hammock into the same set of skins. Unless you made your own in extra large.
1:My tarp goes in one set of snake skins all by itself. I would also consider just stuffing it in a sack, but the skins work very well. Either way, the wet tarp is by itself.
2: The hammock ( and maybe the Super Shelter undercover) go in a separate set of skins. In which case either the down under quilt or the SuperS pads are stuffed in a separate dry sack. OR
3:Tarp in skins, then the hammock and insulation( whatever insulation, either the SShelter with UC and pads OR the under Quilt and maybe Top Quilt all go into one bag without disassembling any of the parts. These should be pretty dry, at least with an adequate and well pitched tarp. If not I may already be in trouble especially with the down. But so far, nothing has ever been wet, other than the tarp, which goes in it's own skins.
If either the Sup.Shelter UC or under quilt had some spray or condensation on them, I would try and wipe/dry them off with a pack towel before putting in the large stuff sack. But I would need to do this any way before stuffing a down quilt with a damp or wet shell, even if stuffing all by itself.
So far I have never had any water on my hammock if surrounded by a SShelter UC or under quilt or PeaPod. Though this might be possible with a real soaking fog. Or of course a malfunction with the tarp, a leak for whatever reason. I think it would require a major tarp malfunction to get either the hammock or insulation wet in spite of the SShelter Sil-nylon under cover.
But it is a lot of fun figuring out all of this for your self with personal experience, especially if you can learn in a safe place ( like your back yard or any place where you can safely bail out :scared: ).
Keep us posted on your experiences. I'm surprised you have not already had to deal with huge amounts of moisture! Where you are really going to have to be on top of your game is if you encounter any side ways wind driven rain, trying to keep the down UQ dry as it hangs well below that HH diamond tarp. Straight down rain is fine. Sideways will be the real test.
The 2010 Mauna Kea palila (bird) survey was this week. I set up in the exact same defunct aviary as last year. The weather was once again shamefully ideal - calm, cool and bone dry. Morning lows were 35-45F, with some frost on the grass. The only change I made to the setup below is tying the far end to the next post (closer) on the right, which worked much better all around. I suppose I'll never learn any fancy knots because my pathetic inventions have held me up well so far.
Not much to say, except that drinking a large mug of tea before bedtime is not a good idea. A full bladder by midnight kept me waking up on the hour thereafter, with insufficient motivation to take care of the problem before my 4:15 wakeup time.
I am NOT a morning person, but out in the wilderness I have no problem bouncing out into the frigid air before 5AM to scrub with a cold "Wet One" and exchange clean warm PJs for cold dirty hiking gear. The sky full of sparkling stars overhead is a wonderful sight. There weren't any nightly exersizes at the adjacent military base this time, but on the last night a few jets flew over and dropped some bombs.
Wish I had a place to set the hammock up at home for practice, but nothing is quite out of sight of the neighbors.
http://www.pbase.com/image/108920710/original.jpg
http://www.pbase.com/image/108920712/original.jpg
http://www.pbase.com/image/108920714/original.jpg
I spent the last two weeks doing bird surveys at The Nature Conservancy's Waikamoi Preserve on East Maui. The first week we stayed in Haleakala National Park staff/research cabins, but the second week we camped in an alien timber plantation known as "Hosmer's Grove", within Waikamoi Preserve, and walked down to the native forest below. This section of the plantation was planted with conifers and wattle (acacia). Hardly anything grows in the dead zone under the alien conifers, unlike the thickly vegetated native forests. Dead duff, straight trunks and darkness. Easy to set up, but a sad place to be.
This was the first time I've used the hammock in many months. My hammock always brings good weather, and this past week was no exception. Only one night with light rain, and at 6000 feet elevation everything dried out very quickly. I used a secondary tarp as a wind blocker and to provide a small dry area for my gear. I still have not bothered to figure out any set of useful knots that can be tied and released easily under tension, which caused a lot of set-up frustration. A couple of the Jacks R Better surgical tubing tension lines helped with keeping the tarp from sagging and flapping. Overall, everything went up and down easily once knots were tied, except that slippery silnylon tarps are a real hassle to re-pack. The hammock fabric felt a bit "bunchy" under me this time, and the opening didn't stay closed unless I detached the velcro from the underquilt and sealed it up solid - the second night I woke up and found my foot sticking through the gap in the underquilt and a bunch of my sheet had escaped out the hole as well - maybe just because it's been a while. I also keep forgetting how annoying any tiny slope is where I set up - it didn't seem like a problem until I started seriously tensioning everything and setting up gear, and then I began sliding all over. Slopes are scenic, but I have to remember to hold out for a flatter spot next time.
