Drying out (in the hammock, not afterwards)

I do more reading then posting here - thanks for the good threads to read everyone... but one thing I haven't found and keep wondering about: How do you dry out with a hammock once you are wet? :confused:

I have a HH Safari Deluxe Zip that isn't yet used for camping/hiking/traveling. I grew up camping, my wife didn't. I have always camped in a tent, except for several times in college, when I used an assortment of various hammock setups; nothing as "high speed" as the HH. She is wondering (and I am too): how do you dry out if you have to set up in the rain?

I'll paint a better scenario: Let's say I drive to a state park, walk in the mile or so to the camp site (down the trail), and it's raining the whole time. I'm going to be at least somewhat wet ... if I can get the hammock set up dryly, then how do I dry out before going to bed? I'm going to guess that it's not wise to have a fire or camp stove under the tarp, so that leaves me with ... packing dry clothes in a drysack or waterproof bag, and hanging my wet clothes to dry under the tarp?

What about the more extreme example of through-hiking the AT with a few days-straight of rain? Or motorcycle-camping and riding through a storm for the last few hours on the way in?

I guess it's clear to me that I want to not store wet gear (i.e. dry it once I get home), but how do I dry out while in the field?

I'm sort of new to this as well but I've had 3-4 hangs in the rain/snow/sleet/hail already (call it bad luck) so I'll do my best to help answer.

A good set of rain gear is worth its weight in gold if you're expecting foul weather but we'll operate under the assumption that the rain gear is either absent or sub-par, leaving you soaked to the bone.

Personally though, I don't see the difference between hammock camping and tent camping in this regard. In fact I would give hammocks a huge bonus point for the following:

1. You can set up your tarp first and have a dry hammock to crawl into day after day after day of non-stop rain. Your tent will be wet (around the base and sides) and it will be packed away wet.

2. You'll never wake up lying in a puddle after hours of heavy heavy rainfall.

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Originally Posted by trust

I'm going to guess that it's not wise to have a fire or camp stove under the tarp, so that leaves me with ... packing dry clothes in a drysack or waterproof bag, and hanging my wet clothes to dry under the tarp?

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I'm not one for having a fire under my tarp out of fear of ending up with ember-holes burned through the silnylon (and depending on the downpour, a fire isn't always an option). I would always want to have a dry pair of clothes to change into once you're sheltered and out of the rain. Always. Even if it comes down to a pair of underwear and a tech T or the like. Anything dry to cover up once you have your shelter set up.
As for hanging your clothes, you can hang them under your tarp, or what I usually do is have another small tarp with a ridgeline under it for hanging wet gear (this tarp can be set up nearer to the fire with less concern).

I am curious about one thing though... Where would you dry out your clothes if you were tent camping? Certainly not hanging inside the tent, dripping on the floor?

The truth is, you might be putting on wet clothes the next morning to keep hiking. Sometimes it is just unavoidable. Take the opportunity to dry out the gear and clothing when the weather clears, and just deal with being soggy in the meantime I suppose. As long as you keep the dry clothes dry, you'll be alright at night and have an opportunity to dry out and warm up.

I've found that prevention is the best cure for this. A solid rain poncho and rain pants can be put aside under the tarp or hung from the RL to dry, but as long as the inside doesn't get wet, you can just throw it back on the next morning and keep trucking :)

Wearing a poncho or good rain jacket will keep you dry while hiking.
Some folks use an umbrella.
Your gear can be packed in a large trash bag inside your pack. Or use a pack cover to keep the pack dry. There is a poncho on the market that has a big back section specifically designed to cover you and the backpack. It is called the packa. http://www.thepacka.com/

Heres a video-Packa

on long distance i hung wet clothes over ends of hammock and put wet clothes on in the morning. in winter i put damp clothes in hammock with me till they dried or morning came. if it rains for days, your wet for days:(

In my experience, I worry more about wet socks and boots than wet clothes. Blisters happen there. As long as I am hiking, I am warm and I change into wool when I stop for the day. Puffy jacket for just in case.

