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  1. #1

    Join Date
    May 2019
    Location
    Kimberley, BC
    Hammock
    Chameleon/TE Happy Medium/SG
    Tarp
    Thunderfly/UGQ WD
    Insulation
    HG / LL
    Suspension
    Becket
    Posts
    189
    Images
    2

    Greetings from the BC Rockies

    I've sadly realized my backpacking days are over, due to some issues with my aged feet, but I've switched over to canoe camping in a 14' solo canoe. Space and weight are still prime considerations in my camping gear...these boats are not tubby gear haulers that you can bring a cooler in.

    Sleeping off the ground, off the crinkly narrow Thermarest NeoAir Xlite, more directly out in the great outdoors has a lot of appeal to me. So I've been devouring all the posts on this forum and slowly getting my gear together.

    I have started out with a double-layer Dutchware Chameleon so as to use the pad for now while I ponder the options on underquilts. It's been set up in my backyard for a couple of trial runs. First night...maybe I was too excited about sleeping in a hammock but I couldn't get quite comfortable and got about 3 hours of sleep.

    Made adjustments for the second night...better hang angle for a flatter lay and let air out of the pad so that I wasn't so prone to sliding off the thing...much better results. Slept on my side comfortably for a long time, switched over to the other side and slept there comfortably, lay on my back in the early morning and slept comfortably that way too. The second night also saw me sleeping with the Chameleon's top cover on, which made things way more cozy. Temps were probably in the low 50s Fahrenheit. Using a 33* Marmot Hydrogen sleeping bag spread open like a top quilt.

    More practice runs to come!

    I do want to say thank you to all the members who post friendly, direct answers to newbies' questions...you have helped make my learning curve a lot less steep.

    And holy smokes how great all the cottage vendors are...order something from Dutch at 10:00 pm, it's shipped out by 11:00 am the next morning. Have a question about moving the location of pullouts on the Winterdream 12' tarp to accommodate a contemplated Ridgerunner bridge hammock...get an answer from Paul within a few hours. These are just great people to deal with.

    Peace,
    Clare

  2. #2
    Senior Member sidneyhornblower's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    outside
    Posts
    1,500
    Quote Originally Posted by Canadark View Post
    More practice runs to come!
    And do keep posting and let folks know if it gets better or worse or you have other questions. There's a pretty steep learning curve that I'm still climbing, but I won't go back to the ground willingly at this point. Welcome to the forums, Clare.
    "...the height of hammock snobbery!"

  3. #3
    Senior Member Grunt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2019
    Location
    IN
    Hammock
    Amok Draumr XL
    Posts
    224
    I'm finding myself in a simiar scenario here, Clare. Welcome to HF!
    Oooh, shiney! What does THIS button do?

  4. #4
    Senior Member Firesong's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Saskatoon, Sk. Canada
    Hammock
    Warrior Edge UL - LSoH
    Tarp
    'Razor' Hex - LSoH
    Insulation
    LSoH Toaster TQ/UQ
    Suspension
    Various
    Posts
    1,210
    Waiting to see some more hang pictures from you
    James

  5. #5

    Join Date
    May 2019
    Location
    Kimberley, BC
    Hammock
    Chameleon/TE Happy Medium/SG
    Tarp
    Thunderfly/UGQ WD
    Insulation
    HG / LL
    Suspension
    Becket
    Posts
    189
    Images
    2
    Quote Originally Posted by Firesong View Post
    Waiting to see some more hang pictures from you
    James
    James, thanks for asking.

    Here's a recap of my evolution (with photos as requested )

    Started out with a double-layer 1.0 inner / 1.6 outer Chameleon, resisting the idea of underquilts as so weird and foreign, wanting to use existing camping pads. I tried my 20" regular length NeoAir XLite -- crinkly as ever, subject to movement even within the layers. Just so fussy to position and to stay on during the night. A royal PIA, to be frank.

    DL Chameleon.jpg

    Purchased a Exped 20" MegaMat (which I also use in our VW campervan, so not exclusively for hammocking)...this was better between the layers, inflated to about 40%. More quiet, but still a large fuss factor. I was getting better at finding the sweet spot though, and sleeping more continuous hours. Still using the very lightweight down opened-up Marmot Hydrogen 30* sleeping bag as a top quilt.

    Next step -- ordered a 20* Premium Incubator from Hammock Gear and bought a single-layer 1.6 Chameleon from a forum member. I have seen the light now, understanding the whole underquilt thing. Much more comfortable sleeping and overall warmth factor. Still some fiddling with underquilt positioning, adjusting, repositioning during the night when it gets somehow off me as I turn from side to side.

    I do like the symmetrical bugnet that came with my single layer Chameleon, versus the asym bugnet that I decided to get with my original DL. Seems like you have a better view, but there is yes the problem of fabric being in your face more. But I'm still having trouble sleeping consistently through the night. The hammock is great for general lounging however, like this break I took during a summer day paddle:

    SL Chameleon.jpg

    Meanwhile, my spouse gets interested in hammocking, based on my bad influence. But she wants Stability above all else, suffering from bouts of vertigo at times. She insists what she wants is a Lawson Blue Ridge Camping hammock. I try to talk her out of it, unsuccessfully. I find a cheap one on eBay...she loves it, as long as it's shock-corded all around to the ground. I see some advantages to it as well...

    So...I go over to the bridge hammock side during a Warbonnet Labor Day Sale. Ordered a SL Ridgerunner, 20* Lynx, UQP. I'm in Canada, the hammock is shipped to my private mailbox in MT that I use to avoid excessive shipping and other charges. Life happens, three months go by before I get the thing home. In the meantime, I've done a partial trade of my DL Chameleon for a Spindrift via a Facebook gear flea market.

    Now it's December, but regardless I've tried to sleep overnight a couple of times in the RR with Spindrift installed. Some success in making it through the night, despite some temps getting near the limits of my quilts. Still working on my "systems"...

    But oh my, so much easier to get into a comfortable position and stay there!! I'll keep the Chameleon for general lounging, but the RR is now my hammock for overnight sleeps.

    For some reason, all the photos of my new setup display upside-down. Here are links to Google Photos that might work, who knows.

    https://photos.app.goo.gl/uH5QxzASKtsQdukC7

    https://photos.app.goo.gl/xaVhd6aKzn2FkzkD9

    https://photos.app.goo.gl/FM3jk8gogpgfQyt37
    Last edited by Canadark; 12-06-2019 at 23:53. Reason: photos upside down

  6. #6
    Senior Member Niagara's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    Edmonton AB area
    Hammock
    LSOH Warrior Edge
    Tarp
    DIY Xyl
    Insulation
    LSOH Toaster
    Suspension
    Cinch / webbing
    Posts
    256
    Very nice setup - a way late welcome from S Ontario. (Still working on my systems too)

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