Longtime tenter, first time hanger

[PapaGarrettP]

So, I figured I would check out this hanging thing on my next hike. Have bought/borrowed the following for a week in GSMNP in late April:
-Eagle Double nest
-Eagle Single nest
-ENO tarp
-Straps
-Insert with the side walls
-gear hang
-drip strips

My questions;
1. Single or double hammock on a 5-6 nighter?
2. Do I sleep inside my bag? Seems tricky...
3. Should I forgo my 20 degree mummy bag and take a 30 degree bag with more room? And maybe a poncho liner?

I am going to test some configurations over the next month, before my trip. It seems like the ideal is to layer quilts, poncho liners etc. above and below, but others talk about getting into the sleeping bag.

Thoughts?

As always, thanks!

PapaG

[fastfoxengineering]

1. Me, personally, would bring the eno single nest on 6 night strictly because it weighs less.
2. Hammock hangers who use a sleeping bag as a top quilt usually keep it unzipped. Yes, it's hard to get in a zipped up bag in a hammock.
3. That's up to you, we can't really know if you sleep cold or hot

You NEED bottom insulation. It's the one thing every beginner hammocker doesn't look into. A wide (25"+) ccf pad or an underquilt is your best bet. Most of us have started with cheap ccf pads and then moved on to underquilts.

You also need a tarp to protect you and your gear from the elements. Most of us prefer a hex tarp for the coverage.

good luck on your trip, and don't forget to check out hammockforums.net!

[Slo-go'en]

Also, go someplace else if you want to hang. Remember you will be required to stay in the shelters. Hot Springs to Erwin is a nice section and avoids all the hassles of the national park. And definitely get some bottom insulation or you will literally freeze your butt off.

[PapaGarrettP]

Also, go someplace else if you want to hang. Remember you will be required to stay in the shelters. Hot Springs to Erwin is a nice section and avoids all the hassles of the national park. And definitely get some bottom insulation or you will literally freeze your butt off.

Good point, Slo-go'en. I should have clarified. This time of year I stick to the Benton-Mackaye trail in the GSMNP. Only two shelters, the rest is open camping (with lots of trees).

[PapaGarrettP]

1. Me, personally, would bring the eno single nest on 6 night strictly because it weighs less.
2. Hammock hangers who use a sleeping bag as a top quilt usually keep it unzipped. Yes, it's hard to get in a zipped up bag in a hammock.
3. That's up to you, we can't really know if you sleep cold or hot

You NEED bottom insulation. It's the one thing every beginner hammocker doesn't look into. A wide (25"+) ccf pad or an underquilt is your best bet. Most of us have started with cheap ccf pads and then moved on to underquilts.

You also need a tarp to protect you and your gear from the elements. Most of us prefer a hex tarp for the coverage.

good luck on your trip, and don't forget to check out hammockforums.net!

Hey Fastfox - I usually tent camp this time of year with both a CCF pad AND my Therma-rest. Was going to take the Therma-rest, but you prefer the CCF? I'll check out the site - thanks again!
PapaG

[Walkintom]

How tall are you? That would dictate single or double nest. If you're much over 6' take the double.

If your bag will open up to be used like a quilt, it should work.

+1 on the under insulation.

[OCDave]

Both the DN and SN are too short to get really comfortable. As you want to sleep on a diagonal to get a flatter lie, the DN will provide a bit extra width. I slept successfully with REI Thermarest clone, NF Cats Meow 20* mummy bag and ENO DN for several months. The Thermarest actually makes the DN more comfortable buy reducing shoulder/head squeezing effect of a too short hammock. Once I switched to my underquilt I needed a longer/wider hammock to sleep at all. (Wilderness Logics Lite Owl is my go-to)

The key to making sleeping bag work for me was I would get into my bag while standing, feet out, then sit then lay in my hammock keeping the upper portion of the bag snug against my shoulders so I wouldn't have bunching or wrinkles beneath me. Once in the hammock, I'd pull my feet inside the bag, make a few adjustments to my pad angle and sleep soundly 'til dawn.

Good Luck

[OCDave]

PS: The Thermarest works best when under-inflated by ~ 30-50%

[perdidochas]

1. Me, personally, would bring the eno single nest on 6 night strictly because it weighs less.
2. Hammock hangers who use a sleeping bag as a top quilt usually keep it unzipped. Yes, it's hard to get in a zipped up bag in a hammock.
3. That's up to you, we can't really know if you sleep cold or hot

You NEED bottom insulation. It's the one thing every beginner hammocker doesn't look into. A wide (25"+) ccf pad or an underquilt is your best bet. Most of us have started with cheap ccf pads and then moved on to underquilts.

