Looking for more on lightweight hammocking

aurora · 08-25-2013, 06:45

Hi. I am from Germany and have a Hennessey Hammock (Explorer) and used it for a week in Austria and a 4 day hike in Spain up to now and it was great - easy to set up, nice back-saving sleep, a bit messy when it rained and the soil was dirty underneath. But overall it was good. In one case I also brought my small dog and she slept with me in the hammock, that was nice and warm then. But overall I do not yet know how to e equipped best for cool weather. I tried using a wool blanket in the hammock for insulation under me and to wrap me in (no sleeping bag), that was ok in summer, but still not really perfectly warm plus I always had problems with some part of me sticking eventually out and getting cold. So I tried blanket for insulation but sleeping bag on top of that, which worked reasonably well, but I had to carry a woolen blanket AND a sleeping bag, which was not lightweight. I tried a pad once but that was just a mess of parts sliding around as the sleeping bag, the pad AND the hammock are synthetics and thus "slick".

So I am looking for the best way to comfortably camp with the HH Explorer in a climate that can be wet and be as cool as 5°C or so, but with as little weight and volume to carry around as possible. I dont have the time for many DIY solutions sadly, tough I always liked to try them, and I learned that sometimes saving a few bucks on cheaper equipment does not pay off when in the end one is cold, uncomfortable or has to carry more weight than needed, so I am also open for buying quality commercial products but they have to be really worth the money.

So can anyone tell me what is good equipment to do what I want? What type of quilt is the best for the HH Explorer and what kind of sleeping bag works best with hammocks? Are there sleeping bags that are better suited because maybe they compress less and thus maintain their temperature rating even if used in a hammock - or is the type of sleeping bag irrelevant?

Also I am interested in double use items. Are they practical? I read that some quilts for hammocks can also serve as a coat during hiking and I saw that Hennessey has a rainfly that can be used as a cape. This would save even more weight and room in the backpack, if those are good options.

Thank you
Aurora

**swankfly** · 08-25-2013, 07:11

I can highly recommend "The Ultimate Hang", this book explains most everything you need to know.

aurora · 08-25-2013, 08:38

Thanks. I will check if the book is helpful. I already have a hammock, so I dont need to read on the advantages of hammocking in general or on which hammock to buy, I am intersted in the accessories and some practical tips (like what to do when there are no trees - I found the tip to set up the hammock as a tent not that great as the fabric then serves as a tent floor and gets damaged.

I found this quilt: http://www.jacksrbetter.com/shop/the-nest/ and this rainfly: http://hennessyhammock.com/catalog/p...ho_rainfly_xl/ - both seem to fit the HH Explorer deluxe that I have. Not cheap, but if they are good I might want them. But I found little in the forums on the sleeping bag to use. The one I have is a cheap one - equivalent in the US I guess to "from Walmart"

. So I definitely want a new one but get it right and fitting for my purpose of hammock camping.

**FLRider** · 08-25-2013, 18:11

Yes, the Ultimate Hang book will help you with understanding what you're likely to need. It's pretty much a distillation of "How-To" for hammocking, including basic accessories.

On the other hand, there are multiple ways to ensure that you stay warm and dry in the hammock. It all depends on what your budget is, and what compromises you're willing to make out on the trail.

The lightest and highest quality insulation right now is down. There are multiple manufacturers out there: Jacks'R'Better, HammockGear, Underground Quilts, EnLIGHTend Equipment, Wilderness Logics, Warbonnet, Arrowhead Equipment, and many more. All of them offer quality products at good price points. It all depends on what you want out of your insulation.

Under insulation is a challenge with an hammock, since it wraps around you instead of being flat ground. So, underquilts (essentially the bottom half of a sleeping bag, suspended under the hammock) have evolved to fill that niche. Most lightweight/ultralight backpacking hammockers will use a top quilt/underquilt combination for the best compromise of packability, weight, and comfort.

If you're looking for dual-purpose gear, I highly recommend purchasing or making a poncho/undercover rather than a poncho/tarp. A poncho/tarp requires you to take it off in order to set your shelter up, getting you wet(ter) in the process. A poncho/undercover can allow you to go with a smaller tarp than otherwise, which allows you to set up your tarp before taking your rain gear off to use as an undercover--keeping you drier in the process.

I've used a tiny asym tarp (similar to the Hennessy stock tarps but a little smaller in comparison to my hammock size) in a tropical storm with an undercover and only got wet after ~12 hours of constant rain and wind. And that was from water intrusion through the suspension whippings rather than from coming in under the tarp and hitting the hammock body.

As far as wearable insulation goes, I'm a big fan. As far as I know, JRB is the only manufacturer on the market right now who is making wearable quilts. On the other hand, modifying an old sleeping bag or poncho liner (kind of like a synthetic blanket with ties) to add an head hole is not hard at all. I would recommend, though, that you make your top insulation the wearable portion, rather than your underquilt--this prevents a lengthy set-up and adjustment period without a puffy layer on. Instead, you can sit down in the hammock, take off your wearable quilt, and then lay it over you when you lie down. It certainly makes a difference in how warm you stay.

