Dd Bivi

[jabbadahut]

Has any body used thier dd travel hammock on the ground as a bivi?
I am a bit concerned about the bottom rucking up beneath me as i turn over at night,

cheers

 

[sapper1]

Just peg it down.

 

[jabbadahut]

The pictures of the hammock that i have seen shows no eyelets down the sides of the hammock. it would be pegged down at the corners but because there is no side eyelets and the hammock being over two metres long that was why i was concerned about it rucking up beneath me.
i have seen pictures of the dd hammock in various places but none on the ground or read any reviews or comments about them being used in this manner so before forking out for the travel hammock just wondered whether having the mossie net and the option to use it on the ground was worth the extra money or going for thier next model down if the ground dwelling option was a bit of a gimmick which i'm sure it isnt,

 

[sapper1]

If you peg the corners it shouldnt move.
Try pablo's video on the DDhammocks site he shows you how to set it up in the trees and on the ground.It's definitely not a gimmick,one of the most versatile hammocks available.

 

[jabbadahut]

thanks sapper, thats made me a bit more comfortable about taking the plunge.
cheers

 

[Hammock_man]

I have only tried using the DD as a bivi once to try it out in my back garden.

As I did not want to risk damageing the bottom ( my back garden is grass but I would not call it a lawn ), I put a CCF mat on the ground first and then had the DD on top of that . I used hiking poles pegged out to set up a ridge line and then hung the hammock using the supplied elastic cord. This had to be quite tight. The ends of the hammock where also lifted with the normal black tree huggers onto the hiking poles.

I then put my self inflating mattruss between the double bottom.

With a second set of poles set just a bit higher I then rigged up the tarp to cover the lot.

This setup "cost" me a self inflating mattrus and a set of walking poles over what I would use for a normal "tree" based hammock.

I then slept inside the silk liner and had my sleeping bag as a quilt ( as I do in my hammock as normal.

I did not sleep as well as I do in the hammock as normal. A few times I had to adjust the sleeping bag quilt but soon dropped of. That being said I also sleep much better in a hammock than I used in a tent.

The result was I did sleep and keep dry. The hiking pole ( a £6 3 piece no name) at the head end did slip down a bit. Was this due to the weight, me turning or just not been locked tight enough, I dont know. The sides of the hammock would have stopped ground water coming in but as it did not rain and I was also covered by a tarp, I am not sure it was a real test. As the photos were also rubbish I did not publish the test.

The result is the DD does work as a bivi but a bivi is not for me.
A pair of fibre glass tent poles might be a better idea as supports than 3 piece hiking poles. The pair did work ok for the tarp ridge line mind.

If I was to sleep in a tent these days, I do think I would use both the CCF mat and a self inflater in any case. This could also be because I already own both?


The last Hike I did was from YHA to B&B and back. I would have to think long and hard about using a bivi, DD or other, as a matter of choice. There is a camp site nearby which does not have trees or poles in the main area so I could and have considered using the DD and tarp as a bivi tent but only in the spring/summer. Not your wild camp at all I know.

In short it did work and its a free feature on what I think is a great hammock. There is no way I would buy a bivi but the DD can be used a stopgap if you wish.

 

[jabbadahut]

Thanks hammock man,
I've decided that i will get the travel version of the hammock, to have the option of the bivi although it will wont be used very often and the mossie net for camping by the river will make it worth it now im a bit more satisfied that it isnt a gimmick.
I'm waiting for a local bushcraft shop that has recently opened to get them in stock later this week. i already have a dd tarp on order thanks to your help.
when you say you use your sleeping bag as a quilt do you stick your feet in the bottom of the bag and just lay the bag on top of you, are you warm enough with just the mat and sleeping bag liner underneath you???
looking forward to next weekend so i can go sleep in a tree

 

[Hammock_man]

For me the mosi net near a river would be a major point.

Yes I do just tuck my feet into the bottom pocket and pull it up. I have modded a roll mat to have wider sides that come up past my shoulders which adds a bit of warmth. There is plenty of room in the DD for it to fit. The sides of the hammock rise up past my body in any case. Tuck / pat the sides of the bag along the edge of my body and done. My bag is only an Argos special, picked up on sale for £24 quoted as 3 season, so no great wonder kit.

I have used an underquilt in winter for that extra layer. My head was really cold the first night as I just pull the bag up to my neck but my body was lovery and warm. 2nd night I wore a balacava and I was all sorted. What ever you do dont forget the mat underneath.

 

[jabbadahut]

What ever you do dont forget the mat underneath.

would a self inflating mat be a bit overkill for using in the dd hammock? would just a normal roll mat be ok for warmth?
I'm going to get a s.i.mat anyway as some of the places i go there aint any trees, will a s.i. mat be as warm/warmer than a roll mat?

cheers

 

[Hammock_man]

Truth be told I have used both because I have them. If I only used one ( or could carry only one, then it would be the CCF mat. I dont need the thickness of the SI mat and like the extra width of the CCF mat.

I would not go for only a SI mat which has the daimond pattern that I have seen in some of the lighter SI mats as mine does, as I "think" the heat would be lost out through the bottom of the hammock if its used on its own. The CCF mat can also be cut to fold and make a seat if you wish to go that way

 

[sandbag47]

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