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Posted: 3/19/2018 12:45:37 PM EDT

[#1]

Quote History

Quoted:
Hammocked this past weekend.

Gear: Outer Limits single hammock, Bear Butt tarp & "atlas"-like straps, Outdoor Vitals 15° over quilt, ENO Ember2 under quilt, REI Flash pad

Overnight low: 12.7°

Details: I used an extra atlas strap (NHO brand) as a make shift structural ridgeline, which helped get a good sag despite the rather long distance between trees. It was my first time using a tarp and I wasn't sure how to best string it up; in the end I looped the quick adjusters through the grommets and tied to trees and tent pegs with a clove hitch. No precipitation expected but I rigged the tarp to break the wind. I slept in thin UA-knock offs from Costco, wool socks, and a cotton hooded sweatshirt... and I slept like a baby! Toasty (mostly) all night long.

Cons/changes: my ass cheaks got a little cold, the pad seemed to deflate a little and my butt definitely had the highest PSI of the lay, creating an uninsulated cold spot. I will try with more sag, more air in the pad, and double-wide hammock so I can get a better diagonal lay. I may also revert to (or maybe just double up) and use my foam pad (which is bulkier than and doesn't have the R value of the REI pad, but I won't have to worry about cold spots). "Shoulder wings" may have helped a little but rolling on my side solved the butt problem and got my shoulders warmer.

But those hiccups were minor and I have great confidence in my gear to make it comfortably through a very cold night.

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Ditch the pad and get one of the windshield visor setups, or the Hennessy bubble pad. I would recommend looking at a continuous ridgeline as suggested by Derek.
CR
I did it a little differently. I ran the ridgeline through the triangle tie outs and clip them back onto the same triangles. I don't lose the line and I can find them easy when I'm ready to setup.

Posted: 3/20/2018 7:29:47 PM EDT

[#2]

Hey guys, I'm a newb to hammock camping and I have a question I'm hoping someone could help me with.

I'm going to be spending my first night in my Twisted Root double hammock coming up and I anticipate it being pretty chilly. Ill preface my question by saying my truck will be readily accessible, and the hammock may even be slung from the ladder rack. So its really a great "dry run" heading into the camping season. It probably wont get lower than 20-25 degrees and there's a solid chance it'll be warmer, but IF it isn't . .

Both because we are coming out of winter, and because I'm short on time to do my homework and make a good decision, I don't want to purchase an under-quilt at the moment. I have a Twisted Root over-quilt I got with the hammock, and a good quality mummy sleeping bag. Would it be feasible to throw even a couple blankets down on the bottom of the hammock and that would cut it for the night? Weight isn't an issue since the truck is with me. I understand how compression devalues the insulation but I'm hoping I could just get it thick enough by adding a another blanket or two as necessary. Or would they just bunch up and slide around etc?

Its an annual thing and takes place in April, like halfway through spring. But the three years I've been doing it, it has snowed and freezing rained somehow. Its got to be a one in a billion chance it snows for the fourth year in a row but I want to be ready anyways.

I haven't had a chance to go down the rabbit hole that is researching hammock camping gear, but at a first glance I'm liking the concept of a cocoon as opposed to just an under-quilt. Does anybody have any experience or thoughts on this Snugpak Hammock Cocoon, or any other cocoon type gear?

Posted: 3/20/2018 7:32:23 PM EDT

[#3]

Quote History

Quoted:

Ditch the pad and get one of the windshield visor setups

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I've heard this mentioned a couple times, its really that effective that youd recommend it over a pad? Is it because you don't need to pad to "soften the ground" and you're just looking for the thermal properties?

Posted: 3/20/2018 8:42:18 PM EDT

[#4]

Quote History

Quoted:
Hey guys, I'm a newb to hammock camping and I have a question I'm hoping someone could help me with.

I'm going to be spending my first night in my Twisted Root double hammock coming up and I anticipate it being pretty chilly. Ill preface my question by saying my truck will be readily accessible, and the hammock may even be slung from the ladder rack. So its really a great "dry run" heading into the camping season. It probably wont get lower than 20-25 degrees and there's a solid chance it'll be warmer, but IF it isn't . .

Both because we are coming out of winter, and because I'm short on time to do my homework and make a good decision, I don't want to purchase an under-quilt at the moment. I have a Twisted Root over-quilt I got with the hammock, and a good quality mummy sleeping bag. Would it be feasible to throw even a couple blankets down on the bottom of the hammock and that would cut it for the night? Weight isn't an issue since the truck is with me. I understand how compression devalues the insulation but I'm hoping I could just get it thick enough by adding a another blanket or two as necessary. Or would they just bunch up and slide around etc?

Its an annual thing and takes place in April, like halfway through spring. But the three years I've been doing it, it has snowed and freezing rained somehow. Its got to be a one in a billion chance it snows for the fourth year in a row but I want to be ready anyways.