But, my biggest recommendation is to take a little while and shop around to see what your options are before making a purchase. There's a lot of different gear out there, and it will reward a thorough search before buying.

Hope it helps!

**Shug** · 08-25-2013, 18:24

I will offer this on a sleeping bag in the hammock.
You'll find a lot of intel on here for sure.
Carry forth
Shug

**DemostiX** · 08-25-2013, 18:40

Your minimum temps, converted to the US-used Farenheit, is just 40F. If are concerned for wet conditions with down, then look for an underquilt made from a quality synthetic fill. It is likely that a single slab of matix-affixed insulation, 25mm thick, tacked between sheets of nylon fabric will be sufficient. The less insulation you need, the smaller the disadvantage of synthetic compared to down for ultralight.

I do not recall that we are familiar here at HF with Continental outfitters of camping equipment. In the US, Arrowhead Equipment is the specialist in this type of UQ.

But you may enjoy the shipping cost and duty advantages of a British firm for whom shipping to the continent is inexpensive. Perhaps DDHammocks.co.uk or ukhammocks.co.uk . ( Sorry, my search engine is not showing at least two other British camping hammock specialists I know (use to be) out there.)

aurora · 08-26-2013, 16:54

Thanks for the replies.
Indeed I was worried a bit about the dual use items as well, especially using the tarp as a poncho with the problem of setting it up. I am sure there are ways to theoretically do this and stay rather dry, but its not optimal of course. I never considered up to now to buy an undercover (assuming this means basically a think water protection for the hammock underside) as I thought this would mostly be something for really bad weather with rain and wind - I hardly had this in forests, but I guess it has to be considered for long trips where weather is unpredictable. So I was hoping to get away with only the hammock, rainfly, sleeping bag and underquilt (maybe an undercover in case of wet and windy conditions) and minimize pack weight and size. So I guess the undercover/poncho combination would be a good choice if that is available. As i learned from the video, the overcover is basically a replacement for a sleeping bag, so that means instead of a sleeping bag I would get a overquilt that is convertible, that sounds good. Did I get that right (overquilt = sleeping bag)?

I am not sure about continental based outfitters that support hammocking and will not try to talk you out of it, I have to look that up. If they exist, their selection will be very limited, eg.g. only a limited number of brands and products. Hence I probably will have to mail order, which has the disadvantage of a lack of explanation by a salesperson and no way to test it in the shop. This is why I probably will have to get more information here or elsewhere on the net before buying. FLRider, you say that my choice of brands depends on the type of insulation I want. As I got it now, down seems to be best, which is why I landed at the JacksRbetter site. My temperature requirements are not in the range of freezing temperatures, but I am easily getting cold when sleeping, so I would like the extra insulation of down, especially as they are lightweight and small in size as it seems. I have always trouble making out the difference between all those brands and manufacturers - they all seem to be good and promise best products and actually look similar, so I would probably need second hand advice on which fits my desires. Maybe the book will help me, I just ordered it.
Demostix - I looke dat the synthetics from "Kick *** Quilts", which is at the Arrowhead website. It is 1.5 times heavier than the down version at JacksRbetter at the same temperature rating. What is the advantage? Does it eliminate the need for an undercover to protect against rain and the down quilt would need that additional protection? Or is it just that it dries faster if it should for any reason get wet (and that synthetics are cheaper).

I did not find a underquilt yet that is dual use as a jacket AND that supports the Hennessey bottom entrance. Is there anything out there that works both ways?

Thanks for the video, Shug (nice hat!

), Now I understand what is meant with the overquilt - basically it is the replacement for a sleeping bag - underquilt replaces the lower half of the sleeping bag and is under the hammock, overquilt replaces the upper half of the sleeping bag and is inside the hammock like a blanket. So I would need the hammock, an underquilt, an undercover that can be used as a poncho, an overquilt that can be used as a jacket and a rainfly - no additional sleeping bag, jacket or poncho. Sounds great. Did I get that right?

Thanks a lot for the good tips. Looking forward also to look into that book. Hope I get not too confused at all the options and brands - I hat too many choices that demand correct decisions from me

Greetings

**grannypat** · 08-26-2013, 18:21

Arrowhead makes a synthetic underquilt specifically made for the HH. Scroll down and look at the Potomac: http://www.arrowhead-equipment.com/kick-***-quilts.html. It won't pack down as small as down but you don't have to worry so much about getting it wet.

**DemostiX** · 08-26-2013, 21:51

aurora:
Yes the bottom-slit entry of the HH may present a challenge. Someone here with an HH will say, I hope, that UQs are easily pushed aside and then pulled back into place.....or not.

You raised wet, so I mentioned synthetic for risk-management. I use down fill, but if my UQ was subject to being muddied, I'd consider using a 2/3 length UQ with synth fill because laundering and drying it would present no problems. I might even scrape off mud and wipe it with a wet cloth, with intention of laundering it later and re-use after hanging to dry. I would not do that with a down-filled UQ.

The problem is not the multiple brands of UQ. They are all good. Shipping and duties may be of real concern. In which case the empty UQ mentioned above may be of interest. Very cheap to ship, and likely thru customs as second-hand bedding, as it something of a "slip case".