I always do technical materials and wool. They dry quickly. If you take cotton with you, you are doomed; Cotton will never dry. I did 4 days on the Northville Placid Trail and it rained daily, plus many water crossings in water up to my knees. I have a rain coat but only use it for a wind block. Just resign yourself to being wet if you are hiking.

I save a pair of warm socks to sleep in, and rotate 2 pairs to hike. I have a sleeping bag insert that keeps my quilt clean. I take the inserts out of the boots, wring out the socks and turn the boots over. Socks over the ridgeline.

Just what I do. I am a retired soldier and always worried about my feet mostly. :D

P.S. Everything goes in dry bags/trash compactor bags. Rain covers are useless. Plus, if you misstep in that creek everything in your backpack will be soaked. Protect those quilts, that hammock, and your clothes. You can always pull the tarp out to dry if the sun comes out while you have lunch. :shades:

I motorcycle camp, not hiking, so please keep that in mind.

When I arrive at camp and it is raining, I do not take off my rain gear :) First order of business is to set up the tarp, then the hammock, now I have a dry place to take off my riding gear. All this assumes it is cold enough for me to have on rain gear.

This time of year when riding I usually just toss on a rain jacket and let my legs and hands get wet. It is too hot for me to care and I enjoy the rain more than the heat. Assuming I am wet and all my gear is wet I set up the same as above only I carry an extra tarp which I run a ridge line under (my hammock ridgeline is over my tarp). On the spare ridge line I have about 8 prussic knots from which I hang my wet gear and will even put my pack under it.

Sometimes I have to put on wet gear in the AM but in the summer, it will dry quickly on the bike.

Forgot to add: 2 years back I purchased a mesh backpack at the beach. In the AM all my wet gear that I don't need to wear, goes into the mesh bag and it is placed on the top of my luggage rack. It will either be dry or nicely rinsed when I arrive the next night :)

A change of dry, soft underwear (where I'm camping that means longjohns and long sleeves) is owrth its weight in gold. Whether it's raining or not. If I'm not wet from the outside, I'm wet from the inside.

Arrive at camp, set up, swear at the stakes that won't stay in the ground, start sweating from bending over and finding secure spots for the stakes and chasing guy lines, have no grip in your fingers from the wetness of the rain, chop firewood, make fire, make sure there's nothing left to do, and change. Aaahhhhh...

(then realise your fire wood is soaked, so you need more/new, and rinse and repeat...)

Holy quick replies batman! :eek::D (Thank you, all...)

As far as rain gear goes: yes, I'd wear it if at all possible. I keep a Houdini full zip jacket (patagonia I think) in the car stashed for quick downpours. And it works excellently well.

My question is less about avoiding getting wet in the first place - both me and my wife have an assortment of rain gear ... but rather how to help stuff dry - or can it dry - if we arrive and we are wet or get wet setting up.



Bottom line: I'd go no matter what. :cool: I've camped when there were just a bunch of us from a group who insisted on using hammocks from Jamaica/Guatemala that were brought back by some missionaries we supported there ... the hammocks were cotton and woven nicely, but hardly waterproof or insulated. Each of us had a hammock, but not everyone brought tarps. We split the hammocks we had among the tarps that had been brought, lashed them to the trees as best we knew how, and crawled into our sleeping bags in the hammocks. It rained. We were dry enough and had a blast.
... I'm more wondering if there is some way to allay my wife's "being wet" concerns about hammock camping. I realize the most likely way to do this is just go when it's mostly dry, and dry the stuff out, but adding someone who doesn't like to have their hair wet for extended periods of time makes that a risky scenario.

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Originally Posted by K0m4

A change of dry, soft underwear (where I'm camping that means longjohns and long sleeves) is owrth its weight in gold. Whether it's raining or not. If I'm not wet from the outside, I'm wet from the inside.

