I bring a 60°F sleeping bag when I summer camp. Just keeps the heavy dew off me. If its July in Louisiana I won't even bring an UQ. 95° during the day and 75° at night I won't need much. Not even at those temps my back will get a little cool. I've played with just slinging a fleece blanket under the hammock just for a little back warmth.
But I don't camp enough in those temps to test things out
Get a Cuben tarp ( with doors ) that weights about 8 ounces.
I am still 18 but with 52 years of experience !
Battery Operated Fan hung on the RL. Don't forget extra battreries. Lithium ION weight the least and last the longest.Originally Posted by jnunniv
Single layer bugnetted hammock, 12x10 tarp no doors.
I still take summer weight quilts. Because it can get cool if you get rain and wind. I have wondered about a custom single layer 3/4 fleece UQ.
Even in the deep South it can get chilly on the back between 2-3 in the AM so I would never go quiltless.
Last edited by OutandBack; 02-11-2015 at 09:29.
Heh, heh, "how do you stay cool in a hammock"? That's a good one!! You will want something underneath in the summer, though you may have a realistic chance to not need anything... which is how you stay cool. Trust me, a hammock without anything below is cooling no matter how hot it is. I would take at least a torso sized CCF pad which might cut as much as 10oz off from the UQ. I think the Orca suggestion is a good one. Probably best to just use the BB. Lastly, a cuben tarp would save a bunch. If that's a little rich (it is for me), then I'd get a diamond or smaller hex tarp, like the Tadpole, without doors.
If its truly hot out, you really don't have to worry that much about getting wet. Getting wet when its cold is downright dangerous. Getting wet when its hot can be downright refreshing, though you always want to have dry clothes to change into. And I've camped with the HH stock diamond before in thunderstorms without getting wet at all, so I wouldn't worry too much about a small tarp.
p.s. always take the tarp whether it looks like rain or not
"I wonder if anyone else has an ear so tuned and sharpened as I have, to detect the music, not of the spheres, but of earth, subtleties of major and minor chord that the wind strikes upon the tree branches. Have you ever heard the earth breathe... ?"
- Kate Chopin
On hot humid trips in New York I usually just have a light travel blanket or bag in the hammock. I often will just lie on top of the blanket so bugs don't get me through the hammock. If at 2 in the morning I feel a little chilled I will cover myself with some of the blanket and am usually fine or I will put on a light jacket. I could probably go with a lighter blanket if I sprayed the hammock with some anti bug juice, but I haven't done that yet. On the 70 degree plus humid nights for me the problem is usually feeling too hot to fall easily asleep.
I'd also look for a lighter tarp for example if you went with an edge tarp I think you would save 7 or 8 ounces. A smaller tarp could be beneficial in also allowing more air flow.
So you could save about 30 ounces on insulation and 7 ounces on the tarp, pretty affordably.
To stay cooler your location also helps. Putting the hammock right next to moving water helps. On the top of hills can give you a breeze and cooler air will settle into the bottom of valleys.
Last edited by ktitan; 02-10-2015 at 14:42.
Yes sorry I made an error calculating the OPs hammock weight. Should have read 617g.
"Live like you will die tomorrow, but learn like you will live forever." Gandhi
My solution for cutting weight here in FL during the summer months (when it doesn't dip below ~60* F) is to carry a poncho/undercover and use a tiny asym diamond tarp. I stuff a space blanket into the undercover for under warmth; this is enough for me down to ~50* F, but I'm an enormously warm sleeper. I'd recommend it to ~55* to 60* F for most folks. This saves me ~1 lb. When combined with a sewn-through down top quilt, it saves me ~2 lbs.
Hope it helps!
"Just prepare what you can and enjoy the rest."
--Floridahanger
+1 - the Edge is a great little summer or even 3-season tarp. I absolutely love it. Mine weighs 310g (11 oz) without add-ons; 366g (13 oz) ready to use. That's 252g (8.8oz) less than my fully equipped Superfly. It packs down smaller, too.
As has been said, you could save a bit of weight by switching to another hammock. For me the comfort is worth it - I'd stick with the BB, but everybody is different.
Can't really advise you on the insulation, as I need 20° insulation even in the hottest of summersMaybe you are able to sleep with just an underquilt protector instead of an underquilt? The Argon 90 UQP 2QZQ makes only weighs 144g (5oz). You could also check out Enlightened Equipment. Their Elite underquilt models use 900FP down and are seriously light. But also pricey. One of those uqs is on my wish list
I don't think that you will have problems keeping cool in a hammock. Just remove underquilt and top quilt and you should be fine. To me it feels a bit like lying on a block of ice.
Hey without throwing too much $ at it, drop 3oz by putting whoopies on you hammock.
In Alabama, you're probably not ever going to need much more than a 40* Phoenix, there's another 8 oz's saved right there.
A 40* Burrow saves another 6.
And or course everyone has mentioned the cuben tarp, you could drop near a full pound with an HG 4S.
There's almost 2 lbs
My biggest weight savings came on things like rain gear, water filtration, cook kit and typically didn't cost as much.
David
Change out the suspension to whoopie slings. Make them yourself and cut and repurpose the straps to tree straps (basic sewing), or buy them (or materials to make them). Dutch sell's everything you need. ~3oz saved.
Look at using Adutchable Clip's, and splice the adjustable end of the whoopie into the loop of the strap if you don't want to futz with a MSH and toggle.
Make a single layer 3/4 poncho liner UQ for those really warm nights (about maybe 70*F+), if you or someone you know can sew. 40" x 50". It's pretty basic cutting and hemming, cost's about $15 for a PL on ebay. Will come in about 9oz or so. ~9oz saved
Make a 48" x 70" top quilt from a poncho liner, if you or someone you know can sew. It's pretty basic cutting and hemming, cost's about $15 for a PL on ebay. Will come in about 14oz or so. ~9oz saved.
Total saving's of 21oz for maybe $50.
This one will cost a bit. If fair weather trip you can get a minimalist tarp fairly cheap, Hennessy sell
s a 70D polyester one for about $75 (shipped), and 10oz. A silnylon would be about 7.5oz - not sure if anyone makes these anymore though. I've done some custom work for other's on here if it interests you send me a PM. Or keep a look out - I'll be doing a give away in the coming month for a few minimalist silpoly tarps.
Or look at something like the Warbonnet Edge for $95 (shipped) for 11.25oz, or the Mamajamba for $120 (shipped)for 14oz.
Last edited by Boston; 02-11-2015 at 07:52.
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