newbie and I need a lot of help

[hector l clas]

Please help. This is my game plan: Eagles Nest Outfitters DoubleNest Hammock, Kelty Noah's Tarp Shelter 12x12feet, Eagles Nest Outfitters Atlas Strap, Set of 2, Eagles Nest Outfitters Guardian Bug Net, this would be my first time motor cycle hammock camping, do I need to make any adjustments to this and which sz snake skin should I use? I will be using a floor futon mattress, sized 3" thick x 30" wide x 80" long. This would be for central to southern Florida weather, and in about a year the Appalachian Trail, the only camping I have done previous to this has been tent camping. I am 62y/o, 250lbs if it makes a difference, but mostly I am interested in the direct hammock camping gear

[dkurfiss]

hello and welcome to the madness.

For motorcycle camping the ENO items will most certainly work for you as you do not need to be concerned about weight. I am also a motorcycle camper so can speak from experience. Personally for motocamping I use a Hennessy Hammock with a Kelty 12x12 tarp, The Nest from Jacks R Better for my Underquilt and an Old Ragg Mountain from Jacks R Better for a top quilt. This just happens to be what I use but there are a lot of other vendors here to choose from.

For the AT part I would not recommend the ENO gear. You won't want to carry items that heavy or bulky. You will want something way lighter and with less bulk for doing multi day hikes.

I have some recommendations for you.

1) Watch You Tube videos from Shug (just do a google search for Shug hammock camping)
2) Go to http://theultimatehang.com/ and read. Derek has some great information for new folks on his site
3) Read everything here you can. All the sticky posts at the top of each section are full of information
4) Check to see if there are any upcoming hangs in your area. It is a great way to see and touch all the various
5) For camping specific to motorcycles go here: http://www.motocampers.com/ most of the data is relevant to tent/campers but there are a number of hammock campers there that will be happy to answer questions for you.

[Rolloff]

It's is all HYOH but, any reason why, "direct hammock camping gear"?

Everything on your list is going to be considered by many in this community to be sub standard, pricey, bulky, and too heavy to pack around much. Eno provides instant gratification, but most of our HF American made Cottage vendors, will bust their butts to get you the gear you need and want as quickly as humanly possible, so that's why I ask.

For the cash one could save on that rig, you could have a much better kit, and be very close money-wise, to dumping that futon mattress for a proper UQ, instead of dealing with that mattress. You'll also find very quickly that gear actually designed for hammocks, just works better, especially insulation and tarps.

On the other side of the coin, lots of folks use or at least get started with Eno, GT, or HH. and it still hooks them for life, but for others it can be the end of the road, if they can't get the sleep they expected, especially if they don't ever get a chance to see how much better ANY of our HF vendor's gear performs.

Florida Hangers are some of the most organized on this forum, do yourself a solid, and attend one of their hangs. You'll get to see a ton of different rigs, even some Eno's too, and make your own side by side evaluation. Good luck!

[Namtrag]

Speaking from experience, I recommend going to a hang for an overnight. My wife and I are total noobs, and we went Halloween and spent the night in a hammock for the first time ever...all the gear was loaned to us by the people there, and many of them showed us their setups and allowed us to lie down in their hammocks to see how we liked them.

I wouldn't spend the money on any gear until I got to try some out. You may end up replacing it all and spending the money twice if you do!!!

Look down in the trip planning and trip report section, and you should be able to find something coming up soon that is in a driveable distance.

[Kvothe]

If you are looking for a quick alternative to an eno hammock in the same price range, check out dutchwaregear.com. The 11ft. netless hammock is a good alternative to an eno that enjoys a lot more popularity on this forum. Many ppl also prefer a longer hammock over a wider one.

[TallPaul]

My suggestion is to go to a group hang or in lieu of that, post another thread in the trip section asking if anybody in your area would be willing to meet with you, especially if they have backpacking experience.

I wouldn't take a Kelty tarp on the AT, too much weight and bulk. Get something from a cottage vendor on here. If you are going direct to save time, many on here can ship it next day or soon after.

Good luck on your adventures - sounds fun.

[Namtrag]

Hammeck also has a sale right now for a netless hammock with suspension, and it's cheaper than an Eno.

[daneaustin3]

I'm curious about the futon mattress. I would think it would be rather challenging to wrestle that thing into a hammock especially one as short as an eno.
Check out the cottage vendors on here. I think you will find better gear for your money.

[duckyy]

ENOs run a bit short compared to the standard hammocks so that might be an issue. And for the price, you could definitely do better like others have said.

[SilvrSurfr]

Nothing wrong with your gear selection for motorcycle hammock camping (though I suspect it will be exceedingly bulky). However, you might have the heaviest gear possible to buy commercially, which would not feel too good when you're trying to hike the AT (I assume you're hiking since motorcycle camping on the AT might be less than fulfilling).

ENO Doublenest 19oz.
ENO Guardian Bug Net 16 oz.
ENO Atlas Straps 11 oz.
Kelty Noah 12 32 oz.

total 78 oz. (4.875 lbs.)

That's without insulation. That futon mattress not only sounds incredibly unwieldy but heavy as well, and you haven't even factored in top insulation.

I would look around at the cottage vendors. You can get a Dutch hammock around 8 to 12 ounces, whoopie slings and Whoopie Hooks around 4 oz., and a Fronkey bugnet at 7 ounces. You could buy the most popular 4-season tarp, the Warbonnet Superfly, which is 19 ounces.

Also, pads are usually a beginner item. They're not easy to keep underneath you, and some people get double layer hammocks just to manage the pad and keep it in place. I used a ccf pad for two years before moving to HG quilts (a vast increase in comfort).

I'm not sure what you mean by "direct" hammock camping gear. Some people are touchy-feely, and want to see the items they're buying. However, you probably can't try any of the gear in the store, so it's not much of an advantage.

You might want to look at the beginner or apprentice hammock kits at Arrowhead. They look pretty nice for a starter kit.

http://bit.ly/1IKAruv