Here's my story.... I've been backpacking for about 8 years now and car camping my entire life (I'm 37). I lived in Manhattan for 8 years, Philly for 5 and I haven't owned a car since 2005, so getting to the woods wasn't always super convenient. I originally started out doing 4 day/40 mile weekend trips with my wife but in the past 2 years started doing more solo trips. I like to really push myself and do 20-35 miles per day on rugged/less maintained trails. Last September I hiked the 73 mile Massanutten Mountain trail in 3 dys/2 nights. I got absolutely terrible sleep each night, tossed and turned the entire time and at that moment I decided I was going to try hammock camping. Seeing as I had a full ground dwelling setup that I invested quite a bit of money in, I didn't want to have to make that same investment in a whole hammock setup. Thus, I decided to buy a sewing machine and make everything myself. Below are all the components that I've created over the past year or so with descriptions. I also sewed a mirror setup for my wife, (her hamock is hot pink and tarp is morrocan blue with hot pink tie outs and stitching). I've hiked about 100 miles with all the gear, so it's trail tested and works great. I'm admittedly not the best sewer (haven't touched a machine since 7th grade home ec class), but my stitching gets the job done. I owe pretty much all my skills to this forum, so I figured I'd share the results.
I just realized the pictures are all out of order once I posted. The number corresponds with the picture file name, so if you hover over you can see the name. 1 starts on the bottom middle, goes to the right and then the order gets all messed up. Sorry about that....
1 - My full setup, tarp, hammock, underquilt. Not my backpacking pack though, that's just for local biking. I currently use an Osprey Exos 38 but I'm upgrading to a Z Packs Arc Haul during black Friday sale. Tarp has a 12' ridgeline, doors, made with Xenon Sil .9. Continuous ridgeline made out of lash-it, Dutch hook, Dutch fly, attached to Prusik's by DIY soft shackles. DIY snakeskins out of noseeum mesh. Tie outs are green reflectit and "three home" tensioners. Titanium shepherd stakes. Weight is 16.5oz.
2 - View of Philly in porch mode.
3 - My "DIY" underquilt. It's a Costco quilt (so not completely DIY obviously) where I ripped the vertical stitching and then sewed 1.5" horizontal faux baffles. It has about 2" of loft. Sewed side channels for shock cord, plastic S-biners. I'm 6' and it goes just about to my ankle. I cut about 10" from the sides. Weight is 13oz. I've gotten this down to 45 degrees and was toasty warm.
4 - View looking toward head end
5 - Corner reinforcing on tarp. 1/2" Beastee Dee Rings. No cat cuts needed on the tarp as it's .9 Xenon sil. I can get a super taught pitch.
6 - Rear view of the tarp. 2 pull-outs on each side, circles cut out of Xenon 1.6, Permatex silicone spread over it and used as glue. The tarp has a ton of coverage.
7 - View of my suspension. 6' tree straps made from 1" poly webbing. DIY whoopie slings. Wood dowel toggles, marlin spike hitch.
8 - Action photo of the gear from our trip over 4th of July, thru hiking the Allegheny Front Trail. That's my wife's hammock/quilt and wife on the log. We use a Dutch Double Hammock Whoopie Hook and my hiking pole as a spreader bar., so my hammock is behind hers Although I made my wife a tarp, mine completely covers both of our hammocks. This was the first night I slept with the tarp wide open, tied to the trees around us. It was such an amazing feeling to wake up and not be "closed in" like you are in a tent. We got a bit of rain overnight but stayed completely dry since the tarp is huge.
9 - Shot of the hammocks next to each other.
10 - Campsite on the last night, right next to the creek. Snakeskins work like a charm.
11 - This was a mod I created on my fronkey style bugnet. I like to have the bugnet completely out of the way when lounging in the evening or when eating breakfast in the morning. During our 4th of July trip I'd pull the suspension through the end of the bugnet (unhook ridgeline and hammock from whoopie hook) and slide it to the head end of the hammock. It only took about 2 minutes but was a bit of a hassle. I sewed in a 3' section of zipper on the end of the hammock so I can now unzip, slide the hammock and underquilt through the opening and then slide to the head end. No hassle anymore and it only adds about a half an ounce.
12 - My 11'8" Hexon 1.0 hammock. DIY ridgeline organizer. I originally had the ridgeline attached to the washer at the foot end and whoopie hook at the head end but shortened it and now it's over the continuous loops right at the opening of the channel on the hammock. Single side pull-out so I don't get any flop in my face. Attaches to a tab I sewed in the fronkey bugnet and then another pull out to keep the bugnet out of my face.
13 - My "DIY" topquilt. Same idea as the underquilt. This was actually a BB&B down throw I got for $14 after coupons. Ripped the horizontal baffles this time and sewed in 1.5" faux baffles. I tried using the "cinch" method for a footbox by sewing in drawcord, but it made the quilt too short. I then sewed a piece of 1.6 Hexon into the quilt to create a footbox (right image). Now it comes up over my face. Weight is 15oz. i've had this down to 45 degrees and was toasty warm. can't go much lower though.
14 - Wife's underquilt. same costco quilt but I took two, cut them down to 44" and then sewed them together with faux baffles to make an 80" quilt. Weight is 21oz. This quilt is insanely warm. I have the same one and have gotten this one below 20 degrees.
15 - Wife's topquilt. Same idea as the underquilt, but with a footbox.
I also recently got into Winter backpacking while learning hammock camping. I decided to create a modular system so I can be super flexible in regards to temperature. I also created a "sock" to get me even lower. I created the sock by essentially making two topquilts like my summer one and then sewed them together. The weight of the sock is 30oz. If I bring my summer underquilt, winter topquilt and sock (total weight is 64oz) I can easily get down to 0 degrees and be completely comfortable.
Welp, that's my gear. If you have any suggestions, please don't hesitate to share. I'm always happy to hear input.
Thanks for looking!
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