I haven't had a chance to go down the rabbit hole that is researching hammock camping gear, but at a first glance I'm liking the concept of a cocoon as opposed to just an under-quilt. Does anybody have any experience or thoughts on this Snugpak Hammock Cocoon, or any other cocoon type gear?

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Quote History

Quoted:
Hey guys, I'm a newb to hammock camping and I have a question I'm hoping someone could help me with.

I'm going to be spending my first night in my Twisted Root double hammock coming up and I anticipate it being pretty chilly. Ill preface my question by saying my truck will be readily accessible, and the hammock may even be slung from the ladder rack. So its really a great "dry run" heading into the camping season. It probably wont get lower than 20-25 degrees and there's a solid chance it'll be warmer, but IF it isn't . .

Both because we are coming out of winter, and because I'm short on time to do my homework and make a good decision, I don't want to purchase an under-quilt at the moment. I have a Twisted Root over-quilt I got with the hammock, and a good quality mummy sleeping bag. Would it be feasible to throw even a couple blankets down on the bottom of the hammock and that would cut it for the night? Weight isn't an issue since the truck is with me. I understand how compression devalues the insulation but I'm hoping I could just get it thick enough by adding a another blanket or two as necessary. Or would they just bunch up and slide around etc?

Its an annual thing and takes place in April, like halfway through spring. But the three years I've been doing it, it has snowed and freezing rained somehow. Its got to be a one in a billion chance it snows for the fourth year in a row but I want to be ready anyways.

I haven't had a chance to go down the rabbit hole that is researching hammock camping gear, but at a first glance I'm liking the concept of a cocoon as opposed to just an under-quilt. Does anybody have any experience or thoughts on this Snugpak Hammock Cocoon, or any other cocoon type gear?

I'm not familiar with either of your options, but I would check the size of both. A double hammock might be too large, and hang lower than the snugpack can adjust. If you do get it, buy one of the emergency space blankets to put between the cocoon and hammock body. It helps reflect heat and provides a moisture barrier if the cocoon gets wet. As far as the mummy bag and overquilt, make sure they're rated down to the lowest expected temp. I used the patrol bag from a .mil sleep system the last time I went. I about froze. The bottom of my hammock was fine, but the air crept in from the top and made it unbearable. It only got down to 41, but my feet were freezing. While we're on that subject, most people recommend a nalgene bottle full of hot water to put at your feet.

Quoted:

Quoted:

Ditch the pad and get one of the windshield visor setups

I've heard this mentioned a couple times, its really that effective that youd recommend it over a pad? Is it because you don't need to pad to "soften the ground" and you're just looking for the thermal properties?

Absolutely. The air under the hammock will keep the hammock material at the outside temp. That's too close for comfort for me. I have used an actual car visor, before I got the Hennessy bubble pad, and it worked. It didn't cover all of my shoulder area, but it sold me on the bubble pad. They can be a pain if you don't have anchor points in the hammock and on the pad though.

Posted: 3/21/2018 3:55:08 AM EDT

[#5]

I really did not do well in thermodynamics.

I have just spent more time reading about radiant barriers than I really should have; they work by reflecting back IR heat but do little to nothing for conductive / convective loss. It seems that convection is what we are most worried about, being suspended in air.

I re-reviewed some Shug videos and found reflectix at Home Depot, but not at the width/price I wanted. Hennesey Bubble pad is only $35, but I also see this REI Space Blanket for $17 which would largely do the same thing -- could probably even hang the space blanket between my hammock and under quilt. I still like the idea of a camp pad to give the hammock some form while I lay in it, so... I don't know. Guess I really just need more hang time to figure out what is best.

With hammocking working so well for me in a variety of conditions I'm a little less wary about spending money on good gear, so my first stop should probably be a real under quilt.

ETA I also just realized that the hammock I used over the weekend was the smallest I have at 9' flat, and I remembered I bought it as a cheap option for the kids -- so getting a flat diagonal lay was probably not happening, hence the torso bend/compressed butt insulation. Maybe. Who knows. Just need to test more.

Posted: 3/21/2018 8:30:46 AM EDT

[#6]

Quote History

Quoted:

I'm not familiar with either of your options, but I would check the size of both. A double hammock might be too large, and hang lower than the snugpack can adjust. If you do get it, buy one of the emergency space blankets to put between the cocoon and hammock body. It helps reflect heat and provides a moisture barrier if the cocoon gets wet. As far as the mummy bag and overquilt, make sure they're rated down to the lowest expected temp. I used the patrol bag from a .mil sleep system the last time I went. I about froze. The bottom of my hammock was fine, but the air crept in from the top and made it unbearable. It only got down to 41, but my feet were freezing. While we're on that subject, most people recommend a nalgene bottle full of hot water to put at your feet.

