Conundrum

[Southpaw]

It's no fun, loving hammocks when you're a cold sleeper. I would rather be in a hammock, but I'm starting to realize I need all this heavy gear to keep me warm. The Clark NX-250 is supreme when it comes to warmth and comfort, but when you add it to a 0 degree quilt and good bag or top quilt, I end up at just under 8lbs. Whoa!! Now, I just don't know what to do about it. Do I man up and carry the weight or go for a super light hammock that I might not find as comfortable? I'm just at odds over it and can't make up my mind.

[Roadtorque]

Although I dont own a clark nx250 I have laid in one for a short time. I really like that hammock and if it weren't for the weight I would probably already own one. To my surprise my first reaction when I got in it was "wow, this feels like my JRB bridge hammock with out the shoulder squeeze". To be very honest I dont think staying warm and having a clark hammock are your only options. I've slept well below freezing with my JRB BMBH and Warbonnet blackbird and stayed very warm at a much lighter weight than a clark. Watch shug and turks videos and you will see it's very possible to stay warm while staying reasonably light weight...all without a clark hammock

[Southpaw]

Yeah I tried a BMBH and just didn't like the shoulder squeeze. The NX-250 is amazing in the comfort department. Just not the weight.

[MedicineMan]

Traveler is a possible answer. If you buy one and end up not liking it then sell it here, you'll be out little money to see if it will work for you.
Another is to get your hands on a GrizzBridge if you can find one. The GrizzBridge I ended up with is sub one pound and less (emphasize less) shoulder squeeze than other bridge designs.
You mentioned 8 pounds. On the Higher Colder hang last year with a double pod system and hammock sock, I was under 6 pounds and theoretically good to -15. The hammock for that system was a Traveler.

[dejoha]

I guess if you are car camping or skiing with a pulk, the weight is less of a concern. Warm or cold sleepers all need more insulation when it gets cold.

Have you looked into vapor barrier liners? This is a lightweight solution for staying warm when the temps drop.

There are lots of "staying warm" tips like fueling up (water and food) before bed, hot water bottles, proper layering, etc.

[Caribou Bentspoke]

I just added up my old snow camping gear,...Mountain Hardwear Lightwedge 2 man tent, Mountain Hardwear Tioga 5 deg bag, 2 pads, 1 ground cloth and that comes to about 13.5 pounds.

My winter hennessy exped (no net), WB Edge Tarp, combined with a 0 deg Burrow and Incubator when I get them, comes to around 6-7 #. I can carry a prolite pad for safety and still be way under, even throw in a huge hex tarp and be way under. I could also choose a much lighter hammock, but don't want a failure snow camping. This gear will also pack much smaller as 2 pads took a lot of room.

Even using smaller/lighter tent gear would not be a big weight advantage over hammock stuff, and I would lose the large tarp coverage.

[Southpaw]

I just added up my old snow camping gear,...Mountain Hardwear Lightwedge 2 man tent, Mountain Hardwear Tioga 5 deg bag, 2 pads, 1 ground cloth and that comes to about 13.5 pounds.

My winter hennessy exped (no net), WB Edge Tarp, combined with a 0 deg Burrow and Incubator when I get them, comes to around 6-7 #. I can carry a prolite pad for safety and still be way under, even throw in a huge hex tarp and be way under. I could also choose a much lighter hammock, but don't want a failure snow camping. This gear will also pack much smaller as 2 pads took a lot of room.

Even using smaller/lighter tent gear would not be a big weight advantage over hammock stuff, and I would lose the large tarp coverage.

+1 on tarp coverage. The only way I would go to ground solo camping is bivy/tarp

[BillyBob58]

It's no fun, loving hammocks when you're a cold sleeper. I would rather be in a hammock, but I'm starting to realize I need all this heavy gear to keep me warm. The Clark NX-250 is supreme when it comes to warmth and comfort, but when you add it to a 0 degree quilt and good bag or top quilt, I end up at just under 8lbs. Whoa!! Now, I just don't know what to do about it. Do I man up and carry the weight or go for a super light hammock that I might not find as comfortable? I'm just at odds over it and can't make up my mind.

Are you including a tarp in your weights? What is the weight of your tent or Bivy/tarp, a zero degree bag or quilt(often quilts don't work as well on the ground) and a pad thick enough to be warm and cushy at 0F?

