| Author | Message | ||
     Lowflyer |
I am thinking about a lightweight alternative to a tent for bike camping. Does anybody have experience with one of these hammocks? | ||
| Kdan |
Lowflyer - I have tried the Hennessy Hammock and I hated it. I like to sleep on my stomach and being suspended between two trees, is not a comfortable position. If you can comfortably sleep in a regular hammock, go for it. It's a very well made, and versatile little tent. But it's very close and small. I was wet every morning just from condensation. If you can, go to a Dick's sporting goods or REI and try everything they have. | ||
| Kccyclone |
Lee, we took hammocks on our last trip. Not to sleep in, but for relaxing, unfortunately just about everywhere we camped didn't have 2 trees close enough to use them..We just used 1 man tents..small enough to fit in a saddle bag...If you need to borrow my saddle bags for your trip, and it doesn't coincide with our August trip just let me know. Larry | ||
| Lowflyer |
Thanks Larry. I am actually thinking of getting some Zega bags (aka 'big uglies') for the bike. For the shelter, I have a Sierra Designs Night Owl 2-man backpacking tent, but I am wondering if one of these hammocks would be more versatile and/or comfortable. It's certainly smaller and lighter. And they can be used as a tent, sling chair, or hammock. | ||
| Bomber |
I used a very similar hammock very very frequently a long far ago -- if, as was posted, you can zzzzz out on the back, AND you can find two fixed positions to tie the thing to, you're golden obviously, if it gets chilly at night, so will you ;-} | ||
| Lowflyer |
Kdan, What are your physical dimensions? Also, was the condensation forming on the rainfly and dripping on you, or were you using a storm cover over the screen? Cheers, Lee | ||
| Lowflyer |
I used hammocks in the military, but never one of these. I wonder about the weatherproofness. | ||
| Curtyd |
It looks most uncomfortable to me and I have moto, back and mountaineering camping for most of my life under my belt. Don't waste your money. If you have to "hammock" it I would look at what they have available for the big wall technical rock climbers, probably not cheap, but then it won't "work" cheaply either. Tents are pretty inexpensive right now with mattress and sleeping bag. Also gives you a "room" wherever you are which in the camping scheme of things is more im'pt than just a place to sleep. | ||
| Skyguy |
The ultimate in lightweight is a bivvy sack. I have spent many a night in one and they will keep you dry. You can get a good one at REI for about $150.00 Some have a slot for a small ulta lightweight Therma Rest. | ||
| Jessicasdad |
in the past I have used surplus jungle hammocks and LOVED them .. they were VERY LIGHT and inexpensive not sure about their availability now though .. and YES .. the bivy sack is the next best thing and about the lightest .. I would suggest Campmoor | ||
| Outrider |
Camping on the road is pretty much a do it where you can thing and the object is to get hidden and setup/teardown asap in a stealthy manner. That is unless you are heading off to the pay-to-camp sites. I researched the hammock thing and discovered that I would be spending more nights on the ground with the fly suspended in various ways. Plus with my luck I would hang it over a game trail and get gored by a deer in the night. LOL Then I went for the bivvy sack thing and discovered it was a tad claustrophobic for me and that my gear was still exposed to the elements. Next I checked out the tent thing and discovered there were a plethora of tents that would protect me and my gear, provide plenty of room for one or two people, set up and tear down fast and not take up much more space in my tailbag than a bivvy. Voila! Best solution for me at the time and I went with the Eureka Apex Tent with two entrance vestibules. You can find them online for $90 bucks or less. I also found a sleeping bag that packs smaller than the tent and a self inflating mattress pad that folds and rolls into a cylinder about the same size as the standard Bernz-o-matic gas cylinder. Add to that two military canteens with covers, cups, stoves and trioxane fuel (all of which fit into the canteen covers) along with some canned or dehydrated goods and you can live forever out of a small duffle bag bungied to your saddle. Actually, I used a small airline carry-on as it was the closest thing I had to that really neat bike camping bag that Aerostich sells. Being a minimalist, I figured this was the best of all worlds for me and my gear. YMMV | ||
| Lowflyer |