Absolutely. The air under the hammock will keep the hammock material at the outside temp. That's too close for comfort for me. I have used an actual car visor, before I got the Hennessy bubble pad, and it worked. It didn't cover all of my shoulder area, but it sold me on the bubble pad. They can be a pain if you don't have anchor points in the hammock and on the pad though.

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Thanks for the reply and input!

Posted: 3/21/2018 2:38:59 PM EDT

[#7]

Quote History

Quoted:
I really did not do well in thermodynamics.

I have just spent more time reading about radiant barriers than I really should have; they work by reflecting back IR heat but do little to nothing for conductive / convective loss. It seems that convection is what we are most worried about, being suspended in air.

I re-reviewed some Shug videos and found reflectix at Home Depot, but not at the width/price I wanted. Hennesey Bubble pad is only $35, but I also see this REI Space Blanket for $17 which would largely do the same thing -- could probably even hang the space blanket between my hammock and under quilt. I still like the idea of a camp pad to give the hammock some form while I lay in it, so... I don't know. Guess I really just need more hang time to figure out what is best.

With hammocking working so well for me in a variety of conditions I'm a little less wary about spending money on good gear, so my first stop should probably be a real under quilt.

ETA I also just realized that the hammock I used over the weekend was the smallest I have at 9' flat, and I remembered I bought it as a cheap option for the kids -- so getting a flat diagonal lay was probably not happening, hence the torso bend/compressed butt insulation. Maybe. Who knows. Just need to test more.

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The space blanket you linked to looks good, but the bubble pad has dead air between the outer layers. You can catch the "ugly but usable" sales. I got one for $25 when Hennessy had their sale. You could also get one from thE Bay. It will not compress down as far as the space blanket though.

9 foot hammocks are too small for me, and I'm fairly short. The Hennessy Scout(for the scouts) is 9.5 ft and meant for people up to my height(5'7"). I can't test it since I'm almost 50# over the weight limit. If you were close enough, I'd be more than glad to let you try different sizes/options.

Posted: 3/21/2018 9:41:00 PM EDT

[#8]

Just got this emailed to me. I think it would be a great top quilt for Temps 40 -50°. And you damn sure can't beat the price.
https://outdoorvitals.com/collections/clearance/products/lofttek-30-degree-ultralight-backpacking-topquilt

Posted: 3/21/2018 10:16:19 PM EDT

[#9]

Quote History

Quoted:
The space blanket you linked to looks good, but the bubble pad has dead air between the outer layers. You can catch the "ugly but usable" sales. I got one for $25 when Hennessy had their sale. You could also get one from thE Bay. It will not compress down as far as the space blanket though.

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Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
I really did not do well in thermodynamics.

I have just spent more time reading about radiant barriers than I really should have; they work by reflecting back IR heat but do little to nothing for conductive / convective loss. It seems that convection is what we are most worried about, being suspended in air.

I re-reviewed some Shug videos and found reflectix at Home Depot, but not at the width/price I wanted. Hennesey Bubble pad is only $35, but I also see this REI Space Blanket for $17 which would largely do the same thing -- could probably even hang the space blanket between my hammock and under quilt. I still like the idea of a camp pad to give the hammock some form while I lay in it, so... I don't know. Guess I really just need more hang time to figure out what is best.

With hammocking working so well for me in a variety of conditions I'm a little less wary about spending money on good gear, so my first stop should probably be a real under quilt.

ETA I also just realized that the hammock I used over the weekend was the smallest I have at 9' flat, and I remembered I bought it as a cheap option for the kids -- so getting a flat diagonal lay was probably not happening, hence the torso bend/compressed butt insulation. Maybe. Who knows. Just need to test more.

The space blanket you linked to looks good, but the bubble pad has dead air between the outer layers. You can catch the "ugly but usable" sales. I got one for $25 when Hennessy had their sale. You could also get one from thE Bay. It will not compress down as far as the space blanket though.

There is a product out there made from reflexcell, that would work similar to the snug pack cocoon.
Several people talk about it on hammock forums.It's called a blizzard survival tube.
https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/showthread.php/29189-Blizzard-Survival-tube-test
Here is a link to the product.http://www.survivalmetrics.com/store/Item/id-blizzard-sleeping-bag-bivvy-hypothermia?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIkLO_8-v-2QIVFoGzCh2ahQ12EAQYASABEgJ2n_D_BwE
Ive never used this. I just ran across it and am just throwing this out there.

Posted: 3/22/2018 9:27:00 AM EDT

[#10]

Quote History

Quoted:
Just got this emailed to me. I think it would be a great top quilt for Temps 40 -50. And you damn sure can't beat the price.
https://outdoorvitals.com/collections/clearance/products/lofttek-30-degree-ultralight-backpacking-topquilt

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I saw these in my research but reviews were mixed. A lot of complaints about the zipper.