Can't say if the Clark is more comfy than all others as I have never tried one.

WB Traveler 1.1 double layer= 19.5 oz ( 12.5 oz for single layer, but add 4 oz to both for webbing/cinch buckle suspension)
Winter Yeti 18.5 oz
Winter Mamba Reg 26.25 oz
JRB hood 2.0
leg/sit pad 4 oz?
.....................................
total 70.25 oz with dbl layer hammock = 4.39 lbs (including sit pad which you would surely have with you anyway, except it would be a heavier pad)

WB Superfly ( winter tarp?) 19 oz= 89.25 oz= 5.5 lbs

Any number of other brands stuff combined, or mix and match, could do the same or slightly heavier for some other advantage ( like a full length quilt etc)

How much can you save on that weight with some type of winter tent or bivy with a tarp and a winter bag and pad? Keeping apples to apples, you can't really think in terms of using a very small bivy without a tarp. That would be undue suffering in a long storm, and I don't think you could keep dry. Same with a tent that is real small. You are going to have to move around and come and go or go crazy, and pack up keeping everything dry. You will need a little room, more than a bivy by itself will give you. And you are going to need a thick pad.

So, seems to me, the weight dif may not be as much as you have been thinking? Plus, consider what a huge advantage it is being off the ground when it comes to keeping your down dry.

[Southpaw]

Are you including a tarp in your weights? What is the weight of your tent or Bivy/tarp, a zero degree bag or quilt(often quilts don't work as well on the ground) and a pad thick enough to be warm and cushy at 0F?

Can't say if the Clark is more comfy than all others as I have never tried one.

WB Traveler 1.1 double layer= 19.5 oz ( 12.5 oz for single layer, but add 4 oz to both for webbing/cinch buckle suspension)
Winter Yeti 18.5 oz
Winter Mamba Reg 26.25 oz
JRB hood 2.0
leg/sit pad 4 oz?
.....................................
total 70.25 oz with dbl layer hammock = 4.39 lbs (including sit pad which you would surely have with you anyway, except it would be a heavier pad)

WB Superfly ( winter tarp?) 19 oz= 89.25 oz= 5.5 lbs

Any number of other brands stuff combined, or mix and match, could do the same or slightly heavier for some other advantage ( like a full length quilt etc)

How much can you save on that weight with some type of winter tent or bivy with a tarp and a winter bag and pad? Keeping apples to apples, you can't really think in terms of using a very small bivy without a tarp. That would be undue suffering in a long storm, and I don't think you could keep dry. Same with a tent that is real small. You are going to have to move around and come and go or go crazy, and pack up keeping everything dry. You will need a little room, more than a bivy by itself will give you. And you are going to need a thick pad.

So, seems to me, the weight dif may not be as much as you have been thinking? Plus, consider what a huge advantage it is being off the ground when it comes to keeping your down dry.

I'm glad you wrote that because check this out.

15 degree setup W/ Bivy:
Bivy 17 oz
Sleeping Bag 46oz
Tarp 19oz
Sleeping pad 19 oz


6.3 lbs only a couple pounds less

[BillyBob58]

I'm glad you wrote that because check this out.

15 degree setup W/ Bivy:
Bivy 17 oz
Sleeping Bag 46oz
Tarp 19oz
Sleeping pad 19 oz


6.3 lbs only a couple pounds less

OK, now we are getting to a good comparison. Looks to me like the zero degree set up I posted about is about 0.8 lbs lighter than this 15 degree set up you have. By switching to 15 degree rated hammock products, we can drop that hammock total set up weight a little more. Curious: what pad is that at 19 oz? And which sleeping bag?

Of course, if you already have a hammock that is heavier than the one I listed, then you will probably want to use what you have ( or you just prefer that hammock over all others so want to use it). But if you are dying to be a cold weather camper and also would like to use hammocks, I think you can see that does not always mean you need to add a lot of weight.

How much does that clark hammock weigh? And does the weight include some sort of weather shield which could reduce the weight of the tarp you need to carry? Or some kind of built in insulation which will drop the weight of the UQ you will need? Can you just use your pad in that hammock rather than having to add the weight of an UQ?