Reducing bergan bulk and weight - hammocking=bulk

[widu13]

BTW guys he has a Roc- the side pouches are about half the size of the zip on pouches for the PLCE/Sabre bags. His main bag is 70 ltrs. I used to have one but stupidly sold it for about £40 in the mid 90s. A Roc with side pouches is just a touch bigger in volume than a Sabre 45 with pockets.

It appears he has the 90 pattern GS bag (bigger than the 58 bags!). That is the biggest stumbling block as they are very good bags but a very large and heavy bag. Personally I find I need MORE room for kit when hanging than when I ground dwell.

A cheap way to reduce size and weight is use a smaller (less warm) doss bag and wear a softie bivvy suit to increase the warmth.

If you can fork out £100 quid for one of the latest mats you can be comfy and warm on the deck, but there are times when being on the floor is just too miserable.

 

[Big Stu 12]

BTW guys he has a Roc- the side pouches are about half the size of the zip on pouches for the PLCE/Sabre bags. His main bag is 70 ltrs. I used to have one but stupidly sold it for about £40 in the mid 90s. A Roc with side pouches is just a touch bigger in volume than a Sabre 45 with pockets..

Think you will find this is the case, Paul and I were speaking the other day about the side pouch size on His sack being 1/2 the size of mine.

Only one thought i would have Paul is your tarp is a 3x3 not quite big enough for the Hammock, and I know we have descussed this, one thing I would bear in mined is that with down you must keep it dry, (I know years ago this was the case, I take it that is the case, or do they treat it now to stop the lofting being lost when wet,). I may be wrong now with advances made as the years have gone on.

 

[Scopey]

Your not wrong Stu- down is when wet, but if you can keep it dry- use dry bags in Bergan and some common sense then it's warmth for weight is amazing, far more comfy and "cosy" than synthetic insulation and it lasts longer too- a good down bag or jacket if looked after will last decades whereas synthetic starts to lose loft and warmth after 5-10 years.

 

[Scopey]

Think you will find this is the case, Paul and I were speaking the other day about the side pouch size on His sack being 1/2 the size of mine.

Only one thought i would have Paul is your tarp is a 3x3 not quite big enough for the Hammock, and I know we have descussed this, one thing I would bear in mined is that with down you must keep it dry, (I know years ago this was the case, I take it that is the case, or do they treat it now to stop the lofting being lost when wet,). I may be wrong now with advances made as the years have gone on.

Bloody hell what hammocks are you guys using that 3x3 is not big enough? I use a Hennessy with the piddly little standard tarp and have never got wet with carefull pitching. My mate mike has the DD 3x3 which does give more living room ...

 

[Scopey]

Oh and as mentioned sacking off bungees saves weight and space - I sacked mine ages ago but for ease on use rather than para cord etc have thin mil spec shock cord tied to each loop. Still have the stretchy effect that's so handy with bungees but just wrap around a tree or peg and chuck a double half hitche on it - sorted .

Got a roll of it around here somewhere pm me your address and ill send you some.

 

[Elen Sentier]

If using the Brit Arctic bag, just use a mat or foil blanket .pull your tarp lower to the ground and closer in to your hammock. and you shouldn't need an uq?

Swmbo uses the Brit bag but her tarp is larger so the ends can be closed like doors. Makes alot of difference. She just uses a foil blanket or a mat.

That was seriously helpful, Chiseller. As a hammock-virgin I was hoping that staying low, using a foil mat and wrapping the tarp would work.

 

[Big Stu 12]

Bloody hell what hammocks are you guys using that 3x3 is not big enough? I use a Hennessy with the piddly little standard tarp and have never got wet with carefull pitching. My mate mike has the DD 3x3 which does give more living room ...

Only the DD travel and Frontline, the lengh of them is 2.7m, once you add the little bit of webbing on that make slightly longer then the 3m tarp, then you ad the Crab, that is normaly sitting outside the Tarp, you can go cross corner, that allows the crabs to be covered, but that then leaves a nice parthway for a draught., and any non vertical rain that may be blown to hit any kit on the ground.

Did try foil inbetween the hammock layers but could not put up with the rustle, lol,

I always keep the back of my tarp at ground level, and fold in the ends when needed, if it realy bad i wil borretio both ends in to close it down.

 

[Big Stu 12]

Your not wrong Stu- down is when wet, but if you can keep it dry- use dry bags in Bergan and some common sense then it's warmth for weight is amazing, far more comfy and "cosy" than synthetic insulation and it lasts longer too- a good down bag or jacket if looked after will last decades whereas synthetic starts to lose loft and warmth after 5-10 years.

I used to have an down bag about 30 or so years ago, did a week stint in the black coulins, and it was shall we say wet wet wet, lol, and the bag got wet, the whole groups kit was wet in the end, one of the worst weeks I have ever had, not good, since then I have used synthetic bags,wish I still had my anjalcuk though -cant remmeber how to spell it, but then again, my camping has changed, not into light weight hiking much now, lol so the weight and size saving does not worry me that much.

get all my kit apart from the water/Gridle/dutch oven in my 120 bergan,

 

[Treemonk]

ditch the under-quilt (ridiculous bits of gear) and use a kip mat in the hammock instead. If very very cold, maybe stretch to taking some cut-down foil-coated bubble wrap insulation in addition (mountan marathoners use it as a stand-alone kip mat). As you are using a 3m tarp, pitch the hammock low and set the tarp closer down to it, dropping the windward edge - that way you will not be hit by moving air. Sorted.

