First timer: need lightweight compact comfortable up to $200

[Rolloff]

BIAS Weight Weenie Micro kit, comes with RL and suspension

AHE Toxaway tarp. perfect match. well under 200.

Add a BIAS Buganator bug net, or DIY your own for cheap.

High Quality Cottage Vended, Light weight. Handmade set up.

you will need additional top insulation > could use the bag you have possibly.

you will need additional bottom insulation > could use the ground pad you have.

[sargevining]

I'm currently working on an ultra-cheap set up. There are two resources here on Hammok forums that anybody who is looking for good quality gear at less than retail should access: The For Sale section:

http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/f...splay.php?f=28

And Pay It Forward (PIF):

http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/f...play.php?f=105

The project is a work in progress and is not finished, but that's because patience is truly a virtue where cost is a factor. The goal is to get as close to $100 as possible.

Here's I what I've come up with so far:

~Byer's Traveller Hammock, normal retail $19.99, on sale for $9.98.

~Texsport Mosquito Bar Bug Net (for a cot): $9.98
This comes from an idea used by another member. You cut off opposite corners of the Mosquito bar to run your suspension through, and use the other two corners as tie outs for the bar. You gather up a bit of bug net on the bottom wth a small rock in t and tie it off so it lays on the ground. (When the project is complete, I'll post pics)

~Whoopie slings and Tree Huggers: $10.00. I mentioned on another post that I was putting this project together on another thread on HF, and that I was skulking the PIF thread for the next time somebody was offering some up. A member contacted me and said that if I would honor the spirit of PIF and trade a piee of unused gear, he would send me some. He got a Phantom MOLLE day pack with hydration bladder out of the deal. The pack was one my grandchildren used until I upgraded. I've had it for at least 5 years. The $10 is for the postage I paid to send it to him.

So right now, I'm $30 into the project and I can hang in good weather without being eaten by bugs. When you come right down to it, the cheapest and easiest parts of a basic set-up are the hammock, suspension, and bug net. Quality and durability is lower the lower the price gets, however.

If you can get close to what I've done, you'll have $150-170 to spend on top and bottom insulation and a tarp.

Old down sleeping bags work great as top and bottom quilts. There is probably a kajillion words written on this forum on how to use them. A mummy bag can be used as a top quilt without modification. I use a Swiss Army surplus fleece mummy bag liner down to 40* with heavy sweat pants and a hoody. But I'm in SE Texas you're in Washington State, so I'd recommned spending the bulk of your budget on a good underquilt. There are a couple of them in the For Sale section right now for less than retail, or you can go to one of the cottage vendors.

Tarps are a matter of how much weight, space, and dollars you want to put towards them. Old tent foot prints have been used with success as tarps, as have ponchos.

My recomendation is to bump your minimum a few bucks, go with one of the cheaper parachute nylon hammocks like the Byers I have, a heap bug net and tarp (for now, you'll want something better once you realize what you've been missing by not camping in a hammock), and spend $150-175 on a good used underquilt and a down mummy bag for a top quilt.

[SwinginIt]

If DIY is an option for you that changes things a bit. You can make your own hammock from a tablecloth , a Fronkey bugnet from some tulle (fragile though), and some whoopies. You can do all of that for less than $50, then your only real expense would be a tarp which you can get for around $100(cheaper if you watch the For Sale forum). All of the above DIY things are beginner stuff so no major gear making skills required, just a thread injector for the bugnet.

Although you really can't go wrong with Hennessey. Yes there are lots of good options out there, and Hennessey is one of em. And with them it's a one stop shop.

[4th4]

Thanks for the info everyone!

To answer a question a few replies back; I dont' have anything camping related. Well, not for compact light-weight camping. Sure I have a pile of Coleman sleeping bags which are fine when the I can throw them in the back of the Subaru, but I'll be on a motorcycle with nothing but what I can carry on my rear fender and fender bags.

I like the options you all gave me; except for the DIY. I'm a DIY'er for sure but I have waaay too many of those right now and I want to focus on something that will work right outta the box, and i'm willing to pay for the quality and compactability. I'll take some time to look into the different selections and report back if I have more questions.

One more thought; I know hammocks are all about personal preference and earlier I mentioned Hennessy as the first hammock I really researched on. Is there anyone OPPOSED to HH for some reason or another?
Just curious..

[MDSH]

I just finished ordering the last pieces of my newby set up. Will switch out the steel s-hooks on the new Grand Trunk Ultralight with two Ti carabiners from REI but will swap ends: the carabiners will attach to the Hammock Bliss straps at the tree while the loop end of the suspension from Whoopieslings.com will attach to the hammock with a lark's head. My costs were approx. $85.

A new tarp will have to wait because I am particular and have not quite found what I want. Will use what I have for now, an 8x12 poly tarp and 50' of kernmantle.

