Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Gear Forum :: Hammock and accessories
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SteveElms73 |
Dream Hammock - Raven |
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RackWrangler |
Warbonnet Blackbird XLC with Superfly tarp. It's the best setup there is. I hang it, along with two of my friends. We all love it. We also all use a Kelty Cosmic Down 20 bag unzipped (like a top quilt with a foot box). Two of us run a DIY poncho liner underquilts, and the third has a down 3/4 underquilt. If I had the spare cash, I'd upgrade to a down full length underquilt to save space and weight, but mine works just fine for now. -RW |
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VaderStrom |
quote bcelect: "Try before you buy. I bought a gathered end hammock and tried it a couple of nights, I didn't care for the Shoulder Squeeze. I then bought a Warbonnet Ridgerunner, a bridge Hammock, and now I sleep like a log. " +1 |
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jcavenagh |
One other thing some have complained about is knees can flex back in a hammock. A little stuff sack with some clothes under the knees fixes that. Otherwise, you're good to go. |
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bcelect |
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unshavenman |
quote TomT: "I just want to post a link to Shugemery on youtube. He does lots of tutorials and reviews related to hammock hanging. A bit of a legendary figure as he's also a professional entertainer and does some very good videos. Whooo buddy, Shug is the man when it comes to hanging! |
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ParkerMag |
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TomT |
He recently posted reviews of all of his top quilts. He's got a nice review of the chameleon and Dream hammock too. You can find all kinds of stuff in the older videos. Highly recommend. |
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unshavenman |
For a birthday present of high quality gear I would go with: Dutchware Gear Chameleon with bug net Hammock Gear Burrow Econ 30 down top quilt Hammock Gear Incubator Econ 20 down underquilt Warbonnet Superfly The Hammock Gear Econ quilts are a new addition to their lineup and a real game changer as far as down quilts go. Keeping the quality very high and knocking a C note off of the price of a down quilt is pretty amazing. |
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rdricker |
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Atb |
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dew042 |
You'll need and over and underquilt, Enlightened Equipement has down versions and more budget friendly versions. Down compacts really well. A bad hammock can be painful, it'll push on your shoulders inward or give you too much of a bend horizontally. Until you figure out how to put it up a few times, its a challenge to get dialed in. Once it is dialed in, its fantastic. If you are in the Twin Cities, you'd be welcome to come take a look at my setup. Hammock forums is the place for everything hammocks: https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/content.php Daniel |
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Blatz |
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rdricker |
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ISRO |
Hammock gear top and bottom quilts |
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mcsweem |
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unshavenman |
quote rdricker: "I do have to add a warning about hammocking in the BWCA. I discovered last summer that they will bite through most hammock materials. Even in the summer you will need a fleece or sleeping pad under you." An underquilt protects you from bugs from below. |
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barracuda |
I occasionally bring a hammock for lounging (BIAS or my ENO single nest), but after a few trial hanging trips, gave my hennessy to my brother. I like sleeping on the ground, its flatter, warmer, bigger, more comfortable for me, there's room for me to lay out my gear, plus the dog gets to sleep with me. My bro loves sleeping in the Hennessy and wouldn't sleep in a tent unless he has to. I found no matter what I did, after tossing and turning all night, I would wake up scrunched in the middle with a sore back and a stiff neck. Hammocks are nice but they are also fiddly and need special gear to make them ideal, tarps, suspension, under/over quilt, snakeskins, drip lines, etc. |
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Kraut88 |
Andy |
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drnatus |
