weathering a storm in a hammock

[leftorright]

I want to get out more this fall but I live in MO and for the next couple months can expect mostly wet, cold weather. Can anyone give me first hand experiences and tips about weathering a thunderstorm at night in a hammock?

[rocketsocks]

Ya may find something useful here, I'm not a hammocker just yet though.


http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...ghtening-bolts

[SteelCut]

Lots of threads on hammockforums.net for this topic. I'm a hammocker but haven't been in any really big storms (yet) so no first hand advice.

[2Ply]

What type of tarp do you have? If a heavy rain and wind are forecast I'll set my tarp edges lower to the ground to help stop blowing rain and splash back. My 3 season tarp has doors so I'll batten down the hatches and ride out the storm high and dry. Without doors you could position the tarp so the rain isn't blowing into the open ends. Grizz Beaks are a great way to add a door or two to tarps that don't have them. They also create a vestibule for your gear. I keep one with my summer tarp to block heavy rain and wind on one end. Drip lines on the suspension help keep out If you haven't checked out hammock forms . net come give it a look. Lots of great info.

[Grits]

I want to get out more this fall but I live in MO and for the next couple months can expect mostly wet, cold weather. Can anyone give me first hand experiences and tips about weathering a thunderstorm at night in a hammock?

1. camp site location out of the wind east side of a ridge if possible and not next to a creek (cold sink)
https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...om-An-Old-Coot
2. proper trees with a north south aspect if possible and you can drop your tarp close to the ground and use panel pulls if you have them as gunner said.
3. Look up for widow makers
4. Look up for widow makers
5. enjoy the sound of rain on your tarp as you drift off to sleep

[overthinker]

Rain is one thing, wind is another. Nothing like hearing a big ole tree come smashing down during a windstorm.

I've seen pictures and videos of folks using their trekking poles over the ridgeline of their tarp, with either end attached to the panel pulls. Seems to give a lot more interior room, and I imagine it would help cut down on the stretch problem you get with sil.

Cuben is great in the wind, way better than having sil stretch and bump you every time a gust picks up.

Check the quality of the soil when selecting a site. If there's lots of leaves or other forest duff, consider moving on to a different site with more compact soil. At the very least, scrape away as much of the duff as possible to get to harder soil. Having stakes pull out in the middle of the night sucks.

Carry something waterproof to put your pack on, and wrap your rain jacket over the top, tuck in the sides. I carry a Jerry chair I made from coated oxford cloth, which doubles as my pack groundsheet.

Have some sort of water break on the suspension. Some people have rings, some have strings, other carabiners. I use Dutch hooks, which makes for easy setup and a great drip break.

Make sure your tarp covers your hammock entirely. Otherwise, even a small drip will wet out the hammock fabric, given enough time.

If it's really pouring, consider waiting to put the hammock, underquilt, and top quilt/sleeping bag out until just before you go to bed. No sense in risking wet gear if you don't have to.

If you set up your tarp in porch mode, make sure to put one pole lower than the other to let rain roll off. You risk building a massive puddle if you don't.

[Chris10]

I have zero experience with hammocks, so forgive this question, but if one of the trees you were tied to was struck by lighting, would you still get electrocuted, or would it pass on through?

[SteelCut]

I have zero experience with hammocks, so forgive this question, but if one of the trees you were tied to was struck by lighting, would you still get electrocuted, or would it pass on through?

It is possible to be struck. And it is also possible if you were in a tent near that tree you would get struck as well. You should read this:

http://rendezvous.nols.edu/files/Cur...Guidelines.pdf

[SouthMark]

I have weathered a couple of big storms in my hammock with no problem. My first was in a Hennessy with a JRB 10x10 tarp pitched as a diamond. I came through it dry and just fine which is more than I can say about my fellow tenters who got soaked. Since then I have been through several more bad storms with high winds and one with hail. I have never been wet in my hammock.

[Monkeywrench]

1) Pitch your tarp low and tight.
2) Climb into your hammock.
3) Go to sleep.

[Mr. Jowee]

Video on water breaks and drip lines (water will run down exposed suspension and possibly into your hammock if you're not prepared for it).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0-uOekjcU0

[kayak karl]

hundreds of nights, many storms and never had water run down lines into tent. i must of been very lucky

[tazzerboy]

I gave up "ground dwelling" a long time ago and have plenty of nights in storms. Learning how to set a properly sized tarp at a steeper angle is key. Once you've had a stream start flowing literally right under your hammock a massive storm while staying completely dry, you start to really appreciate hammock camping.
Sent from my RM-845_nam_vzw_100 using Tapatalk

[hilltackler]

Today's the day...getting my Warbonnet Superfly tarp with doors! Can't wait to spend shoulder season in my WBBB hammock.

[Feral Bill]

I spent my first two nights back country hammocking last week. There was no rain or lightning but the wind was ferocious. Tucked in the woods well below the ridges It sounded like an endless parade of freight trains all around, to the point I had trouble sleeping. I was, however, safe and warm, despite freezing temperatures. The take home lesson: site selection matters, whatever your sleep system.

[1azarus]

thanks, 2ply... I never heard of grizz beaks. been thinking of buying a cuben tarp with doors. now I have another option! ...l love this site.

[Mr. Jowee]

hundreds of nights, many storms and never had water run down lines into tent. i must of been very lucky

A hammock will always fare better in a storm than a tent.

[Wise Old Owl]

I concur - there is risk in any site selection as well as lightening but the real risk is branches falling on your tent and hammock you have to look for widow makers prior to pitching.

Hamock forums and searching is the best forum its a sister location that is connected to WB.

[Dr. Professor]

I want to get out more this fall but I live in MO and for the next couple months can expect mostly wet, cold weather. Can anyone give me first hand experiences and tips about weathering a thunderstorm at night in a hammock?

There are pluses and minuses to both ground systems and tents (and I use both for different circumstances). In general, I feel that hammocks have two huge advantages over ground systems with the ability to stay dry being one of them. While an experienced hiker can usually keep gear dry when using a tent, doing so with a hammock is easy. The other huge hammock advantage is in the ability to find a campable site in dense forest with uneven ground.

[ChuckT]

Just back from 3 dayer. Mid hike moved from one side of trail to the other 'cause I _didn't_ like the look of one tree. No problem that night but I encountered multiple blow downs on the trail, bout 1 every 2 hours of travel.