Thinking Outside of the Box -----> designing a MINIMALIST, durable, storm worthy hammock system

[Refreshing]

Hello!

So I have been designing and building my own hammocks for a few years now because I have specific requirements for my shelters that not many companies offer. The problem is that my designs have continually gotten heavier and heavier. I now seek to design a hammock system that has the following requirements:

1. Easy to setup while climbing in the canopy
2. A rain cover that isn't noisy in high winds
3. Minimal and light
4. Cheap (will be fulfilled by DIYing)
5. Durable insulation
6. 100% protection from mosquitoes

I came close to meeting all of these requirements with a bridge hammock that used a silnylon tarpsock with a mosquito mesh bottom:



Although the tarpsock was light, minimal, easy to setup, and relatively cheap it was too loose and flapped in the high winds that I regularly see in the canopy. A standard tarp is no fun to setup in the canopy (and it doesn't help much anyways because of all the different wind directions) so I was thinking about making a goretex bivy sack. I want it to be super light weight and only used when it is raining or for wind protection in the winter. I came up with a simple design that is essentially a big sock with a drawstring attached to the end. The top would be goretex and the bottom would be a superlight waterproof nylon. The bivy sack would extend a few feet beyond my head so that I could drape it over the edge of the hammock and leave it open for extra ventilation in bad weather. To give you a better idea just look at the picture below. I would cut this shape out of a piece of waterproof nylon and a piece of goretex then simply sew the perimeter, seal it, and make it cinch closed at the top:



I would make sure the head is wide enough to do some light reading or eating snacks. The bivy sack would provide 360 degree wind protection that can't be found with a tarp. Has anyone ever used a bivy sack in a hammock before?

Potential issues that I am NOT concerned about:
-claustrophobia
-ease of getting in and out of the sack

My only worry is how hard it will be to move around in once I am inside of my sleeping bag, ontop of a sleeping pad, inside of a bivy sack, while hanging in a hammock. My plan would be to use this with a traditional gathered end hammock, no frills. What are your thoughts? Any concerns that I may be overlooking?

[TrailSlug]

Why not build a normal hammock from a light material with integrated bug net?

[Stinky]

Forum member Jaxx has an all in one hammock including bottom insulation and tarp. It looks like a great idea.

[Zilla]

Refreshing, have you had a chance to checkout the new Clark Mark 2 ?, it's a hammock and ground bivey all in one = set up, might be worth looking at for ideas on making your own.

[johnspenn]

Dude. You're crazy. I mean that in the nicest possible way =)

[TrailSlug]

Dude. You're crazy. I mean that in the nicest possible way =)

Yea, I'm not sure what you gain by going any higher than a "normal height" other than a lot longer fall if something fails.

[Chemguy]

I thought about the height (and the fall), also. But then I realized that people have pitched tents on rock faces for quite some time. I would think that a sleeping pad could only help with mobility, by providing some sort of base. Have you looked into how the climber's tents (portaledge) are constructed?

P.S. Check out the guys using hammocks on cliffs, before the tents were in production: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portaledge

[TrailSlug]

I thought about the height (and the fall), also. But then I realized that people have pitched tents on rock faces for quite some time. I would think that a sleeping pad could only help with mobility, by providing some sort of base. Have you looked into how the climber's tents (portaledge) are constructed?

P.S. Check out the guys using hammocks on cliffs, before the tents were in production: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portaledge

Hey, just because they do it doesn't make it right! But you know what they say - hang your own hang and never hang higher than you are willing to fall.

[johnspenn]

Seriously, though,

Refreshing have you seen the configuration Jaxx sleeps in called the HNO or (I think) "Airship"? It might be something you'd be interested in,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkCA1n3V1fs

[TrailSlug]

Seriously, though,

Refreshing have you seen the configuration Jaxx sleeps in called the HNO or (I think) "Airship"? It might be something you'd be interested in,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkCA1n3V1fs

But in reality this is just a normal gathered end hammock with a tarp and built in bug net just all sewn together. I'm not too sure how easy this would be to get into 30-40 feet in the air. It would be easier to hang at those heights if anything is easy to hang at these heights.