I have tarps (multiple sizes, materials and styles), tyvek underliner and gear hammock, my down comforter (which I STILL cannot bear to stick UNDER me when it is -10 degrees) a great big hammock with well insulated pockets, no-seeum net enclosure, cap covers, an old but reliable lightweight zero degree sleeping bag and my feather pillow (I go nowhere without this…worse than a baby without its blankie).

I am making a new version of my 2001 model lightweight but large (10 deep by 1 foot wide and 6 ft high) hammock-friendly (with cinching passthroughs for hammock straps) lean to style silnylon tarp shelter with front porch (that can cover front or be staked asymmetrically to make a vestibule for cooking), tub floor attachment and triple zippered front bug netting.

What I do NOT have is a dedicated hammock sock. I love the idea of these since I camp all year in all types of weather. Weight is not that big a deal as I wear most of my clothing, do not carry a heavy traditional tent and poles, and use a fully supplied kitchen setup that weighs less than a pound.

That being said, I am thinking of making one of these so wish to explore the concept and types of materials. What have people on this forum used? What do you think of the hammock socks? I have heard that RSN is the most common material.

After camping for 50 years, the last 10 being hammocking, I have historically dealt with extreme weather with a two-layer tarp system. With this, I have had the outer tarp totally covered with snow with sides drifted up to 3', leaving a dry ground in a windproof enclosure. The inner tarp has been configured to cocoon, keep out any extra moisture, and hold in a modicum of heat (with appropriate venting to prevent condensation).

I have ham mocked the AT, and have logged more than 1500 nights in a hammock in the last decade. I have inadvertently camped through hurricanes, super-cells, hailstorms, blizzards and subzero weather, as well as during hot and humid summers in the south and southwest. I have awakened to 3' of new snow around me and 12" of water below me (but still totally dry) after a flash flood in a non-flood zone.

Which is ultimately the better idea when it comes to the question of sock or no sock? I love trying new things, solving new problems, creating better systems…but is it easier to use a hammock sock or just stay with the twin tarp setup (My inner tarp is Cuben fiber for light weight).