Based on what I'm reading, the main question for you is, "How much additional weight is negotiable for better rest?" Will one to two additional hammock pounds still take you to the same destination in similar times given the added sleep comfort?Originally Posted by NeOutdoors603
Thank you all for the advice and recommendations. I’m certainly ok with adding a few ounces for comfort. Just figured I would start a the 1lb range to see what that would equate to. I’m 100% open to suggestions that may weigh slightly more but have proven to be comfortable for all of you. I’m new to this so I was trying to establish a base line. I guess I’m looking for help finding that balance that translates to UL in the hammock world and is comfortable. Getting off the ground sounds pretty good to me these days but adding an excessive amount of extra weight does not. As you all know, ounces become pounds but quality of sleep is important as well.
A Dutch halfwit, Kevlar straps with the Dutch clip that adjusts at the tree and a Zpacks cuben diamond tarp, 2 ti stakes. That is my sweet spot for comfort and low weight. Yea, I can bivy/tarp and carry less but there are more stakes and fiddle factor to a ground set up. Plus flat ground isn't important. Keeping my under quilt on the hammy and my jammies, pillow, top quilt, ect, inside the hammy I can set up and take down very fast using my pack liner as a Bishop bag to hold it all. The Wilderness Logics slug is good too. A pair of Dutch stingers on the tarp and two stakes and I'm done. I'm high and dry. Comfortable rest, mmm!
I like refried beans. That's why I wanna try fried beans, because maybe they're just as good and we're just wasting time. You don't have to fry them again after all.
For no-frill UL suspension, this is what I use. Going to be hard to get any simpler or much lighter... 1.94 oz for a pair of 12' Venom straps.
simple_suspension_Bada-Bing_001_edited-1.jpg
Five Basic Principles of Going Lighter (not me... the great Cam Honan of OZ)
“If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking.” ~ Gen. George S Patton
If you're having to justify choosing a hammock over ground pounding, I'd stick with ground pounding. Most of us choose hammocking because sleeping on the ground is very uncomfortable. I was about to quit camping entirely because I just couldn't deal with sleeping on the ground anymore.
Still, you can go pretty lightweight in a hammock. Personally, I'm not willing to use a half-bugnet like the Half-Wit because you have to use your topquilt for protecting your legs. When I vent, the first thing I do is kick the quilt off my legs, so a half-bugnet is a no-go for me. I'm also not fond of hammocks with integrated bugnets (I don't like zippers at all), so I prefer a Fronkey-type bugnet. I only need a bugnet maybe three months out of the year, so nine months out of year I can leave the 7 oz. Fronkey bugnet at home.
I'm not particularly keen on 1.0 and 1.1 ounce hammock fabrics, so the lowest I'll go is an HG 1.4 Poly D hammock. For tarps, I prefer 4-season, so I like my HG Winter Palace at 9.14 ounces. Anyway, here's one of my setups:
Item Weight (Ounces)
Dutch PolyD 1.4 hammock 9.95
Dutch Whoopie Hook suspension, 4 ft. straps
& Continuous Loops 4.81
Dutch Fronkey Bugnet 7
HG Winter Palace 9.14
Dutch Continuous Tarp Ridgeline 0.75
Total 31.65 ounces
As mentioned before, the bugnet can stay home nine months out of the year, so the weight drops to 24.65 ounces. So basically, this setup is 1.5 lbs. for most of the year. This is the gear I'm comfortable with, but others will try to reduce weight by going with 1.0 and 1.1 hammocks (too flimsy for me), or a skimpier tarp. You can get an 11 ft. HG CF Hex tarp that's only 5.14 ounces, but like I said, I like a 4-season tarp with doors because I like to stay dry. You could also get a UL Fronkey bugnet from Buttinasling (Dutch might also make one) that weighs five ounces, but two ounces isn't gonna blow my skirt up.
Some people take great pride in hardware-free tarp suspensions, but I'm just not the kind of person who gets a thrill over saving two or three grams. Others try to go with hardware-free hammock suspensions, but I like Dutch Whoopie Hooks - knots give me no thrill at all, and again, they're saving just a few grams going hardware-free.
Finally, ground-pounders often come into hammocking and don't want to leave ground-pounding behind. They'll often say, "But what if I have to go to ground?" They'll come up with some system that can be used on the ground or for hammocking, and it almost always weighs more than a hammock-only setup. However, I haven't slept on the ground in eight years, and have no intention of ever doing so again.
Good luck!
"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." Ralph Waldo Emerson
I have only been hammocking for about 2 years now and I will never go back to the ground again unless I have too even if it means carrying a few pounds extra. Sleeping on the ground wasn't horrible, but it just can't compare to the comfort of a hammock. Even on nights when I don't have my hang exactly right, I am not awake long enough to notice
Thanks for clarifying that. I believe you have come to the right place.
Many of our members really work hard to build the best UL hammock systems. There will be more than one.
Working with a vendor that does custom work will get you the lightest kit possible. Checkout our vendor forums many there do custom work with UL fabrics.
Good advice, and the great thing about nearly every vendor represented is that they offer enough selections that they're practically custom right out of the gate. EE now makes quilts using 7D shell fabric, and when combined with 950fp down the result is some very light and supremely 'stuffable' gear. For warmer weather UL, the Loco Libre Operator stuff is an awesome choice.
Only problem with most is the wait time — best to order waaayyy ahead of need, which is 6-8 weeks, or more!
As far as the weight of hammock vs ground setups in a UL context, the comparative (and general) weight 'hit' in warmer weather is (or can be) literally only ounces, and maybe a half pound down to about 20°F and maybe 1.5 lb down to 0°F. This is my experience. And this is if you're willing and able to acquire the lightest gear available for a given temperature range and to test-test-test in order to tweak your system.
People who are not into UL think this all nuts, and that's fine. But when a poster mentions Ultralight in the thread title, that has a specific meaning... Thank you for appreciating that.
Five Basic Principles of Going Lighter (not me... the great Cam Honan of OZ)
“If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking.” ~ Gen. George S Patton
I think you will find that hammocking is highly specialized when you are trying to go as light as possible. Comparing a hammock setup to a ground setup is like apples to oranges. What works for one as the lightest option, another might find uncomfortable.
My advice would be to go to a group hang and ask alot of questions and continue to do your research.
Making the best decision the first time you buy is a great goal....but you have to figure out what works best for you to do that. Catch 22.
Try to remember that increased comfort, a more restful sleep and recovery are worth the extra weight.
Best of luck on your quest and let us know whay you find.
Alright. So, i get it... my hammock is going to weight more than my tent but be more comfortable. That's kind of the way the world works... you can't have your cake and eat it. So, with that said, who would you recommend I look at for custom hammocks? So far, I've got Dream Hammock, DutchWare, and Warbonnet. I'm really not looking to make this difficult but if those are the top three than great! If there is something else I should consider, please let me know!
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