The bivy sack is what got me started on this "hammock thing." I have seen these hammocks used, but never considered it because I have used my Sierra Designs tent since '86. I am looking to retire the SD and thinking of alternatives. They have gotten rave reviews from backpacker gear test.org. | ||
| Lowflyer |
Outrider, You pretty much outlined my gear. I have a Thermarest 3, a 20-degree Slumberjack bag that stuffs into a sack the size of a 5-lb bag of flour, two canteens with cups/covers, folding Ti alcohol/triox stove and my Night Owl tent. The tent is the only thing I have that is not minimalist, so I was looking at the bivy/hammock/?? alternatives. I have never had a bivy sack, but have slept in the open many times. | ||
| Outrider |
Lowflier, That being the case, I would suggest the bivvy sack for stealth. Still, swinging in a hammock when and where you can has to be a treat that can't be beat. | ||
| Skyguy |
Some of the bivvy sacks have a small aluminum pole that goes over the head area. Not as claustrophobic as a sack with nothing. | ||
| Outrider |
Sky...One of the reasons I looked at tents and hammocks was the friggin ground ants, etc., that I suffered with when I lived in So Cal. The hammock fantasy went away when I realized, unless I was up in your neck of the woods, there was a severe shortage of trees to hitch up to out there. LOL So take a moment and tell me how you deal with the ants out there with a bivvy. Ground cloth with some repellent? FYI, my kid's high school in Dana Point had them loop cotton clothesline around their ground cloths to prevent the snakes and other things from slithering in. Their science club trips had them camping along the coast, the low and high deserts as well as the mountains. Was this a placebo??? Thanks, Nimrod  | ||
| Skyguy |
Outrider, The fire ants are out of control. So the best thing is to do exactly as you suggested ground cloth and repelent. The other option is to fully zip the bivvy up. Most of the god ones have no seeum mesh that will keep you cool on the warm nights and the ants out. Here are some good choices. one an all season bivy. The other a bug bivy for summers. And the final one if you dont get mind being "enclosed" Http://www.rei.com/product/47819613.htm http://www.rei.com/product/12206040.htm http://www.rei.com/product/47935726.htm Hope this helps. | ||
| Henrik |
It's always worth checking out http://www.sierratradingpost.com for discounted prices on left-over stock on gear. I much prefer a tent that's "rated" one person bigger than who's actually going to be using the tent. So a 2-person tent for riding solo. If you will be sharing your tent, try to find one with 2 exits and 2 "foyers". Makes it much easier to climb in and out, and gives you plenty of storage space for gear. Henrik | ||
| Kdan |
Lowflyer, I'm about 5'11 and 220lbs. The condensation was forming on the rainfly and was ok, until I woke up and moved. Or tried to get out of the thing. I have the same issue in any one man tent though, if I have to put a rainfly on it. It's not so bad in the summer, but I kayak camp alot in 30 degrees and cold+wet=suck. | ||
| Lowflyer |
So we're about the same size. I am slowly losing the hammock vision in favor of a new tent, but I may pick up a Hennessy just for kicks and use it when the opportunity arises. | ||
| Outrider |
Lowflyer...The hammock sounds great as long as you have the support mechanism available. Please post your experiences with it. The best info I have is from a Green Beanie from Nam that swears by his jungle hammock and those things were primitive compared to what is available today. Sky...thanks for the update. Any clue about the cotton rope thing? | ||
| Ceejay |
Tarp tied to the bike and nearest tree and four stakes, bed roll. I can sleep in hammocks very well, but I also have never worried about fire ants... | ||
| Nutsosane |
Lowflyer, I have a "jungle hammock" you can have. Brand new, bought about ten years ago from an Army-Navy store. I've tried to figure that thing out several times and just figured; ah screw it. I can send pics if you are interested. The canopy appears to be water proofed with a "skeeter net" zipped all the way round. NUTS | ||
| Lowflyer |
Hi nuts, I very much appreciate the offer, but I have one that is probably identical to yours that was issued to me in the military. I was looking at the Hennessy because it appears to be lighter and smaller when packed than a typical jungle hammock. Thanks, Lee (Message edited by lowflyer on March 24, 2006) | ||
| Nutsosane |
Lowflyer, no problem...just trying to help out my fellow Badwebber's. I love this place. NUTS |