Anyone have any real life experience with them?

Posted: 3/22/2018 2:00:00 PM EDT

[#11]

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Quoted:
I saw these in my research but reviews were mixed. A lot of complaints about the zipper.

Anyone have any real life experience with them?

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These are top quilts not the sleeping bags. There arent any zippers just the footbox and the straps with the connectors.
I have the 15° version and am pleased with it. Ive only had it down to the mid 30s.I think Why TanFox bought one as well.

Posted: 3/22/2018 4:29:57 PM EDT

[#12]

Quote History

Quoted:
I saw these in my research but reviews were mixed. A lot of complaints about the zipper.

Anyone have any real life experience with them?

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0705 Sunday morning. Inside temp was between my hoodie and the Outdoor Vitals 15° top quilt. Later I checked the over night low and it was 12.7°. I was impressed and would buy another 15° quilt from OV in a heart beat.

That said, because of the baffle / cold spot issue on this 30° quilt I am passing on it... sure it's a deal, but I wouldn't spend the money on something with a known performance issue. Maybe buy two of them and stich them together so the baffles overlap the stitching seams? I don't know, but it is not cheap enough for me to make a project out of.

Posted: 3/23/2018 12:21:32 AM EDT

[#13]

I changed up my hang a bit. I hung the hammock up on a structural ridgline. I used two descender rings one at each end of the hammock, so I can adjust the sag in the hammock.Got about an hour nap in it. It was a noticably flatter hang with alot less shoulder pinch.Also my knees didnt ache from the hyperextension Ive experienced in the past. All in all a good day.

Posted: 3/24/2018 4:06:12 AM EDT

[#14]

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Good to hear. BigDaddy from the ARF Ham forum just got the same quilt a little over a week ago. He was laying in it while talking to us on the Friday night net.

He said it was in the 20's and there was frost on the tarp and on the ground. He kept saying how warm he was. But now that I am thinking about it, he was drinking goldschlager so that might have skewed his quilt report.

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Hey Scooter!

Yep, the HammockGear Burrow top quilt and Incubator under quilt, both the Econ 20° versions, are very nice and toasty. Even without the schnapps!

Posted: 3/24/2018 7:56:30 AM EDT

[#15]

Quote History

Quoted:

Hey Scooter!

Yep, the HammockGear Burrow top quilt and Incubator under quilt, both the Econ 20° versions, are very nice and toasty. Even without the schnapps!

https://i.imgur.com/XhX79OW.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/cmb1A0m.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ii9picD.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Jp2VvGD.jpg

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I cant get over how incredibly comfy that looks.

Posted: 3/24/2018 10:49:41 AM EDT

[#16]

Quote History

Quoted:

Hey Scooter!

Yep, the HammockGear Burrow top quilt and Incubator under quilt, both the Econ 20° versions, are very nice and toasty. Even without the schnapps!

https://i.imgur.com/XhX79OW.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/cmb1A0m.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ii9picD.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Jp2VvGD.jpg

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That's a nice rig! 2QZQ Mod?

Posted: 3/24/2018 11:23:34 AM EDT

[#17]

I've had a Burrow and Incubator for years and they're phenomenal. Excellent quilts and incredibly warm/comfy.

Posted: 3/24/2018 12:17:29 PM EDT

[#18]

Quote History

Quoted:
That's a nice rig! 2QZQ Mod?

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Thanks!

No, it's just a Hennessy Hammock Explorer Deluxe Asym Zip with the bug net unzipped and tied back with the shock cord near my right knee.

That hammock was a great bargain, $150 delivered.

Got my eye on a DutchWareGear Chameleon, which can be swapped around every which way, thus negating having to do the 2QZQ mods.
Scooter linked to it in his OP.

Posted: 3/24/2018 8:20:44 PM EDT

[#19]

***Public Service Announcement***

Snow is heavy. If you know a storm is coming, reconfigure your tarp so it does not accumulate the weight of wet snow on top of it. Pitch it at a great enough angle so that the snow slides off, instead of piling up. You can see in the first pic the snow has slid off the back side and piled up on the ground. I should have done the front side the same way.
Porch Mode is great for watching Mother Nature from the hammock, but Storm Mode would have been the better choice in this example.
I thought I had done this, and it work well enough for rain, which ran off at an angle. The 7" of wet snow was another matter, though.

The point of failure was the DutchWareGear Continuous Ridgeline for the tarp.

BEFORE

AFTER - The hammock/underquilt never did touch the ground.

Posted: 3/25/2018 1:31:05 PM EDT

[#20]

Wheres the best source to buy Amsteel?

Posted: 3/25/2018 4:04:02 PM EDT

[#21]

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Quoted:
Wheres the best source to buy Amsteel?

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Go down the Dutchware rabbit hole:

Dutch-rope

I play the " get to check out without spending a $100 ". With all of those tempting titanium bugs
I rarely win.

