Zen and the art of hammocking.

[bilko]

I have to sleep on my side, initally at least otherwise i snort terribly. Also something inside me compells me to move over ( it's weird ). I have slept in my group buy hammock for the last 3 times out and use a thermarest for insulation and also to add more rigidity. Tying the hammock as taught as possible helps to but not too taught or you risk the benny hill rolling over.
I thought about sewing in a slip of elastic about 2 foot from each end to hold the thermarest in place ( another thing to do ). I thought it strange when i read about sleeping diagonally the other day but i have woken up once in this very position feeling very comfortable for the first time. I do tend to wake up a lot when in the hammock for some reason, it might be because i am doing a mental check to make sure the kids are all right.
I love the hammock and intend to use it for all my lighter weight camping. I have a good vango tent but i am getting a bison lavvu hopefully and will use that whenever i am with the kids in future.
Great topic Wayland.

 

[Wayland]

Stovie: I know what you mean about the fashion thing with hammocks. I started with a string one about 20 years ago but since RMs endorsement and Jon sourcing the Magikelly hammocks it seems like the whole world has gone arborial.

These days I tend towards two approaches. The tarp and hammock is by far my prefered option but if the terrain is unsuitable or I need to be able to move on quickly or be discrete I sleep in the back of my van, which is converted for the purpose.

If I'm going to be enclosed in a tent all night and then have to dry the darn thing out, why go to all that trouble when the van is more comfortable? I can't remember the last time I unpacked my light tent. The only time I use a tent now is for living history camps.

A hammock and tarp gives me much more space and feels "connected" to the environment. I agree privacy is a slight problem at a meet but I carry a poncho which, if I was bothered enough, I could always rig up "shower stall" wise.

 

[Glen]

These days I tend towards two approaches. The tarp and hammock is by far my prefered option but if the terrain is unsuitable or I need to be able to move on quickly or be discrete I sleep in the back of my van, which is converted for the purpose.

Do you rig the hammock in your van?

Just wondering as I had the idea that this might be a really good solution to not having to take up all the floorspace ( and rearanging ) that a fold out seat/bed uses.

 

[Zodiak]

I got into hammocks because of RM too, although I used B&Q blue building sheets up until last year when I bought a tarp.

I had a mini hammock for years but one of the coords broke last year, I repaired it but the rest soon brooke too and ended up flat on the ground twice.

My original plan was to repair it again (the actual mesh was fine) with paracord from the Rapidboy buy but this gave the wrong shape and I ended up in a V shape with my bum on the ground and high sides that I couldn't get out of!

My next plan was to get two 15" lengths of solid timber (broom handle?) one at each end as spacers. The plan is to drill 6 or so holes at equal distance, thread the ends of the hammock through and then thread lengths of paracord though one hole and back through the next, up to the original steel ring. That way the paracord can find its own best postition and spread the weight evenly amonst the stands.

However I too have subscribed to the MagicKelly purchase so I doubt that there will ever be a reason for me to finish that now

I also get the problem of my feet being too high, I tried tieing a large stuff sack in teh end and putting my sleeping bag in it but it was a complete nightmare to get into and out of again, everytime I ended up on the floor :bluThinki

As for hygiene that I normally camp on sites with toilets so I get changed/washed etc in there.

A couple of years ago I was walking by myself and spent the night in a woods and even though there was nobody else around it still felt a bit "weird" getting changed in the open. It was a hot night so I didn't have anything on in my sleeping bag but still felt the need to put my trousers on to go for a

I called in at the owners house to say thanks next morning and his ancient mother came to the door. She asked i I had been for a swim in the lake and I said no because I didn't have my trunks. She thought that was hilarious and told me that it was only a problem that town folks have, the locals would have just stripped off and jumped in.

I told my wife and she thought it was hilarious too.

 

[scaleyback]

Can anyone help me, i'm looking at getting a cheap hammock... just to take out and try out... see how i feel in them, i saw this one:

http://www.sofmilitary.co.uk/military/index.asp - the jungle hammock

with the proper insulated sleep bag and liner, is this a viable option for the UK wilderness?

P.S sorry for typing this in the middle of this thread, just thought you guys would be in the mood already

they are ace, had one for years, i favour putting up an "A" frame with saplings through the sleeves, and they come with the spreader poles for £9.50 from anchor surplus at ripley, not £30. 00 then another tenner for the ally spreaders fro S.O.F , thats just a rip off they prob buy from same supplier. take a look at a pic of my mate johns set up in gallery, our sons sleep on the hammocks, we sleep underneath,

 

[Wayland]

Do you rig the hammock in your van?

Just wondering as I had the idea that this might be a really good solution to not having to take up all the floorspace ( and rearanging ) that a fold out seat/bed uses.

No I don't have the length to hammock in the van, it's only a Vito.

What i have is a deck about half way up with a foam matress on it. this gives me cargo space underneath and sleeping space on top. Works for me.

 

[akabu]

Wayland the stuff works. I have used it on a Thermarest pad.I glued a strip across the width where my shoulder's would rest and one in the middle.It kept my sleeping bag from shifting

 

[Wayland]

A trick which I intend to experiment with on my next trip is a roll of “non slip matting” which is a slightly tacky web of rubber that is quite light. I found it recently in a caravan accessory shop. I am wondering if this placed underneath the bag will reduce the slide factor and thus keep my head a little higher.

I'll let you know if it works.

Well time for an update I suppose.