As usual, all of the tenters were in a tight cluster around the communal tarp and loo, while I was off in a nice private area next to a small ravine that provided a good bathing area. I'm sure there is a good psychology project there somewhere.
Someday I might take the time to learn a few useful knots. However, the improvised way I tie my hammock to the straps is quick and has proven reliable.
Waikamoi Camp:
http://www.pbase.com/image/128788256/original.jpg
Some native forest, for comparison:
http://www.pbase.com/bkrownd/image/117594071/original.jpg
gunner76
09-26-2010, 12:31
Had a great time reading your post and enjoying the pictures. I was stationed at KBay in the 70's and my wife and I took off when we could to go hike in the hills.
They plan to do 2 bird surveys on East Maui (usually mis-named "Haleakala") next year, in which case I might actually get to use my hammock in the native forest for the first time since 2006. (we seldom need to camp on transect on the island of Hawai'i) As you can see from the dense understory tangle and lack of straight discrete trunks in the native forest photo, this could be a challenge. Last time I used it in the native forest was in an easy area where tree fern trunks were aplenty, but there are few tree ferns on Maui. It sucks that I have to post all of these photos of my hammock in weedy non-native areas instead of our wonderful native wilderness. :/
Migrating Bird
09-27-2010, 18:31
Hello loved your photos and stories. My wife and I are headed to HI next week for 10 days leaving New England when the leaves are at there peak. I have never been to HI before so am looking forward to it. If you should find yourself in the northeast let me know.
In my daydreams I'm still in Amherst ;D
I stayed in the same aviary for the 3rd year in a row for the Mauna Kea survey back in January, set up exactly as in the aviary photos above with the addition of a small additional side-tarp to block blowing rain I expected on the first night. It was more or less the same setup and experience as usual, so I didn't post an update here. No problem with the cold, which was somewhere around freezing. (there was a snowstorm just a mile upslope) However, I did get pummelled by high winds (thankfully dry) the second night, which bashed my tarp against me fairly hard all night long. I say bashed because it didn't just flap, but the force of the wind against the tarp really knocked me around pretty hard. The experience in the hammock amplified my perception of the wind and I actually spent the night wondering if the old aviary could collapse on me. I got very little sleep that night with the wind smacking me around so much and all the creaking and cracking of the surrounding lumber.
I'm back at hammockforums this evening studying the collective wisdom for an upcoming outing in one of our wettest rainforests. I need to get a larger tarp in case I have to set up in some hellish rain, and to give me more "dry" space to use underneath. This time I should make a point of practicing somewhere in the rain before the trip, though I'm not sure how I'll do that since my yard is not an option.
koaloha05
03-09-2011, 16:14
Own two tarps. Both Spinn. MC Delux and WB Mamajamba. The MC & I have spent a few nights experiencing moderately high winds (+30mph) and driving rainstorms. Stayed dry. Have yet to use the BMJ under similar conditions. Picked it up for wet or colder season camping and the hopes of one day taking a trip to Molokai probably during the wet season. Previous trips to Maui we experienced rain almost every day. This was during April & into early May. Larger tarp for more dry living area more than for more dry sleeping room. If you have not yet considered the WB MJ take a look. The Spinn packs small for the size and is relatively light.
Curious about your work. Any published info regarding the bird survey? Many moons ago I was planning to either head to graduate school or what I ended up doing. Graduate studies would have been in population genetics/ornithology investigating migratory behavior & patterns of the Bald Eagle. Do you end up hauling water to most your base camps?
Bird surveys are typically only done as day trips these days, but there are a few more remote areas such as some of the upcoming maui transects where you might have to spend a couple nights on the transect. Nothing like the week or two in the field they did during the original surveys when they covered far more area and elevation. The first survey I helped with we had to bring 3 days of water, and I brought too much - somewhere between 6-9 liters, and my overloaded pack was killing me for the first couple of days. Gave away or poured out 2/3 of that water.
Curious about your work. Any published info regarding the bird survey?
