Hammock advice

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dubber68
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Hammock advice

Post by dubber68 »

Well after many years of trying we are finally the proud owners of a nice broadleaf woodland in the peak district. I intend to camp there occasionally initially with a tarp and hammock set up. As I am new to this I have started looking at the DD hammock options but just wondered what others were using, both good and bad. Thanks in advance for all your responses.
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frenchy3
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Re: Hammock advice

Post by frenchy3 »

Hi, i have been hammock camping on my bike for many years. I started with a DD(basic camping hammock) with the original cordage and an ex army basha(shelter sheet) The DD hammock is over 12 years old and still going strong. I wouldn,t go for the more expensive version but upgrade with a snakeskin which is a long nylon tube that pulls over the hammock after use and you can roll it away like a sausage to pack it easier. I upgraded the suspension cords to 1" climbing tape and a tied loop through the hammock ends. I use Carabiners to make detatching the hammock easier and stop rainwater wicking down the cords and soaking the hammock. I then went on to dyneema endless spliced loops through the hammock ends,carabiners and tree straps which are very good but can be fiddly to set up with cold and wet hands. I am now on Henge hammock woven daisy chain tree straps which are simplicity itself. You can get these on ebay(google them) and they are strong and have several hanging loops to attach your carabiners to and there are no knots required in this set up. The army Basha in the rectangular formation barley covers a long hammock so i upgraded the to a DD 3 x3 metre tarp. You can hang this in the diamond formation which gives you great rain coverage and also you only need a ridgeline and two guy lines. My ridgeline has a fixed carabiner which i put around the first tree and run it to the other tree and tie off with a figure nine(hard to explain so again use google) The tarp is then attached to the ridgeline with prussic loops and small S-biners. I have since purchased an ENO double nest hammock which is a lot wider and you can sleep on the diagonal giving you a much more comfortable sleep. I would not bother with ENO,they are great quality but you are just paying for a name. Most of the cheap parachute silk hammocks are just as good and in many cases come from the same factories and are re-branded. As for sleeping bags,i tried many different options from lightweight jungle bags through to arctic bags and they all give you the same problem. They are difficult to get in and out of when in the hammock but also as you hang above the ground the material and filling under you gets compressed and looses its insulation quality and you get a really cold back. I tried a camping mat under me but these never stay in place. I ended up with a Snugpak hammock cocoon which goes right over the hammock like a banana skin with a double acting top zip. This hangs if set up correctly under the hammock without touching it so the trapped air acts as insulation too. You can buy underquilts and still use a top quilt or light sleeping bag but this just complicates matters. I hang things like my drink bottle,headtorch etc on the ridgeline of my tarp for easy access during the night. Hammock camping is the besy way to get a decent nights sleep and minimises the ammount of equipment you have to carry on a bike. Take a small light groundsheet with you so you can put all your other kit on it under the tarp too and my favourite item is a Helinox copy(chinese rip off from Amazon) light folding camp chair. It makes camp life much more comfortable. In short DD are a great company and have some good reasonably priced kit. My only advice is stay away from their tree straps as mine broke on the first trip out dumping me painfully on the ground. It is not an isolated incident as i am on a hammock camping forum on Facebook and a few people have reported similar problems. Not everyone gets on with hammock camping but i am hooked. Good luck with your search for the perfect set up. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1069527 ... =bookmarks https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from ... s&_sacat=0
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Re: Hammock advice

Post by Brenhden »

Wow Frenchy, that is a lot of data. How much does your current set up weigh?
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P4ulie
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Re: Hammock advice

Post by P4ulie »

Frenchy has pretty much summed it up, plenty of youtube clips to get a good understanding of the different rigging options & what would be the best option for you. Until a couple of years ago I lived on a 48 acre farm with a decent bit of woodland. I loved taking a hammock up into the woods & spending nights out, however if you think tents can be expensive you're into a whole new level of WTF :lol:

I used a cheap nylon hammock, a decent sized Quecha tarp, paracord for the ridgeline & spliced a couple of carabiners into the original hammock ends to tie off, I basically spent f all :lol: A basic set up is adequate for summer (i never found climbing into a bag or using a mat a real problem) but as Frenchy says if the weathers miserable or remotely low temperatures you have to insulate yourself from the ground.

I don't do it enough to invest in quality kit & I've never considered it as a viable option on my bike trips, but if I owned my own woodland....hmmm. Enjoy
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WIBO
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Re: Hammock advice

Post by WIBO »

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frenchy3
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Re: Hammock advice

Post by frenchy3 »

Brenhden wrote: Thu Jun 20, 2019 9:52 am Wow Frenchy, that is a lot of data. How much does your current set up weigh?
As i carry it on my bike the weight is almost a secondary concern. I am more interested in how small i can pack it down. all my hammock kit including sleeping bag or hammock cocoon,folding saw,groundsheet etc fits into two Bergen side pouches zipped together and no more than 5kg.
I like all my kit in one place so i can set up at dusk or in the dark without scrapping around trying to find everything.
dubber68
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Re: Hammock advice

Post by dubber68 »

Thanks for the replies, especially Frenchy whose response was very thorough and helpful. I already own a 3x3 DD tarp, 4 season camping quilt which will double as an underquilt and a helinox chair or 3 along with lots of other camping and climbing gear. I have took the advice offered and ordered a parachute material hammock off of amazon for the bargain price of £20 including slings and carabiners. At that price I am not expecting much but if I take to it I will then upgrade. I have also checked out some youtube videos and I must say I am looking forward to trying it all out.
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markoh
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Re: Hammock advice

Post by markoh »

Hi, what advantages do you see with a hammock over something like the Yahill cot on high legs with a tarp above.?
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frenchy3
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Re: Hammock advice

Post by frenchy3 »

markoh wrote: Fri Jun 21, 2019 9:19 am Hi, what advantages do you see with a hammock over something like the Yahill cot on high legs with a tarp above.?

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The cot will not work where the ground is steep or uneven and even as light and small as it is i doubt it would pack down as small as a hammock. Of course a hammock will not work if there are no trees or anything to tie it up to but then it would be difficult to use a tarp without trees unless you used your bike as an anchor or took a couple of collapsing ridge poles and used it like a pup tent but then that involves carrying even more kit with you.
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Re: Hammock advice

Post by markoh »

Yes, point taken regarding flat ground.
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