Another Noobie...

[beep]

Thanks everyone! That Hot Springs hang out sounds like fun. We may just do that.

The Clark caught my eye because it looks like a good, complete package. I plan to lay an air mattress with space blanket underneath for cold nights.

Does the blackbird work well with that setup? Does it have a "weather shield?"

The Blackbird I have is a double layer (1.1 weight fabric). In-between the layers there is plenty of room for air mattress/foam pad/CCF/etc. There is no standard weather shield (though there are rumors that Brandon may have custom made such a product on request). The OES MacCat Deluxe tarp I use with the WBBB has kept me dry in rainy conditions with 35 mph wind gusts, though wise hammock hangers will always seek out sheltered hang spots (e.g. the lee side of hills/ridgelines) away from the worst wind exposure.

[TinaLouise]

The Clark caught my eye because it looks like a good, complete package. I plan to lay an air mattress with space blanket underneath for cold nights.

What kind of air mattress are you talking about??? I've tried 3 different ones, this is just my opinion of how they worked for me:
All 3 were made by EXPED
#1 plain ol air mat: inside is simply filled with air, there's nothing else inside. This is like a really nice mat that you see at the pool. Works great for summer "tent" camping. Tends to keep me cool. Found it to be "cool" in the hammock to. To cool actually. Only used it for one night.
#2 down filled, "7short" length, about 2+ inches thick. The parts under me kept me warm. But I fought it all night long trying to just keep it under me!! Only used it for one night.
#3 down filled "9 reg" about 3+ inches thick. This one worked very well!!! Stayed under me, no problems there. If I rolled over, I did have cold areas around my upper shoulders. Added extra clothing there but because I move about a bit during the night, I kept getting the "cold shoulder" thing. Still I rated this mat as a success.
If you're just using an "air" mat without any insulation inside of it, It's not gonna keep you very warm. Are you saying the space blanket will be under your hammock or under your air mat??

[humblemonkey]

We currently use EMS crash pads...they are self-inflating, insulated pads. They have a honeycomb structure inside. These have suited me well in temps around 0 F. I read about using these with a space blanket under the pad in order to reflect some of the heat back and maintain a better temp.

The underquilts seem like a great idea, but since I am carrying for my son too, I can't bring the extra "luggage" for him and myself (essentially, I would be carry 4 sleeping bags!).

[humblemonkey]

wow... the exped downmats look nice. I may have to try them out. My trusted crash pad - of 10 years - finally failed while we were in Yellowstone back country this spring. It was raining that night. We were all still talking about bears, and I leaned up to look at my son when all of a sudden we heard this loud bang/roar that vibrated the whole tent! We all thought it was either lightning or a bear for a second. Our friends near us awakened from their sleep (loud rain) and screamed "what was that?" My pad lining ripped from the foam inside. We couldn't believe how loud it was and the way it shook us. Anyhow, I need a new pad...and those look sweet!

[Ramblinrev]

Little kids can usually carry 10 - 15 % of their body weight without danger. (Check with your doc on this to be sure) So a 40# kid could easily carry his own sleeping bag plus some incidentals. It's never too soon to include the child in the planning, carrying and work of the camp. Even if he only carries the marshmallows for the s'mores around the fire he is contributing and it's something you don't have to tote.

[Lynx]

We currently use EMS crash pads...they are self-inflating, insulated pads. They have a honeycomb structure inside. These have suited me well in temps around 0 F. I read about using these with a space blanket under the pad in order to reflect some of the heat back and maintain a better temp.

The underquilts seem like a great idea, but since I am carrying for my son too, I can't bring the extra "luggage" for him and myself (essentially, I would be carry 4 sleeping bags!).

Still very much a newbie myself, so I don't want to offer any expert advice but...depending on how much the pads you are using right now weigh, you might well find that two underquilts are significantly lighter. For example, a base model pad from REI weighs about 2 lbs 8oz while a JRB Hudson River full-length quilt (just to pick a quilt at random) weighs only 1 lbs 4oz. In addition, keep in mind that a quilt will pack down much, much smaller than virtually any sleeping pads on the market today.

As I see it, there are certain very good reasons for going with a pad rather than a quilt. Pads are cheaper and can also be used on the ground if you cannot hang your hammock for some reason. In addition, using a pad to start off with makes sense if you already own one anyway. I just simply think that ruling out an underquilt solely because of its weight is probably not a very logical thing to do.

[humblemonkey]

Just bought 4 different hammocks today...
Clark, ENO, JRB, and HH. I wrote to Warbonnet and made an inquiry. Just may get one made for me since there are rave reviews. Anyhow, next week we will all be testing out the hammocks...all set up next to each other. It will be the best "nap-day" ever.

[Cannibal]

Just bought 4 different hammocks today...
Clark, ENO, JRB, and HH. I wrote to Warbonnet and made an inquiry. Just may get one made for me since there are rave reviews. Anyhow, next week we will all be testing out the hammocks...all set up next to each other. It will be the best "nap-day" ever.

Niiiiccccceeee!

[TinaLouise]

Just bought 4 different hammocks today...
Clark, ENO, JRB, and HH. next week testing ...all set up next to each other.

oh man, take pictures!!! take lots of pictures!!!!
and do post your comments on every little detail as you try them out. Try to spend a night in them to!! And don't forget to test things like how you would pack them and unpack them if you're hiking. Don't know if you've seen the video on using the clark drip rings as part of the adjustable suspendsion, I use them and it makes it so easy to tie up the hammock and adjust the hang (plus you've already got everything right there) so check that out too.

TinaLouise

[humblemonkey]

Yeah, I know! I need to go out today and find a suitable place to do this. Ideally, we could place them all parallel and close to each other. I don't know if I can find something like that. But I will definitely document the event!