New Hammocker, Short Time Forum Lurker.

[tenshuu]

I've done a lot of my reading and research using a massive combination of Google and opinions from folks on this forum and Reddit. Finally following said research, today I caved in on my urge to buy a hammock for camping.

This will be my first hammock experience ever (never laid in one in my life... ), but I do have car camping tent camping experience from my youth all the way up to now at 30. At 30, a pad just doesn't do well for me on the ground, I don't sleep well. I want to feel better rested the day following a tough hike. Things that I read about the hammock seem to be worth it for me.

Suggestions were often pointed towards cottage vendors, but I definitely spent a ton of time researching a few Amazon options as well for my budget. I wanted a full kit all in one purchase so bad, the Hennessey looking like the unicorn... Then i started looking at comfortable fabrics, longer hammocks, the information on this stuff is vast. Suspension was equally as consuming trying to research and purchase.....

In the end, I placed an order for a True Timber 11' Netless from Dutchware. Added ridgeline option, amsteel loops and purchased Marlin spike hitch suspension from Dutch as well.

I have questions while waiting for my hammock to arrive.
What is an affordable underquilt option for nights typically reaching no lower than 50F? Affordable being $50 or under, DIY a possibility as well, but it would be a first time ever sewing job.


Maine has some mosquito craziness, I'm going to need a net I am pretty sure, unless we have some folks here who can give me some alternative bug repelling options.

Rain fly suggestions in the under $50 category?


Indoor suspension? Not opposed to stud mounting, but maybe a suggested tutorial or video for setting it up properly?
Any recommendations for full time indoor hammock?

Anyone with comfort comparisons of the true timber fabric compared to other fabrics?
(I'm 5'7" 190LBS)

Super excited for the hammock to show up, gotta piece my entire kit together over time though.


Do I seem way too into hammocks for someone who has never used one?


Thanks everyone.

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[oldpappy]

Welcome. You made a good choice with Dutch. On the UQ, I camped at Portage Lake Maine in July and saw frost one night. I would say watch HF for a used 3 season Jarbridge ($75 but worth it). For $50 you could get a SnugPak Underblanket but that extra $25 for the Jarbridge would be worth it.
Bugnet - I like Fronkey style bugnet but they are expensive. There are several DIY options of buy this $11 kit and use the decent bugnet.
Post 15 is a video and post 20 a product review. https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...ighlight=vipon

[tenshuu]

Welcome. You made a good choice with Dutch. On the UQ, I camped at Portage Lake Maine in July and saw frost one night. I would say watch HF for a used 3 season Jarbridge ($75 but worth it). For $50 you could get a SnugPak Underblanket but that extra $25 for the Jarbridge would be worth it.
Bugnet - I like Fronkey style bugnet but they are expensive. There are several DIY options of buy this $11 kit and use the decent bugnet.
Post 15 is a video and post 20 a product review. https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...ighlight=vipon

Yeah the cold nights are not uncommon here. Sometimes welcome though when trying to lounge outdoors without being sucked dry.

Would a head net and permethrin treated topquilt/hammock suffice between now and net purchase?

Any thoughts on the bugnet sock at Dutch?

Edit:. Just looked up portage lake, never been there. However I spent the first 18 years of my life just a little South of there in Mount Chase. I've spent a lot of time in the North end of Baxter State Park during my life here.

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[sidneyhornblower]

I have questions while waiting for my hammock to arrive.
What is an affordable underquilt option for nights typically reaching no lower than 50F? Affordable being $50 or under, DIY a possibility as well, but it would be a first time ever sewing job.


Maine has some mosquito craziness, I'm going to need a net I am pretty sure, unless we have some folks here who can give me some alternative bug repelling options.

Rain fly suggestions in the under $50 category?


Indoor suspension? Not opposed to stud mounting, but maybe a suggested tutorial or video for setting it up properly?
Any recommendations for full time indoor hammock?

Anyone with comfort comparisons of the true timber fabric compared to other fabrics?
(I'm 5'7" 190LBS)

Super excited for the hammock to show up, gotta piece my entire kit together over time though.


Do I seem way too into hammocks for someone who has never used one?


Thanks everyone.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

Welcome to the addiction that is hammock camping.

Underquilt options:

- A pad might be worth a try. Inexpensive CCF allows cheap experiments.

- DIY a PLUQ (poncho liner underquilt). Although 50 degrees may be pushing it, I use mine mostly at 60 and above.

- DIY one from a kit from Ripstop by the Roll. Not the best project for a novice sewing for the first time, but it can be fun to learn. Mine keeps me warm to around 30 degrees.

- Arrowhead Equipment Jarbidge, a great value and good well into the low 20s for me.


Bug net options

- Buy a head net. Less than $5-6 but you'll have to be completely covered with a top quilt to make this work.

- DIY a HUG. I've made a sloppy one that sorta works but is unsatisfactory due to my unskillful fabrication.

