A Photo History of my Camping Hammocks

[JSH]

Thanks for sharing your hammocks. There is a wealth of information in your examples.

I noticed the height you were hanging just now scrolling through your examples. Bet that helps when you need to drop your tarp low for wind or colder conditions plus you just look comfortable drinking coffee from your hammock in your first hammock.

Threads like these are good teaching tools. Appreciate you sharing.

[OutandBack]

Thanks, that's what I assumed. I guess a frost bib or similar is still in order when using a sock.

My personal low temp is only 22°F so far. I didn't use a sock or bib, so there was a bit of frost on my TQ when I woke up. Didn't use a tarp that night.

What exactly is that you're testing now? Is that the elusive and mysterious 2QZQ prototype sock you've mentioned working on before?

22F and cooler is where the fun begins, you will love it.
Hammock camping below freezing is a whole different world and controlling your breath and perspiration (sweating, transpiration, or diaphoresis) is the challenge.

Here's my best. Colorado doesn't really get much colder than this.



I'm testing and XLC with winter cover.

Thanks for sharing your hammocks. There is a wealth of information in your examples.

I noticed the height you were hanging just now scrolling through your examples. Bet that helps when you need to drop your tarp low for wind or colder conditions plus you just look comfortable drinking coffee from your hammock in your first hammock.

Threads like these are good teaching tools. Appreciate you sharing.

Hi JSH,
Thank you. Funny you should mention the coffee.
Now that I am retired I live such a simple life. Many of my hammock camping trips have one goal.
Catch the sun rise with a hot cup of coffee from the hammock. Pack up and go home.

[GoatHanger]

Well, I am looking forward to lower temps. So far, any time I've hung 32°F or lower, I didn't use a tarp but once. I didn't have much condensation that time... I think it was 26°F that night.

I'd like to experiment with a sock. It's funny though, that my reason to want to try it is to raise the temp of where I sleep a few degrees, but to deal with condensation you have to vent... which lets the heat out.

Tricky business!

[OutandBack]

Well, I am looking forward to lower temps. So far, any time I've hung 32°F or lower, I didn't use a tarp but once. I didn't have much condensation that time... I think it was 26°F that night.

I'd like to experiment with a sock. It's funny though, that my reason to want to try it is to raise the temp of where I sleep a few degrees, but to deal with condensation you have to vent... which lets the heat out.

Tricky business!

Yes it is and the colder it gets the more you have to vent so it kind of defeats the purpose.
However there are many other reasons to use a sock.
Even with a large vent you still get a lot of wind protection.
All the stuff you bring into the hammock stays there or at least its somewhere within the sock and has not fell on the ground where the wind blows it away.
You get the splash protection like an UQP. Ever try to keep a TQ and or pillow in an open(netless) hammock without being in the hammock to keep it there?
Everything falls out of an open hammock when you get out to water the trees.

The two times you can close the sock up pretty tight is in high winds.
Which is nice if you get blowing snow that whips around in all directions making your tarp useless.
Or Spring/Fall winds above 50F.



There is a learning curve to using a sock properly and it is not intuitive.

[GoatHanger]

Yes it is and the colder it gets the more you have to vent so it kind of defeats the purpose.
However there are many other reasons to use a sock.
Even with a large vent you still get a lot of wind protection.
All the stuff you bring into the hammock stays there or at least its somewhere within the sock and has not fell on the ground where the wind blows it away.

The one time you can close the sock up pretty tight is in high winds. Which is nice if you get blowing snow that whips around in all directions making your tarp useless.

There is a learning curve to using a sock properly and it is not intuitive.

Thank you for those tips. I have used my UQP to help break the wind (no pun intended), and it did help to keep the warmth in my UQ, as opposed to being blown out of it. I can imagine a full sock is far better at it.

Congratulate yourself on helping me to spend more money... I think I'm off to order a Spindrift now. The other incentive is the bridge speed hooks I just got. Now it will be quicker and easier to get the sock on and off.

EDIT: Yep. Just ordered a double door sock and a pole tip set for my RR

[gargoyle]

Only 5 hammocks?

[OutandBack]

Only 5 hammocks?

Counted 6 with the new XLC but I have not been at this as long as you.

[JSH]

Hi JSH,
Thank you. Funny you should mention the coffee.
Now that I am retired I live such a simple life. Many of my hammock camping trips have one goal.
Catch the sun rise with a hot cup of coffee from the hammock. Pack up and go home.



[/QUOTE]

I'm heading to the Blue Ridge in the morning. Getting there between weather systems. Might be a bit of snow on the ground. Hope I'll squeeze in a sunset like the one you shared. I'll have hot coffee though. Not sure why it tastes so good in the woods.

Thanks for posting the pictures. Good reminders of what is waiting.

[OutandBack]

I'm heading to the Blue Ridge in the morning. Getting there between weather systems. Might be a bit of snow on the ground. Hope I'll squeeze in a sunset like the one you shared. I'll have hot coffee though. Not sure why it tastes so good in the woods.
Thanks for posting the pictures. Good reminders of what is waiting.

Have a great time and don't forget your camera or the hot waterbottle trick.
I would love to see a trip report on your return.

[sloth69mustang]

My hammock collection grows every year as well. you can never have too many hammocks