I've a family of four, with kids aged 4 and 2. I decided to try camping with the eldest, and thought of trying hammocking instead of tenting. I don't have the gear, and there aren't really any second hand markets here in Finland, so I'm getting them new. After reading a ton of stuff (too much, it feels right now) I decided to make an account and ask for some confirmation and support.
My goal is to get some kind of balance between cheap enough that I won't be terribly annoyed if this just doesn't work, but also good enough that the comfort isn't sacrificed so much that failure would be inevitable. I'll start with just me and the 4 year old, but in the future the gear would preferably keep working for us when the younger one gets out of diapers (or who knows, maybe it will be so great that I'll try it anyway with full family!). We won't be backpacking, nor car camping, but using electric cargo bikes instead. So weight isn't much of a concern, though we don't have as huge capacity as with station wagons. Out of durable, light, and cheap, I'm aiming for durable and cheapish.
My kid is quite a wiggler, and I can't stand sleeping with him even in a normal wide bed, so I thought that spreader bars is not going work for us. He did seem to expect a tent, and wants to have walls against unknown terrors, so I think separate trees isn't going to work either. Trees here are small so I thought that either we might find a nice triangle of trees to put us next to each other, or go vertical, bunk style (he's not a wetter, so I feel confident sleeping under him).
Brands here are pretty limited without excessive postage costs. Pretty much just DD, Ticket to the moon, and Amazonia (and tentsile…). DD Frontline seems like a good choice. It has integrated bug nets, which I want to make sure that he can't just roll out of the hammock accidentally. It also isn't waterproof like some other models, so it should breath better. I would have gotten an Frontline XL for myself for extra comfort, and to see if it would work for both kids in the same hammock, but it is unavailable until July. That said, here's what I though of getting at minimum:
- 2× DD Frontline
- Tree huggers for one, and whoopie kit (including huggers and carabiners) to test different suspension
- DD Tarp 4m × 4m, to let us sleep bunked or sideways under same tarp. And maybe to work with the Frontline XL later. The tarp includes 4 pegs and guy lines, and I'll use the webbing from one of the tarp as ridge lines. Or paracord as CRL.
I'm not sure if I should also get right away or later:
- Repair tape or patches
- Climbing rated carabiners for hammocks (have already light ones for the tarp)
- Hammock sleeves, or even the XL sleeve to put the tarp in the same one as one hammock
- Tarp Poles for using the tarp as shade in the yard too
- More pegs for tarp, to fold some doors
Amok Draumr will definitely come only later .
I'm a bit unsure if I should get the DD tree huggers, or something that would have multiple attachment points. They sure are cheap though, Kammok Python 10s would cost triple in here. Also DD seems to be selling a distinct 6mm tarp cord, is there something that makes plain paracord (which I already have) a bad fit?
I also have self inflating pads to put between the hammock layers, and some sleeping bags. And some waterproof bags. Is there something else I'm missing?
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