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  1. #1
    Senior Member Playapixie's Avatar
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    Pixie-sized gal needs ultralight backpacking advice

    Hi! I'm new to the Hammock Forums, and a relative newbie to hammock camping. Long-time backpacker/ground-sleeper/VW Vanagon Camper, though.

    At a pixie-sized 100 pounds, I'm looking for advice for ultralight hanging and staying warm. Last summer I used my Kammock Roo on a few trips, and while it's a comfortable hammock that's big enough for a snuggle with two (yay!), it's too heavy for my backpacking needs, so I recently acquired a Hennessy Hyperlight, which I have yet to use. Looking for suggestions on going ultra-light and staying warm, both challenges that are key for someone my size.

    My hiking profile: Pacific Northwest, three season. It is rarely warm at night, can dip below freezing, and dampness, rain, or dew are always a strong possibility.

    Staying warm: I'm considering buying a bottom and top quilt set from Hammock Gear (their cost/materials/weight profile looks like one of the best from my research.) Looking at the Incubator 20 and the Burrow 20. Are these overkill for three seasons? It's unlikely to get much below 30 degrees for most of my outings, but I sleep cold. Is the standard fill amount adequate, or should I add extra? Finally, is this a good brand, or is there something else I should consider?

    Staying dry: The standard tarp seems risky for rain/wind coverage. A lot of my hiking is in September and October, months that can bring any weather here in the PNW, so I'm thinking a somewhat larger fly might be good for trips where the weather is suspect. Suggestions for very light-weight tarps with more coverage for the Hennessy Hyperlite? Ideally it would also be large enough to cover my Kammock Roo. Looking for the perfect trade-off between weight and coverage.

    Setting up: I'm hesitant to alter the hyperlite's suspension for anything that adds weight, but considering adding light rappel rings and carabiners (which I think can be done for 3 ounces total) to ease set-up. Any other suggestions for mods that keep an ultralight profile but are easier to adjust than lashings?

    Thanks,
    Dawn
    Seattle, WA

  2. #2
    Senior Member WV's Avatar
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    Consider swapping the HH Hyperlite for the Bonefire insulated hammock that's for sale on the forum right now. You'd have money left over for a Hammock Gear top quilt (yes, it's a good brand ). You wouldn't need an underquilt.

    Others can tell you about tarps. I make most of my stuff, so I haven't researched the ones for sale. I did buy an Ogee tarp from Gargoyle, and it's very nice. You'd need to send him a PM to see if he has any more he's willing to part with.

  3. #3
    Senior Member Red Cinema's Avatar
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    My two cents:

    IMHO you will want a larger tarp than the stock Hennessey (if my memory is correct on the stock model). They sell a bigger one, or look at a Warbonnet super (I've got the mamajamba and add-on doors and my experience suggests if you need doors the built-in doors are better).

    As for quilts, I'm going to go on a limb here and guess you're not ultra tall. If you're short, look at a half to 3/4 length UQ at least and TQ to match--no need to carry length you don't need. You may get the equivalent of a full length UQ from a shorter length item. I'm a big fan of the Incubator, got a 40 plus two oz. If you run cold, a 20 rated quilt seems wise, but that's so personal only you would know. (As for whether you could succeed with a quilt that's not full length equivalent on you, that's also personal. I found using a Yeti plus pad awkward--I'm a thrashy sleeper--but the ultralight gurus get a weight saving from less quilt plus pad that's also used for something else, such as a sit pad and/or pack frame equivalent. So now I love my Incubator and spent last night dialing it in.)

    I'm not a suspension wizard and can't comment on that aspect...

    Good luck!
    //
    “Stories set in the Culture in which Things Went Wrong tended to start with humans losing or forgetting or deliberately leaving behind their terminal. It was a conventional opening, the equivalent of straying off the path in the wild woods in one age, or a car breaking down at night on a lonely road in another.”
    ― Iain M. Banks, The Player of Games

  4. #4
    Senior Member Gravity's Avatar
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    Frequent rain and cold temps probably mean a tarp with doors. Here are three possibilities:

    WL Big Daddy ....... 132 x 115".......... 13.9 oz ......... $100
    http://wildernesslogics.com/BIG-DADDY-Big-Daddy.htm

    WB Superfly ......... 132 x 120" ......... 15 oz ............ $130
    http://www.warbonnetoutdoors.com/superfly/

    HG Standard Cuben Tarp w/ Doors ........ 132 x 102 ......... 6.5 oz ....... $295
    http://www.hammockgear.com/standard-...rp-with-doors/

    Tarps sub-forum
    https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...her-Protection

  5. #5
    Senior Member Playapixie's Avatar
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    Great suggestions, everyone, thanks! Of course my eyes popped at 6.5oz for a bigger tarp..and again at the price. The Cuben looks awesome! (And I had no idea switching to hanging was going to break the bank...oops!) I will take a good look at all of your suggestions. I appreciate it.