Litesmith might have the cord you need

Litesmith

Another site that putting together a $50 order to get the free shipping is easy enough
and when the box arrives it's like Christmas.

Zpacks
Antigravitygear
Reddit - hammockcaamping
Reddit - make your own gear

Posted: 3/25/2018 4:30:39 PM EDT

[#22]

Quote History

Quoted:
***Public Service Announcement***

Snow is heavy. If you know a storm is coming, reconfigure your tarp so it does not accumulate the weight of wet snow on top of it. Pitch it at a great enough angle so that the snow slides off, instead of piling up. You can see in the first pic the snow has slid off the back side and piled up on the ground. I should have done the front side the same way.
Porch Mode is great for watching Mother Nature from the hammock, but Storm Mode would have been the better choice in this example.
I thought I had done this, and it work well enough for rain, which ran off at an angle. The 7" of wet snow was another matter, though.

The point of failure was the DutchWareGear Continuous Ridgeline for the tarp.

BEFORE
https://i.imgur.com/4cjJSKS.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/48E9G1f.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/nU2meMF.jpg
AFTER
https://i.imgur.com/59uDbOX.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/JztEKGm.jpg

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Man I like the backyard hammock posts

As near as I can tell you tied things right. I just ordered a continuous ridgeline for my Superfly from Dutch
( I added a netless hammock because on sale )

This guy had wasp issues as well

Locking the wasp in place

Dutchware Continuous Ridgeline with Tato Tarp Connectors

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=golhsShXI1s

Posted: 3/25/2018 4:59:48 PM EDT

[#23]

BD, don't you leave that Zing It up full time? If so, maybe the sun deteriorated it and weakened it a bit.

Posted: 3/25/2018 5:18:46 PM EDT

[#24]

Quoted:

Man I like the backyard hammock posts

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Thanks, no_1!

Quoted:
BD, don't you leave that Zing It up full time? If so, maybe the sun deteriorated it and weakened it a bit.

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Yes, the Continuous Ridgeline, made with the yellow Zing-It, is up full time in the yard. That might have had something to do with the failure.
I think the heavy snow was the main cause. That much snow in a couple of hours was just too much weight. How'd you like to carry me around for that long?!

Posted: 3/25/2018 9:52:29 PM EDT

[#25]

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While other people seem to be successful with that I can't do it in cold weather. No matter how much I fiddle-fuck trying to fit underquilts to the asym-lay hammocks I end up awake at 3 or 4AM with my shoulder and feet completely frozen and the rest of me cold. The quilt always pops off my shoulder and feet and then leaves gaps where the heat all escapes. I have a WBBB and I love the comfort for afternoon sleeping, but I just can't stay warm without using a pad in that thing.

I ended up back in my Clark with Z-Liner. What I really want is a down underquilt made like the Z-Liner so that it Velcro's to the edges and stays put better than the stupid bungee cord suspension systems do. Nobody makes it and I can't sew for shit.

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Quoted:

Quoted:

For an extra $3, i'd go with the double. The reason being that the wider the hammock, the flatter the lay you can get. You actually sleep on an diagonal like this:

https://i0.wp.com/scoutingmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/HammockSleepDiagonal.jpg?ssl=1

So that way, you have more material where your feet/head will be(which helps when you are above 6 ft. You might need to find a longer hammock in the future, but i would think you will probably be ok with the wide model. And no, i wouldn't try to sleep two people in a hammock. Not overnight at least. For an afternoon nap or something? Maybe. Just getting in and out for bathroom trips at 3am would be a mess.

While other people seem to be successful with that I can't do it in cold weather. No matter how much I fiddle-fuck trying to fit underquilts to the asym-lay hammocks I end up awake at 3 or 4AM with my shoulder and feet completely frozen and the rest of me cold. The quilt always pops off my shoulder and feet and then leaves gaps where the heat all escapes. I have a WBBB and I love the comfort for afternoon sleeping, but I just can't stay warm without using a pad in that thing.

I ended up back in my Clark with Z-Liner. What I really want is a down underquilt made like the Z-Liner so that it Velcro's to the edges and stays put better than the stupid bungee cord suspension systems do. Nobody makes it and I can't sew for shit.

What brand underquilt did you try with the WBBB that wasn't working?

Posted: 3/25/2018 10:32:54 PM EDT

[#26]

Quote History

Quoted:
***Public Service Announcement***

Snow is heavy. If you know a storm is coming, reconfigure your tarp so it does not accumulate the weight of wet snow on top of it. Pitch it at a great enough angle so that the snow slides off, instead of piling up. You can see in the first pic the snow has slid off the back side and piled up on the ground. I should have done the front side the same way.
Porch Mode is great for watching Mother Nature from the hammock, but Storm Mode would have been the better choice in this example.
I thought I had done this, and it work well enough for rain, which ran off at an angle. The 7" of wet snow was another matter, though.