You also need a tarp to protect you and your gear from the elements. Most of us prefer a hex tarp for the coverage.

good luck on your trip, and don't forget to check out hammockforums.net!

Well, I agree with all except the first. If he's a big guy, he may be more comfortable in the double nest.

[ccartertn]

Check out hammockforums.net !
Then, go to youtube and watch every Shug video - especially the beginner series.
Most definitely need a pad or underquilt if you have the $$$.
If you already have a pad, use it, maybe spend $10-$20 on a CCF pad at Wally World. Use your sleeping bag as a top quilt.
Practice beforehand! Get your sag right. Lay at an angle!
Tarp - cheap options out there - Cheap wally world blue will suffice early on.
Doublenest lets you lay at more of an angle.
There are longer, cheaper, better hammocks out there. Check out Dutch!

Have fun.

[fastfoxengineering]

Hey Fastfox - I usually tent camp this time of year with both a CCF pad AND my Therma-rest. Was going to take the Therma-rest, but you prefer the CCF? I'll check out the site - thanks again!
PapaG

I prefer an under quilt. But if I had to use a pad in a hammock I would use a closed foam pad over an inflatable. A nice wide one. Gossamer Gear sells a really nice thin wide pad. The wally world blue pad used to be nice and wide to for $10. If you use an inflatable don't full inflate it. The problem with pads in a hammock is one, they reduce the overall experiece and comfort of sleeping in a hammock, and two, they usually are not wide enough and don't provide enough insulation in the shoulder region. Unless you have a double layer hammock, it's usually difficult to stay on the pad too. They have a tendency to slide around on you.

If someone gave me a hammock, closed foam pad, and sleeping bag to work with. I would put the pad in the sleeping bag, and finagle myself into the sleeping bag all zipped up. It's really not an ideal setup for a hammock but it has and will work.

The problem is when you do that, you lose a lot of the comfort a hammock can offer. It could deter you from hammocking in the future. I started out with that setup and got tired of fiddling with it every night. I then dove into hammocking and purchased an underquilt and top quilt. I will never go back.

I suggest you practice before heading out. Hammocks can be tricky when you don't have any experience.

and yes, as someone else mentioned.... shugs introduction to hammocking videos are fantastic

[brianb2]

I agree with Fastfox except for zipping up your sleeping bag. Pad in the hammock, bag mostly unzipped with your feet in the foot box and the rest of the bag pulled up like your blanky at home. I tried the zipped up bag once and I found it a nuisance.

His advice and others about testing in your backyard or someplace similar is spot on. You need to do a bit of fine tuning. Sleep out tonight, set the alarm on your phone and get up in the morning to come inside. Shug videos are like hammocking 101, and should be required.

Good luck, Brian

[PapaGarrettP]

Thanks for all the advice, everyone. Unfortunately, I live in South Florida, so I won't be able to sleep a full night in the hammock (although I am considering installing two eye bolts in my den and cranking the AC down). I will check out the vids. I'm looking forward to my trip in April. As you guys know, even if it is not perfect it will still be a week in the woods, so I sure it will be fun!

PapaG

[scrabbler]

(although I am considering installing two eye bolts in my den and cranking the AC down).
PapaG

Unless you're 100% sure of how those studs were installed, you could be taking a big risk. Be careful.

[T-Rx]

PappaG, hope you enjoy your hike and your hang. It sounds like you have a good rig to test your hammock likes/dislikes with. I agree with some other comments also that if you decide to become a full time hanger you will want to check out top quilts and under quilts. The comfort of an under quilt is significant! Have a great trip.

[rhjanes]

good advice all around. I always deploy my under quilt (UQ). I learned on my first night in a hammock, camping on the Buffalo National River in northern Arkansas. It was like 70 degrees when we turned in. Dropping to like 60 over night. Well, around midnight, my backside was COLD. It's not fun in the dark, digging around for the UQ, hanging it, pissed off, etc. So now, even in like 80 degrees, I hand that UQ! Then adjust in the hammock for the TQ, or a fleece blanket or silk liner. Much easier to just lay in the hammock and toss things around than getting up, finding a light, etc.
BTW, I always use a Ridge Line Organizer also. So that headlight, my glasses and such are just inches away.

[gunner76]

PappaG....contact Gumbo or Timberrr over on HammockForums and see if they can direct you to a group hang down there where you can check out lots of different rigs.

[PapaGarrettP]

PappaG....contact Gumbo or Timberrr over on HammockForums and see if they can direct you to a group hang down there where you can check out lots of different rigs.

Will do. Thanks!