Anyone use ground cloths under their hammocks similar in idea to what Dutch sells? How do you like them and what materials and size are you using?
Anyone use ground cloths under their hammocks similar in idea to what Dutch sells? How do you like them and what materials and size are you using?
Some days I can't tell whether I found a rope or lost a horse...
we unfortunately don't get much rain, so I use a hemmed 4 foot by 3 foot silnylon tarp scrap with tieouts. it's big enough for my pack and shoe bag. the tieouts theoretically could help if rain pooled under my hammock... haven't tested that theory.
I have also used cheap plastic sheet when tent-camping, but I like the tieouts on my cloth. more versatile.
Last edited by cosmonaut; 11-29-2022 at 02:11.
3 x 4 sheet of Tyvek, crumpled up a few times and flattened out to quiet it down.
Same here. I've had the same piece, scavenged from a family building project, for several years now. It can be washed in a washing machine and comes out nice and soft. Great to stand on in sock feet when getting into and out of the hammock.Originally Posted by FLTurtle
Similar to the Tyvek concept, I use a ~3' x 5' piece of .75mil polycryo which has held up remarkably well for several years, with only a couple of small holes fixed with packing tape. However I don't use it to stand on but rather to keep pack and gear off the muddy ground when setting up camp, and it can wrap around the pack to keep it fairly dry if the rain is blowing under the tarp. Best part is it rolls up teensy and weighs 22g.
polycryo_ground_sheet.jpg
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I've been using a piece of dollar store shower curtain liner (maybe 2' x 3'). It's fairly heavy, but costs all of about $0.25 since it's only about 1/4 of the whole thing. Got a piece of tyvek on its way from Dutchware, so I'll be trying that out on the next few trips.
I've got a few small ones, but I've stopped using them in favor of hanging my pack from the foot end of the hammock. My reasoning was that wind kept blowing leaves on top anyways, so it wasn't keeping anything cleaner than it otherwise would be.
Like cmoulder, I also use a piece of of polycryo (a clear plastic film used for insulating windows in cold weather) though mine is larger at 5x7 feet. It's pretty durable stuff- I do stand on mine. One warning- do not use on snow (don't ask me how I know this).
I usually have a small sheet of black Visqueen. The main reason for the ground sheet is to minimize standing directly on twigs/leaves/dirt while putting on shoes. But if water got on the sheet, it would pool instead of absorbing into the soil. And that sheet is slippery. My pack is hanging from the hammock under the tarp - so I'm not worried about that. My "shoes", usually flip-flops, are on the ground in case I have to get up at night. Regular shoes would probably be hanging from the hammock suspension too.
The drysuit I sometimes wear for kayaking, has attached latex booties so I don't stand on bare ground when I put it on. I use a small mat that REI sells to protect the bottom of latex bootie. That mat can go in front of the hammock - making it look more welcome and homey.
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I use either a small patch of Tyvek, or more recently a signal panel cloth from The Hidden Woodsman.
Its nice to have a dry/clean spot to set a few things or to stand on when getting in and out of the hammock.
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