Ground cloth?

**WesArnold** · 02-20-2022, 09:34

I used to use a nylon "blanket" I got from Amazon long ago, but recently rec'd a Kammok Joey Gear Sling from a friend. Absolutely love the Joey. Keeps all your gear off the ground and since it hangs I can fix it where I can reach everything while I'm in the hammock. Definitely worth the ozs.

**cougarmeat** · 02-20-2022, 13:03

I understand it is dry because it’s under your tarp and usually under, rather than above, the hammock. But above the hammock is nice because one of the features of hammock-life is not having to bend over to dig into a pack or crawl into a tent. For that reason, it’s better if the gear hammock can be hung independently from the hammock/tarp. And that requires a waterproof cover. At $34 dollars (without the several times a year REI discount), it’s a good starting place and a bit of RSBTR SilPoly/SilNylon sewn on as a cover may be the cat’s meow.

**Rolloff** · 02-20-2022, 18:36

I use a DH gear sling that hangs off of the hammock's SRL at the head end. I use shock cord prussiks to position how I want it, all stretched out or completely scrunched up and pushed out of the way. When I pack up, SLD pillow and Top Quilt go in my pack first, then my hammock, foot end 1st. This way the head end of the hammock and the continuous loop you hook on to the suspension to set it up is right on top. No searching in the dark or rain, and as a plus the gear sling is also right on top in case I happen to need gloves or a change of hats. Other than that, just base layers, socks, puffer and fleece in the gear sling. Keep it simple and you naturally get lighter.

Nothing inside the pack body except items that need to stay dry. Insulation, hammock, and clothes with few exceptions. I find a place in an outside pocket for everything else in my kit, like my little hammock ground sheet.

I use a food canister instead of a food bag, because it stays on the outside of the pack. I won't need to open my pack up to get to food or extra snacks, so everything stays dry until I'm ready to set camp. The canister also provides additional waterproof storage if needed. No food inside the pack keeps everything in there from reeking like food which works for me too.

I can run a little bit lighter using an Ursack over all w/o the nearly 2lb weight penalty in the food canister and never thought that I would entertain one in a Full Comfort UL hammock kit until I did.

**Shug** · 02-21-2022, 07:44

I sprawl on the terra-firma. A small piece of well used plastic under my pack but the Earth is my UL groundcloth.
Shug

**dustin** · 02-21-2022, 10:27

I made a nylon rain kilt a few years ago. I use it for rain, but also for a hammock and tent doormat, lunch or dinner area, etc.

Under a hammock, it's nice to have a place to step when putting on shoes and for keeping my pack a little cleaner. I put a couple of grommets into mine in case I need to stake it, but generally my pack and shoes hold it down.

**rweb82** · 02-21-2022, 10:38

I used a ground cloth when I first started out, but now I don't bother with it. It always got wet from condensation underneath, and seemed to get dirty anyway. I always hated putting the dirty/wet cloth in my pack every morning. But to each his own!

**Mescript** · 02-22-2022, 11:50

Only ground cloth I use is big enough for my pack, but I also use it for my knees or to sit on rather than a sit pad. Keeping unnecessary dirt/mud off my clothes means less mess in the hammock which means less grit to wear away at fabric. Only issue I have found is that slugs seem to like eating the material.