Light Kit

[Iona]

After a wonderful weekend of camping, somewhat off the beaten track, I have come to the conclusion that I need lighter kit. And warmer!

I was thinking of hammock/tarp combo as I've read so many people talking about them on here but have never used one. (have slept in hammock in Ecuador in the jungle, but cold was not a problem and I wasn't setting it up).

How practical are they?

Is there a way of using them without trees, ie. poles?

Will we be warm enough? I hate to be cold

How good are they for kids?

and mostly, can I get a good enough one vaguely cheaply?


Any and all advice gratefully accepted

Thanks guys.

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

If it is really minging weather, then a tent gives more options but a tarp adds living space.

The DDhammocks are certainly good value.

Nick

 

[Sainty]

Taking your own poles to string a hammock from won't be light.

My 10 year old daughter loves her hammock now but neither she nor I have had a warm night's sleep even though we use a sleeping mat underneath the bag for insulation. Having said that, we've only used them twice; once in February and once in April so not really a fair assessment yet.

As for cheapness, I guess it depends on how much you have to spend.

Martin

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

You could use a car sunscreen reflector underneath, good if you have the dbl layer DD hammock.

Nick

 

[Iona]

Thanks Martin, wasn't thinking I'd need the poles often, (although lessons in how to tie a good hammock knot maybe) but guess I'd like to know I had the option


hmmm... so any other ideas for light and warm (and cheap) camping for one and a half?

 

[Sainty]

Thanks Martin, wasn't thinking I'd need the poles often, (although lessons in how to tie a good hammock knot maybe) but guess I'd like to know I had the option


hmmm... so any other ideas for light and warm (and cheap) camping for one and a half?

I can strongly recommend a caravan.

Martin

 

[Iona]

sorry, should have specified: Easy to get into the woods

 

[bushscout1]

Admittedly, it was at the 'height' of the British summer, but I once hammocked (June 2007) in just the clothes I had on my back - as I'd forgotten to pack my sleeping bag (and didn't get to set-up my pitch until it was too late to do anything).

Anyway, fact of the matter was that I had a pleasant night and wasn't cold.

So, the amount of bedding required obviously depends on the conditions.

The one thing I would say is that a thermarest / foam sleeping mat is a must - as important if not moreso than when on the ground.

I hope this helps.

 

[Shewie]

I think for me there are a few ways to look at it.

One is to sleep in a tent with a roll mat and a nice big sleeping bag. Not too exciting and you don't wake up to nice views.

Another is to sleep on the deck under a tarp, again with a roll mat or deer skin etc, a sleeping bag and probably all inside a bivvy bag to keep dry. This can obviously be done with a couple of walking poles so is a good alternaive when there are no trees.

The other way (and only way ) is in a hammock but insulation and a decent sleeping bag are key. Insulation in a hammock is a little trickier because you exposed to wind and chills from all sides aswell as below. Some folk do alright with a half inflated mat underneath but I never got on with that method very well. I'd wake up in the night with a cold back or **** and the mat would have slipped out from under me.
I then discovered underblankets and the whole experience changed for the better. Basically they protect you from all angles and keep you toasty all night long in even the coldest of weathers. Combined with the correct sleeping bag or overblanket for the season then it's hard to beat imho.
Underblankets are expensive but there are plenty of DIY options kicking about which can be made from an old sleeping bag. Have a look at Ogri's Ogripod for a taster.

Hope this helps and I'm not teaching you to suck eggs

 

[Bodge]

I have a dd travel hammock and my 7 year old has a trek mates expedition hammock, both of which have double layers to allow insulation mats to be put inside.

My son and I enjoy using the hammocks and have camped in them all year round. My son is always warm and cosy and insists on using hammocks when we go to the woods.

hth

 

[Iona]

Wow! See this is why I've been loving this site so much!

No Shewie you are not teaching me to suck eggs, I needed all the help I could get on this one as I'm moving into new territory... will check out Ogripod and see where I end up. but would appreciate some more info on poles, as in what I'd need, their weight and "user-friendlyness"

Have to say, the romantic in me has been drawn to hammock sleeping for a while, but I can be a bit of a procrastinator... It's all sounding pretty good though...

