Appalachian Trail, last 500mi section hike, gear shakedown

Hi all,

First post on here.

I'm planning for a hike of the North end of the Appalachian Trail, the last 500 miles or so through NH and ME. I'd like a gear shakedown.

My style isn't ultralight, but I'm trying to push further that direction, within certain constraints. My base weight is still about 20lbs, but a couple trips ago it was 40lbs, so -- progress!

I'm just getting into hammocking, so I especially want advice about what hammock system to buy. I've hammock-backpacked only once, but I think I slept better than I ever have in a tent, so I'm about ready to take the plunge to buy real hammock gear. Here's what I used last trip:

CURRENT SYSTEM
Kootek hammock	~$28	23.1oz
straps, Kootek hammock	included	13.7oz
Equip Hammock bug net #97712 (Walmart)	$15	12.2oz
Paria Sanctuary Siltarp, 10’x8’ (over spec weight; hence discount)	~$45	25.2oz
TOTAL	$88	74.2oz

While heavy, this system worked reasonably well. I did find the bug net to be rather stifling on my outing (June in WV), so I didn't use it. Here's a gear list from that trip: https://lighterpack.com/r/6m6eev

In choosing a "real" backpacking hammock, I considered the Warbonnet Blackbird as an "all in one solution" but I think I prefer to sleep on the other diagonal -- with my head to the right, and feet to the left -- which is opposite the setup of the WBBB, unfortunately. So I've given preference to options that allow flexibility of which diagonal to use.

Below are a few options I've concocted. Should I choose one of these? Something else? What considerations should I have?

For reference, I'm pretty fit guy, about 5'10" tall and about 165 lbs.

option A:

CHAMELEON SYSTEM from Dutchware Gear
Chameleon Hammock, 11-ft, Hexon 1.6 (including asym bugnet)	$165	577.48g (20.38oz)
UHMWPE strap suspension, 15' with Ti Dutch Clips	$48.54	90.04g (3.2oz)
Dutchware aluminum Y stakes (check against REI), qty 4	$6	13*6=78g (2.75oz)
Xenon Hex Tarp, 11ft ridgeline x 9.5ft width	$110	370g (13.0 oz)
TOTAL	$323.54	1115.5g (39.3oz)

option B:

NETLESS SYSTEM from Dutchware Gear
11-ft netless hammock, with options: 1) Hexon 1.6 4) structural ridgeline ($7.50) and 5) continuous loops. Consider 3) dual Knotty mod	$58	345.7g (12.2oz)
Summer sock, 11-ft without zipper	$60	255g (9.0oz)
UHMWPE strap suspension, 15' with Ti Dutch Clips	$48.54	90.04g (3.2oz)
Dutchware aluminum Y stakes (check against REI), qty 4	$6	13*6=78g (2.75oz)
Xenon Hex Tarp, 11ft ridgeline x 9.5ft width	$110	370g (13.0 oz)
TOTAL	$282.54	1138.7g (40.2oz)

I plan to use a Becket hitch to attach the suspension to the hammock. I'm not afraid of knots, I like the infinite adjustability, and it's lightweight.

Whichever system I got, I would likely want a Peak Shelf ($25, 28g) and a Ridgeline Organizer ($10, 10g) for storage in the hammock. I'm somewhat concerned about the peak shelf interfering with my ability to get to the opening of the summer sock, to close/open it (with the zipperless version).

Here's a possible gear list for the AT hike through NH and ME, using option B above: https://lighterpack.com/r/n0oz4z

Considerations:

• I want gear that's lightweight enough that I can knock out 400-500mi in about a month... fingers crossed.
• I want gear that's durable enough to easily make this trip, and plenty of others.
• I'd like the ability to go to ground and not completely hate myself. Hence the Nemo Tensor pad. Also, I'm just starting with hammocking, so I don't want to get a UQ yet.
• Estimated dates: Aug 15 to mid-September
• Anything on my list that has a price hasn't been bought yet. Things with no price, I already own.
• I'm happy to spend about $10 to save an ounce. $20/oz sounds a bit much, to me, but I'd consider it.
• Yes, I know my Osprey Kestrel 48 pack is much heavier than numerous other options. But I need a very effective transfer of weight to my hips (nearly 100%) due to an old shoulder injury. Ineffective weight transfer leaves my shoulder hurting after a few hours. I tried on everything in the 35L to 50L range that REI had, and this was the one that worked. (Did not work: Osprey Talon 44, all Gregory packs, various Deuter packs, various Kelty packs. Not a fan of the curved packing volume in the Osprey Exos.) Granite Gear Crown2 60L came close to fitting, but not quite. Would love to try but they're not at REI: Gorilla Gear Mariposa 60L, ZPacks Arc Blast, HMG Southwest 3400. Oh well.

Thanks for your help!

