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I agree with CMC. The structure is the same, but the usage is different. A becket Hitch does NOT join two ropes together. It fastens one rope onto a loop. A very important distinction is that you...

But unless you're in the Arctic circle, you really don't need them. Just wrap a towel around you and clamp it with some battery clamps. You just saved some significant weight and you Maned- Up in the...

^ agree with Baka Dasai. This will produce an extremely deep pocket with tight sides that you will have trouble getting into or out of. It will also be prone to tearing if you sit on the edge when...

^ what Shug said. I draw a curve across from corner to corner with a pencil, then gather it along the curve. This makes it shorter along the middle of the hammock and longer along the sides,...

You don't need amsteel for the whipping itself. It can be just about any sort of cordage, including paracord, clothesline, cheapo junk from Walmart, a shoelace, or whatever.

You can (and should)...

I'm on team No-Doors. I've never really needed them in all of my journeys. If i lived on the coast, it might be a different story, but i don't.

A non-invasive method would be to put the quilt gently in between the hammock and a full-length UQ protector. You might need to pin/snap/tape/clip it to the edges to get it to stay put, but that...

They top out at 70”. However, you don’t always need head to toe coverage. Many people use a pillow at the head end and a sit pad or piece of foam in the footbox. This means you can get by with a...

You’re not tying the main suspension with a cow hitch are you? This is not a secure knot at all when one end is free.

Very few people when I was there. Besides myself, there were two parties at Aneroid, 1 at Frazier, 3 at Mirror, zero at Douglas, Lee, or Horseshoe, although maybe one party I heard pass by but did...

Very well done video. I was there a month later than yourself. I did the Aneroid-Frazier-Mirror-Horseshoe circuit. I would like to do a southern route on my next trip.

I remember seeing Hawkins...

Sleep apnia is very difficult to self diagnose. Many people who have it swear they dont. Its worth having a sleep study done if you're are perhaps feeling tired all the time. Sleeping in the hammock...

There's no ideal. Just larkshead a loop behind the whipping and tie into that however you want.

Yes i distinctly remember taking a picture at Panther Camp to show people the tree situation we have out here. But glad i didn't camp there. Too dark and mosquitoey. I camped at the top of Mule Creek...

I did the newish Wild Rogue River Loop trail (~30m) 2 years ago in early May. One of the few backpack trips where you can get a beer on the trail ;-) Paradise Bar Lodge serves refreshments to hikers...

Ok, good! I wanted to make sure you were not one of the "from zero-to-AT" types that buy a bunch of junk and commit to through-hiking with no previous experience. Those are the kinds of people that...

You can button the flap to the other side, forming a mini-beak. Works decent in windy conditions.

@ATGIRL: The advice to just get out there and camp is critical. What you value in gear is entirely dictated by your experience using that gear. If you have no experience, then you have no way to...

* applause *

What about just getting all-doors and pulling back one corner for better access? Then you have doors if you need them, but can roll away if you dont.

^^^ What CMC said

If you already have a suspension on the costco quilt, put it on loosely the outside, as it tends to be wider and covers better.

If you dont already have a suspension on the...

Amsteel on amsteel tends to slip. Use a J-bend for more security, but prefer a strap for security reasons. I would also be interested in seeing how the Lapp Hitch would do in this case.

Suggestion...

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.

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"....

+1 hammock first.

Straps are not long enough.

I agree, your bottom will get cold. Above freezing you can get by with sub-par gear because the worst possible outcome is slight discomfort. Below freezing, you need to take it more seriously. Many...

/!\ WARNING! SCIENCE! /!\

Sailors, arborists, climbers, and seatbelt manufacturers have tested sewing patterns to death, so we have hard data on this topic.

Long story short:

Ideal job...

You can certainly just tie a loop. The most appropriate knot for that would be a Water Knot which is specifically intended for flat webbing.

If you want to sew an eye, just fold the end over once...

"Sliding off" is generally a symptom of the quilt being on too tight. Try simply loosening.

To make absolutely sure it won't slip off, you need to utilize tie-out points on the hammock (This is...

Most bed spreads use poor quality duck down with lots of feathers. This means the fill power will be low and the weight will be high. Factor that into your plans.

For best use of the strap, sew (or tie) an eye on one end. Then strap goes around the tree and through its own eye.

Connect free end of strap to hammock by any means you like (tied to continuous...

Well, don't knock it till you've tried it!

[fixed my ambiguous wording]

You do not need catenary cuts on a hammock.

If this is your first hammock, keep it simple: Cut a perfectly rectangular piece of fabric, hem all 4 sides, then fold the short ends over and triple...

I'm going to give this a try next trip out. These things are only like $2 at Lowes. Total weight for this theoretical wrapper would be about 4oz for the 0.7mil stuff. Not something i would generally...

That's correct. I'm not a dummy, but i had to try it!

I suppose the "ideal" vapor-barrier UQ w/ protector would simply be a regular UQ wrapped in a giant plastic bag, like when you get your...

No, sir. The point was to keep the wind from blowing the air out of the quilt. Putting the barrier on the inside does nothing for that.

You are right in saying they are hard to adjust when loaded. You are also right in saying they are fiddly to adjust and more so when cold. Whether or not you think the trade off in weight is worth it...

Either will work but grosgrain will be easier to punch snaps through and sew.

On straps: $0.35/ft at any hardware store. Cut any length you like. Boom. Done.

You don't generally need both long straps and whoopies, but in the PNW old growth areas i will carry both. I end up...

Quick Tip: Use the J-Bend, good sir. It will hold amsteel on amsteel. However, that's a side point.

Nothing wrong with the cinch buckle system. As you said, it's the easiest and fastest.

Here's...

Actually agree with silvrsurfr on this one. Any bottom-tier hammock is basically just a fabric rectangle with hemmed edges. It's pretty hard to distance yourself from competition at that level. You...

Exactly. * high-five *

When i get into camp late after a hard day on the trail, i don't want to fuss with hammock deployment and camp chores. I want to iron out a process to get my hammock up and down as fast as possible....

Hi mbarr,

Gear you hate isn't worth anything, regardless of what you paid.

Quilts in general are expensive, but are worth every penny. I understand that pennies may not be available for you...

I always take my pack cover anyway. I use it as:

Pack cover
Kitchen table (spreads all my cooking stuff out on the ground without getting dirty)
Hang bag (when cinched)
Floor mat (for backpack...

Amazing tip to prevent back-of-heel blisters:

Take a candy bar wrapper (anything aluminized and slightly oily on the inside) and put the wrapper inside your sock across the back of your heel.
...

It's actually fairly rugged. If you're a dummy and go off fighting zombies with it, of course you can puncture it. But i have been using mine on several trips and also use it indoors for months and...

I would also recommend keeping insulation separate. There are going to be times when you want it and times when you don't.

For cotton fabrics: the main issue is actually wedgies! Cotton on cotton...

Where do you camp there? Is there a campground or just open space? That would good to know, because i hiked a full day after a 6 hour drive and it would have been nice to split those up by camping at...