The point of failure was the DutchWareGear Continuous Ridgeline for the tarp.

BEFORE
https://i.imgur.com/4cjJSKS.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/48E9G1f.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/nU2meMF.jpg
AFTER
https://i.imgur.com/59uDbOX.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/JztEKGm.jpg

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Are you saying the snow broke your zingit ridgeline?

ETA: should have read further. Wow, never broken zingit or lashit before.

Posted: 3/25/2018 10:54:08 PM EDT

[#27]

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Quoted:
Wheres the best source to buy Amsteel?

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I usually buy mine from this guy. he's pretty reasonable and shipping is cheap.
https://www.ebay.com/usr/gotrope?_trksid=p2047675.l2559

Posted: 3/26/2018 7:59:05 AM EDT

[#28]

The Rabbit Hole This is where I get most of my supplies, including zing-it and amsteel.

Posted: 3/26/2018 4:24:20 PM EDT

[#29]

Quote History

Quoted:

Go down the Dutchware rabbit hole:

Dutch-rope

I play the " get to check out without spending a $100 ". With all of those tempting titanium bugs
I rarely win.

Litesmith might have the cord you need

Litesmith

Another site that putting together a $50 order to get the free shipping is easy enough
and when the box arrives it's like Christmas.

Zpacks
Antigravitygear
Reddit - hammockcaamping
Reddit - make your own gear

View Quote

I ended up ordering from Dutchware because he had the webbing. I have the following coming and I think I should be pretty well set up.

(2) 16' woven webbing straps (for tree hugging & suspension)
50' of 1/8" Amsteel (for the ridge lines)
50' of 7/64" Amsteel (for tarp tie outs)
splicing needle

Posted: 3/26/2018 4:26:18 PM EDT

[#30]

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Quoted:
The Rabbit Hole This is where I get most of my supplies, including zing-it and amsteel.

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This store is awesome. I think I'm definitely going to try and DIY a tarp with silnylon from here. To make it even more appealing to me, they also carry Kydex which I use for all sorts of stuff and order regularly from knifekits.com. Itll be nice to get both materials from one source.

Posted: 3/26/2018 8:33:07 PM EDT

[#31]

It's Alive!

Minor Tarp Damage From Train Wreck

Posted: 3/31/2018 10:37:28 AM EDT

[#32]

How long should the friction sleeve be on a whoopie sling made with 1/8" amsteel? Is there a sweet spot? Or is it possible to be too long?

I'm about to make my first one but nobody addresses that length in any DIYs I can find. I was planning to go 16" to be safe but now I'm wondering if thats too long . .

Posted: 3/31/2018 10:42:43 AM EDT

[#33]

Quote History

Quoted:
How long should the friction sleeve be on a whoopie sling made with 1/8" amsteel? Is there a sweet spot? Or is it possible to be too long?

I'm about to make my first one but nobody addresses that length in any DIYs I can find. I was planning to go 16" to be safe but now I'm wondering if thats too long . .

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My rule of thumb was 10" and I've never had a failure. Here's a tip for Amsteel. The best thing I've found for cutting it is a ceramic knife. imho nothing else works as well.

I've almost always gotten my Amsteel from Redden Marine (now LFS). http://www.lfsmarineoutdoor.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=amsteel&order=relevance&dir=desc&x=0&y=0

If you have a West Marine nearby, they also carry it. They don't carry 1/8" in the store but it's in the warehouse and usually only takes a couple of days to arrive.

Posted: 3/31/2018 11:32:12 AM EDT

[#34]

Thanks! I went with 12”.

I don’t know what I’m doing with hammocks yet and I have a couple different ones so I wanted to make this big/small enough to handle everything I might run into. I’ll use this to dial in m hang on different hammocks and will eventually make fixed ridgelines for them, but this should get me there.

I did two things I haven’t seen in any of the DIYs. First, instead of a termination on the pull end I did another Brummel lock splice. I did this for a couple reasons; I wanted to practice; Incase my fingers were cold; I made the whoopie very long and I wanted to be able to clip the end up either by threading the ridge line through it or by hooking it to the carabiner. However it gets accomplished, I just didn’t want it hanging down to the ground or in the hammock.

I saw some people put beads or nuts on the whoopie loop side to prevent it from being able to close on itself. I just put a knot at the minimum size I wanted the loop to be. The knot prevents the loop from closing and getting pulled inside the friction sleeve

The whoopie can go from 7’8” up to about 10’. I was actually surprised how easy it was, I was anticipating it being much more complicated for some reason.

My leaherman knife is always stupid sharp and had no problem with the rope.

Attached File

Posted: 3/31/2018 2:20:54 PM EDT

[#35]

Quote History

Quoted:
Thanks! I went with 12”.