Arrive at camp, set up, swear at the stakes that won't stay in the ground, start sweating from bending over and finding secure spots for the stakes and chasing guy lines, have no grip in your fingers from the wetness of the rain, chop firewood, make fire, make sure there's nothing left to do, and change. Aaahhhhh...

(then realise your fire wood is soaked, so you need more/new, and rinse and repeat...)

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BTDT,GTST (Been there, done that; got the t-shirt) ... I always pack wicking clothing and light-weight/fast-drying whenever possible. Change of clothes every evening, and a spare (at least one).
Thanks for the reminder though; maybe it's just a matter of coming with a change...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dkurfiss

I motorcycle camp, not hiking, so please keep that in mind.

When I arrive at camp and it is raining, I do not take off my rain gear :) First order of business is to set up the tarp, then the hammock, now I have a dry place to take off my riding gear. All this assumes it is cold enough for me to have on rain gear.

This time of year when riding I usually just toss on a rain jacket and let my legs and hands get wet. It is too hot for me to care and I enjoy the rain more than the heat. Assuming I am wet and all my gear is wet I set up the same as above only I carry an extra tarp which I run a ridge line under (my hammock ridgeline is over my tarp). On the spare ridge line I have about 8 prussic knots from which I hang my wet gear and will even put my pack under it.

Sometimes I have to put on wet gear in the AM but in the summer, it will dry quickly on the bike.

Forgot to add: 2 years back I purchased a mesh backpack at the beach. In the AM all my wet gear that I don't need to wear, goes into the mesh bag and it is placed on the top of my luggage rack. It will either be dry or nicely rinsed when I arrive the next night :)

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Makes sense on leaving the rain gear on...
Thanks for the mesh bag idea!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Fish

I am curious about one thing though... Where would you dry out your clothes if you were tent camping? Certainly not hanging inside the tent, dripping on the floor?

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At home :rolleyes:
I think I'd be camping alone if it were the case that we were soaked for days and unable to dry out ... which is why I'd rather give the good experiences first and be prepared for the bad, rather than dive into the deep end right away. (Otherwise I would have gone out in the last six weeks of deluge we've had in NC.)

Having just come back from a two day rain trip backpacking I can say that nothing dries out there. Unless you get some long sun and a breeze. I never got that. http://youtu.be/A8htuk5mg-Y
You need to have dedicated camp clothes that are dry and in a bag in your pack. Once set in the rain and all is done...change out to dry stuff and maintain
discipline to stay as dry as possible.
Wet stuff goes back on for hiking the next day.
Shug

dedicated camp clothes (sleep clothes) in a dry-sack in the pack, which has a trash-compactor bag lining it. Set up tarp with a tyvek or similar ground cloth. Now you are keeping most/all the rain off you. Set up hammock. Fluff and toss in the TQ and UQ, they were also in compression sacks or dry-sacks. Change into dry clothes. Now the only items wet were your hiking clothes. you will put them back on wet. Only if the humidity dropped a LOT will they dry much overnight. You can hang them on the ridgeline. Or another option is to put under your TQ. I've got a double layer Warbonnent. I lay the shorts and shirt out between the layers of the hammock. then the quilts and me. they do dry out some from body heat.
Another option, just wear them! In the quilts. they will dry then also. Advantage is, one less set of clothes to wear. Downside is, it better be warm or you are in the rain, in wet clothes, all the time.
All your clothes should also be quick-dry, wicking stuff.

Well, lots of good advice here from the very 1st answer by Fish! Not a lot to add.

Packas are liked by several. Keeps your pack and you dry, but I'd still use waterproof sacks for any down quilts and dry camp clothes. Then 1st thing hang your tarp. Once you have that secure, you can hang your hammock. About the only thing that should be very wet is that Packa. Take it off, and hang it from the end of your hammock. If you are really fancy, maybe you have rigged up a way at home to clip the Packa strategically on the ends of your tarp to use it as an additional wind and rain block.