- Buy a HUG from Arrowhead Equipment.

- Bottom entry bug net. Works well, adds some weight and bulk but can be left at home in cooler weather.

[FLTurtle]

Rain fly under $50? Easy: blue or camo 12x10 tarp, at least 50' of 550 paracord, and 4 stakes.

[oldpappy]

Yeah the cold nights are not uncommon here. Sometimes welcome though when trying to lounge outdoors without being sucked dry.

Would a head net and permethrin treated topquilt/hammock suffice between now and net purchase?

Any thoughts on the bugnet sock at Dutch?

You might be ok most nights in Maine with a head net and sleepingbag. Wear a ball hat to keep it off your face.
This works for a summer UQ https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...-(Ultrabudget).
I use tarp clips (the screw type) and shock cord vs whipping the ends.

The summer time issue I have is that when it is above about 65F when bedding down I get too hot when covered up. Anything less than a full coverage bugnet requires you to be completely covered (top and bottom) to keep bugs off (and that is when the bugs are the worst). I prefer a full cover bugnet over a summer sock - a bugnet catches any breeze to breath/let out heat but Nylon won't. I do like a sock in the winter - not summer.

I haven't found the need for Permethrin on my sleep systems.

The link above for the $11 Vipon hammock set will get you a full cover zip up bugnet plus sme heavy suspension (for car camping) and a decent hammock.

[MuadDale]

Did you follow me here from the Concept2 forum lol?

I haven't posted anything there in a while but I'm still rowing the BPP and just went over 400km today (getting in shape for several weeks on the AT early 2021).

[tenshuu]

You might be ok most nights in Maine with a head net and sleepingbag. Wear a ball hat to keep it off your face.
This works for a summer UQ https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...-(Ultrabudget).
I use tarp clips (the screw type) and shock cord vs whipping the ends.

The summer time issue I have is that when it is above about 65F when bedding down I get too hot when covered up. Anything less than a full coverage bugnet requires you to be completely covered (top and bottom) to keep bugs off (and that is when the bugs are the worst). I prefer a full cover bugnet over a summer sock - a bugnet catches any breeze to breath/let out heat but Nylon won't. I do like a sock in the winter - not summer.

I haven't found the need for Permethrin on my sleep systems.

The link above for the $11 Vipon hammock set will get you a full cover zip up bugnet plus sme heavy suspension (for car camping) and a decent hammock.

Thanks for the DIY suggestion! I'll definitely look into this as a temporary option until I can fund a real UQ. Also appreciate the bug tip. I thought the sock might end up being a bit too hot on some hot nights, but I wanted to hear it.

Did you follow me here from the Concept2 forum lol?

I haven't posted anything there in a while but I'm still rowing the BPP and just went over 400km today (getting in shape for several weeks on the AT early 2021).

Oh wow man what's up, haha. After the spring warmth hit I've actually let the rower collect dust... My activity at the C2 forums will match that notion Gonna have to hit my half marathon PB in the fall... I've been jogging around 35 miles a week, nothing impressive, 10k pace is just barely under 10 minute mile.

I've been lurking the forums through Google searches when trying to research hammock camping stuff for about a month. Haven't actually browsed around this forum specifically until this week. Half of the stuff I research shows up with threads from 2013-2015 so I decided I should ask some questions that might have more relevant answers based on changes in the industry over the past few years.

I love hiking, did a ton of car camping in my past, and I'm branching into backpacking because it's accessible everywhere around me, car camping tends to have locations a good 2 hours drive away.

I'm seriously considering a full thru hike of the AT, want to get my GF on board and get some planning and training in, we've got 8 years until her son is an adult, gives a lot of time for planning and gear tuning.
I definitely know that no amount of rowing and jogging will prepare your legs for the elevation gains though, unless of course you're jogging hills. I've done plenty of miles in the peaks of northern Baxter to learn that.


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[MuadDale]

Oh wow man what's up, haha. After the spring warmth hit I've actually let the rower collect dust... My activity at the C2 forums will match that notion Gonna have to hit my half marathon PB in the fall... I've been jogging around 35 miles a week, nothing impressive, 10k pace is just barely under 10 minute mile.

I love hiking, did a ton of car camping in my past, and I'm branching into backpacking because it's accessible everywhere around me, car camping tends to have locations a good 2 hours drive away.

I'm seriously considering a full thru hike of the AT, want to get my GF on board and get some planning and training in, we've got 8 years until her son is an adult, gives a lot of time for planning and gear tuning.

I definitely know that no amount of rowing and jogging will prepare your legs for the elevation gains though, unless of course you're jogging hills. I've done plenty of miles in the peaks of northern Baxter to learn that.

