Newbie Advice for 4 Season World Travel

[EyeAmNowAwaken]

Hello! Been lurking for awhile and now am about to decide and purchase a setup.

My goal is to hammock camp while traveling around the world. I'll be staying with friends along the way but camping otherwise. I'd like to be as light as possible while still being able to survive in winter conditions if necessary (not the plan to be in winter conditions often though). Bug netting is a must.

I'm 5'9", 160lbs. I'm currently looking at the WBBB (Single layer 1.7 - figure 10' should be ok for my size and save some weight), superfly tarp, yetti 3-season UQ. I was leaning towards the whoopie suspension again to save on weight - any reason I should consider different suspension? Should I also consider carrying a sock?

Thanks for any and all advice!
David

[kllrbee]

First....let me just say your my hero.
I cant even put together 2 weeks off of work to travel.....Im jealous...lol.

Curious about why a 3 season Yeti? You state 4 season world travel in your heading....

[Kvothe]

If you want to save weight, consider a cuben fiber tarp. The superfly weighs 19 oz, the HG cuben fiber with doors only weighs 6.5 oz. Also, I have read that some ppl prefer a longer hammock, so if you can test that out, it might be worth the extra 3 oz of the XLC... Before taking a sock, I would consider a warmer UQ and/or an UQP. Apart from that, travelling the world with this setup sounds amazing!

[duckyy]

I suggest getting a lot of practice in hammock camping before going on this trip. There is a learning curve to hammocks and it would suck if something bad were happen.

10' vs 11' hammocks are based on personal preference. I wouldn't let weight saving be a reason to use one or the other. Whoopie slings are great but but you need a minimum space to hang them due to their bury. Also you have to consider big the trees you're going to be hanging from. Are you going to be hiking a lot? Cinch buckles are pretty easy and not that much heavier. Or you can go no hardware and tie knots. What kind of temperature are you looking to sleep in? If it's above 20 most of the time, get a 20 quilt. If it gets colder than that, just wear more layers or better yet just go find a place to stay.

[OutandBack]

If weigh and pack space is important one set of quilts will not work for 4 real seasons. You will need to have other sets and swap them out as the seasons change.

[Miguel]

Frankly I would reconsider even taking a hammock on a world wide trip. I think you will encounter too many places where hanging a hammock would not be feasible. For instance, a couple of years ago I hiked across Spain and found very few spots to even camp let alone set up a hammock. When you are in the woods/backcountry hammocks are great. When staying in established campground and/or parks it can be a hassle finding trees etc to hang from. As much as I hate to say it a tent is much more versatile when simply "traveling". Having said that, If you are adept at going to ground with your hammock, it could be done. Call me Debbie Downer.

[EyeAmNowAwaken]

Thank you all for the great advice and time! I'm going to think it over a bit more this weekend.

I will have a good amount of time to get experience with the setup before leaving. I don't foresee much weather under 20, it will not be the norm. There is something about the hammock that is calling me , I'll have to do a lot of research on using the hammock on ground; I'm very hesitant to change my plan to tent.

[hutzelbein]

A bit late to the party, but five years ago I was in the same situation. So maybe I can help a bit. You didn't write which countries you're planning to visit, and what you want to do. What is your plan B if you can't hang? US hangers are very lucky since backcountry camping is legal almost everywhere, and public campsites are huge (compared to European campsites) and often provide plenty of trees.

I traveled 6 months in NZ and it wasn't always possible to hang. Campsites were geared towards mobile homes and tents, with lots of treeless lawns. I had to improvise often, and sometimes bridge large distances, e.g.



If you only take a hammock, make sure to also take a long suspension - or suspension extensions.

Also be aware, that many countries - especially European countries - prohibit "wild" camping, that is, camping outside of public campsites or private property (where you need the consent of the owner). The only exceptions I know in Europe are Scotland and Scandinavia. Backcountry camping is of course done, but you better avoid being caught.

I'd like to be as light as possible while still being able to survive in winter conditions if necessary (not the plan to be in winter conditions often though). Bug netting is a must.

4-season world travel and going light is difficult. I ended up with a 20° underquilt and sleeping bag, but I didn't camp in temps below freezing. How often do you expect to hang in winter? If you only do it a couple of times, it would be a better idea to go with a 20° underquilt and a light double layer hammock, and supplement with a thin pad when you sleep in temps below freezing. You can probably buy a pad when you need it, and leave it behind when you move towards a warmer climate. Bug netting is a good idea, and it has the advantage (well, not in summer...) that it traps a bit of heat. I always appreciated that in cold nights. But a sock is more powerful.

I'm 5'9", 160lbs. I'm currently looking at the WBBB (Single layer 1.7 - figure 10' should be ok for my size and save some weight), superfly tarp, yetti 3-season UQ.

Reconsider the Superfly. I thought I would need a tarp with doors, but ended up only using a large hex. The Mamajamba is a great tarp: lots of protection that's absolutely adequate for 3-season-camping, but it packs down smaller and is lighter than the Superfly.

As I said, a double layer hammock is more versatile if you do long-term travel. You could also include a pad in your set-up for the times you have to go to ground (and you will have to...). The 1.1oz DL is only slightly heavier than the 1.7oz SL, but you buy more versatility with that weight.

Fabric stretch (which corresponds to weight and number of layers) changes comfort. You might want to try out some cheaper no-net hammocks before making your final decision. After all, you are planning to spend a lot of time in your hammock - and you'll find that hammock camping hasn't taken off in most countries outside the US and Canada. This means it's difficult or at least expensive to make changes to your set-up after you have left the US. So do as much testing as you can beforehand. I tested my hammock for about 3 months before I took off on my trip, and I also did a 10-day cycle tour as a trial run. That definitely made me reconsider some of my gear, and replace a couple of things.

I was leaning towards the whoopie suspension again to save on weight - any reason I should consider different suspension?

Yes, versatility. Whoopies are a bit lighter than the WB webbing suspension, but with the webbing suspension you can hang in much tighter spaces (without starting to fiddle with the whoopies). I got the webbing suspension first, and immediately "upgraded" to whoopie slings. I changed back to the webbing suspension after my trip. I often found the only available trees to be too close together for whoopies. If I would plan for another trip now, I would probably go with a 12' webbing suspension, and take some mule tape or Amsteel dog bones to extend my suspension for extremely wide hangs.

Should I also consider carrying a sock?

I would probably take a sock, but I sleep very cold and I usually don't use public transport but rent a car. It might be worth an idea to take an underquilt protector instead of a sock. It will give you a lot of protection for less weight. On the other hand, a sock could double as a ground shelter. I'd rather damage my sock than my hammock.

Good luck and enjoy your trip!