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  1. #1
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    Dec 2014
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    asheville,nc
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    what to buy with gt ul

    hello i have never slept in a hammock before and thought i would try with the grand trunk ultralight hammock. i have been backpacking and using a bivvy my entire life but decided i would now try this out. what suspension would i need to have this thing hanging? i am looking for the most ultralight way possible i have picked my tq and uq but have to experience in suspension thank you!

  2. #2
    Senior Member FLRider's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Gainesville, FL
    Hammock
    DIY Gathered End
    Tarp
    DIY Asym
    Insulation
    DIY Modular Quilt
    Suspension
    Whoopies/MSH
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    Quote Originally Posted by suppafreaky View Post
    hello i have never slept in a hammock before and thought i would try with the grand trunk ultralight hammock. i have been backpacking and using a bivvy my entire life but decided i would now try this out. what suspension would i need to have this thing hanging? i am looking for the most ultralight way possible i have picked my tq and uq but have to experience in suspension thank you!
    What you'll need:

    • A way to stay off of the ground (suspension).
    • A way to keep dry (tarp and tarp suspension).
    • A way to stay warm (insulation, both top and bottom).



    For suspension, the most popular ultralight system a couple of years ago was whoopie slings with a marlinspike hitch to a 1" strap. This is still available, nearly foolproof, and time-tested.

    The other options for that are utility constrictor ropes (UCRs; they're lighter but occasionally have a tendency to slip), Dutch Whoopie Hooks (to skip the toggle and marlinspike hitch at the strap), plain line with varied knots going to a strap (probably the lightest option, but also the most pain in the butt to use), and straps with buckles or descender rings and a carabiner or Dutch clip (the easiest to use but also the heaviest/bulkiest).

    Please, please, PLEASE, whatever you do, use a minimum of 1" straps for tree contact on any land that isn't yours or a friend's: the perception that hammockers are protecting the trees that we use is the primary driver of land managers allowing hammocks on their lands. 1" flat polyester straps is the minimum that most land managers require (as an example, Florida State Parks require 2" straps for both the hammock and tarp).


    For keeping dry, there are a few dozen different tarps sold through the cottage vendors represented here on HF. They come in three basic materials: Cuben fiber (lightest by about a factor of 2 over its closest competitor, but also the most expensive--almost by a factor of 3), silnylon (the middle ground: lightweight and relatively cheap), and polyurethane coated nylon (heaviest and cheapest). There are three basic tarp designs, all of them with little fillips that vary from model to model to do different things: an asymmetric diamond tarp (smallest, lightest, cheapest, but also next to no cover for anything but sleeping in your hammock), an hexagonally cut tarp (middle ground: lightweight with still good coverage for cooking under or hanging out with friends during straight-down or mildly-blowing rain), and a rectangular tarp with end "doors" that can be closed (best coverage, most expensive and heaviest).


    For warmth, there are two different major ways to do top insulation and the same for bottom insulation.

    For top insulation, there are sleeping bags and top quilts. Sleeping bags are...well, sleeping bags. You've seen one at some point. Top quilts are, essentially, sleeping bags without an hood or a back to 'em. This saves weight and bulk, as the insulation on the bottom of the bag is unused since you'll be sleeping on top of it and compromising the insulation's ability to retain dead air space.

    For bottom insulation, there are pads and underquilts (for the most part; there are a few other insulation systems on the market, but they typically don't have much in the way of followers so far). Pads are similar to what you would use on the ground, except that they need to be wider (the hammock wraps further around your body than what would normally touch when sleeping on the ground) and don't need to protect you from rocks and roots (the hammock already does this). That being said, pads are frequently disliked by folks using hammocks; they can be difficult to stay on top of, and their vapor barrier nature often leads to condensation in the hammock (since the air on the outside of the hammock is frequently colder than the ground would be, it causes the surface of the pad to be colder, allowing sensible and insensible perspiration to condense against it). Underquilts are essentially the bottom half of a sleeping bag, suspended underneath the hammock so as to retain their loft (insulating dead air space). They come in 3/4 (you'll use a cut-down pad under your calves/feet with this type; it's cheaper, lighter, and less bulky) and full-length (heavier, but no requirement of a pad). Underquilts are thought of amongst most users as the most comfortable bottom insulation you can use.


    If you have any specific questions about any of that, please feel free to ask! I'll do what I can to point you in the direction of information on it.

    Hope it helps!
    "Just prepare what you can and enjoy the rest."
    --Floridahanger

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