Ultralight insulated cuben hammock

[WV]

Interesting. I wonder if there is a Cuben version of Polarfleece. I use that over my CCF pad to help with condensation. It seems like the mesh gives a little air movement. Just a thought.

Thanks. I've wondered about something like that. A couple of my packs have what looks like an extremely light mesh back panel to promote air circulation, but I haven't seen the material available anywhere, and I wonder how much it would compress in a hammock. It's probably better that I learn to moderate my body temperature better and perspire less. Of course, there's the other alternative - vapor barrier. I think I'd stew in my own juices.

This hammock is giving me ideas about insulated very light (not ultra) hammocks using fabric for the top and bottom layers and cuben for baffles, snakeskins, storage compartments and such. This one weighs about a pound, and I bet I could produce breathable version that would be significantly lighter than separate hammock and underquilt setups - maybe 24 oz. with Pertex Microlight or several ounces less with Momentum and/or 7 d. stuff. (I like Microlight - besides I have some.)

[QiWiz]

Have heard that a breathable cubenHave of some kind is now available. Might help with the condensation/breath ability issue.

[WV]

Time for an update. I knew I was pushing the limits using such lightweight materials, and now I have a better idea of what works and what doesn't. Don't despair - this hammock still works, but it's had some small failures (leaks), and it's headed for a new incarnation.

First off, I knew that I was right on the limit using CT1K.18 for the load-bearing hammock bed, because I'd had a rip when I was checking the baffles before I even attached the bottom layer and stuffed the down. You'll see and hear it happen in the video. I repaired it with a 1" x 6" strip of DIY cuben tape made with 9460 adhesive transfer tape and a piece of CT.6K.08 applied using Primer 94. That repair is still good. The 1/2" wide attachments of the CT.03K.08 baffles did act as ripstops as I'd hoped, limiting the tear to about 4". I contemplated using synthetic fill so similar tears wouldn't be catastrophic, but decided to go ahead with down.

At Linville Gorge I heard a "snap" early in the morning, but ignored it for another couple of hours. When I got up, I found a similar 4" tear near my heels (opposite end of the hammock from the previous failure). Some down was lost, but not much. I made repairs with similar DIY cuben tape, but no primer was used.

Subsequently I switched to a fabric hammock that I'd brought as a back-up. However, Mac's son, IronK, needed more bottom insulation so we hung the cuben hammock under his as a bottom quilt, with excellent results. The adjustable shrouds make it hang very much in a "hammock shape" (surprise), so it fit quite nicely. This points the way to a better UQ suspension system, which I am in the process of making.

The new system will consist of an adjustable fabric hammock made with a single layer of 1.5 oz. ripstop that is just slightly longer and wider than the cuben hammock but the same shape (with ends cut off). It will use the adjustable shrouds already made up for the cuben hammock. The cuben hammock, reborn as an underquilt, will attach to the hammock shrouds with small lengths of bungee (size yet to be determined) so it fits closely but isn't load-bearing. More details of this system will follow, but I'll wait until they're based on experience rather than conjecture.

Backing up a bit, here are some observations about this hammock as a hammock. It's delicate, yet strong enough to work for someone my size who is willing to do minor repairs in the field. Incidentally, the repair done without Primer 94 started to come loose and has been replaced with a larger patch. The very lightweight CT.3K.08 material that's used for the baffles and the bottom of the hammock is also delicate. I had to apply one very small patch where the bottom was sewn to the ripstop panel that lets air in and out. I will probably continue to use CT.3K.08 for baffles sewn to fabric hammocks, but will put a narrow strip of DIY cuben tape (with primer) over the stitching on the cuben side of the seam. I've used this method before, and it results in a nice strong seam.

The concerns about condensation are valid, but I found that if I managed my body temperature better I had no problems. Still, it's fiddle factor; down insulation in a breathable fabric is much more forgiving.

Here's the big one: fabric hammocks are more comfortable than cuben. The adjustable shrouds go a long way to making this hammock comfortable, but a fabric with a little bit of stretch adjusts with you as you move during the night. Still, I've spent half a dozen comfortable nights in this hammock, and I intend to use it tonight for old times sake.

Today I cut out fabric for two adjustable hammocks, one to use with the next incarnation of the cuben hammock as UQ and the other to have attached insulation and a fabric bottom layer. I expect them each to weigh about a pound and a half.

Here's a short video showing the two failures of the CT1K.18 material.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRPoy...ature=youtu.be

[PAHikingTrails]

Awesome ideas guys with the cuben fiber.

Yes, they do make breathable cuban fiber. zpacks has it. it's 1.42oz per yard and $60 per linear yard that's 54" wide.

Some of you talk about how light the hammock is and would be with modifications. However if my math is right, wouldn't a 1.5oz. ripstop nylon hammock still be much lighter even with the suspension? My math says yes.

What are your thoughts?

[WV]

Awesome ideas guys with the cuben fiber.

Yes, they do make breathable cuban fiber. zpacks has it. it's 1.42oz per yard and $60 per linear yard that's 54" wide.

Some of you talk about how light the hammock is and would be with modifications. However if my math is right, wouldn't a 1.5oz. ripstop nylon hammock still be much lighter even with the suspension? My math says yes.

What are your thoughts?

I think you're right about the breathable cuben material. Hangnout summed it up well in this post.