 

[Shewie]

ditch the under-quilt (ridiculous bits of gear)

Why's that then?

 

[Treemonk]

a huge amount of bulk for a problem that can mostly be solved using different pitching and substituting other gear that is smaller, more multi-functional, and likely to be carried anyway.

 

[Shewie]

a huge amount of bulk for a problem that can mostly be solved using different pitching and substituting other gear that is smaller, more multi-functional, and likely to be carried anyway.

I disagree, a decent down underquilt doesn't have to be bulky, they're more comfortable in my experience too. I wouldn't carry a mat if I was hammocking, a UQ works much better so why compromise? Using a dedicated top quilt and under quilt means you're not carrying the dead weight of the bottom layer of a sleeping bag. I've tried mats before I used quilts, they're okay but not ideal, great on the deck but not so good in a hammock.

 

[Squidders]

I recently ordered an UQ in the ukhammocks sale but I have my doubts about it, primarily that if I have a suspension failure, the floor is no longer an option as it would be with a mat.

 

[Treemonk]

my opinion - your opinion. That's the web for you. I just don't like having one trick pony gear. I have a good tarp, a good sleeping bag and a good mat. If planning to be in trees I take a hammock, if elsewhere, I'll take a bivy bag. Same weight and bulk either way. If out with a hammock and no trees available, I can still happily ground dwell and use it for its bug-net and bit of extra insulation. Like most camping, selecting a good site is the foundation for good nights sleep - so out of the wind. Pitching the tarp in different configs can help too. Sleeping on your packed stuff sacks helps some more. I like my system - you are happy with yours. I just think that there is a tendency for folk to expect a rigid kit list rather than adapting and thinking around the problem. After all, bushcraft is about doing more with less - or is that to close to a can of worms ;-)

 

[Shewie]

my opinion - your opinion. That's the web for you. I just don't like having one trick pony gear. I have a good tarp, a good sleeping bag and a good mat. If planning to be in trees I take a hammock, if elsewhere, I'll take a bivy bag. Same weight and bulk either way. If out with a hammock and no trees available, I can still happily ground dwell and use it for its bug-net and bit of extra insulation. Like most camping, selecting a good site is the foundation for good nights sleep - so out of the wind. Pitching the tarp in different configs can help too. Sleeping on your packed stuff sacks helps some more. I like my system - you are happy with yours. I just think that there is a tendency for folk to expect a rigid kit list rather than adapting and thinking around the problem. After all, bushcraft is about doing more with less - or is that to close to a can of worms ;-)

Agreed on most points I follow the same philosophy for lightweight backpacking trips but hammocking doesn't really fall into that category for me.

I don't really associate hammocks with bushcraft, shouldn't that be natural shelters using nothing but materials found in the forest?

Anyway who cares, as long as we get out it doesn't really matter who's got what

 

[Treemonk]

Agreed on most points I follow the same philosophy for lightweight backpacking trips but hammocking doesn't really fall into that category for me.

I don't really associate hammocks with bushcraft, shouldn't that be natural shelters using nothing but materials found in the forest?

Anyway who cares, as long as we get out it doesn't really matter who's got what

absolutely - with only stone and bone tools, wearing buckskin and foraging alng the way.... and goodness only knows what would happen if one used a hybrid tarp/natural shelter - probaly cause some black hole or just end the universe there and then ;-)

 

[Man of Tanith]

absolutely - with only stone and bone tools, wearing buckskin and foraging alng the way.... and goodness only knows what would happen if one used a hybrid tarp/natural shelter - probaly cause some black hole or just end the universe there and then ;-)

I am gonna try this now just to see what happens.
To quote the professor.in futurama ah the apocalypse somehow i knew i'd have a hand in it

 

[Big Stu 12]

I recently ordered an UQ in the ukhammocks sale but I have my doubts about it, primarily that if I have a suspension failure, the floor is no longer an option as it would be with a mat.

That's one way at looking at things, but that would depend on how well you kit is maintained or you have means of getting over the failure, I used Mats with a hammock, now find it a lot more comfortable and you dont have the trouble of a sliping mat.

 

[Shewie]

I recently ordered an UQ in the ukhammocks sale but I have my doubts about it, primarily that if I have a suspension failure, the floor is no longer an option as it would be with a mat.

What suspension are you using, no reason why it would fail if you look after it, maybe treat it like climbing gear

absolutely - with only stone and bone tools, wearing buckskin and foraging alng the way.... and goodness only knows what would happen if one used a hybrid tarp/natural shelter - probaly cause some black hole or just end the universe there and then ;-)

 

[Bodge]

The clothing is only a buffalo top and microfleece pants to sleep in.
The army bag is not the pvc hooded type its the later one with net pockets inside but yes its bulky. The UQ is huge, I want to switch to a Snugpak when I can.
The groundsheet I only 3 x 4 ft and just something to stand on when getting changed.
Are the "down" a lot smaller? I am thinking down UQ and TQuilt any suggestions?

My army issue bag fills my backpack, I now use a down bag which is about a fith of the size. I have a softie jacket which I use to bulk up my insulation if needed.