New Guy - A few questions

[Shibboleth]

Hello,

Last year a person joined our boy Scout troop and he brought along a Hennessy Hammock. I was instantly jealous and have hated him ever since. From that time till now I have been dreaming of getting my own hammock and my birthday is rapidly approaching.

I have been lurking for a little bit reading the forums, not as much as I should because I am lazy, and I have listened to a few of the podcasts; but, I think I have picked out what I want to get and I want to make sure that I do not make too many mistakes.

I believe that I have settled on Clark NX-270. I decided on this one for a few reasons. I like the interior pockets and because I do go on so many outings with Scouts the ability to zip myself up in a hammock for privacy to change or cry myself to sleep is very appealing. I realize that it is a very expensive starter hammock but I do want to save a little money. I sleep cold and right now Clark is offering their Z-Liner for $65 which is a really good deal. If I go for the underquilt would it work to save some money and get a Bear Butt or Chill Gorilla Tarp until I can upgrade?

Any advice is appreciated.

Sincerly,
A gear junkie.

[TrailSlug]

I would recommend reading a bit more. While this is a good hammock it's heavy and if you are backpacking you'd be better off with a lighter hammock. I'd recommend looking at Warbonnet, Dutchwaregear, SimplyLightDesigns as well as others for a lighter, more comfortable (IMO) and more main stream cottage vendor hammock.

[Gideon]

I agree with Trail Slug. If you get this it'll be a good hammock and you'll learn alot. You may end up keeping it as is but there's a really good chance you'll decide that you want a different set up. In my opinion, the setup you've selected is good for car camping only. You can address privacy concerns perfectly well with a hammock and tarp setup that is WAY more suitable for even short backpacking trips.

In addition to the brands recommended by TrailSlug, I would highly encourage you to look at Dream Hammocks. I think they are the perfect value proposition, balancing weight, features, cost, etc.

For staying warm there's really two paths, pads and quilts. In my humble opinion, pads can "made due" until you save up for quilts but if you can afford to go straight to quilts, you should. I wasted time, money, and was continually frustrated with pads. You'll have 100% greater comfort and enjoyment if you go right to top and bottom quilts. Start out with full length and make sure your quilts are rated for at least 10 degrees lower than what you expect to encounter.

If you end up hating to hang (unlikely); you'll be able to recover most of your investment by selling your gear on this site.

You should tell us how far your average hike will be or you'd like it to be. If you're really only going to car camp and want to go the Clark route, go for it but I'd think twice and read/research more.

Gideon

[Shibboleth]

I would recommend reading a bit more. While this is a good hammock it's heavy and if you are backpacking you'd be better off with a lighter hammock. I'd recommend looking at Warbonnet, Dutchwaregear, SimplyLightDesigns as well as others for a lighter, more comfortable (IMO) and more main stream cottage vendor hammock.

Thank you. Weight isn't an issue because I will be using it for car camping the vast majority of the time. I have looked at the Warbonnet and it looks great. With the Thunderyfly I would have the protection and privacy that I desire as necessary. The reason why I didn't initially chose that is that I do sleep cold and when it comes to comfort that is my biggest concern. When you throw in the Thunderfly and the Yetti it is really starting to get up in cost. That said when chipping out the money we are talking about I would rather spend a little more and be happy than less and get something I don't want to use.

[Bobo1234]

Thank you. Weight isn't an issue because I will be using it for car camping the vast majority of the time. I have looked at the Warbonnet and it looks great. With the Thunderyfly I would have the protection and privacy that I desire as necessary. The reason why I didn't initially chose that is that I do sleep cold and when it comes to comfort that is my biggest concern. When you throw in the Thunderfly and the Yetti it is really starting to get up in cost. That said when chipping out the money we are talking about I would rather spend a little more and be happy than less and get something I don't want to use.

Personally, one of my favorite aspects about hammock camping is the modularity in setups. For the most part, you can mix and match tarps, hammocks, UQ, and TQ to your personal specs, you don't have to go with all of one brand or the other. For instance, you could match your WB Thunderfly that you like with a Dutchware or Dream Hammock, and then get a Hammock Gear Econ UQ and TQ at a little bit lower price. I would definitely recommend reading around a bit more, to save yourself the hassle of upgrading all of your gear. I made the mistake of going waaaayyyy too cheap when starting out, and ended up spending more overall than if I had just bought my nicer gear to begin with.