I tried the non slip matting out and it does make a difference but if you move around much, it ends up getting ruched up and mostly sticking to itself.

The solution wound be to stick it to either the sleeping bag or the hammock, neither of which I am particularly happy to do.

Still looking for the perfect solution but I will be using this in the meantime. :thinkerg:

I was out at the full members meet organised by Pignut the other weekend and something interesting happened that illustrated just how effective the underblanket insulation actually is.

Overnight the temperature had dropped and delivered a reasonably hard frost.

I was using my Nanok -10 and the group buy underblanket.

About 4am I woke up to find a cold spot in the middle of my back, my first thought was that the blanket had shifted but that was not the case.

I shifted about a bit and then I felt the problem, a hard lump in my back.

What had happened is that the tapes had streched a tiny bit and it had brought me close to a stump under my hammock.

Not close enough to feel the lump while sleeping but close enough to gently compress the insulation in that spot.

Result a very definate cold spot. I quickly tightened the tapes and slept well for the rest of the night.

 

[nobby]

No I don't have the length to hammock in the van, it's only a Vito.

What i have is a deck about half way up with a foam matress on it. this gives me cargo space underneath and sleeping space on top. Works for me.

I've had similar in my swb land rover. I tried sleeping across the diagonal but it wasn't quite long enough (I'm only 5' 7") but a 2' wide board down the full length with a thermorest is good. I slept through a night time motor rally in mid Wales without hearing anything and I was only 10 yards from a control point. I'm about to rebuild it to make better use of the space underneath and give my dog some room.

I made one of Risk's hammocks - http://www.imrisk.com
I had a headache after the first test. I fitted it up in the garden between apple tree and clothes line post. Lay in it and fell asleep. 40 minutes later my head was on the ground; I'd pulled the clothes line post out of the ground!

 

[Gailainne]

I wonder if this would work ? non slip mat Its for when your routering etc a piece you cant clamp, works well on wood, the open weave might allow you to tie it either end.

Stephen

 

[John Dixon]

Get the biggest hammock you can get and go diagonal, im 6'2' and have slept in a very large hammock ( in Barbados) and it was alot more comfortable. Its the width of the material that alows you to lie flatter. make one and see for yourself. i swear its 100 % better.
hammocks are sizest

 

[Celtic Dragon]

The non slip matting works a treat. I have 3 strips glued to the underside of my thermarest to stop it slipping inside a bivi bag.

In the Nomad hammock I have, I find the tighter you can get the ends into a point you can brace your feet against them.

 

[PhilParry]

Jeez Wayland?!! You used a hammock in this weather? :Wow:

Perhaps I'm a little too fair weather, but I find a bivvi much warmer at this time of the year. Haven't tried the group - buy underblanket yet in this weather but I'm out soon - were you really warm enough?!?


Phil

 

[Wayland]

Yes I was nice and cosy once I'd sorted the cold spot out.

 

[dommyracer]

Jeez Wayland?!! You used a hammock in this weather? :Wow:

Perhaps I'm a little too fair weather, but I find a bivvi much warmer at this time of the year. Haven't tried the group - buy underblanket yet in this weather but I'm out soon - were you really warm enough?!?


Phil

I've been using mine recently and been lovely and warm with the underblanket and a -12 sleeping bag.

 

[Ogri the trog]

Jeez Wayland?!! You used a hammock in this weather? :Wow:

Perhaps I'm a little too fair weather, but I find a bivvi much warmer at this time of the year. Haven't tried the group - buy underblanket yet in this weather but I'm out soon - were you really warm enough?!?


Phil

Phil,
Its all a matter of getting things sorted out before commiting to a night of shivering and discomfort... http://www.bushcraftuk.com/community/showthread.php?t=17722&highlight=ogripod



Ogri the trog

 

[Greg]

I have never used a hammock before, but I have invested in a DD hammock, which I intend to try out at my first meet next w/end ( I am taking other sleeping arrangements if it doesn't work out!)

Any advice would be great, I intend to use a standard MoD issue Basha with it but I am not sure if it will be to short !

 

[twisted firestarter]

I have an open hammock which came from a MK group buy. Very well made and it packs down relatively small. The problem is I am 6'3" and I just can't get a good nights sleep in it, I find that after a while of lying diagonally I slide into the 'crescent moon' position and wake up aching. I bought a cheap and cheerful indian 'silk' hammock which has lasted over 10 years so far. It is more comfortable than my regular bed and I naturally stay in the diagonal position. I have spent hundreds of hours in it with no problems... the only drawback is that it is lurid yellow green so I don't think I could take it to Bushmoot

 

[Wayland]

the only drawback is that it is lurid yellow green so I don't think I could take it to Bushmoot

Hey, don't start acting like the colour police, we don't see enough colour at the meets...

A lot of people wear drab colours to "blend in" and a few of us because they don't look dirty so quickly when you're collecting firewood or working the fire.

As a landscape photographer I suppose I subcribe to both of the above theories but if you're not hunting and you're not bimbling around in the middle of my picture I can't see any other reason not to go technicolour...

 

[twisted firestarter]

"Hey don't start acting like the colour police"
.........................................................................

Er, I was joking!
Actually I go out of my way to be a little bit different, who would want to be a clone with the same regulation kit as everyone else ok , some kit is generally regarded as the best in class- a bit like cameras

But I also think the flip side of "blending in" is "standing out" and in a group environment that is not nessessarily a wise idea. Yes I probably will take the 'chartreuse' hammock to bushmoot this year but I might well set the tarp down as low as it can go