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  1. #1
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2015
    Location
    UT
    Hammock
    Netless + Bottom Entry net
    Tarp
    Rectangle
    Posts
    329

    Hello from Northern Utah

    I had been intrigued by the idea of hammock camping since I've seen them popping up more in sporting good stores. I really enjoy backpacking and camping and am slowing building up my own gear. In the past I have "buddied up" in a tent but I have wanted to be more independent in my gear or at least in sleeping arrangements.

    I finally broke down and bought the cheapest hammock I could find on the shelf (Grand Trunk Ultralight ~$20) and used some ratcheting tie-downs collecting cobwebs in my parents garage and started hanging around the backyard and parks etc. I found it to be a suitable item for relaxing at any rate and decided to try sleeping in it overnight. I took my 3 year old kid, tent, and hammock up a nearby canyon (gotta love Northern Utah). I put my kid in the tent and strung my hammock up along side it. I used a cheap Walmart "Blue-Tarp" hung on the diagonal, my self-inflating camping pad, and mummy-bag. It was very tricky trying to get situated in my sleeping bag which was aggravated by my hanging the hammock about 6" too high off the ground, but with some effort I bedded down for the night and slept as well as can be expected while camping. Needless to say I am hooked and have already begun upgrading my hammock gear, though I am on a very lean budget.

    For suspension I bought some $5 webbing straps and cut off the cam lock device and inserted a replacement chain link device to allow the strap to easily slide through the hole and self tighten around the tree. I got some rings to make a cinch buckle system making it simple to adjust the length of the suspension at either end.

    A tarp was highest on my list. The Walmart "Blue-Tarp" left a lot to be desired; it was bulky, heavy, and poorly made/fragile, a horrible combination. I read and searched for days for a suitable replacement at a decent price. I wanted something under $50 that was lightweight, but everything I found that met that criteria was the bare minimum on functionality and looked even less appealing. I decided that I would make my own tarp and chose silnylon for the fabric. I toiled with the design so as to purchase only the bare minimum in terms of yardage that would suit my wallet and needs. I am rather proud of the hex-tarp design I came up with that only used 4yds of fabric. I decided to leave the triangle flaps at the ends and am working on a way to either lace them up or pitch them to make them sort of like "half-doors" (see the design pics from my sketchup 3d model). I lined the edges with grosgrain (only flaps left to line) and its currently hanging in my garage while my poor-mans' seam sealing (silicone caulk + mineral spirits) is drying (see pic of the first time i pitched it before sealing the seams). I made several rookie mistakes while sewing but being my first project I'm going for functionality over aesthetics.
    design idea:final hammock tarp 1.png
    measurements: measurements.png
    real deal :20150727_204554.jpg

    Thanks to all the DIY threads on here for their combined wisdom. I'll post more pics of the final product (tarp) and setup later if anyone is interested. If you want to see/know something specific let me know.

  2. #2
    Senior Member Dux's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Southeastern Wisconsin
    Hammock
    GT SB-Pro, Infinity, Yukon, Vivere
    Tarp
    Chinook 12x9'6
    Insulation
    SleepBagThermaRest
    Suspension
    DIYwhoopies,adjSRL
    Posts
    611
    Sweet! Welcome aboard.
    (insert pithy quote here)

  3. #3
    Senior Member Brimstone's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Rocky Mtns - Utah
    Hammock
    WBBB XLC
    Tarp
    WB Superfly
    Insulation
    Jarbidge/Snugpak
    Suspension
    Webbing/Buckles
    Posts
    110

    Hello from Northern Utah

    Welcome from Lehi. You are in such a great place for camping/hiking. I was just hammock camping with my son in the Uintas last week at scout camp. I had one of the best nights sleep I have ever had up there. I'm planning a backpacking trip in the Uintas with my son for about two weeks from now as well. I don't really have craft skills, so we are using some Hennessey tarps. I'm working on decreasing our weight as we move away from car camping and more to backpacking as he gets older, but lighter tends to cost more.
    Go Tigers!

  4. #4
    New Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    SLC, UT
    Posts
    49
    Welcome from SLC!

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