Trad Gang
Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: Alvey on March 19, 2016, 08:55:00 PM
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Hi All,
Wanting to buy a hammock for backpacking what are the trad hunters backpackers using? want a bug net and rain fly.
Leaning toward a Hennessy .
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Had one and I liked it a lot. Get the zip model, dramatically easier to get into. I upgraded the suspension to "whoopee slings" and thought it was well worth the price. Ended up going back to the ground just because I found a Top and bottom quilt bulky to carry. Would still like to add another to the arsenal.
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We had a young fellow that tagged along on a canoe trip with one of those with the rain fly. It rained and got very cold and so did he. We had a 9x9 Egyptian canvas Baker tent with the front side wings and a front light weight closure. The first thing he wanted to change close in our tent, no one likes to get up to change clothes in the rain. When it got colder, we let him use the 3/4 self inflating pad that my cocker spaniel slept on in the front half of our ten, which meant that the dog insisted on sleeping behind my legs on my full sized mat. It was a relief when the weather cleared and he could go back to his hammock. Some people can sleep all night on their backs in them and wake up fine. I am not one of those, I sleep on my side, get up to pee, then sleep on my other side.
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Check out Dutchware gear. They have everything you need for lightweight hanging in the cold or rain.
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Hammock Bliss makes a great set up, and affordable.
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"Leaning toward a Hennessy"
Brilliant units! I've spent a lot of nights in mine - most of it in bad weather, snow, rain, wind etc..
To sleep warm put a closed cell foam pad on the hammock underneath you. I use a down mummy bag opened up like a duvet over top of me.
Leave your footwear directly under the hammock where it won't get wet or full of snow. To dress in the morning simply stand up through the slit in the hammock and don clothing under the dry comfort of the hammock's fly. I suspect the young fellow in pavan's post wasn't far enough along the learning curve to enjoy what his hammock had to offer him.
(http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z130/Greg_M_/archery/hh2_zps9ssdcjxa.jpg) (http://s194.photobucket.com/user/Greg_M_/media/archery/hh2_zps9ssdcjxa.jpg.html)
(http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z130/Greg_M_/archery/hh1_zpsdtfpwvat.jpg) (http://s194.photobucket.com/user/Greg_M_/media/archery/hh1_zpsdtfpwvat.jpg.html)
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I've outfitted my entire family with a flock of Warbonnet Blackbirds. We all love them! Everything about the design is well thought out, from the footbox to the gear shelf. I especially like the previous style with less mesh and a slightly different cut. I use web strap suspensions with either carabiners or Dutch clips, since they make setup so easy. Over them, I use various silnylon tarps from Warbonnet and Outdoor Equipment Supplier (OES), suspended by Dyneema lines at each end with titanium hardware by Dutch Gear. I plan on trying a silpoly version from Underground Quilts (UGQ) soon, as well. For insulation, I use down underquilts and topquilts from UGQ and Hammock Gear. I don't care for pads as much, but I do use them when my whole family camps since I don't have enough quilts to go around and to supplement an underquilt in bitter cold. The quilts are extremely comfortable and keep you very warm. FYI, you'll need some type of bottom insulation from around 70* and below.
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Thanks for the reply Guys.Adam I was looking at the war bonnets ,little more then I wanted to spent on a hammock.
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Alvey, I have a Hennessey, too, but prefer the Warbonnets. My advise with a Hennessey would be to get one with a side zip entry (instead of bottom). I'd also suggest replacing the rope suspension with a web and biner suspension. The ropes are a royal pain to adjust; having to tie, untie, and retie knots.
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The parachute teams that we fly around the country use eagle's nest outfitters hammocks... they string them up all over the cargo bay of the plane.
Only way to fly!!!
God Bless,
Rodd
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Have a Mosquito brand hammock with net and fly. Hung in rain, and so far down to 29 degrees with a foam matt under my bag. Plus Expedition weight polypro on inside 35 degree bag. No complaints.
:campfire: :coffee:
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I love my Eno, wont go on a hunt without it!
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I use a cheap Wally World one while I sag or Henessy. With right gear I have been comfortable bellow freezing.
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You may want to try an inexpensive hammock before sinking money in a good one and see if you can sleep all night in it on your back. Wish I had done that before buying a Hennessy--wound up giving it to my grandson. I can enjoy napping in my hammock at home on the porch but found they don't work at all for me for the night.
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Check out the Hammock Forum https://hammockforums.net/forum/content.php
These are guys really into hammocks. They have a sticky for newbys which is a link to Shug's series of videos. He's a wild and crazy guy, but really excellent guidance. Personally, I have a Clark Ultralight which has a bug net incorporated into it. I also use a ENO Double Nest and Hennesy hexfly for use when bugs are not an issue.