That's about it. Your clothes should be pretty dry unless you have been sweating a ton. If not dry enough, hopefully you have some dry camp and sleep clothing in your pack. Just get it out of the pack and put it on and relax in your dry hammock and clothes under your tarp. Remember, you are a couple of feet above the soaked ground. And when you pack up the next day your tarp and your Packa should be the only things very wet, so just have a place available on your pack for these wet items, assuming you don't need to put the Packa ( or whatever poncho or rain gear you are using) back on because it is still raining.

Plus remember, if it is raining all day every day, you can also pitch that tarp at lunch time to take a nice break out of the rain.

Polyester and fleece clothing dry out pretty quick just from body heat if you can keep it on you for a bit. Hanging it on the ridgeline doesn't really dry it out, in my experience, especially if the humidity is high and there's no wind. I'm a big fan of merino wool 'cause it retains its insulative properties even when wet.

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Originally Posted by SilvrSurfr

Polyester and fleece clothing dry out pretty quick just from body heat if you can keep it on you for a bit. Hanging it on the ridgeline doesn't really dry it out, in my experience, especially if the humidity is high and there's no wind. I'm a big fan of merino wool 'cause it retains its insulative properties even when wet.

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Good points!

I'm thinking about the time I pulled out a Coleman lantern and used it to heat the tent and dry my clothes on a canoe trip pre hammock days. Heat from somewhere is the only way to dry things out unless you want to get ridiculously cold. I would be inclined to close off the far end of my tarp then pitch one corner in porch mode and fire up the emberlit just to maintain an oasis of warmer dryer air. I think SilverSrfr has it pegged as a campfire substitute. You still want to keep in mind all the other advice. I just to not like cold wet clothes in the AM. ;-)

Thanks everyone for the responses!

An alternative to carrying an extra, dry pair of clothes for bedtime is to just NOT carry extra clothes. As long as you don't risk scarring anyone, just sleep in your birthday suit. ;p

Quote:

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Originally Posted by trust

I do more reading then posting here - thanks for the good threads to read everyone... but one thing I haven't found and keep wondering about: How do you dry out with a hammock once you are wet? :confused:

I have a HH Safari Deluxe Zip that isn't yet used for camping/hiking/traveling. I grew up camping, my wife didn't. I have always camped in a tent, except for several times in college, when I used an assortment of various hammock setups; nothing as "high speed" as the HH. She is wondering (and I am too): how do you dry out if you have to set up in the rain?

I'll paint a better scenario: Let's say I drive to a state park, walk in the mile or so to the camp site (down the trail), and it's raining the whole time. I'm going to be at least somewhat wet ... if I can get the hammock set up dryly, then how do I dry out before going to bed? I'm going to guess that it's not wise to have a fire or camp stove under the tarp, so that leaves me with ... packing dry clothes in a drysack or waterproof bag, and hanging my wet clothes to dry under the tarp?

What about the more extreme example of through-hiking the AT with a few days-straight of rain? Or motorcycle-camping and riding through a storm for the last few hours on the way in?

I guess it's clear to me that I want to not store wet gear (i.e. dry it once I get home), but how do I dry out while in the field?

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Your tarp should be set up first, when setting up in the rain. After the tarp is set up, you have a dry area to hang the hammock.

I'll just add a big plug for my favorite substance on earth, merino wool. and in particular, a New Zealand company, Icebreaker. Their stuff is so comfortable, and dries ridiculously fast, but still works well when wet. Usually body heat alone is enough to get it dry.

I have one Icebreaker 200 layer I wear for tramping, then switch it out for something dry in camp. As others have said, tent camping is no different to hanging in this regard (except the added benefit of not being in a puddle and your bed always being dry).

Plus 1 on the merino wool, it's great for low temps and dries super quick.

If you ever see them on sale (end of season/summer sale) snap a couple up.

