Bat Hammock

[nighthawk156]

Has anyone ever used a bat hammock?
http://www.mosquitohammock.com/bathammock.html

[HitchHiking]

yeah came across these the other day and wondered the same thing.

[angrysparrow]

Just off the top of my head, there are threads about it here, and here. I think there are even more if you do a thorough search.

[dspittard]

Now that's an interesting way to hang! (Given my EXTREMELY limited experience with hammocks) I don't think it would be all to comfortable. I definitely can see it's purpose, though.

[Rushthezeppelin]

Ya if I'm not mistaken it's especially popular with climbers that are doing multi-day climbs up massive cliffs. Literally sleep on the rock wall. You would probably have to use a pad though otherwise the side facing the cliff would be cold from compression

[dspittard]

Ya if I'm not mistaken it's especially popular with climbers that are doing multi-day climbs up massive cliffs. Literally sleep on the rock wall. You would probably have to use a pad though otherwise the side facing the cliff would be cold from compression

Honestly, I CANNOT imagine wanting to sleep hanging off a cliff (although, I do agree with you). At least I'm just a few feet off the ground. If something decided to break, I might have a sore rear, but that's all. Imagine if something failed using the single-point on a cliff!!

[sclittlefield]

Just a heads up - those who do sleep on the cliff walls, the hammock is only a bed, and not the safety line securing them to the wall. You have to sleep lashed in at all times. Not terribly comfortable, but more-so than just hanging there all night.

Still though, if the hammock gives way, you do drop a bit, and likely have a real mess to untangle.

Not for me. No thanks.

[Mustardman]

Honestly, I CANNOT imagine wanting to sleep hanging off a cliff (although, I do agree with you). At least I'm just a few feet off the ground. If something decided to break, I might have a sore rear, but that's all. Imagine if something failed using the single-point on a cliff!!

First, i'd like to throw out there that not all that many big-wall climbers use hammocks. Port-o-ledges, which are a sort of portable cot which can hang off anchors, are a lot more common for folks who need to bivvy on a rock face.

But more importantly, the single-point failing isn't much of a concern for climbers. We tend to double up on most things, or use gear with such a grossly over-rated breaking strength that any force capable of breaking the gear would break our backs first.

In the case of bivvys, most sane climbers would keep a harness on while they slept, or at the very least tie a swami belt as a backup. The hammock would also be anchored to multiple points on the rock, all connected with rope or webbing to a single "master point" using a big, beefy, locking carabiner (or several!) which would then connect up to the ledge. Most climbers (the safety concious ones anyways!) practice and preach a technique called SRENE - Secure, Redundant, Equalized, and No Extension. The "redundant" part is one of the most important ones, IMHO.



Also, once you're a couple hundred feet off the deck, it starts to feel less like you're up high. I'm actually terrified of heights, but at some point, the ground gets so far away that your instinctive response shuts down a bit, and you don't "feel" the height quite so much - until you are trying to pull a climbing move where you think you're going to fall

[Cannibal]

Still though, if the hammock gives way, you do drop a bit, and likely have a real mess to untangle.

Oh there would be a mess alright, but it wouldn't have anything to do with untangling anything....just cleaning.