any hammock campers here?

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This one was recommended by someone. I liked the looks of it a lot.

http://www.mosquitohammock.com/expeditionhammock.html

I like the mesh on the Hennessey but I hate that is is permanently attached. The bottom opening also is weird. How can I relax and smoke in my hammock when the only way out it through the floor!

I used to just use a nylon hammock I have with a tarp over the top. Only problem with my hammock was it was too heavy and bulky. Bit it was damn comfotable for summer use. Keeps you off the ground where the bugs are.
 
I'm about to buy my 1st hammock - a hennessy hammock (explorer deluxe) in the next weeks, seems the best choice even for winter.
 
I have been a hammocker for years, and will never go back to sleeping on the ground. I've tried every hammock out there I could get my hands on, but honestly go back to my own design. Regardless, any hammock is better than sleeping on the ground, as far as i'm concerned.

be advised, it really is important to use a pad in the hammock, a speer pod, or an equivalent to keep you from freezing your backside.

best,
Alan
 
I sleep on my stomach and side at home and have found that I can do the same in my Hennessy. I've never tried any other one on the market so I don't know if you sleep on the diagonal (more towards perpendicular to the ridgeline) on other models. Because the Hennessy is a parallelogram in shape, you get lie pretty flat in it. I too love hammock sleeping and won't go back to a tent or tarp any time soon.
 
j williams said:
So are these good for winter use too?
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They can be made to be comfortable.....but I don't think it is worth it. You will have massive convective heat loss versus conductive heat loss from the ground. It would also depend on your definition of winter conditions. In the Rockies I'd rather have a tent with snow burms around it than try to insulate a suspended hammock. But if your in Minnesota and the alternative is to sleep on frozen ground who knows.

Also consider the fact that there are a lot of things you can't do in a hammock comfortably. If your riding out a bad storm for a day I'd rather be able to cook in the vestibule of a tent than flapping around in the hammock. :D

The hammock has a lot of advantages and I've been slow to get a new one. I like being able to set up a camp anywhere you have trees. No more searching for a level patch of ground. Plus your impact is less.
 
I've thought about making hammock out of paracord for years, but just never did it. might be heavy tho.:confused:
 
I scrounged some tyvek sheeting to use as a tarp. It is lighter than a regular tarp and alot cheaper than silnylon (free). If you put it through the wash a few times (without soap) it doesn't make as much noise.
 
Yeah.... good point man. I will probably just use it in the summer, cause Its easier to cook, and get dressed etc in a tent when its freezing. Probably be good to use from march through november here though
 
hammocks are AWESOME. I have a generic brand parachute cloth hammock I got for $23.95 at surplus store, spent a couple months in it last year and use it a few times a month usually. great. For bug conrtol I got 9 feet of 6 foot wide skeeter netting at said surplus store and I use binder clips or nothing to secure it, works fine.
For underneath insulation I use - well, depends on the gear I have. sometimes it is thermarest and extra clothes, sometimes it is an el cheapo youth sized bag I got for free.

Then I use my medium bag to sleep in and if I'm doing a base camp, I have a BIG wool blanket I can tent over my ridgeline if it's really chilly.

I use a blue polytarp. works. go big.
 
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myright said:
I've been thinking about getting a hammock for quite some time now.

The only issue I think I may come across is that I'm not a back sleeper. I either sleep on my stomach or on my side.

Anyone elese come across this problem and have overcome it?
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j williams said:
Good point dude. I am the same way and am curious to hear the responses.......
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Yes, you can do that in any hammock that is sufficiently wide. But, specifically there is a style of hammock called the Bridge hammock that is designed for side and stomach sleepers. JRB markets one.

ilbruche said:
They can be made to be comfortable.....but I don't think it is worth it...
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There are many strategies and types of gear that have been developed specifically for dealing with diverse conditions in hammocks. High-loft underquilts, pad sleeves, etc for warmth. Truly the only places you can't effectively use a hammock are in the desert or above the treeline (and many models can be used as a bivy in those places).

ilbruche said:
If your riding out a bad storm for a day I'd rather be able to cook in the vestibule of a tent than flapping around in the hammock...
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Not me. I'd FAR rather be up off the soggy ground in a comfy hammock. Plus, with a sufficiently large and well-pitched tarp you have more useable room to lounge and cook than many tents offer.

But, I'm biased. I have been hammock camping for years and wouldn't go back for any reason.
 
Good description christof. I thought of using an old parachute to make a hammock, they are pretty light.
 
Storms?

last fall when we were on the jobsite up in the sierra, We had 4 tent folk, 3 large tarps for common spaces, and me in my dorky penny-ante set up.

Wind was NO problem, a good tight tarp does great, and I had driven extra stakes for lowering my wings since this was a multi month camp.

wetness was similarly no problem. There were storms that drove 2 of the tent guys to sleeping on chairs under the common area tarps, I never had a single drop inside my sleeping or gear space.
 
You guys must have totally different winter conditions. Where I am there is no soggy ground. There is frozen ground somewhere below 2 to 20 feet of snow. If I'm winter camping I'd be more likely to build a toasty warm snow cave.
 
ilbruche said:
You guys must have totally different winter conditions. Where I am there is no soggy ground. There is frozen ground somewhere below 2 to 20 feet of snow. If I'm winter camping I'd be more likely to build a toasty warm snow cave.
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There's no reason you can't do that while using a hammock. :thumbup:

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I have a hammock very similar to the one that Ben's Backwoods is selling. Mine is made by Byer Of Maine. I was a little skeptical when I first got it. . . It seemed way too flimsy. I've been using it for about 4 or 5 years now though, and it's still going strong. My weight is pretty close to it's maximum rated load but it hasn't shown any signs of failure yet. I can sleep on my side in it with no trouble, and I sometimes roll over on my stomach, but that's a little awkward. I also find it a little awkward to use it with a sleeping bag so I usually just use a foam sleeping pad and/or blanket under me and another blanket on top of me. I've never tried it in really cold weather though.
 
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