Maui Forest Birds put out a very vague report based on the 2009 volunteer survey: (a deliberately obfuscated version to discourage trespassing - we actually made detailed maps of survey detections and likely home ranges of each bird)
http://www.mauiforestbirds.org/Publications/Report4TNC.pdf
My undetailed 2009 journal entry: http://www.pbase.com/bkrownd/20090918
My unfinished 2010 journal entry: http://www.pbase.com/bkrownd/waikamoi_2010
Finished the big island surveys last week and getting ready for the Hanawi NAR survey now...
koaloha05
03-22-2011, 11:07
Thanks for the links and sharing your info and photos.
I have a MacCat deluxe now, for my first real rainforest expedition. Rain, potentially heavy, and thunder is in the forecast. :o This time I hope to get some more interesting camp setup photos in the rainforest, instead of the usual cattle pastures. I haven't been able to put up the hammock in a REAL forest since 2006, and even that wasn't a difficult spot. Could be very challenging to find both an appropriate place to set up and places to tie everything off. Some of these forests are a mass of shrubby twiggy growth that you have to cut a tunnel through, and this area is very steep and highly eroded. 7600 feet to 3300 feet elevation in just 2.7 miles.
Here's a page with a spectacular image of the upper end of where I'll be in Hanawi NAR: http://www.hear.org/starr/images/image/?q=090204-2300&o=plants
This could get interesting....in all the wrong ways...
The first round of the East Maui forest bird survey was a great success. Despite the ominous forecast the weather was actually perfect. It was unusually dry for this area, never raining during daylight! This presented an unexpected problem - once again I wasn't challenged at all with my pack and hammock, or with any of my gear and food selection. We breezed through the transect in just 3 days. The terrain was a little gnarly, though all downhill. Squeezing through thick steep muddy rainforest with a tall 30-40 pound pack is an exersize in full-body hiking. Tunneling through scrub, crawling under tree buttresses, sideways under deadfall, on our butts and bellies over piles of deadfall, sliding down slopes, falling on our arses frequently.... I was even on elbows and knees to pull myself up a slick rock face on one waterfall climb.
I packed the right amount of water this time - 3 liters for 2 days, expecting to replenish via either rainfall or filtering from three "water" sources noted along the transect on our maps. I drank the last of my packed water before sleeping the second night and set up the catchment funnel on my tarp, but the expected thunderstorms didn't materialize. We filtered water from a tiny stream through our second camp that trickled at perhaps 1 liter per minute, but all other streams we encountered were dry. In drier weather even this stream might have failed to flow.
I brought vastly too much food again! I packed roughly 4 days of vitamins and energy-bar type food, labelled at about 2800 calories a day, and only consumed the equivalent of just 1 of these. I mostly ate jerky and string cheese, and managed to force down a couple bananas and 3 energy bars that I wasn't really hungry for. The pie-yogurt-brownie breakfast I ate before getting in the helicopter was probably powering me for the first couple of days. 3 days of food consumed: 8 string cheese sticks, 1 large jerky pouch, 2 Clif Builder's bars, 1 Tiger's Milk bar, 1 Judy's mixed nut brittle, 2 bananas, 3 5-Hour Energy shots, 3 Emergen-C packets, 2-3 tablespoons of Gatorade powder.
My pack was in the 30-40 pound range including water (forgot to weigh it) - say 35 pounds - which is near the graceful carrying capacity for the Granite Gear Nimbus Ozone, which is kind of like a glorified stuff sack on a fancy frame with straps. I also maxed out the useful volume, though it has an enormous vertical extension if you really want to use it. It's a bit narrow and tall for what I'm doing - a shorter and slightly fatter pack would be better in difficult terrain. I was always snagging the top of the bag on trunks and branches I was trying to duck under - I don't think the fabric ripped, though. It's also a bit flexy, so the load swings around a lot on your back in difficult terrain, whenever you go off-balance - leaning sideways, climbing, sliding, tripping, etc. Vertical climbs/drops involved a lot of anxiety with all that weight shifting around. The lack of outer pockets is a great annoyance. Interchangeable waist-belt is a plus - I installed a smaller size waist-belt last year and the pack was nicely snug this time, with minimal bouncing. I haven't used it much, so I can't say how durable the pack's frame is over time. One of the other surveyors also had the same pack and seemed to like it.
I wish I could make about 4-5 more trips down this transect to get all my planning, clothes, supplies and gear whittled down to the bare necessities. Opportunities to go on a real expedition in the wilderness are rare here.