Welcome to HF! :)

You might find this useful. Beardoh and SweetPea have gobs of experience. Beardoh posts here on HF as "Chop," so search his posts for more info.

There is an Ultra Lite Gear forum here on HF and you might find it worth becoming a donating member ($10) to access other non-hammock related info.

Many people have done multiple thruhikes using the same UL gear, so 'durable' is a subjective term. I appreciate that there are people who are very hard on gear and people who are very easy on gear, and everything in between, and where you find yourself on that spectrum matters bigly.

As for the hammock choices you've listed, I'd go with A, but get Kevlar straps (if you can find 'em!), no longer than 12' and use Evo Loops and not dutch clips.

I find an air mat in a GE hammock to be profoundly awful, but if you wanna give it a go....

You've clearly spent significant time working out your kit, so I'll restrict my recommendations to hammocks and pads; however I would point out the obvious-- that you're going to be tackling the toughest 1/4 of the trail, getting your trail legs while on it, so any weight savings will pay off. Southern Maine in particular is infamous for helping people reduce their pack weight (or wish they had). I've used a dream hammock Darrien to cover about 520 miles this year from VA to NY, hope to be on the northern section around the time you are, once I rehab an injury. I chose mtn 1.3 for fabric to save weight, and it tips the scale at 15 oz; it's quite comfortable and has lasted those miles with no problems. The chameleon is a great system but a bit heavier, and I do recommend an integrated bug net. Given your weight you can go lighter with fabric, just avoiding the lightest fabrics due to your well-founded concerns about durability. Like Cmoulder I've never gotten an inflatable pad to work well in a hammock, despite multiple efforts. They tend to always be shifting around. If you under inflate them (common advice) to reduce the 'watermelon seed effect', then the area under my rear end compresses most due to torso weight, squeezing the insulation out from where you need it most. However, many people use them so obviously I just couldn't figure out what works for them, and you do save on an underquilt. You sometimes can get a shorter under quilt like the Yeti used at a discount on this forum though, and I would recommend that as mine has been great for the hike, very lightweight and effective after some practice getting it in the right place at night.

The bug net on a WBBB is reversible, so lay direction can be changed to how you prefer without a problem.

I used an X-Therm Pad for 4 years, including the walk from Gorham, NH to Katahdin. Shifting of the pad happened, but was not a problem and the setup was comfortable, BUT . . . .

An order for a 20 degree UQ was placed and I never looked back. Once tweaked, the UQ was warmer and had an unintended benefit; setup was faster. The last thing I want to do after a long day hiking is fiddle, inflate or deflate a pad.

Use Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol (G2G- 6 modified sections) + Polycro Sheet for going to ground (never happened in Maine).

Insect protection has been Ben's InvisiNet + baseball cap although I understand this is a minority opinion.

Good luck in your journey.

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Originally Posted by cmoulder

Welcome to HF!

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Thanks!

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Originally Posted by cmoulder

You might find this useful. Beardoh and SweetPea have gobs of experience. Beardoh posts here on HF as "Chop," so search his posts for more info.

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Thanks for that reference. I'll study it, and see what I can glean. Beardoh/Chop seems very experienced. I'll take a while to get to that point.

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Originally Posted by cmoulder

There is an Ultra Lite Gear forum here on HF and you might find it worth becoming a donating member ($10) to access other non-hammock related info.

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Interesting, thanks for the pointer.

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Originally Posted by cmoulder

Many people have done multiple thruhikes using the same UL gear, so 'durable' is a subjective term. I appreciate that there are people who are very hard on gear and people who are very easy on gear, and everything in between, and where you find yourself on that spectrum matters bigly.

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I'm pretty gentle with my gear. I've also had a history of protecting things with other things (e.g. plastic groundsheet under a tent groundcloth), which I'm trying to get away from because it makes my pack heavy. If I know the gear is durable, I won't bring extra weight trying to protect it.

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Originally Posted by cmoulder

As for the hammock choices you've listed, I'd go with A, but get Kevlar straps (if you can find 'em!), no longer than 12' and use Evo Loops and not dutch clips.

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Interesting. Why choose A? I'd love to know the rationale of an experienced hammocker.

Why Kevlar straps? These Kevlar straps look 1.5x as heavy per length as these UHMWPE straps. The page says Kevlar also degrades in the sun. What's the performance advantage of Kevlar?

Why not dutch clips? I realize they're not necessary, but it seemed it would make attaching to the tree (and adjustments) quicker. [EDIT: Oh, you're suggesting Evo loops to replace the dutch clips? I'll need to figure out what Evo loops are.]

Quote:

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Originally Posted by cmoulder

I find an air mat in a GE hammock to be profoundly awful, but if you wanna give it a go....

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It worked for me in that Kootek hammock. Maybe it's wider than other hammocks? Dunno... If hammocking goes well, I may get a UQ in short order.