I slacked off the rower for a bit because of some work travel and a small vacation to Bryson City NC where we checked out the NOC, AT and SMNP, but was able to complete the Summer Solstice half-marathon challenge on June 21st. It was my longest row by far and I'm pretty proud of that certificate I printed out even though it took me 1:40 to complete lol. There's another challenge in August (row 10k, 20k, 30k, and 40k in each successive week) that I think should take care of itself because I'm entering the big distance weeks of the BPP just now.

I'm prepping and slowly equipping for several weeks NOBO from Springer in early '21 when I retire from the Navy. As much as I'd love to try to make it a full thru-hike, I'm not sure I can afford the time off over and above the saved leave I'll be using up during the hike. Things may change, we'll see. My leave starts early February and I'm trying to talk myself into (or out of, depending on the day) of a mid-February start lol.

I went the Warbonnet Outdoors hammock route and will stay in their ecosystem for the rest of my kit, but I really don't think any of the well-known cottage vendors make a bad product and from what I've gathered all their customer service is top notch.

This is a wonderful website for info, and I'd also recommend whiteblaze.net for more AT specific stuff, they get WAAAY in the weeds about the trail. You won't find much hammock stuff over there though, they all direct people back here for that (justifiably so).

Choices of equipment are legion, and your mind will spin from all the information and options. We're lucky in that the gear available to us today is light years ahead of what was available just a couple of decades ago. I think just making an informed decision about what you need and committing to it is much less stressful than trying to find the perfect thing every time. Perspective helps, Grandma Gatewood hiked the trail with a canvas shoulder bag and a pair of Keds at 67, 72, and 75 years of age for crying out loud. She had this to say about modern backpacking gear:

In 1970, at age 83, while visiting Appalachian Outfitters in Oakton, Virginia she was asked what she thought about the latest lightweight backpacking gear. Emma advised: "Make a rain cape, and an over the shoulder sling bag, and buy a sturdy pair of Keds tennis shoes. Stop at local groceries and pick up Vienna sausages..."

Total badass!

Don't let the perfect get in the way of the good enough. Gear snobs have their place and can be useful, but at the end of the day just make a decision and go hike!

[tenshuu]

I slacked off the rower for a bit because of some work travel and a small vacation to Bryson City NC where we checked out the NOC, AT and SMNP, but was able to complete the Summer Solstice half-marathon challenge on June 21st. It was my longest row by far and I'm pretty proud of that certificate I printed out even though it took me 1:40 to complete lol. There's another challenge in August (row 10k, 20k, 30k, and 40k in each successive week) that I think should take care of itself because I'm entering the big distance weeks of the BPP just now.

I'm prepping and slowly equipping for several weeks NOBO from Springer in early '21 when I retire from the Navy. As much as I'd love to try to make it a full thru-hike, I'm not sure I can afford the time off over and above the saved leave I'll be using up during the hike. Things may change, we'll see. My leave starts early February and I'm trying to talk myself into (or out of, depending on the day) of a mid-February start lol.

I went the Warbonnet Outdoors hammock route and will stay in their ecosystem for the rest of my kit, but I really don't think any of the well-known cottage vendors make a bad product and from what I've gathered all their customer service is top notch.

This is a wonderful website for info, and I'd also recommend whiteblaze.net for more AT specific stuff, they get WAAAY in the weeds about the trail. You won't find much hammock stuff over there though, they all direct people back here for that (justifiably so).

Choices of equipment are legion, and your mind will spin from all the information and options. We're lucky in that the gear available to us today is light years ahead of what was available just a couple of decades ago. I think just making an informed decision about what you need and committing to it is much less stressful than trying to find the perfect thing every time. Perspective helps, Grandma Gatewood hiked the trail with a canvas shoulder bag and a pair of Keds at 67, 72, and 75 years of age for crying out loud. She had this to say about modern backpacking gear:



Total badass!

Don't let the perfect get in the way of the good enough. Gear snobs have their place and can be useful, but at the end of the day just make a decision and go hike!

Yeah! I spend a lot of time focusing on what suggestions fit my needs best. I'm going to be piecing all of my hiking gear from scratch for the most part. I don't even have a cooking stove or dedicated set of hiking clothes yet...

To be honest I think the best option for me to do the Appalachian Trail is to section hike the entire thing over a few years. I want to do NOBO though, and after descending Katahdin, head through North through the Traveler Loop and down to South Branch Pond. That would be my extraction point. My parents house that I grew up in is in Mount Chase, just outside of the park entrance, about 10miles from shin pond village (one of the last couple of locations with electricity and running water before the Park)

This photo is a look along the ridge of the Traveler trail, it spans along the top of North Traveller to the left center of photo to the right just out of sight is another lower peak, and then down between upper and lower South Branch. It's a very steep tough trail mainly above the tree line, many will say equally as strenuous or moreso than the Katahdin climb.

Took this photo from across the pond, between some trees on the South Branch/Black Cat Mountain trail a few weekends ago.

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