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  1. #1
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    First full night... :)

    So Saturday night looked so beautiful that I couldn't resist sleeping in the back yard in my "new" (homemade) hammock described here.

    I don't have any of the fancy things like SPE's or UQ's so I was a little unsure what would work but I thought I had to try.

    So I threw my standard 20" full length Thermarest into the hammock, put my down sleeping bag in there like a top quilt, then wrapped my Goretex/poly fill over bag around it all like a combination "sock" at the foot and top quilt/cover to keep the dew off....


    I wore light weight long under wear top and bottom... Night temperatures dropped to 42... And I roasted. I ended up pushing the down bag down to about mid thigh and just using the overbag (rated to about 50) over my torso.

    Even nearly full deflated the thermarest was warm enough, but a real PITA to sleep with and on. It also ruined some of the comfort level of the hammock, by limiting local body hugging conformance. It was too narrow to stay on easily and it took up a lot of fabric so the sides were lower and didn't hold the sleeping bag as well. Basically I've decided that the only way I'd consider a pad for long term is in a double layer hammock, but that a UQ seems like the best option.

    The hooks shown here, worked a charm all night with no back-up hitch, even with much struggling, bouncing and trying to get pads and quilts in the right places. No slipping sagging or anything. I'm really happy with them as a solution to quick light suspension adjusters.

    As always you learn more by actually sleeping in the thing...
    Last edited by Rapt; 10-01-2007 at 09:33. Reason: Added pic.

  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rapt View Post
    So Saturday night looked so beautiful that I couldn't resist sleeping in the back yard in my "new" (homemade) hammock described here.

    I don't have any of the fancy things like SPE's or UQ's so I was a little unsure what would work but I thought I had to try.

    So I threw my standard 20" full length Thermarest into the hammock, put my down sleeping bag in there like a top quilt, then wrapped my Goretex/poly fill over bag around it all like a combination "sock" at the foot and top quilt/cover to keep the dew off....

    I wore light weight long under wear top and bottom... Night temperatures dropped to 42... And I roasted. I ended up pushing the down bag down to about mid thigh and just using the overbag (rated to about 50) over my chest.

    Even nearly full deflated the thermarest was warm enough, but a real PITA to sleep with and on. It also ruined some of the comfort level of the hammock, by limiting local body hugging conformance. It was too narrow to stay on easily and it took up a lot of fabric so the sides were lower and didn't hold the sleeping bag as well. Basically I've decided that the only way I'd consider a pad for long term is in a double layer hammock, but that a UQ seems like the best option.

    The hooks shown here, worked a charm all night with no back-up hitch, even with much struggling, bouncing and trying to get pads and quilts in the right places. No slipping sagging or anything. I'm really happy with them as a solution to quick light suspension adjusters.

    As always you learn more by actually sleeping in the thing...
    I've never seen those "hooks". I've been away for a few days backpacking....have I missed something? They look pretty interesting...where do you get them and what are they actually called?

    Thanks, Miguel

  3. #3
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    You may have missed something... Those hooks are my own design and are homemade.

    However I have been considering putting them into production, so if you're interested let me know.

    They work like the SMC descender rings, but with line rather webbing for a significant weight reduction. And yet allow easy attachment since you don't have to thread the line through, just hook a loop over the correct way and then its easily adjustable and yet locks under tension.

    Full discussion in the Figure 9 Users thread.
    Last edited by Rapt; 10-01-2007 at 09:30.

  4. #4
    Senior Member lvleph's Avatar
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    Those are very clever. My biggest concern would be that I would have to use tree huggers again. I am certainly not going to wrap rope around a tree. However, I could shorten my straps and connect the rope somehow to them. It would definitely save some weight.

  5. #5
    Senior Member Cannibal's Avatar
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    Looks like you need a pet hammock!

  6. #6
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    lvleph,
    I just use a short length of webbing to protect the tree, then lark's line onto the webbing. That way its like 3-4' of webbing and 4-10' of line rather than 10-15' of webbing for the suspension. The hooks weigh about 10g per pair.

    Cannibal,
    He's a 130lb malamute, 31" at the shoulder and wears a 26" collar... Not to mention he likes things that are nice a stable and don't move. (Don't ask how I know...) There's no way I could get him into a hammock, pet or other wise and even if I could, there's no way he'd stay.

  7. #7
    Senior Member FanaticFringer's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cannibal View Post
    Looks like you need a pet hammock!
    What kind of dog is that? You sure you did'nt have a wolf visit you that night?
    "Every day above ground is a good day"

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by FanaticFringer View Post
    What kind of dog is that? You sure you did'nt have a wolf visit you that night?
    Wolves in your backyard. Boy I wouldn't want to live there. Well maybe..

  9. #9
    Senior Member Cannibal's Avatar
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    I guess we know how you deal with nighttime visitors to your camp! Who needs bear spray.

  10. #10
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    LOL!!!

    No wolves visted... The yard is fenced, but even if it wasn't he's bigger than the local wolves by a fair amount... Most are in the 70 lb range, with the local coyotes being in the 45 lb range....

    He's purebred Alaskan Malamute, often used by Disney as actor stand-ins for wolves...They really don't look that much alike.

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