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Originally Posted by Hang Williams

The bug net on a WBBB is reversible, so lay direction can be changed to how you prefer without a problem.

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Thanks for this eye-opener! How can it be reversed? I thought the WBBB had a footbox sewn in, so it's not just a matter of reversing the bug net. Do you need to turn the whole hammock inside out? Does the WBBB still work after being turned inside out?

[Edit: I was referring to the Original Blackbird, which has a non-removable net. I'm still not sure that its lay can be reversed. I see now that the WBBB XLC and the WB Eldorado have removable nets, and the lay can be reversed by flipping the net. Good to know!]

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Originally Posted by schwad

Interesting. Why choose A? I'd love to know the rationale of an experienced hammocker.

Why Kevlar straps? These Kevlar straps look 1.5x as heavy per length as these UHMWPE straps. The page says Kevlar also degrades in the sun. What's the performance advantage of Kevlar?

Why not dutch clips? I realize they're not necessary, but it seemed it would make attaching to the tree (and adjustments) quicker. [EDIT: Oh, you're suggesting Evo loops to replace the dutch clips? I'll need to figure out what Evo loops are.]



It worked for me in that Kootek hammock. Maybe it's wider than other hammocks? Dunno... If hammocking goes well, I may get a UQ in short order.

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I think you'll find an integrated net a lot less fidgety than a sock in the long run... getting in and out less of a hassle.

Most UHMWPE straps don't remain straps for long. They bunch up after minimal use and handle more like cord than webbing. One exception that I've been using lately is Myerstech Hybrid Poly-Dyneema and thus far they're the best 'behaved' of the current UHMWPE straps, although it looks as if Mr. Myers has sold all the ones he had in stock, and hopefully he'll make some more.

Kevlar 3.3 has been my mainstay for quite a while now. The lowest stretch material, and unless you leave it out in the sun for protracted periods on a regular basis UV is not a problem. When I'm backpacking the hammock goes up late in the day, usually in the shade, and gets packed away pretty early in the morning.

I'm hardware-averse, preferring to use cord and knots instead of bling. Also, Dutch Clip instructions call for the hammock strap to be mounted on the side of the tree such that the webbing exits at about 90° angle to the clip to reduce stress on the webbing. This not only complicates hanging the hammock but also the tarp. So I use either Evo loops or simply tie a slipped buntline hitch.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by cmoulder

Most UHMWPE straps don't remain straps for long. They bunch up after minimal use and handle more like cord than webbing. One exception that I've been using lately is Myerstech Hybrid Poly-Dyneema and thus far they're the best 'behaved' of the current UHMWPE straps, although it looks as if Mr. Myers has sold all the ones he had in stock, and hopefully he'll make some more.
Kevlar 3.3 has been my mainstay for quite a while now. The lowest stretch material, and unless you leave it out in the sun for protracted periods on a regular basis UV is not a problem. When I'm backpacking the hammock goes up late in the day, usually in the shade, and gets packed away pretty early in the morning.

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Great info, I had no idea. I couldn't find any Kevlar available. I found that Jeff Myers is selling these presently: Myerstech Hybrid poly-dyneema straps, 15'. I didn't see any 12-footers. Worth getting, then?

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Originally Posted by cmoulder

I use either Evo loops or simply tie a slipped buntline hitch.

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More tricks for my bag, thanks!

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Originally Posted by chef4

You've clearly spent significant time working out your kit, so I'll restrict my recommendations to hammocks and pads

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I'm happy to have other suggestions, but you're right that I've been over many others' packing lists, weighing tradeoffs, banging my head against the wall, and being reluctant to lose (e.g.) the thermal conductivity of aluminum in order to save 5 ounces on my cook system.

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Originally Posted by chef4

I would point out the obvious-- that you're going to be tackling the toughest 1/4 of the trail, getting your trail legs while on it, so any weight savings will pay off. Southern Maine in particular is infamous for helping people reduce their pack weight (or wish they had).

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It wasn't so obvious to me before you pointed it out directly -- Thank you! I'll keep working to keep pack weight down.

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Originally Posted by chef4

I've used a dream hammock Darrien to cover about 520 miles this year from VA to NY, hope to be on the northern section around the time you are, once I rehab an injury. I chose mtn 1.3 for fabric to save weight, and it tips the scale at 15 oz; it's quite comfortable and has lasted those miles with no problems. The chameleon is a great system but a bit heavier, and I do recommend an integrated bug net. Given your weight you can go lighter with fabric, just avoiding the lightest fabrics due to your well-founded concerns about durability.

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Looks like the Dream Hammock Darrien can't be flipped from one diagonal to another; the choice is made at purchase. But thanks for pointing me to lighter fabrics. I see the Chameleon has an option for Hexon 1.2, which would save about 3oz and which may be similar to the MTN 1.2 you use and find comfortable. Do you think those fabrics are similar? How much do you weigh?