I don’t know what I’m doing with hammocks yet and I have a couple different ones so I wanted to make this big/small enough to handle everything I might run into. I’ll use this to dial in m hang on different hammocks and will eventually make fixed ridgelines for them, but this should get me there.

I did two things I haven’t seen in any of the DIYs. First, instead of a termination on the pull end I did another Brummel lock splice. I did this for a couple reasons; I wanted to practice; Incase my fingers were cold; I made the whoopie very long and I wanted to be able to clip the end up either by threading the ridge line through it or by hooking it to the carabiner. However it gets accomplished, I just didn’t want it hanging down to the ground or in the hammock.

I saw some people put beads or nuts on the whoopie loop side to prevent it from being able to close on itself. I just put a knot at the minimum size I wanted the loop to be. The knot prevents the loop from closing and getting pulled inside the friction sleeve

The whoopie can go from 7’8” up to about 10’. I was actually surprised how easy it was, I was anticipating it being much more complicated for some reason.

My leaherman knife is always stupid sharp and had no problem with the rope.

https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/252780/25CC664E-36CC-4466-8192-DF0B2DA0904E-500139.JPG
https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/252780/697832D5-C75F-4C1F-941E-ECC002BF8BF0-500141.JPG

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Nice addition with the loop end. I use a dutch whoopie hook, so the bead isn't needed in my case. The 10" seems to be standard, and I haven't had a problem with it. If you're looking for complicated, try splicing with Zing-it.

Posted: 3/31/2018 4:51:26 PM EDT

[#36]

Posting from my hammock.

I made a couple continuous loops for the centerline of the tarp to the ridge line. I had plastic buckles laying around so I incorporated those and I like it so far.

Thereisnospoon gave me this tarp a long time ago for my ghb, it’s obviously not large enough but it gave me some practice. I didn’t want to order one until I knew I was going to pursue this route, but I fucking love it. I don’t even want to get out.

It’s a balmy mid fifties for my area right now and I can definitely feel how your back feels the breeze and gets cold very fast. Granted I’m just wearing jeans and a flannel, but it is starkly noticeable compared to how warm my front is.

Attached File

Posted: 3/31/2018 4:52:26 PM EDT

[#37]

Attached File

Posted: 3/31/2018 6:24:22 PM EDT

[#38]

Today is the last day for Hennessy's SilNylon Hex Fly sale.

Posted: 3/31/2018 9:00:28 PM EDT

[#39]

Quote History

Quoted:

Nice addition with the loop end. I use a dutch whoopie hook, so the bead isn't needed in my case. The 10" seems to be standard, and I haven't had a problem with it. If you're looking for complicated, try splicing with Zing-it.

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Thanks. Sorry, I missed this post earlier. I keep seeing people (here and on other forums/reviews etc) talking about zing-it but on the surface I cant find any advantages over alternatives. Whats the appeal to it?

I didn't want to spend that much money on one but that tarp you linked is very tempting.

I also want to focus on ditching the carabiners and the bulky gathering rope the hammock came with. Is there any reason not to just make a continuous loop out of 1/8" amsteel for the gathering rope?

And I've got to make some drip lines, too.

Is there anything else anybody sees that I'm missing or should address before I get out in the woods?

ETA: I'm thinking about this tarp to begin with. I like everything except the name. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073V9GQTS/ref=ox_sc_act_image_2?smid=AXTMOGA906HCE&psc=1

Posted: 3/31/2018 10:23:34 PM EDT

[#40]

Zing-it is the same as Amsteel but much narrower. I believe it's 7/64" and will make you want to kick a puppy. It's not rated enough to be load bearing but it's great for a CRL. Lash-It is another similar product. They're both used by arborists as throw lines.

One thing I don't like is Dyneema. It's very slick and I didn't like how it seemed to get messed up very easily.

I used to give hammock demos so I'll try to keep an eye on the thread if anyone has specific questions.

Posted: 3/31/2018 11:09:05 PM EDT

[#41]

Quote History

Quoted:

Thanks. Sorry, I missed this post earlier. I keep seeing people (here and on other forums/reviews etc) talking about zing-it but on the surface I cant find any advantages over alternatives. Whats the appeal to it?

I didn't want to spend that much money on one but that tarp you linked is very tempting.

I also want to focus on ditching the carabiners and the bulky gathering rope the hammock came with. Is there any reason not to just make a continuous loop out of 1/8" amsteel for the gathering rope?

And I've got to make some drip lines, too.

Is there anything else anybody sees that I'm missing or should address before I get out in the woods?

ETA: I'm thinking about this tarp to begin with. I like everything except the name. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073V9GQTS/ref=ox_sc_act_image_2?smid=AXTMOGA906HCE&psc=1

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I use zing-it for making prussic knots on amsteel. You generally need a smaller diameter for your prussics. I made a necklace for my kid with it, and taught him some curse words in the process.