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I have a grand trunk skeeter beeter with a hennesy rain fly. Absolutely love it. Have used it on two elk hunts and numerous camping trip, probably 100+ nights in it. I use a sleeping pad inside my sleeping bag and have been fine down to 25F.
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make one they aint hard to make just buy rip stop and bug net buy a 10ft piece of rip stop nylon and the same of bug net. tie each end of the nylon then put the bug net around each end of the nylon so it all looks like a banana sew one side of the ripstop nylon and bug net together and leave the other side open on the open side sew velcro then you hop in and velcro up and don't forget to tie webbing straps on each end so that you can tie it to the trees it will be a lot cheaper and satisfying to know that you made it and it did not cost the earth. :thumbsup:
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Hammock's are very cool and I have camped in them, very comfortable. When it gets cold out or, I get wet and have things to dry out, I just light my wood stove in my tent !
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I have a Hennessy also and I like it for backpacking. Definitely look into the web and carabiner suspension setup. Much easier to set up and take down. It does take some practice to find the right tree distance and height to set up though. I have an underquilt as well to keep warm.
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The Clark NX250 (NX270 is the newer equivalent) is worth every penny. Outfitted with their underquilt it will keep you warm down below freezing. The Clark XL tarp will keep you dry even in driving rains. Definitely worth checking out. For me the biggest selling point of a hammock over tents is the comfort factor. Like everything else though, hammocks have their places where they work and places where they don't.
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+1 on dutchware and reading up on hammockforums. i have a Hennessy, ENO and Dutch hammock. I like the Dutch the best, He sells a fronkey bugnet that I also like. More importand than the hammock is a large silnylon tarp and a good underquilt. Arrowhead sells an afordable underquilt but I love my hammockgear 20 degree incubator underquilt. Hammock forums have group hangs pretty often; you can show up at one of those and try alot of things and learn more thatn you ever imagined. If you go with hennessy, get the larger hex fly, i have one and its great. I'llnever buy another ENO tarp. Hope that wasn't too much at once
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Thank All for the comments.
Did'nt make a decision yet, after putting some thought in it thinking about biting the bullet and going with Warbonnet.did I mention I love quality gear
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Went on a weekend hike on 4/1 on the Midstate trail in Bald Eagle stateforest here in pa.Got a good nights sleep both nights in my new war Bonnet hammock and edge tarp with the temps below freezing both nights. (http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z423/alvinmartindad/IMG_0574.jpg) (http://s1189.photobucket.com/user/alvinmartindad/media/IMG_0574.jpg.html)
Now I'm ready to carry my bow on some over night hunt trips.
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:clapper:
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Nice looking set up. I have an ENO single nest, bug net, and a Kelty 9x9 tarp. It's a little heavy but pretty much bullet proof. Sleeping position is comfortable but it sleeps a bit cold even in the summer months.
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IDK if this might help you or not, but I made a video of my setup preferences while backpacking last weekend. Not that this is the "right" way, but it works well for me, at least, after plenty of trial and error.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goSJ7_KT4vA
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Looks like a nice set-up.
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I'm really liking that Alvin!
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Adam,
That's a good video.I have the whoopy slings for the hammock and no hardware for the edge tarp I may end up changing some things by trial and error as I'm just getting started.
Thanks Mahantango,I'm chomping at the bit to get back out again .
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Very nice Alvey. Good informative thread.
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Way to go with the War Bonnet !!
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I have an ENO with a rain fly. I have a mosquito net that I can velcro from the rain fly to the bottom of the hammock. it works pretty well in the jungles here in hawaii. I don't really have to worry about getting cold here. But it keeps the swarms of mosquitos out really well!
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hammocks are great--if you have a selection of trees! we do not.
that said I once had an issued jungle hammock when I lived in NC, took some learning, but it was nice.
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My hammock with a bug net very much needed in South Louisiana.
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p191/Kip_album/DSCN1065-1.jpg) (http://s128.photobucket.com/user/Kip_album/media/DSCN1065-1.jpg.html)
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Do you have to sleep on your back in one of those? I'm a side sleeper and seems like that might be tough.
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Originally posted by SKITCH:
Do you have to sleep on your back in one of those? I'm a side sleeper and seems like that might be tough.
If you have an asymetric hammock and you sleep "crosswise", like you're supposed to (think corner to corner, not tree to tree), you're laying flat (not like a banana) and you can sleep in whatever position you like.
Hope this helps.
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