Starting to dial in my setup

[SafetyThird]

Still new to hammocking, today I managed to get an hour or two down in the wood trying a few things out. Hammock is a Ticket to the Moon double. Suspension is DD tree straps with dutch clips and 15' of mule tape with marlin spike hitches. I have a couple of dyneema dogbones to try with a couple of stainless loop alien clones for next time but I like the simplicity of the marlin spike hitch.


I've made up a ridgline from 1.5mm dyneema and that seems to give a nicer hang than without. I then tried putting up an old tarp with 1.2mm spectra and a couple of aluminium loop aliens which are nice and easy to adjust and much lighter than the old cord that's on the tarp. However, it's not quite long enough to give cover over the hammock so I'll try it corner-corner asymmetrically next time, although really it's old and has a few little holes so a new tarp is on the horizon, possibly a MYOG black cat tarp unless I can find a suitable budget silnylon one in the UK.


The bugnet is a UKhammocks one that I've taken the Ridgeline out of and just hung over my current set up.

Still need to figure out either a diy under quilt or put some money that way but I'm slowly getting to a point where I can actually spend the night out comfortably in this rig.

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Fraggle, the larger of the dogs, insisted on trying to climb in to the hammock with me, at 35kg, he makes a very insistent hammock buddy

[sidneyhornblower]

Still new to hammocking, today I managed to get an hour or two down in the wood trying a few things out...I'm slowly getting to a point where I can actually spend the night out comfortably in this rig.

You may be new to it, but you're going about it the right way: wringing out what you have and learning by experience. If you've got a pad already, try that in the hammock. It'll work, though it's not optimal. Likewise, your existing tarp looks like it's nearly covering hammock in the third photo. Hanging it corner to corner ought to work, so why not try that out in a rainstorm and see how it holds up?

[ecologito]

The setup is looking good, make sure that your water breaks are under the tarp, otherwise you may end up with water running down the suspension to your hammock on a rainy day.

[SafetyThird]

Thanks very much. I have a pad as I do a fair bit of tent backpacking so can give that a try and I’m going to try hanging th tarp corner to corner next time I’m out. Good point on the water breaks, I’ll be more careful about that next time too.

[bluesam3]

If you're after a cheap UQ, the DD one is functional (once you swap out the suspension), if heavy. The only Europe-based down UQ manufacturers that I know of are Cumulus in Poland and BlueSkyLavender on ebay, though BlueSkyLavender seems to have almost sold out at the moment.

[SafetyThird]

I’m looking to potentially make my own. I’m starting to sew simple projects and have a goose down duvet that is too warm so looking to take some down from it and make an under quilt with what’s left.