Where to Put Gear?

I tried searching for this kind of info, and maybe I didn't look hard enough, but where do y'all put your gear while you are sleeping? I know I would put foodstuffs and clothing in a hanging bear bag somewhere a little distance from my site, but what about your boots? Where do those go when you take them off as you get in your hammock?

My first thought was the ground under the hammock, so that they would be easily reached and put on before getting out of the hammock. That brought up the problem of "what if it rained?". Where do you put your boots (and change of clothes for the morning) while you sleep during a rainy night?

I put my pack in the pack cover and place it cover side down as the tarp protects from above and the cover from any running water. I place my boots in the packcover on the side of my pack. I have a large pack cover. Useing just jeffs directions.

Here is a nifty product sold by Jacks R Better designed specifically to answer that question:

http://www.jacksrbetter.com/JGHPC.htm

I put my boots under my hammock. I don't worry about rain, my tarp takes care of that and unless it's a flood, only the soles of my boots are getting wet from run-off. Extra clothing is in a stuff sack that is used as a neck roll in the hammock. If it looks like rain, my pack is clipped to my suspension covered by the tarp. If I'm using one of my little tarps, pack stays wrapped in my Packa for the night.

I carry a 55 gal, 3mil thick trash bag on the webbing pocket of my backpack.

If the weather looks bad...everything that I'm worried about goes inside the pack, and/or inside that bag. It's then turned upside down with the opening to the bag twisted shut and underneath it all. That all sits under my hammock, under my hex tarp.

If my stuff gets wet after that...it's time to go home.

I hang up my food and just put my pack underneath my hammock. My pack is usually completely empty by the time I get done setting up my gear.

Fronkey

Small Tyvek groundcloth goes under the hammock, boots go there. If it's dry I hang my pack from the tree at the head end of the hammock, if wet it's on the tyvek with my footwear. I've hung in DOWNPOURS and my stuff stayed dry this way. Sideways driving rain might be a different story, so I'm going to try out Owl's idea with 55-gallon 3mil bags which I have a box of......

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Originally Posted by cfisch9

Here is a nifty product sold by Jacks R Better designed specifically to answer that question:

http://www.jacksrbetter.com/JGHPC.htm

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I'm VERY interested in this. Definitely going on my list. I like the prospect of keeping not only myself off the ground, but my gear as well.

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Originally Posted by galroth

I'm VERY interested in this. Definitely going on my list. I like the prospect of keeping not only myself off the ground, but my gear as well.

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Its really easy to make your own for a fraction of the cost. I made one and it took me about 20min I'd say.

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Originally Posted by RootCause

Small Tyvek groundcloth goes under the hammock, boots go there. If it's dry I hang my pack from the tree at the head end of the hammock, if wet it's on the tyvek with my footwear. I've hung in DOWNPOURS and my stuff stayed dry this way. Sideways driving rain might be a different story, so I'm going to try out Owl's idea with 55-gallon 3mil bags which I have a box of......

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It's worked like a charm for me, even in my pre-hanging days.

When I was active duty (deployed or camping either way) I always put a trash bag INSIDE my rucksack as a dry bag, with everything going inside of that...and then one on the OUTSIDE if the weather was horrible. Works in monsoons and hurricanes as long as nothing punctures the bags. Even then, it limits the damage.

Now I just use one, since the bag is almost always under my tarp when the bad stuff hits.

I bought a cheap nylon net hammock on Amazon. I hang it between the same two trees under my hammock. It keeps everything dry and off the ground.

http://www.amazon.com/CKB-HAMMOCK1-S...7847406&sr=8-1

I have a bottom entry HH and hang my shoes from a mini bungee on my ridgeline, close up the velcro around the bungee and let them dangle outside the hammock. I had seen this on a video ( I forget who's) and it has so far worked out well for me.

I carry a small ground cloth and put my pack on top of that. If it looks like rain and fees like rain I'll put my pack in its pack cover and then on top of the ground cloth underneath my hammock. My shoes go right underneath my hammock as well. I am sleeping in my night time cloths or my cloths from the day are hanging up underneath my tarp some how drying. So generally nothing is in my pack at night except a few ditty items which are all in a dry cuben sack.

Tie the shoestrings together and hang them over my suspension under the tarp. Clip my almost empty pack on the suspension also. Camp shoes lay at the waiting under my hammock in case I gotta go. If no camp shoes, I just put my shoes back on, just remember to untie them before you take off.:eek:

Where I hike (Sierra), I hang everything except my shoes, those sit under my butt and stay dry. It barely rains here, and when it does, it's barely more than a drizzle, so no worry about driving rain.

Unless there is a bear box, then everything but my shoes goes in the box.

JRB/JustJeff's gear hammock is cool, and would be a good pack cover too ;)

Galroth, Thanks for asking that. Being a relative noob, I was wondering how to keep the "crawling critters" out of my Boots/trailrunners/campshoes.
I used to keep all my gear with me until I once had a bear start to grab my pack from by my side while sleeping under a tarp. Apparently it didn't like the high pitched shrieks I was making, and let it go. After my heart rate leveled off, I put one arm through a pack strap and grumbled “That bear aint getting THIS pack.”
I was informed later by some more experienced campers that if the bear really wanted that pack, it could have easily taken it and my arm! The next day my “neighbors” at the campsite said that particular bruin associated ALL packs with food., it even stole an empty daypack that was lying on a picnic table.
Another good reason to get off the ground.
But that was years ago, and in California, so here in North Texas I think I’m safe from it now. <:^D

A gear hammock is a useful thing. I've used one on the last couple of trips and like how it offers a place for all my stuff to be off the ground. It's made from a scarp piece of ripstop leftover from making hammocks.

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Originally Posted by lazy river road

If it looks like rain and feel like rain..

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Inadvertent Grateful Dead reference? :shades:

I use a DIY gear hammock that also doubles as a camp chair. It has worked out very well for me and is very light.

My thread about it is here:
http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ad.php?t=36518

My Video about it is here:


And to see it in action, here:


Hope that helps some. I spent a lot of time on this very issue and this is what I came up with.

SN

Check this out! In my opinion, it is the ultimate solution...
http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...t=gear+hammock

Wow. With all of these DIY gear options, it looks like I might have to take up sewing.

You can take you pack cover and some extra line make a couple ears on it, a few wraps and a hitch and hang it right beside you. But I mainly use hang on tree if weather is good, or trash bag cover under the hammock if I think it will rain... Site selection also matters.

Mr MacEntyre also built a hammock "sporran'\"- so to speak; much like a gear hammock but hangs next you from the same suspension...has the flip over top cover..cannot recall the official name just at the moment; lack of caffeine, i suspect.
HTH, KM (who seeks coooooffffeeee........)

I put my pack cover on my bag and then clip it to my hammock straps