And thank you Bodge for the child focused information. Same age as my boy, and he loved them in the jungle

Right, off to research some more

 

[woodstock]

I think hammock and tarp is the way to go I use a reindeer skin to sleep on and a couple of wool blankets to cover me I get a better less interrupted nights sleep in my hammock than I do sleeping in a bed and you always wake feeling refreshed

 

[Shewie]

but would appreciate some more info on poles, as in what I'd need, their weight and "user-friendlyness"

Just a couple of telescopic walking poles will be enough to hold up a nice big 3x3m tarp which would give a huge living space underneath once pegged out.

 

[Bodge]

Also as Shewie says, you need to be warm or you won't enjoy the experience.

I have up until now always used my issue sleep system bag and a thermarest under me and been toasty warm. I have recently moved over to the wanderingstar coccoon system and have just tinkered with the setup until I am cosy.

warmth is the key to comfort though.

have fun

 

[dwardo]

Unless i have my dog with me its only in the middle of winter that i resort to the floor.
Anything above freezing and its my old army sleeping bag/bivy with a MK hammock and punctured sleep mat .
Far better nights sleep than the floor and certainly not cold.

 

[Ogri the trog]

Experimentation is the key,
find out what works for you. Sleeping bags with pads inside the hammock or underquilts/overquilts, vapour barriers or fleeces. There are a number of websites dedicated to hammock camping, so some time spent doing research will lead you down avenues you don't yet know about - then all you have to do is decide how much to spend or how to make your own.

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[Aussiepom]

Hi Iona. Try this forum; packed full of good info - www.hammockforums.net

My own comments would be that you need to prioritise your requirements.

Hammocks are not the lightest way to go, for that you would want to be on the deck under a tarp. Neither are they the cheapest, not if you go with the 'underquilt' route, which is generally acknowledged to best for cold weather performance in a hammock. They are however, by far, the best night's sleep I've ever had outside of a house and they're great for just having an afternoon snooze under the sun, or for just swinging in as a camp chair.

My preference is certainly to use a hammock whenever possible, unless travelling far on foot, then the bivi and tarp take over.

As for the kid, I recently purchased a Golite Hex 3 tipi style tent and my 3 yr old, missus and myself slept in that comfortably and the weight was OK too. There's some more info on this tent at backpackinglight.uk, though I can't remember the proper web address for them.

Regarding the use of poles for suspending a hammock, I have seen some free-standing portable contraption (on the above forums) but I didn't like the look of it myself - way to complicated. I can't think of an easy way to just use 2 poles to suspend a hammock, not without a shed load of rope to set up anchor points, etc. I would think you'd be better off looking for trees, or saving the hammock set up for a different type of intended location.

 

[wentworth]

JustJeff has put together probably the most thorough articles online regarding hammockcamping:
Hammock Camping Overview:
http://tothewoods.net/HammockCamping.html

How to stay warm:
http://tothewoods.net/HammockCampingWarm.html

How to stay dry:
http://tothewoods.net/HammockCampingDry.html

Bug Protection:
http://tothewoods.net/HammockCampingBugfree.html

How to hang it:
http://tothewoods.net/HammockCampingSuspension.html

Ground Dwelling vs Hammock weights:
http://tothewoods.net/HammockGroundWeights.html

And there's a stack more articles on his main site.

 

[roma]

Shewie, About sucking eggs, is that a regional slang or something? I was taught by a native in the Chippewa National Forest how to bite and suck a turtle egg. Kinda leathery to bite so you have to be careful or get a squirt.

 

[Shewie]

Shewie, About sucking eggs, is that a regional slang or something? I was taught by a native in the Chippewa National Forest how to bite and suck a turtle egg. Kinda leathery to bite so you have to be careful or get a squirt.

Yeah it's a fairly common saying over here, no idea what it means though

Would those be raw eggs then roma ?