Can I improve my setup ?

[Shewie]

I've always setup my hammock and tarp in the same configuration as Ray Mears demonstrates here ...

http://www.raymears.com/Downloads/Videos/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE7dx0WJo9o

and here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwvNo...eature=related

One of the Uk bushcraft instructors put up a thorough tutorial on http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/sho...light=tutorial so you can get an idea of how I do it if you're interested. One of the other members has kindly hosted it for us at ...

http://public.me.com/studiomw

Password: bushcraft

Click on the pdf in the top left corner to download.

I've slightly changed my system over the years and have moved to a bigger Nomads Land XXl hammock and various other square or rectangle tarps depending on the weather. I've also played around with thermarests, CCF and the Snugpak Underblanket, recently treating myself to one of unsponsereds 3/4 UQ and one of Eds Universal Snugfits, mmmm toasty.

The reason I like this setup is there's very little in the way of points of failure, it's nothing more than a few carabiners and knots.

A pic from a recent trip to Loch Sween, west coast of Scotland

DD 3x3m tarp, Nomads Land XXL hammock & Snugpak Underblanket

If any of you bother to have a look at the file then what would you suggest I could do to make camp life better. I'm new to the US way of hammock camping and there's so many ideas on this forum alone that I'm struggling to pick up new techniques without getting brain ache.

p.s Merry Christmas from over the pond

[BrianWillan]

Greetings Shewie

There is nothing wrong with using knots to secure your hammock. The trade off is always between weight and convenience. On the convenience side of things include speed of setup/adjustment with using other suspension hardware devices. For example, if you are using Dutch Clips for the tree end of you webbing.

In Ray's first video on the hammock end of the webbing it is attached to a single ring. If that ring is doubled up you then have a very easy to adjust and secure method of hanging your hammock. (2 rings with webbing through it just works like a motorcycle helmet if you haven't seen it). The other major method of hanging the hammock is with a whoopie sling and using a Marlin Spike Hitch with webbing tree huggers.

Since it rains frequently on your side of the pond, I would think speed of setup would also be a concern when deploying your tarp versus fussing with knots on your ridge lines or hammock suspension lines.

Over here many of us winter camp with hammocks so doing your hammock hanging setup up with cold hands makes life more difficult than using other faster/easier methods.

So in the end, it is a matter of personal choice. There is no right or wrong answer, only what works for you.

I hope your Christmas meal is a good one.

Cheers

[Mule]

I've always setup my hammock and tarp in the same configuration as Ray Mears demonstrates here ...

http://www.raymears.com/Downloads/Videos/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE7dx0WJo9o

and here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwvNo...eature=related

One of the Uk bushcraft instructors put up a thorough tutorial on http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/sho...light=tutorial so you can get an idea of how I do it if you're interested. One of the other members has kindly hosted it for us at ...

http://public.me.com/studiomw

Password: bushcraft

Click on the pdf in the top left corner to download.

I've slightly changed my system over the years and have moved to a bigger Nomads Land XXl hammock and various other square or rectangle tarps depending on the weather. I've also played around with thermarests, CCF and the Snugpak Underblanket, recently treating myself to one of unsponsereds 3/4 UQ and one of Eds Universal Snugfits, mmmm toasty.

The reason I like this setup is there's very little in the way of points of failure, it's nothing more than a few carabiners and knots.

A pic from a recent trip to Loch Sween, west coast of Scotland

DD 3x3m tarp, Nomads Land XXL hammock & Snugpak Underblanket

If any of you bother to have a look at the file then what would you suggest I could do to make camp life better. I'm new to the US way of hammock camping and there's so many ideas on this forum alone that I'm struggling to pick up new techniques without getting brain ache.

p.s Merry Christmas from over the pond

I like the way he is hanging his underquilt. This seems more efficient when using a full sized rectangular quilt. I think it would pull up to your profile really well.

[Shewie]

I like the way he is hanging his underquilt. This seems more efficient when using a full sized rectangular quilt. I think it would pull up to your profile really well.

Thanks Mule

It seems to suit the snugpak uq really well. It's not quite a rectangular shape but not far off, slightly tapered towards the corners. Two tie outs near the centre which go to my hammock rings/carabiners and the the two outer shockcords which run full length then go up to a loop in a utility ridge line under my tarp. Prusiks on the utility line allow me to adjust the height and two loops with cordlocks in the middle of the UQ allow me to alter the fit from inside the hammock.

[KerMegan]

Do I see correctly? you have a tarp ridgeline over the tarp and a utility line under the tarp for the UQ, but no ridgeline on the hammock?
I use the "Sag-setting" ridgeline on mine- for your set-up that might be running between the carbiners holding up the hammock itself; with a load bearing line there you can reduce the height you have to reach up on the trees, and you could perhaps hang the UQ from this line, instead of the under-tarp line. Thus, taking one of the 3 lines around the tree off, and reducing your set-up time, perhaps..
just thinking out loud.. KM

[Shewie]

Do I see correctly? you have a tarp ridgeline over the tarp and a utility line under the tarp for the UQ, but no ridgeline on the hammock?

Yeah that's right, what does a hammock ridge line do ? Is it purley for hanging a mossie net over ?

I use the "Sag-setting" ridgeline on mine- for your set-up that might be running between the carbiners holding up the hammock itself; with a load bearing line there you can reduce the height you have to reach up on the trees, and you could perhaps hang the UQ from this line, instead of the under-tarp line. Thus, taking one of the 3 lines around the tree off, and reducing your set-up time, perhaps..
just thinking out loud.. KM

Thanks KM, I'll do a bit of searching for "sag-setting" and see what I can learn.

I like the higher utility line for hanging stuff up out of the way, like soggy boots etc. A line lower down could certainly be an option, I'll setup my rig up later and have a play me thinks.

[KerMegan]

Hope it helps..Don't know if 'Sag-setting' will net you any results on a search- it is also known as a "structural" ridgeline, in that it controls the distance between the ends of the hammock body arc, thus lending repeatability to the setup length, and takes some of the load if you have to pull your straps tighter than their usual free-falling catenary curve . The other guys here can tell you a bunch about the efforts to dial in their "sweet spot" i.e.-most comfortable configuration; and then the hammock ridgeline make this easy to find again and again.
Also good for keeping bug net off face, as well.
Happy hanging.. KM

[Just Jeff]

Shewie - check out the Ridgeline and Sag entries here.
http://www.tothewoods.net/HammockGlossary.html

[Captn]

I've always setup my hammock and tarp in the same configuration as Ray Mears demonstrates here ...

http://www.raymears.com/Downloads/Videos/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE7dx0WJo9o

and here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwvNo...eature=related


If any of you bother to have a look at the file then what would you suggest I could do to make camp life better. I'm new to the US way of hammock camping and there's so many ideas on this forum alone that I'm struggling to pick up new techniques without getting brain ache.

p.s Merry Christmas from over the pond

I LOVE the way he wraps his tarp up in the video ... I'm going to give that a shot myself.

And Happy New Year to you and yours!

[Just Jeff]

Rolling it up that way is convenient, but it also stresses the same places on the tarp day after day, which will create weak spots over time. Better to stuff, IMO. But I'm gonna try wrapping my tarp cords like he does...might be quicker than the daisy chains I've been using.