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  1. #1
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    GTUL uncomfortable?

    I recently bought a Grand Trunk Ultralight and when i first set it up just to try it out (no sleeping bag/pad) it seemed really comfortable. For the first time last night i set it up in my backyard to see how low i could take my sleeping bag/pad setup (it was about 30* out) and surprisingly i didn't have and cold spots in the 30-45 min i laid out there I did have a lot of trouble with my sleeping bag though, I actually felt that it would be a lot easier with a lighter bag (current one ~6 lbs but warm as hell) and a quilt would make it a lot easier so i don't need to deal with the hood (probably going to get a hammock gear burrow when funds get better)

    But my main concern was that the Grand Trunk felt really uncomfortable... Almost like i was laying on the hammock instead of in it (if that makes sense). I was laying at a diagonal but my feet kept wanting to slid off the hammock and if i shifted back a little my head was hanging off the hammock. After a lot of adjusting i finally was able to lay in it so nothing was falling off but if i shifted at all my feet would slide off. Is this normal with a GTUL? Maybe i just need more practice? Or maybe a bigger hammock? I am 5'10" 225 if that helps...
    Last edited by Pj1008; 02-12-2012 at 15:44. Reason: Post didn't show up...

  2. #2
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  3. #3
    Member wizardofhaws's Avatar
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  4. #4
    Senior Member G.L.P.'s Avatar
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    I have one and for me it's too small to sleep in but i like to lay in it for a break once in a while... still a nice hammock just not for everyone
    it's my son's hammock now
    Last edited by G.L.P.; 02-12-2012 at 18:44.
    It puts the Underquilt on it's hammock ... It does this whenever it gets cold

  5. #5
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    Is it just me or are none of the posts showing up?

    (Even trying to post this it didn't show up I had to go back and edit it... hopefully this works...)

  6. #6
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    sorry, posted before I figured out you have to copy it, post it, edit it then paste your previous post.. PITA

    I think it's a combo between having your foot and head end the same height instead of a little higher foot end, and using a SB int he GTUL is like a slice of butter in a hot pan, SLICK. End of my bag always wanted to fall over the edge and gradually take my feet with it.

  7. #7
    all secure in sector 7 Shug's Avatar
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    In my experience pads take a wee bit of the hammock comfort away....but keep you warm. Does take a bit of practice and tweaking to dial it in at first.
    Never laid in a GT so I am no help there.
    Maybe this video I did will help a bit.
    Carry forth.....
    Shug

    Whooooo Buddy)))) All Secure in Sector Seven

  8. #8
    Senior Member DivaB's Avatar
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    I found it to be too narrow. Even my 14 year old found it to be too narrow if that tells you something....and he was 13 when I got it for him. It doesn't have the width to lay on the diagonal if you are tall.

  9. #9
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    *Sorry for the long post*

    Well i just set the hammock up again to see if anything helped and i think i've got it. First off i think the GT is just too narrow for me, watching Shug's video it definitely looks like the hammock should be wrapped around your shoulders and you're feet, in the GT my heal is just barely in the hammock and my shoulders are a just a few inches away from falling out, no matter how i lay. It's not a big deal without the sleeping bag but with one my heals keep sliding out of the hammock. So it looks like i'll eventually be making myself a new gatherd end hammock sometime! .

    But for the good news i did figure out how to make the GT work for a while until i have the money to get more nylon. Raising the foot end a little did help a little bit (thanks Slo). And when i got in the hammock the last time i did it kinda like Shug did when he demonstrated how to zip the sleeping bag up and get in the hammock (even though i'm using the bag as a quilt). I put my feet in the footbox of then laid down in the hammock and tried to get the pad and the sleeping bag adjusted all at the same time.

    What i found to work was to lay the pad in the hammock and the bag on the ground next to the hammock, lay down in the hammock and get my pad situated right, then grab the sleeping bag and throw it over top of me and put my feet ALL THE WAY at the end of the footbox (KEY! if my feet shifted down from the end of the footbox the bag would almost drag me out of the hammock (nylon on nylon is SLICK!)) And if i got everything together right i was able to get really comfortable and most importantly stay in the hammock!

    Also I defiantly think you're right shug the pad does take away from a lot of the comfort. I like'd the idea of using a pad incase i need to go to ground for some reason but i think a UQ will be a lot better (can't really think of too many reasons i would need to go to ground anyway...). But unfortunately right now i only have the funds for either a new TQ, UQ, or hammock. I think the grand trunk will work for this season (also to make sure i really like hammocking) and I only own one sleeping bag, a -10* winter bag that i've used from the cold of the winter to the heat of the summer (leftover from when my parents would fund my camping gear, they never understood why i wanted a second sleeping bag... Clearly they don't go backpacking...). This thing is so freaking bulky, i can barely fit it in my backpack even in a compression sack (i need to sit on the freaking thing to get it to compress at all), and it's heavy at 5 lb 2.8 oz. I think it's defiantly time to upgrade that darn thing (and maybe even burn it when i do ). So i'm thinking a Hammock Gear Burrow will be my next purchase.
    Last edited by Pj1008; 02-14-2012 at 12:10.

  10. #10
    Senior Member default's Avatar
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    i tried to reply to this like, 3 times to no avail

    but basically i said: bags & bags suck compared to TQ/UQ's (even if they are made from sleeping bags!)

    also, if i remember correctly your hammock is pretty narrow. I bought a ENO Single Nest because it was the first hammock i hung in. While it was in the store and in their little redneck demo thing (attached via 2 biners to an I beam in the roof, needing a step ladder to get in and no adjustments at all...) it was extremely comfortable. but i didnt have the chance to fiddle with it and i also didnt know diagonal was the way to go, so i bought it.

    well, once i found this place and read up some, the single was just too narrow to get a good diagonal. heck, my wife even had one and at 5/4 she couldnt get a good lay in it.

    so Double Nests all around!

    if you go on ebay you can find ENO's up for sale all the time at pretty good prices, and every now and again REI has a good sale (last year i think they went for like, $40). even if you skip the major brands, just look for the double size and youll be much more comfy


    as far as pads and bags go, work with what you got until you can get better. you can make a poncho liner UQ cheap, or if you have a square bag you can make a UQ out of that easily enough.

    were theres a will...
    Give a man fire and he's warm for the night.
    Set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life. Dante

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