For a cook system look at Trail Designs Ti-Tri Sidewinder, Inferno, and pot. That will set you back but I can't wait to get it.

Mammut makes a great headlamp.

[SwinginIt]

One more thought; I know hammocks are all about personal preference and earlier I mentioned Hennessy as the first hammock I really researched on. Is there anyone OPPOSED to HH for some reason or another?
Just curious..

The only real knock on Hennessey is the way you hang em. Using the Hennessey Lash can be a PITA when you have to make adjustments. It works it's just not ideal. So you will eventually find another method, or another suspension altogether. Other than that there is nothing wrong with Hennessey. It's a quality hammock, everything else is just preference.

[TheCoyote]

You can get an Grand truck UL at wally world for 30 bucks. Then you can upgrade the suspension to whoopies and tree huggers with caribiner for another 30 buckaroos. So now we are at 60, you could get a Kety noah 9x9 for 40 or a 12x12 for 60. So hammock and tarp your now at 100-120. Then buy 2 poncho liners and do a DIY top quilt and underquilt that will cost about 40 at most so now your at 140-160 depending on tarp choice. Then a CCF at wally world and your all set for less than 200 bucks brother and should be good down to about 40 degrees in warm clothing.

Looking forward to see what you get for your $200 dollar budget

Happy Hanging

-Jeremy

[dishonor39]

If money is an issue I would go with a WW from BIAS, a Toxaway from AHE.You might have enough to get a Jarbridge UQ from AHE as well, but the synthetic is bulkier than down. For warmer temps I think the Wilderness Logics SS series is affordable, easily compacted, and light weight. Quilt set alone will run you $280. Toxaway is 85 or 90 I think, BIAS kit is around $85 for a WW single layer with whoopies and straps. You would be looking at a 4 pound kit more or less for around $450... quite a bit over your number but very in line with small, compact, lightweight, with no DIY.

[Rolloff]

Well now from the description. 200 dollar max, No camping equipment.

Gonna be tough. Insulation can cost a good portion of that, even going with a 6 dollar WW CCF pad. You'll still want something over you. Cheap will be bulky and heavy. Down will wipe your budget.

I can't advise going for a cheap big box store hammock just for the price. Once you get it straightened out, replacing suspensions, adding a Ridgeline, you won't be saving much, and will be sacrificing a huge amount of quality and workmanship.

The BIAS set-up i recommended comes with everything you need, to hang out of the box. Check their prices, you'll be surprised. You'll still need a bugnet and insulation, but it doesn't take too much time or money to make a serviceable net, and insulation will still be the paramount problem price wise.

The Toxaway tarp just went off sale, but is still a great deal. It gets you away from the cheaper Poly tarps and Sil imports, and into a high quality piece of gear at a reasonable price. well within you 200 range for Hammock & Tarp.

Neither can be considered top end price wise, but materials and workmanship from both suppliers, easily rival the best of the competition out there.

Both weight in at around 14oz each, and pack very small.

I went Grand Trunk on my first hammock. It was ok, but I gave it away, once I received my BIAS WW. There is no comparison, and resale value is almost give away once shipping is figured in on the cheap imports.

If for some reason a good hammock or tarp doesn't fit your kit, you'll be able to recover much more of your initial investment upon resale.

Watch the For Sale thread. Buy what you know people or using...but you don't see coming up for sale often, and when they do, look at the price, and how long the really good stuff lasts. Warbonnets sell for almost catalog price, and BIAS has only had (2) resales, both lasting less than a couple hours.

Good luck!

[SwinginIt]

and BIAS has only had (2) resales, both lasting less than a couple hours.

I was lucky enough to get one of those resales. So far from what time I've got to spend in it, I'm glad I did. They are definitely worth the money. If you went that route with a Kelty Noah tarp you'd be under $200, and since you don't wanna DIY (although it truly is a simple project) I bet if you asked you might be able to find someone on here willing to sell you a Fronkey Bugnet or a Bug sock for a price that would still keep you within budget.


Ok,so now that you've been overwhelmed with all the options, or should I say SOME of the options I'll narrow it down to what IMHO are the top 3 choices for you.

1. Go with the Hennessey and be done with it, no muss no fuss. You can worry about building "your" system later, at least you'll be hanging now.

2. BIAS, they let you build your kit. A full kit, including bugnet, with no mods will run you around $120-125, Kelty Noah tarp $60-65. Total weight will be around 3lbs. If you want to save money or get a lighter tarp then use one of the bugnet options I mentioned already instead of buying the BIAS one, that'll knock off $60.

3. DIY tablecloth hammock $13 (all you gotta do is whip it....whip it good ...seriously though, it's already cut and hemmed, just needs whipped.). DIY whoopie slings $11($18-20 premade). DIY Fronkey bugnet $25(less if you use mosquito netting instead of noseeum, even less if you use tulle, I got 40yds of tulle for $17). That leaves $150 for a tarp and tree straps.