4 season hammock options

[element]

I've been looking at hammocks for a bit and am looking very hard at a Clark NX-250 + z-insulator as a year round shelter but just want to make sure I don't overlook any of my options.

Are there any other 4 season hammocks you'd recommend?

Thanks

[Bubba]

It's not so much the hammock as it is the insulation you use. You can use a simple nylon gathered end hammock year round as long as you have enough under and top insulation. Hammock Gear, Warbonnet, Jacks R Better, Arrowhead Equipment are a few vendors that offer 4 season underquilts and top quilts. Combine those with other insulation such as a thermarest, an old down sleeping bag for a top quilt and proper clothing and you can be warm and toasty even in really cold temperatures.

My first winter hang a while back I used an ENO Double Nest clone, a Jacks R Better Underquilt I borrowed (thanks Dan8tro) and a borrowed military down sleeping bag on top (thanks [o]TTer) and I slept the whole night. The temp got to around -11 degreed celsius.

[G.L.P.]

for the price of the clarks and the liner you could get a full setup from the vendors ....

you could get a WBBB a oes tarp and a UQ and TQ for the same price as the clarks and the liner .. the WBBB is the best hammock you can get if you ask me and a good UQ like the yeti will work with any hammock unlike the liner for the clarks ... just something to think about

[ice man]

Welcome to H F, Element! You made a good choice with the 250. I would advise getting the Vertex tarp, since it's bigger. Admittedly, being a Clark NX 150 owner, I'm prejudiced toward their products. A word of caution: reading H F can get expensive, due to all the really useful things you find you suddenly "gotta have"

[element]

Thanks for the replies!

@Bubba
I've been reading a lot about quilts and needing various over/underquilts but it seems to me that they would add a significant amount of weight to the overall package and really constrict your range/movements inside the hammock. Is this true?

Also I'm always a bit leery of important things being held together with velcro I have this horrible vision of a bad storm ripping off the underquilt somehow if it's outside the hammock . A stupid thing I know, but I have to ask, how strong are the underquilts, and do they collect water in between you and the hammock?

If this makes no sense it's because I'm under the impression an UQ is essentially a sleeping bag you wrap around the bottom part of the hammock to prevent heat loss from the passing air underneath.

@GLP

I've looked at the Blackbird but it seems...simple. As in it has nothing to cover the mosquito netting if it rains and can't go to ground. Am I missing something?

@ice man

Yeah, I am a bit gear queer so I'm going to have to control my urges while I'm here. No more then half of my monthly income is my rule and I'm sticking to it!

...but that looks really useful, I'm sure it will pay for itself quickly

Also I've read a lot of people recommending the Vertex. Does it really make that big of a difference when you'e in the tarp or does it just provide a nice little space to sit under if it's raining?

@TZBown
Ok, but what are the practical implications of that? I thought all hammocks had bugnets nowadays?

[TZBrown]

Thanks for the replies!

@TZBown
Ok, but what are the practical implications of that? I thought all hammocks had bugnets nowadays?

The drawback to frost on you net is that is will fall off on you and your gear and end up adding moisture to all of it. Not a good thing in cold weather.

Some hammocks can be without bugnets or have removable ones. If you do the DIY route you can make a bunch of different types, for every need and to loan to all of your friends.

It just means, if you are going to camp in all seasons you will end up with a bunch of different gear that you will use according to the conditons.

Welcome to the Forum, Let the gear addiction grow

TZ

[Rolloff]

If its a weight thing your looking at, in most cases, the WBBB or something else similar with UQ and TQ, plus tarp and such, whether you are in bug net weather or not should come in quite a bit under the Clark set up you've described.

While the pitch line for Clark will always be "bombproof shelter", most everyone else has pretty much caught up. They will stand up to the rigors of thru hiking, when equipped and set up properly, and you will be warm and dry. The Clark may indeed still remain more durable, but in many cases, needlessly heavy, for the required application.

For example, when I first bought equipment years ago, I followed Collin Fletcher's lead. His selection of pack alone came in at 1/3 of my target base weight now. Great pack. Full length, exterior frame, bottomless capacity, indestructible. He actually wrapped it up in his poncho and used it for a raft for hangersake! The point is, I never really needed to use my pack as a raft, or required that it be totally bomb-proof.

