hennesy for thru hike??? or warbonnet???

[jbrecon2]

well that is helpful. however, i wonder if i would regret not having a pad? when i section hiked virginia for 6 weeks a few years ago, i recall usually sleeping in the shelters and enjoying it. i would like to enjoy the best of both worlds, not losing the camraderie of my fellow hiker while hammock camping each night. i was thinking about a 3/4 thermarest z pad. any thoughts on this instead of an underquilt.

[Cannibal]

The vast majority of shelters have excellent hanging spots very nearby. I camped at a lot of shelters for exactly the reason you mentioned, without having to subject myself to the ground. Not once did I sleep on the ground (not counting the occasional nap). However, there are a few hostels that if you choose to stay at, you will need a pad. I avoided those.

But, if you are committed to sleeping in the shelters on the decks (I hung my hammock in a few), then you'll want a pad for sure. If that's the case, you could certainly do without an underquilt. Wouldn't be my advice, but it'll work just fine.

[tlbj6142]

Yeah, they can be bulky. However, there are going to be plenty of cold nights all the way thru May. I saw lots of folks sending home cold weather gear at the first hint of Spring.

Off-topic a bit....The "rule" for NoBo hike is to send home your cold weather gear after Memorial Day or when you reach Pearisburg, VA, which ever comes last! Do not think you are in the clear when you leave Damascus, VA unless it is mid-June or later.

[Cannibal]

Amen tlbj6142. Spent the coldest, most uncomfortable night on the trail somewhere in NY in early July!

[Just Jeff]

As discussed, you'll need top and bottom insulation in the hammock. Whether your bottom insulation is a pad or underquilt is up to you. If you want to sleep in shelters on some nights, consider a 1/2 or 2/3 underquilt for your torso supplemented by a torso-sized pad for your legs. Then you can use that pad when you sleep on the ground or in a shelter. An underquilt is much less bulky than a pad, especially the torso or 2/3 length ones. I have the REI version of the ProLite 3 short that's about the same packed size as a JRB No Sniveler...it covers roughly from my shoulders to knees and is decently comfortable on the floor. Much better than CCF at least.

So a Blackbird with a Yeti and a ProLite 3 would be a good low-bulk setup to keep you comfortable on a shelter floor and in a hammock.

[Bearpaw]

It sounds like you've pretty much answered your own question in your first post (in favor of the WBBB), but I'll add another vote for the Blackbird. It's a more comfortable and functional system than the Hennessy IMO. If I were to thru-hike again, I would use the WBBB throughout, with a Speer Winter Tarp early on, and change to my MacCat Deluxe later.

[MedicineMan]

why give money to the chicoms? send it to colorado!
weight wise depending on which WB you choose you can be as light as the lightest HH.
Feature wise the WB wins. I know, I've got 3 HHs and 2 WBs...for me it's WB but the Jacks have a Bridge hammock to look into...at first it looks heavy but Professor Griz has a surprise coming soon in that regard.
Expensive-well yes but if you are good to your WB or Bridge or HH or whatever you choose you should see several seasons of use.
If you do get a WB get the Yeti...the 3 season with liner will do for an AT thru if you start in March...

[Hooch]

I'm gonna to have to give another nod to the Warbonnet. It's a wonderfully comfortable hammock. As far as insulation goes, don't discount the need for staying warm, even in the warmer months. Most folks in a hammock need some type of underside insulation in the neighborhood of 70 degrees. If you go solely with a pad, look at the Segmented Pad Extender (SPE) from Speer. It makes your pad wider to help keep you warmer. If you go with an underquilt, the Yeti from Warbonnet is the perfect compliment to the BlackBird. Supplement this with a short pad to go under the feet and you're all set. Oh, and welcome to HF, glad to have you with us over here.

[Cannibal]

but Professor Griz has a surprise coming soon in that regard.

I heard a rumor about that as well.
I'm patiently awaiting verifiable evidence of it.

[HikerRanky]

As the owner of a HH Deluxe Explorer and a WBBB dbl 1.7, I much prefer the Blackbird. Suffice it to say that Brandon spent a lot of time working out the details such as the shelf, the locations of the tieouts, and especially the footbox to make this a great hammock. Over the Christmas holiday rather than sleep in a bed at my brother's house for several nights, I hung my Blackbird in his back yard, put my Speer Winter Tarp over it, the SnugFit under it, and slept better than in the bed I slept in last year. Temp got down to 22 degrees one night there, and didn't have a single cold spot in the hammock.