I'm not sure I understand the problem... you set up a tarp first, between two trees. then you hang your hammock under it and unpack all your stuff into it (vs setting it on the ground). Anything wet (clothing, socks) just gets tossed over the ridgeline, under the tarp, and dries like it would anywhere else (actually, better than in a tent, because you actually have ventilation). if all your stuff doesn't fit in the hammock (less your cooking gear and food) you're carrying too much!

Wool is also req'd, in my book... down here in LA, I can get away with some cotton clothing (actually, it's necessary for me to sleep in, especially in summer). back in NY, i'll wear a synthetic T shirt and pants, wool socks, and a wool insulating layer... wool will pretty much dry out while you're wearing it. love the stuff. gotta be the good soft (and unfortunately expensive) stuff, or it's not worth it. the synthetic stuff gets hung on the ridgeline overnight and is usually dry by morning.. if not, oh well... it goes on anyway.

edit:
My tarp is an OES McCat Standard... I tie the far side lower to the ground, and try to find two sticks to make the near side almost like porch posts, about 6' long... that is plenty of headroom to be able to set up a cookstove and cook dinner under with no danger of burning your stuff. if it feels kinda crowded, I can take one of the hennessy's corners and stake it back underneath itself, pull the hammock off center, and clearing a little more room underneath for workspace.

Use some paracord to rig up a cloth line under your tarp. In a hennesey it's even easier because you have all that realistate around your hammock but the entrance is underneath.
Strip down and get under the covers in your hammock and warm up.

I'm not an ultra lighter but I go fairly light (14lbs ) but I still have a change of under clothes and a shirt in a trash bag dry sack. It is about 8oz of, what I consider, nessisary equipment.

Summary: packa (or similar, i.e. golite poncho tarp) + wool base layer for sleeping at night + waterproof bag to store the wool.

I hiked for over 5 months straight last year. Never encountered rain.

(just kidding).

I made sure I had a pack liner by Z packs. Number 1.

Number 2: if my tarp was wet, I would first scrape the sides down with a debit card, then wipe it down with my bandana and roll into mesh tarp.
This was then stowed on the outside of the pack in the mesh part.

3) Pack covers are pretty useless, but on a really heavy rain day, would keep things from getting soaked. ( I have not tried the packa)

4) I kept a set of camp shorts and shirt (very very light weight). I would sleep with my wet socks OFF, but at the bottom of the quilt. My body heat dried them out (or even my day shirt) really well.

I never had a problem with a wet hammock.

I can see if you had a cotton hammock in Gautamala, that might be another story altogether.

If I were going to Guatamala , I might used a Darien UL.

Dos

First off...I'm not a UL hiker. Nor likely to ever be confused for one. My pack usually weighs in around 20-25lbs.

Part of that is extra trash bags.

Part of it is also a solo stove (bushbuddy, same thing).

I also carry a camp chair, but a sit pad would work too.

Bottom line is that I carry a dry change of clothes for sleeping in. In the winter, it's just a pair of winter weight baselayers, and a pair of wool socks. In the summer, synthetic shorts and t-shirt (or merino...just got me one!).

So...in the rain, I setup camp as everyone does. Tarp first, UQ/sleeping bag goes in hammock, pack gets set out underneath the hammock on a trash bag.

Gather a large quantity of tinder for the stove. If you know what you're doing, you can find dry wood even after days of rain.

Rig up an extra trash bag as a mini-tarp, stove and chair go underneath that. Fire up the stove, boil water, change into dry clothes. Eat/drink to stay warm, then I'll normally use the stove to dry out my socks and shoes/boots first, then dry out my wet clothes, which are all synthetics and dry much easier because of that.

Works nicer if I camp someplace with a fire ring, but I can use the stove to accomplish the same goal.

Bottom line, reassure your wife that drying out/dealing with the rain is no different hammock camping vs tent camping, with the exception of avoiding the chance of sleeping in a puddle.