Camp 1, 5500 feet elevation:
Our first camp site presented the first problem to solve: there was no open area to set up camp. The upper elevations of this rainforest are steeply sloped, and has no solid canopy so the ground level was choked with trees, shrubs and vegetation of all sorts. We searched the trail for over an hour to find a barely adequate site, and my big new tarp was somewhat of a handicap because of the cramped site. I set up my hammock on the trail itself because it was the only clear ground available, between the only two substantial trees available. I had to lean against the trunk of a sadleria tree-fern all night. The deeply eroded mud under the hammock didn't help matters - I was slipping everywhere. Things worked out fine, and the only rain of the trip streamed happily off my new tarp.
I quickly discovered that I had chosen the correct site. While setting up I noticed the only native snail I saw on the entire transect in one of the large ferns next to my hammock - a very good omen! Just after dark that night spiders came from everywhere and started trying to make their nightly webs on my gear and myself - my support-lines were a clumsy imitation of their efficient webwork. The next morning we had pretty much every bird species observed on the transect in the surrounding shrubbery and overhead trees, including at least one Maui parrotbill and a trio of 'akohekohe.
Takedown and re-packing the next morning was slow 2 hour process, with having to try to organize everything on the extremely uneven ground in the dark. Eventually we got going again.
http://www.pbase.com/bkrownd/image/133766987/original.jpg
http://www.pbase.com/bkrownd/image/133766988/original.jpg
http://www.pbase.com/bkrownd/image/133766989/original.jpg
Camp 2, 4400 feet elevation:
By the next night we had descended below the steep upper slopes of the mountainside, and were able to make camp on flatter terrain, under more complete canopy. We were fortunate to end the day at a frequently camped site, making setup far easier. There was even a gently flowing stream to replenish our water. (I had planned to use my tarp to catch rain in the expected storms that didn't materialize) Other good omens for this site were the first 'ohe mauka tree I saw on the transect and an unusually low elevation Maui parrotbill living in the area. We were also visited by pueo (owl) and ua'u (petrel) in the night. (...and pigs and a feral dog...)
I set up my hammock on the trail again, with far more room and a much greater selection of support trees. To minimize the amount of vegetation disturbance I chose what in retrospect was a very poor support tree. It was growing off an old deadfall trunk, so it sagged easily. I was also forced to hang the hammock low because of the slope of the ground and distance between the trees. By the time I noticed it was too late to rotate my entire setup 90 degrees to stronger trees. The flexy tree just held - by morning my butt had just reached the ground, but it was time to get up then anyhow.
I need to figure out how to hang my tarp higher - I had to spend hours stooped over under the tarp setting up and then packing up my camp, and it killed my back which was already sore from carrying the huge pack down the mountain for 2 days. There was a nice mossy streambed nearby to use for washing up, the burble of running water to get me to sleep, and it was generally a nice camp.
http://www.pbase.com/bkrownd/image/133766991/original.jpg
With the unusually dry weather we finished our last station on time (11AM) the 3rd day, and were immediately helicoptered out from our nearby landing zone.
I guess the photos might have shown up as password protected for some, since I linked them to a password protected gallery.
A couple more images of the landscape:
http://www.pbase.com/bkrownd/image/133779196/original.jpg
http://www.pbase.com/bkrownd/image/133779193/original.jpg
I still suck at setting up my tarp. I used the HH for the first time since March, and didn't make my tarp flat enough, so it hugged the hammock and I got condensation trapped inside with me the first night. Fortunately it was pretty dry, and I fixed it the next evening by tying each corner both down to the ground and up to something else. It doesn't help that I put up my hammock in the same spots every year, like the aviary in post #34, and get into a complacent routine.
I haven't backpacked to a camp or been somewhere new with the hammock since the previous post almost 3 years ago, but I'm recently thinking about doing a weekend guerilla camping expedition and seeing how minimal I can go. I'd have to switch back to the brown HH tarp for that, so the helicopters don't home in on my blue tarp as some sort of mayday beacon.
Anyhow, I've gotten lazy over the last couple of years. I need to come up with no more than 4 proper knots that I can reliably tie to set things up fast. I need to buy more figure 9's and some new tie-out gear. (surgical tubing tensioners on my tarp lines died after 2 years) I need to organize a bare minimum setup that's compact, fast and reliable. I need to do some bush camping to test all of it.
Ospreydog
01-31-2014, 15:43
I love Hawaii, we spent 8 days in Oahu. We drove up to the north shore and I saw a lot of people camping close to the beach. I'm not sure if it was legal there but it was just woods.