[Shibboleth]

Personally, one of my favorite aspects about hammock camping is the modularity in setups. For the most part, you can mix and match tarps, hammocks, UQ, and TQ to your personal specs, you don't have to go with all of one brand or the other. For instance, you could match your WB Thunderfly that you like with a Dutchware or Dream Hammock, and then get a Hammock Gear Econ UQ and TQ at a little bit lower price. I would definitely recommend reading around a bit more, to save yourself the hassle of upgrading all of your gear. I made the mistake of going waaaayyyy too cheap when starting out, and ended up spending more overall than if I had just bought my nicer gear to begin with.

You people are awesome. I will continue reading on my own. But if I go with Hammock Gear Econ Quilt I can go with the Dream Hammock or Warbonnet with the Thunderfly and everything will fit in my budget.

[HangFan]

Don't overlook the "for sale" section here too. Some good deals can be had if your patient and not dead set on one thing. Also, as long as you keep the condition good, resale is always an option...
Good luck

[HanginEgger]

Bobo Gives great advice. I've got a Hammock Gear Econ top quilt and underquilt, as well as a set of the standard HG quilts. I really like the feel of the econ quilts a lot. They seem to be a great value.
If you go with a Dutchware Chameleon you can buy the basic set-up, and add accessories later as you see the need. The warbonnet hammocks come with a lot of nice features included.
The only issues I had with Dream Hammocks is that they have so many options it became a bit overwhelming trying to decide what to order. Also the lead is a bit longer (currently about 4 weeks).
I'm not knocking Dream Hammocks; from everything I've read and seen online they sell an amazing product. For me, I wanted a hammock to use right away, so I bought a wide Chameleon. I was not disappointed.
As has been said, there are a lot of good options. It's fun experimenting. You're wise to ask questions before ask questions to help get off on the right foot.

[Oldskewl]

Another option is DIY. Rip Stop By The Roll and Dutch have awesome kits to make under quilts, tarps, and top quilts. You don’t have to use down when making under quilts or top quilts for warmer weather (40F +). You can use synthetic like climashield. I learned how to sew in a few hours and found it easier than I expected. I wouldn’t dare put my finished projects up against Dutch, warbonnet, enlightened equipment, etc., but it worked great for me until I was able to upgrade. There are tons of videos out there and tons of awesome people on this site who are willing to help if you have questions. If your lucky, you may know someone who knows how to sew. Good luck.


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[Miquel Westano]

Thank you. Weight isn't an issue because I will be using it for car camping the vast majority of the time. I have looked at the Warbonnet and it looks great. With the Thunderyfly I would have the protection and privacy that I desire as necessary. The reason why I didn't initially chose that is that I do sleep cold and when it comes to comfort that is my biggest concern. When you throw in the Thunderfly and the Yetti it is really starting to get up in cost. That said when chipping out the money we are talking about I would rather spend a little more and be happy than less and get something I don't want to use.

I am going to chime in, although you have already gotten similar advice. I think you should look at more modular systems like the Blackbird XLC, the Dream Hammock line, Dutch or some other gathered end hammock from a cottage vendor. Check the gear for sale section often. I have bought lots of my stuff there. Also there are sometimes sales you can find in the vendor section on new gear.

There is a reason the cottage vendors are so popular here. These guys are hammock users as well as hammock makers. They know how to make good products from testing their own stuff and improving it. I have nothing against Clark, ENO or any of the other mass makers. But you will get a better product from a seller who uses the stuff they sell. I also think you will get miles better service in the unlikely event of a warranty issue.

The NX 370 is about $400. That is a lot more than you need to spend for a hammock. You can get into a 11' Dream Hammock Sparrow, with net and over cover for about $225. A double layer 11 'XLC is about the same money. That's $175 you save to spend on insulation. Add in the $65 you were going to spend on the Z-liner, and you can get a very nice down underquilt for a little more new, and maybe less used.

Take your time and try to buy the stuff most commonly seen on hangs, and in post here. Folks here have tried lots of stuff and settled on what works. You say you sleep cold, and if that's so, then be sure you get an underquilt that is rated at least ten degrees below weather you plan to sleep in. I think the Z-liner would be a disappointment, but that is just my opinion.

Although I don't plug one company over the other, I will say I think you would be very pleased with the Hammock Gear econ series. I don't own one, but I do have a regular HG top quilt and I love the quality. Their stuff isn't mass market cheap, but it is top quality. That is the thing you will find with the cottage vendors here. Quality is important to folks who put their names and reputations on the line.

Welcome to a great pastime and the forum.