    I'm unsure if the 3/4 option is wise. For weight (and price), definitely, but even at 5'3" I'm still quite a bit taller than the length of the 3/4 quilts I've looked at, and worried I'll be too cold if I'm not fully insulated. But I haven't tried a quilt at all yet (I don't know any hammockers in real life) so I don't know if 3/4 would be enough. Definitely nervous of being cold though...I haven't got any "built in" insulation in my little frame and being cold sucks. Would love more conversation on 3/4 vs full length. (For top quilt it isn't a problem as they make them in a short size that is definitely long enough for me.)

    Dawn
    Last edited by Playapixie; 05-13-2014 at 02:41.

  6. #6
    Senior Member Gravity's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Playapixie View Post
    ... Of course my eyes popped at 6.5oz for a bigger tarp..and again at the price. The Cuben looks awesome! (And I had no idea switching to hanging was going to break the bank...oops!)...
    Cuben fiber's light weight is its best feature. But for me that wasn't good enough. I had an hg standard w/ doors but ended up selling it and buying a silnylon one. Many people are happy with their CF tarps, but there are a few cons that you should consider:

    - CF is translucent so it does not provide shade against the sun. Instead, under sunny conditions, it creates a greenhouse effect - nice in cold weather, but a real downer otherwise.
    - The color of my CF tarp was supposed to be green, but it actually looked silver gray, which was much less stealthy than I prefer.
    - The fabric is "crinkly" and I could foresee that it would be noisier during rain, maybe affecting my sleep.

  7. #7
    Senior Member Aardvark's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Playapixie View Post
    I'm unsure if the 3/4 option is wise. For weight (and price), definitely, but even at 5'3" I'm still quite a bit taller than the length of the 3/4 quilts I've looked at, and worried I'll be too cold if I'm not fully insulated. But I haven't tried a quilt at all yet (I don't know any hammockers in real life) so I don't know if 3/4 would be enough. Definitely nervous of being cold though...I haven't got any "built in" insulation in my little frame and being cold sucks. Would love more conversation on 3/4 vs full length. (For top quilt it isn't a problem as they make them in a short size that is definitely long enough for me.)

    Dawn
    Think of it this way pixie. The3/4 may only be 48-50 inches long, but you will be sleeping on the diagonal to take advantage of the flatter lay. I am 5'10, my 52 inch long catches all but my heals and head, and I use sit pad for feet, foam pillow for head, no cold spots. At a 100 pounds, you need to save every ounce you can, you may want to hook up with someone in the area for a trial hang. btw- Welcome to the Forums!
    .... the Aardvark (earth pig)... a rather unremarkable creature whose sole claim to fame is that it is the first animal listed in the dictionary.
    Rob

  8. #8
    Senior Member hutzelbein's Avatar
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    Hm, my short Incubator is 73" long (according to HammockGear specs - I didn't measure it myself), and it pretty much fits my 5'4" (65"?) with very little to spare. I wouldn't want it to be any shorter, as it would mean that I'm touching the shock cord with my head and feet. If I wanted to save additional weight, I would rather ask HG to make me a custom narrow Incubator. I find that with its 44" width, there is quite a bit of unused insulation. My underquilt moves diagonally with me to some degree.

  9. #9
    Senior Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by Playapixie View Post
    Great suggestions, everyone, thanks! Of course my eyes popped at 6.5oz for a bigger tarp..and again at the price. The Cuben looks awesome! (And I had no idea switching to hanging was going to break the bank...oops!) I will take a good look at all of your suggestions. I appreciate it.

    I'm unsure if the 3/4 option is wise. For weight (and price), definitely, but even at 5'3" I'm still quite a bit taller than the length of the 3/4 quilts I've looked at, and worried I'll be too cold if I'm not fully insulated. But I haven't tried a quilt at all yet (I don't know any hammockers in real life) so I don't know if 3/4 would be enough. Definitely nervous of being cold though...I haven't got any "built in" insulation in my little frame and being cold sucks. Would love more conversation on 3/4 vs full length. (For top quilt it isn't a problem as they make them in a short size that is definitely long enough for me.)

    Dawn
    FWIW, I'm 6'5" and I use a 3/4 underquilt. I just have to put a piece of foam pad in the footbox of my top quilt. 3/4 length quilts are a trade off. You're trading weight for hassle. A full length quilt will be slighly more comfortable and easier to keep situated (no pad falling out in the middle of the night, less potential for separation from the hammock).

  10. #10
    Senior Member AaronMB's Avatar
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    Welcome.

    I'm an ounce counter coming up from the ground; do the majority of my hiking in the California Sierras - not as wet as your area but the weather gets interesting sometimes and I always plan for it.

    Just received a WB SuperFly: awesome. I won't mind the few additional ounces that I'm used to from my [ground] tarp.

    3/4 length, 20°F quilts are a good choice; vent them if it's warm.

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