Which is the best hammock for a 6'6" motorcyclist travelling through Venezuala/Brazil

[arooni]

Hey everyone:

My name is David Parkinson, and I am a 29 year old Eagle Scout, originally from Kansas. In August 2011, I left Seattle, Washington to ride my 2005 Suzuki V-Strom from the USA down to Ushaia, Argentina, the southern most point in South America. You can see most of the trip here (on the left hand side bar; under Adjustments; select two years and then Go, and zoom out to see S. America). I have ridden over 20,000 miles overland through every country in Central America, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. I camped and trekked extensively spending roughly 3 months in Patagonia.

My plan now is to continue the trip through Brazil and Venezuela starting this September. As I gave thought to what kind of camping gear I wanted, I decided that the Eno DoubleNest hammock (and bug net) I have been using wouldn't cut it for Brazil and Venezuela. Because of their warm and humid climate, I am sure I will be hammock camping a good 50% of the time.

Considerations / Desires for the hammock:
* I'm 6'6"; 185 pounds.
* I'm travelling by motorcycle and so space is a concern
* I'd like to get into lighter weight backpacking with just a hammock (I have usually used an REI Half Dome 2 Plus (102 oz) + Exped 7 Downmat Long (41 oz). So I'm used to lugging around 143 oz.
* I'd want to get something I can use in the rain; in Brazil it will rain a lot.
* Side entry; I don't want a bottom entry model.
* I want a fast setup... I'm tired of how long it takes me to set up my tent and inflate my pad
* Great for mosquito protection. In Brazil there is malaria and worse.
* I'd like to be able to put a girl (let's say 120-130 pounds) in the hammock with me on occasion without worrying about the hammock breaking. Not to sleep; just to relax .
* I fly back to South America to continue my trip starting end of August

I looked into a lot of hammocks, and from my extensive research, it looks like I have a few options.

1) HH Deep Jungle XL -- 45 oz + complimentary straps == 50 ounces?
2) HH Explorer Ultralight -- 36 oz + complimentary straps == 40 ounces?
3) Warbonnet XLC (not sure about 1.1 versus 1.7)
4) Warbonnet Single/Double layer (not sure about 1.1 versus 1.7)

Any thoughts/advice/opinions? Other options I haven't considered?

PS: Here's a photo of me in my Eno DoubleNest above Lake Deception just outside Chalten, Argentina (Patagonia):



Oh and here's a photo of where I woke up after spending a night in a canyon in Peru (kinda hard to have pitched a hammock here)...

[Z06]

Have you looked at Clark Flex-180? Space for that second person.

[arooni]

The second person thing isn't really a requirement; it's a nice to have. I always have my tent if more room is necessary

[SnrMoment]

Talk to the boys at BIAS (Butt In A Sling Hammocks). An 11' hammock with the Buginator net rig would fit the bill. You might be pushing the envelope on 1.1 fabric, but it should work for you. My micro packs down to about the size of a soup can and weighs about 7 oz with the whoopie suspension. It's a good width for a diagonal lay without a foot box and the tie outs that go with that concept.
Be sure to add the Knotty mod as it helps with the diagonal lay and keeps your gear inside the hammock. The lighter weight fabric is also cooler. Shouldn't have too much trouble getting it to fit on the Strom.

And:

[thecrumb]

I'm jealous!

My clark+tarp+strap/rope bag fills up 3/4 of one saddlebag. I could probably compress all of that a bit - esp the tarp. Your bags look much bigger than mine but it's hard to say.

Biggest concern is probably what kind of temps are you expecting?

If you are going to be camping in cooler weather you'll need some insulation so a pad/underquilt - thats a bit more space. A pad rolls up - you may already be carrying one. My UQ would probably compress down to about the size of my hammock if I really tried. I usually just stuff it in my waterproof bag and its compressed by whatever else is in there

Lots of hammocks to choose from - you might also look at:
http://www.dream-hammock.com/ThunderBird.html

Jim

[arooni]

I'm expecting warm weather (70 *F and higher) for Brazil/Venezuala... but in the future it'd be nice to have something that would work for colder weather.

[obxh2o]

I'm expecting warm weather (70 *F and higher) for Brazil/Venezuala... but in the future it'd be nice to have something that would work for colder weather.

Considering the social climate in Brazil these days, you may want to consider a hammock made of chain-mail and covered with bullet proof Kevlar.

[Thom]

I would recommend an 11' hammock with a bugnet. Butt In A Sling has a good reputation.
(I don't do bugnets)

[Mikeinajeep]

BIAS camper xl double layer is my everyday hammock but I find my eno dn easier on the road( and in the woods). In the heat and rain a light sleeping bag peapod style is fast and easy, with no need of uq, tq or pads. The eno style bug net gives you full enclosure that will help protect you from larger creepy crawlies. The eno setup on my bike takes up very little space and weighs next to nothing.

Ps. Try k60 tires, they are the best on/off road tires I've ever used. Long lasting as well.

[North]

How did that trip go? Did the Hennessy Hammock Deep Jungle XL met your expectations? Did it resist many Miss Venezuelas?

Was that HH radiant pad quite sweaty? Did you still get bit through the bottom of the hammock, when you laid outside the pad?

What other gear did you bring with you? Which was useful, which was not really? Which brands of butane/propane are easier to find, if that's what you're using.