Well I got one. One of those butt freezing, bear burrito, back buster hipster slings. After one hiking trip where the ground was so strewn with rocks that it was nigh on impossible to find a tent pitch, having buddies extol the grandeur of hammock camping and watching too many hiking YouTube videos I bought a damn hammock...
But the wise words of @TangoBlue still echoed in my head, so I approached it warily.
So far with just a meager five nights in the thing it's been pretty good. Comfortable, easy set up and some good night sleep. So as one just getting into this latest rabbit hole I thought I'd start a thread for the hammock hangers here to share tips ideas and set-ups.
My set-up so far consists of a Warbonnet Eldorado hammock, 1.8 mil double layered. I'm utilizing the cam buckle slings and a pair of Ultimate Hammock carabiners. Super easy to hang and adjust. On the hammock loop I have a rain drop cord at each end.
After spending a couple nights without a place to put stuff (phone, knife and what not) I ordered a ridge line organizer from Hammock Gear. Multiple pockets on each side with a center opening for a water bottle or any other carried item. Works well, attaches with Velcro loops and can easily be slid back and forth along the ridge line.
For the first two nights I just used a sleeping pad. I was comfortable but you have to adjust the pad every time you flop. I flop a lot. So a search for an underquilt began. Damn these things get pricey and not knowing if I was going to stick this hammock thing out I wasn't wanting to drop almost $300 on one. A friend recommended a budget friendly one on Amazon that he really liked so I thought I'd give it a go. I bought a Onetigris under blanket (it's wider and a bit longer than their quilt) for under $70. Weighs in at 2 lbs, ripstop material with synthetic down and rated to 40* so it's a three season quilt. Using it for two nights where the temps dropped into the mid 40s I was toasty warm. I used my old Slumberjack sleeping bag as a top quilt and ended up kicking it half way off through the night. The extra width works well with the asymmetrical lay and head/foot box of the Warbonnet as the sides rest above my shoulders when I'm reclined in the hammock. Best brand, hell no, but it does the job well enough.
For rainfly I went with the Warbonnet Thunderfly. Olive in color and the 20D material. I like that you can either open or close up the ends for a little more rain and wind protection.
I find that I prefer a continuous ridge line for this over just guying out the ends. For that I utilize a carabiner that loops around tree and than I just use the obligatory truckers hitch for the other side. Simple and quick.
So far it's been pretty sweet in the hammock. Michelle has yet to try it but she's leaning that way too. Time will tell. So share your set-ups so we can borrow from each other's experiences with these damnable things.
But the wise words of @TangoBlue still echoed in my head, so I approached it warily.
So far with just a meager five nights in the thing it's been pretty good. Comfortable, easy set up and some good night sleep. So as one just getting into this latest rabbit hole I thought I'd start a thread for the hammock hangers here to share tips ideas and set-ups.
My set-up so far consists of a Warbonnet Eldorado hammock, 1.8 mil double layered. I'm utilizing the cam buckle slings and a pair of Ultimate Hammock carabiners. Super easy to hang and adjust. On the hammock loop I have a rain drop cord at each end.
After spending a couple nights without a place to put stuff (phone, knife and what not) I ordered a ridge line organizer from Hammock Gear. Multiple pockets on each side with a center opening for a water bottle or any other carried item. Works well, attaches with Velcro loops and can easily be slid back and forth along the ridge line.
For the first two nights I just used a sleeping pad. I was comfortable but you have to adjust the pad every time you flop. I flop a lot. So a search for an underquilt began. Damn these things get pricey and not knowing if I was going to stick this hammock thing out I wasn't wanting to drop almost $300 on one. A friend recommended a budget friendly one on Amazon that he really liked so I thought I'd give it a go. I bought a Onetigris under blanket (it's wider and a bit longer than their quilt) for under $70. Weighs in at 2 lbs, ripstop material with synthetic down and rated to 40* so it's a three season quilt. Using it for two nights where the temps dropped into the mid 40s I was toasty warm. I used my old Slumberjack sleeping bag as a top quilt and ended up kicking it half way off through the night. The extra width works well with the asymmetrical lay and head/foot box of the Warbonnet as the sides rest above my shoulders when I'm reclined in the hammock. Best brand, hell no, but it does the job well enough.
For rainfly I went with the Warbonnet Thunderfly. Olive in color and the 20D material. I like that you can either open or close up the ends for a little more rain and wind protection.
I find that I prefer a continuous ridge line for this over just guying out the ends. For that I utilize a carabiner that loops around tree and than I just use the obligatory truckers hitch for the other side. Simple and quick.
So far it's been pretty sweet in the hammock. Michelle has yet to try it but she's leaning that way too. Time will tell. So share your set-ups so we can borrow from each other's experiences with these damnable things.
