Lightest setup

**JohnD** · 12-17-2014, 18:44

Hi everyone, I'm John and I'm a hammoholic ( oops wrong forum ).
This is my first post so go gentle with me. Pretty much all I've researched so far tells me that hammocking is not going to get me any lighter than ground dwelling.
That being said I want to see how light I can get, I dont want to go waffer light that leads to gear malfunctions but definetly aim to be below 1 kg ( yeah I'm metric too ) or under 2.2 lbs.
That would be for everything except a top quilt.
So I'm talking under warmth, sling, tarp, and straps.
The best I've seen so far would be the exped ergo combi and I think it comes in at 1100 grms ( 38 oz ) plus a air matt of 300 or so. Now we are up at almost 1.5 kg or almost 3 1/2 lb.

I apologise in advance as this undoubtedly has been covered before, I've done a few searches but not come up with anything specific to my requirements. This is such a popular forum that most searches turn up 50 to 80 pages and that is a lot of reading.

I'm 5' 9" 170lbs ( green eyes, Sagitarius, like long walks on the beach

)

**Bushwhacker** · 12-17-2014, 18:56

Look up Sgt Rock's posts. I think he managed to get a lighter set up. And google water monkeys lightest hammock set up

**Floridahanger** · 12-17-2014, 19:14

Welcome, from Florida.

Great attitude so far. I like that. When you state lighter than ground, of course, there are many factors to consider from just a mat under the stars to a full tent setup and everything in between.

A Gathered End hammock with Dutch Speed Hooks, short straps and Amsteel Leads could be less than 16oz (453 g). A CF (Cuben Fiber) tarp will be the lightest tarp. For an UQ (Under Quilt), the temp rating will determine the weight.

These are a few examples of gear that will help. Price will determine how light you can go. All these items should make for good gear that shouldn't fail under normal use.

Your area will also determine weight. Tree size will determine strap and Amsteel Lead lengths and weights. Wind conditions and local temps will determine what tarp to use and UQ, and so on.

**Macpaks** · 12-17-2014, 19:27

I'm new to this stuff too. Here is my setup:

My UQ and suspension (DIY 20*F Ray-Way quilt converted to an UQ. It is about 64" long), DIY hammock(1.9oz ripstop) and suspension (DIY tree huggers and 7/64" Amsteel Whoopies) clocks in at 1120g, but my tarp is heavy and not included in that total. I am currently making a DIY silnylon tarp that should end up in the 310g range.

I also have some 1.2 PolyD that I will make into a hammock that should knock off about 140g. In the end, I think I will be around 1290g.

In the future, if I spring for a cuben fiber tarp, I think it might get me down to about 1150g.

This setup gets me down to 20*F or so, maybe lower. For warmer temps, I could go with less UQ and make the 1k mark.

That is a long story to say, yes, it can be done somewhat easily, as long as you want to drop the $ to do it! Right now, once I get my new hammock and tarp done, I will have about $250USD in my 1.3k setup, but that is all DIY. It would easily be twice that if I purchased everything finished. If I go DIY cuben fiber tarp, I would have about $425USD in a 1.1k setup.

Lightweight usually = expensive

**Dochartaigh** · 12-17-2014, 21:36

Absolutely lightest (with rain and bug protection like a tent) would be something like a 1.0 or 1.1 ripstop hammock, at 9' long (most like 11' for comfort...but you said the lightest). Dynaglide suspension with soft shackles for connection (think those are even lighter then toggles or Dutch bling, not 100% positive though). Then a half bug net you drape over your head to waist (quilt protects your lower half). Then overtop a Cuben Fiber diamond asym tarp at 4.3 ounces + whatever your guylines/ridgeline/stakes weigh.

Basically, depending on what temperature you're going for, the top and bottom insulation on a hammock is almost identical in weight to a tent setup since you need the same quilt on top of both, then either an underquilt or sleeping mat for underneath (very close in weight to each other). Then you take the weight of a tent with bugnet/footprint/stakes/guylines and compare that to the hammock, suspension, and tarp/stakes/guylines overhead – that is your main area of comparison in terms of weight of the two different systems.

For my own personal setup (which for me HAS to be comfortable and non-compromising), it's 22.9 ounce for 11' hammock with bugnet (1.6 HyperD Dream Hammock Darien with suspension), 17.5 for 40º TQ (with 2 oz overfill), 16 for 20º UQ, 8.8 for cuben tarp with doors and all guylines = 65.2 ounces or 4.075 pounds, or 1.85 kilograms. Think I forgot an ounce or so for stakes, but close enough.

Lightest tent setup I would ever get would be a ZPacks Altaplex at 18.9 ounces with everything + 17.5 quilt + 15.5 ounce Therma-Rest NeoAir xLite (I don't do the crappy short pads!) = 51.9 ounces / 3.24 pounds / 1.47 kilograms.

Hopefully the above gives you some comparisons. The entire point of hammock camping is to be much more comfortable than a tent so that may come at a slight weight disadvantage (you'll have to do research to see around what my first lightest-hammock suggestion would weigh – the info is out there). Considering my entire pack is 9.26 pounds base weight with a nice comfy hammock, I'll say that's a win-win no matter how you look at it.

**craige** · 12-17-2014, 21:38

Diy is the way to go for the lightest possible. Look up Sgt. Rocks posts as had been said, he had a setup under 1lb without insulation.

If I was trying to go as light as possible it would be: diy 10ft hammock with 1.0oz hyperD from ripstopbytheroll.com (around 6oz), cuben hex or asym (probably another 6oz max), 3ft mule tape tree huggers with 8ft dynaglide leads and speed hooks (maybe 2oz), tarp lines (1oz), 4 Ti pins (just under and oz), ul diy under quilt (around 10oz). 25oz or so total.

**JohnD** · 12-17-2014, 21:53

Thanks for the quick replies people! How do I find Sgt rocks posts ? I have looked up the users names on the side bar of the home page but cant see any Sgt's there.
I have been messing around with a DIY hammock, using whipped ends and adjusting the entire length down from 11 feet to 9 ( just to get an idea of what length changes do ) Its not 1.1 oz stuff but its a lightweight poly fabric of unkown weight, at present with tree webs and whoopie slings it comes in at about 1 lb. That was before I quickly sewed a pad slot under it to see what a air pad would be like before going to a DL style.

I will be using this ( whatever it is ) setup for back packing only so it needs to be compact and light weight.

Currently I use an enlightened Equipment top quilt rated at 30F and an exped syn 7.5 ul mat .

**SnrMoment** · 12-17-2014, 21:56

I have a DIY 11 foot Argon 90 Hammock with Dynaglide whoopies & 6 ft camo straps that weighs in at 11.5 oz in the stuff sack. Add a 1 season AHE Jarbridge UQ at about 16 oz and I'm well under 2 lbs. I'm 5' 9" & 150# (Old, rickety and sleep in trees).

**craige** · 12-17-2014, 22:06

At least one of Sgt. Rocks threads are in the diy stickies... here is one I found https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...-13-oz-and-360 if you click on you should be able to view his profile and posts from there.

For reference on pack size, my 20°F setup (diy hyperD hammock, 20° tq and 3/4 uq, diy sil hex tarp) can squeeze into a 13L sea to summit dry bag, although I pack them loose in my backpack and I don't like to overly compress my down. Hope this helps.