Rock Creek hang

**Seracer** · 06-27-2008, 18:00

Have not posted in a while, but I continue to work on my Trek Light hammock camping skills. This last weekend I wandered up Rock Creek which is in the North Cascades of Washington State. Here is a picture of my hang:

I continue to struggle with insulation under me. I got an Oware thin pad last year, and thought that might be the answer. Light and wide, I suspected that it would be much harder to roll off it in the middle of the night. On this trip, I ended up with a bunch of uncomfortable folds in it right under my lower back, which caused me to try and correct it in the middle of the night and I ended up tearing it. I do, however, think I may have found the answer in a Ridgerest. While I quit taking this pad years ago due to my back aching in the morning from using it on the hard ground, I find the stiffness and ridges easy to work with in the hammock. It may be the answer, time will tell. I also continue to love the versitility of the 10x12 Equinox tarp I got. In this hang, the trees were too tight together to use it in it's full 12 foot length, so I just tied off one end using the external tie out points along the ridge and doubled it back on that end. Worked nice and I love the coverage. Had a small rain storm one afternoon and it was heaven just laying in the hammock listening to the pitter-patter of rain on the tarp above me.

I posted a more complete trip report on this forum if you would like to read it, and there are more pictures here.

**6 feet over** · 06-27-2008, 21:11

I don’t know anything about a Trek Light hammock, but a double bottomed hammock like a Claytor would solve most of your pad problems. Are you committed to making a pad work with a Trek Light, or just to a Trek Light? I’d guess many would say switch to an underquilt.

It depends on your goals and budget. For less than the cost of a good underquilt, you could get a new Claytor double bottomed hammock (or a similar design), and have a pad work very well.

**Seracer** · 06-28-2008, 08:55

Not wedded to a Trek Light, no. It's my first hammock and I just was looking for something light and simple to try. Seems like a lot of them are pretty much the same design with exceptions of course. Double bottom hammocks might indeed be the answer. I actually don't move around much at night, it seems that if I can get everything lined up correctly at first I am fine but that first laydown in the hammock is the critical moment. I also demand the ability to go to ground easily because there are just some places that hanging is not an option. One of my criteria has also always been to be able to keep my gear as light as what I had before. My shelter system now is:

hammock..........20 oz.
tarp.................19 oz.
Ridgerest..........14 oz.
total...............53 oz.

Before, I carried:

Thermarest LE 3/4...25 oz.
Silshelter...............16 oz.
groundsheet...........7 oz.
Total....................48 oz.

I am more than willing to carry the additional 5 oz. to get a good night sleep. The Ridgerest may turn out to work great, but if not I will definatly consider a double bottom hammock. I do wonder if a double bottom hammock allows you to place your pad on the diagonal or if you are locked into a more centralized placement?

**FanaticFringer** · 06-28-2008, 15:30

The Speer SPE is a nice piece of gear to use with pads.

www.speerhammocks.com/Products/SPE.htm

**Seracer** · 09-05-2008, 18:27

Just thought I would post a followup to my insulation problems. This last Labor Day weekend I was hanging at Marble Meadows in the Cascades (near the Glacier Peak Wilderness in the Entiat River Valley) and the temps dropped to below freezing. I was comfortable in my hammock and ridgerest using a 3 season sleeping quilt:

I find the ridgerest stiff enough to hold it's position and shape in the hammock, and light enough too. I carry a half a blue foam pad for standing and sitting on during the day and at night I slip this under the ridgerest to help with keeping my arms and shoulders warm where the hammock curls around my upper body. So far, I am happy with this solution. And it didn't even cost me more money since I had the ridgerest from years ago! Gotta love that.

**Mrprez** · 09-05-2008, 18:38

I don't know why you couldn't take what you have and add a 2nd layer underneath that. You'd have to untie each end so you can lay the fabric out flat and then simply add the 2nd layer, sewing it on 3 sides to the top layer. It wouldn't add too much weight to your overall kit.

Nice pictures, that is wonderful country up there....