Hammocks vs other shelter(insert name here) is also a comfort trade off. For those counting grams, you can always find a single walled tent, biviy, or straight tarp shelter that will be a few grams less than all but the very lightest of hammock/tarp rig. The gain will be in grams or ounces at the sacrifice of ease of set up and a good nights rest.

Take a look at my signature pic. That is a 50cc scooter. Some do, but I don't need a Harley or a BMW for how I like to camp off of a bike. Cheaper, lighter, easier to stealth in and out of somewhere, and not near the hit, if someone decides they want it more than I do. Might take a little longer getting where I'm going sometimes, but at 100 mpg and 4 dollar gas, I'm good with that

[warbonnetguy]

The drawback to frost on you net is that is will fall off on you and your gear and end up adding moisture to all of it. Not a good thing in cold weather.

Some hammocks can be without bugnets or have removable ones. If you do the DIY route you can make a bunch of different types, for every need and to loan to all of your friends.

It just means, if you are going to camp in all seasons you will end up with a bunch of different gear that you will use according to the conditons.

Welcome to the Forum, Let the gear addiction grow

TZ

if you removed the bugnet from the equation and just used a tarp with an open hammock, i think the frost will wind up directly on your topquilt, that's my experience. the net may get frost or wet, but it keeps some of the moisture off you.

[Bubba]

Thanks for the replies!

@Bubba
I've been reading a lot about quilts and needing various over/underquilts but it seems to me that they would add a significant amount of weight to the overall package and really constrict your range/movements inside the hammock. Is this true?

Also I'm always a bit leery of important things being held together with velcro I have this horrible vision of a bad storm ripping off the underquilt somehow if it's outside the hammock . A stupid thing I know, but I have to ask, how strong are the underquilts, and do they collect water in between you and the hammock?

If this makes no sense it's because I'm under the impression an UQ is essentially a sleeping bag you wrap around the bottom part of the hammock to prevent heat loss from the passing air underneath..

UQ's are held in place by shock cord and they mold around you so the stay place pretty well. Down UQ's and TQ's are pretty light but a winter set up is going to be a bit heavier than a summer set up. A winter TQ and UQ from Hammock Gear is around 3.3 lbs whereas a winter sleeping bag and pad would be around 4.2 lbs (randomly selected sleeping bag and thermarest from my local outdoors store)

In terms of range of movement it is not much different from moving inside the hammock when there is no quilts in place. Moving inside a hammock is something that has to be learned anyways. For moisture management in cold temperatures, vapour barriers can be used.

They do have a durable water repellant coating and as others have said you would have a tarp rigged low for weather protection.

[Law Dawg (ret)]

Also I'm always a bit leery of important things being held together with velcro I have this horrible vision of a bad storm ripping off the underquilt somehow if it's outside the hammock . A stupid thing I know, but I have to ask, how strong are the underquilts, and do they collect water in between you and the hammock?

If I find myself in a wind that strong, I will be hugging the ground and praying it does not blow me and my little dog to Oz.

The two most popular hammock manufacturers here are Warbonnet and Hennessy (a toss up IMO which rules the roost but prolly the WBBB). These rule the roost for a reason and are chosen by almost all of the most experienced hangers here. I loooked to the HH and then Clark before deciding on the WBBB frankly because of price and, just as important, the ability to custom set up as much as I want. The fact that Shug and others really like the WBBB is simply the tip I needed to go there.

If weight is your issue then a Traveler with 3/4 UQ and a TQ in down (you will need a tarp too) is your answer. The Traveler should beat the daylights out of a Clark weight wise even with the WB Skeeter net option. As to comfort and the ability to spread out with an UQ...well some here find that to be an issue with the Clark. I am not hindered in any way with my UQ and WB hammocks (I have the WBBB & Traveler).

The Clark is a fine hammock and so is the WB and HH. The best way to sort this out IMHO is to atend a group hanging and sample the different offerings. Maybe consider something like a Traveler and UQ/TQ that will work with any other hammock you get...believe me if you get the bug, there will be other hammocks. I'm up to two and eyeing a third...that from someone who wanted to be economical with this.