First hang

**bigsilk** · 10-21-2013, 08:55

Honestly? Meh...

I went to my MIL's house this weekend in southern NJ. It's got a nice back yard, and two trees I would find are just barely far enough apart to hang my hammock and tarp.

1' webbing with a figure-8 loop to a cinch buckle to Amsteel loops through the channel of a Byer of Maine Traveller Lite with an Amsteel ASR. 11'x11' Gear Guide tarp on top. All I had was my Big Agnes insulated air core pad. It's rectangular -- made for a fun night. Got chilly, stayed chilly, even in my 20* bag.

I'm not a back sleeper, though I managed to drift off occasionally.

Do all hammocks have you lay diagonally? This one does.

Broken night's sleep.

Night two, pretty much more of the same. All in all, maybe 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep over both nights.

My fiance, who slept on the ground in a tent, slept a combined twenty.

I'll keep at it. Next, a cheap synthetic rectangular bag that I'll fashion into a UQ.

If all else fails, I'll check out the Henessey Scout. I'm 5' 8", 135 pounds.

My next trip will be into the real sticks. I'll bring the setup, but the girl will have the tent. I'll have my 0* bag on top and some fashion of UQ.

**Shug** · 10-21-2013, 09:03

You will get there. Most do work best on a diagonal for a flatter lay.
Carry forth.
Shug

**meckelangelo** · 10-21-2013, 09:20

My first couple hangs were anything but blissful. It took a little time for me to adjust to sleeping in a hammock. Now that I have, I almost regret it... I sleep better in my hammock than I do my own bed.

**Bubba** · 10-21-2013, 10:24

For some, it's instant for other, it takes some fiddling. I hope you will find what works for you.

**bigsilk** · 10-21-2013, 10:38

I intend to keep at it. I didn't drop much in the way of weight, but I did gain a bunch of room in my 50L pack. I might be able to get it all into my 30L, especially in warmer weather.

I also plan on getting insulated mummy sleeping pads; I have an uninsulated mummy pad and sleep great with it inside my bag. Because my body is in more close contact with the pad, the bag surrounds it at its sides, and because there's a bit of insulation beneath it, the pad keeps warm air better. BA pads have channels that travel along the body, and some of the insulation is able to decompressed. The only drawback is that any cinching functions around the head or neck of your bag is compromised.