I did see where a person used the zing-it larks headed for drip lines, and I'm stealing that idea.
I use carabiners between the tree huggers and whoopies. I could skip the biners and larks head it, but I use the biner to tie up all of the loops before I stuff the hammock into it's sack.
As far as the tarp you posted, I think it's an awesome idea. Being able to change the way it lays it cool, but I've stuck with the Hennessy stuff so far.

Posted: 4/1/2018 3:09:54 PM EDT

[#42]

Took a two hour post-Easter-meal hammock nap in 40°. Warm and cozy!

Then saw tonight's forecast, "Easter Sunday: Record snow possible". So I "battened down the hatches" on the tarp and hopefully the snow will slide off rather than pile up!

Posted: 4/1/2018 10:08:22 PM EDT

[#43]

@BigDaddy0004

Care to share info on your posts (materials, depth, etc.)?

Posted: 4/1/2018 10:36:50 PM EDT

[#44]

Quote History

Quoted:
@BigDaddy0004

Care to share info on your posts (materials, depth, etc.)?

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Sure thing, WhyTanFox. The posts are 6"X 6"X 10' long pressure treated pine from Lowes. I used 10' instead of 8' because I wanted the above ground length about 7'. They're buried 3' and cemented in with 1 bag of concrete each. I was going to do the alternating levels of soil and stone instead of cement, but I took the easy way out and hired a handyman from Home Advisor. I recently traded my truck for a Mini Cooper, so that had a lot to do with it! Total cost was about $120 and all I did was show him where I wanted them placed. I did pay attention to the positioning to keep the backside facing southwest, which is the direction most of the bad weather comes from. Mine are spaced 20' apart.

BD

Posted: 4/1/2018 10:48:31 PM EDT

[#45]

The snow is still coming down, but the increased pitch worked like I thought it would. It slid off both sides.

Posted: 4/1/2018 11:33:31 PM EDT

[#46]

Quote History

Quoted:
The snow is still coming down, but the increased pitch worked like I thought it would. It slid off both sides.

https://i.imgur.com/jPJoAN3.jpg

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Good deal. Thats a sweet set up.

Posted: 4/2/2018 1:04:21 AM EDT

[#47]

Quote History

Quoted:
The snow is still coming down, but the increased pitch worked like I thought it would. It slid off both sides.

https://i.imgur.com/jPJoAN3.jpg

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Glad the new pitch worked, and thanks for the specs!

Posted: 4/2/2018 9:27:46 PM EDT

[#48]

Today I removed the bulky stock rope at the gathered ends and replaced it with continuous loops of 1/8" amsteel.

I also crafted up 6 soft shackles and they weren't as hard as I thought they would be. By the third one I probably had it down to about 7 minutes per. The diamond knot at the end was kind of a mind fuck trying to figure out for the first time but once it clicked it was a breeze.

And now I'm out of Amsteel.

I'm wrestling with some thoughts while trying to buy in to the hammock ideology. It seems it may be lighter than tent camping but I am finding that, while the components can be lighter, it definitely takes up more pack space. And organizing all this cordage in a readily deploy-able manner seems like it might get challenging (OCD organizational). I'm feeling like I can't have enough cordage with me. I have my set up pretty well done I think at this point, but I cant help but feel I need at least an equal amount of back up cordage, too.

Posted: 4/2/2018 9:49:10 PM EDT

[#49]

Quote History

Quoted:
I'm wrestling with some thoughts while trying to buy in to the hammock ideology. It seems it may be lighter than tent camping but I am finding that, while the components can be lighter, it definitely takes up more pack space.

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I was attracted to hammocks as a lighter, less expensive way to backpack.

Boy, was I wrong.

... but now I am getting the most comfortable sleep ever, and while I need to finding a couple of trees (not hard in the Northeast) I don't have to worry about finding suitable tent space.

Posted: 4/2/2018 10:04:58 PM EDT

[#50]

Quote History

Quoted:

I was attracted to hammocks as a lighter, less expensive way to backpack.

Boy, was I wrong.

... but now I am getting the most comfortable sleep ever, and while I need to finding a couple of trees (not hard in the Northeast) I don't have to worry about finding suitable tent space.

View Quote

Honestly I think that is worth any added weight and cost. The only thing I hated about camping in the woods was finding a flat spot with relatively few roots, and trying to clear it of ground growth and rocks etc. Only to lay down and still end up with a fucking nub or something in your back. And keeping water out of it rains.

The more I get into it (hammock) the less I can imagine doing it any other way.

I’m only 32 and while mildly out of shape I’m still very active physically. I’m happy to trade some weight for money right at this stage, especially while I experiment and I’m certain make some mistakes. All said and done I’m into a hammock/tarp/overquilt/cordage for less than $100 so far.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Hammock Thread!! :-) (Page 3 of 4)

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