getting a double layer will eliminate mosquitoes from biting through, but as mentioned so does an underquilt. You can do the pad thing, but it is likely you will eventually want an underquilt. I still have not migrated to a top quilt. just use my sleeping bag as such. I have a new superfly that I have yet to use but am looking forward to it. It has some Dutch wear gear. Prior to that I was using DIY tarps and ridgelines. Sewing silnylon is a pain, don't recommend that. The downsides of a hammock are if there are no or poorly spaced trees, that is a problem. If you want a bug free place to sit and play cards you don't have a tent to do so. |
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TomT |
BTW if I was starting out I'd really look into the Dutchware chameleon. Looks very interesting. |
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OCDave |
quote kpdoyle: ...Can folks recommend a hammock "set"? Our budget is certainly not unlimited but I am fine getting above average costing gear if it means it will last. ... Kevin, Converting to a hammock camping set-up is not inexpensive but, would be comparable to buying a premium tent and high quality sleeping bag. If you know anyone with a set-up ask if they will let you borrow it before investing. Recommending a good first hammock is somewhat like recommending which canoe you should buy. Your size and weight will matter but also your preferences, ie soft vs firm mattress, integrated vs add-on bug net, ect. I have been hammock camping for about 7 years. I have more than a dozen hammocks. My favorite is my Wilderness Logics Lite Owl. This gathered end hammock is feature rich, comes with a suspension and is super comfortable. ($125) http://www.wildernesslogics.com/LITE-OWL-LITE-OWL.htm This hammock would required the addition of a bug net accessory if using during bug season. Consider a BIAS Buginator ($65) http://www.buttinasling.com/buginator.html If you prefer an integrated bug net, the best choice in a Warbonnet BlackBird. Full of features, includes choice of suspension and is still light enough for backpacking. ($170-185)https://www.warbonnetoutdoors.com/product/blackbird/ Without question, the most popular and versitile tarp is the Warbonnet Superfly. ($140-160) https://www.warbonnetoutdoors.com/product/superfly/ Finally, insulation. Most will start with a pad underneath and use their current sleeping bag on top but, a down, full-length 20* underquilt will maximize you comfort. If you can afford only one quilt get the underquilt and use your sleeping bag on top. I use HammockGear quilts but, there are dozens of cottage manufactures turning out great quilts. http://www.hammockgear.com Good Luck. Now which canoe should I buy? |
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hangnout |
Try this setup. This is a good baseline to see if you enjoy hammock camping or not. Warbonnet Blackbird or Blackbird XLC Hammock Gear Econo 30* Quilts for 3 season use Tarp of your choice with a minimum 11' ridgeline Btw there is nothing econo about that line of HG quilts. These quilts were the premium quilts until super lightweight fabrics became available. Hikers are looking to save 1/2 ounces and pay for that. |
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butthead |
quote dew042: "Just got a Dutchware Chameleon. Its a well refined setup with tons of options. Zipper supports bugnet or solid shell on top. With the Beetle Bug and a bar, it can be configured to do side-by-side with a second hammock for one tarp usage. A comfortable ground huger here with never a problem sleeping well, but have looked/compared/studied hammocks a lot and have settled on this specific combination if I choose to start hanging. It will be a leap as I have budgeted about $1000 for the full setup including high end down that will accommodate low temperatures, but as I own and use a sleeping bag system and mattress that will get me going I can cut 2/3rds of the budget and upgrade if I truly convert. I'd appreciate any comments or review you have after using your Chameleon. butthead |
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VaderStrom |
I'd recommend getting a trial night in each of the Warbonnets before making a final choice if I were you. If you're in the twin cities I'm sure you could get some volunteers to lend theirs out. I'm not making any guarantees, but every person who's spent the night in my Ridge Runner now owns their own... |
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kpdoyle |
As Christmas gift my lovely wife offered up the idea of getting me a BWCA gear present... which is the best kind of present. I was thinking about it and decided that I want to give hammock camping a shot. I have been lucky enough to have gone to the BWCA/quetico many times over the past 5 years and during my time up there I have seen an increasing number of hammocks. I have only used my 3 person tent which is great but I am open to trying a hammock, Can folks recommend a hammock "set"? Our budget is certainly not unlimited but I am fine getting above average costing gear if it means it will last. I may hit up the local outdoor store and ask them but I know this message board is a great place to start. I am sure there are some cons to using a hammock... can you let me know what you DON'T like about hammocks? Thanks in advance for the input. -kevin |