In my time here on the forums, I have been searching for a way to hang without having to worry too much with setting up my gear, "rain coming down in sheets thick as lead" (name that movie), etc. This endeavor started when I was just a guppy and still does to this day.
In June of this year, medicineman posted a youtube video and an ongoing review of the R&D that him and Hangnout are working on that had me drooling with envy. (See link below) It is a waterproof tarp/sock that takes the set-up time of a normal hammock down to around a minute. While my idea will not be quite as short of a setup time, I think it will work.
http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ad.php?t=54206
Since he uses the two types of cuben fiber, this setup, even if it were mass produced, would cost a hefty penny for the average person. So this is my two cents towards an affordable waterproof-breathable sock/tarp.
My idea is this, using silnylon, or polyurethane coated nylon, some bugnetting (or tulle), shockcord, and a few different how-to's on the forum and just jeff's webpage; put together a waterproof breathable dirigible of sorts. In order for this concept to work it will need to be breathable, and all the while remain waterproof.
I plan on starting with a diy tarp, and have extra silny for some waterproof undercover strips (more about that in a minute). Once I have my tarp sewn, I will add an estimated 6-12 inch strip of bugnetting on one side of the tarp running the full length. The tarp will have shockcord pull-outs on this side to hold this side of the tarp out.
Moving on down: Once I have the netting sewn to the tarp I could then sew on the next strip of silny. Leaving about 6 inches of the silny to hang, I would then add another strip of bugnetting running the full length directly underneath the bottom of the hammock. How I would keep the rain from dripping down onto the netting is another thing (that's what the extra 6 inches of silny is for). The best idea I have come up with so far would be to have some common home depot 3/8in nuts, or somthing similar into a seam at the end of this section of silny every foot or so to weigh it down so it hangs.
After the bottom bugnetting, I would sew another length of silny, leaving the 6 inches or so for another set of "weights". This would be sewn to a stretch side entry type of bugnetting, keeping this breathability routine going.
If this description is hard to understand, don't worry, I have an attachment to show what I mean. It looks as though I had a first grader draw it on paint, but I have never used any kind of cad program, nor have one to even make up such a thing. It should be fairly easy to understand though.
Any questions and/or suggestions are totally welcome by ALL to improve on this design. My whole purpose is not to take away from the Hangnout design at all or take any kind of credit at all, it is merely to allow a cheaper material list so all can enjoy something along the lines of the Hangnout Dirigible sock.
This was a thought I have had for a while now, and finally took a few minutes to give all of you my thoughts. I hope you enjoy.
Bookmarks