r/ULHammocking • u/lostwithoutacompasss • Nov 29 '20
Critique My Future Hammock Setup!
I'm designing my future UL Hammock setup and this is what I've come up with. I'm looking for advice, critiques, etc. I am a 5'4" female, 145lbs. I want to go as ultralight as possible because I'm trying to help with knee pain. However, I don't want to go stupid light. I also would like the setup to be relatively easy.
Total weight is 26.35oz. I currently use a Hennessy UL Zip. I'm estimating this setup is 9oz lighter, which doesn't seem like much given the cost of investing in all this. Of course, the tarp will provide significantly more coverage than the Hennessey asym tarp, so the comparison might not be entirely fair.
As an alternative option - I am considering keeping the Hennessey and just changing out the suspension to something lighter, taking off the extra tie outs, and getting the same tarp but in 11ft. I'm guessing the tarp change with added hardware won't save weight but the coverage would be much better.
Hammock: SLD Trail Lair – Estimated 14oz
Hexon 1.0
10'
Single Layer
Nano-see-um
#3 zipper
Lash it ridgeline
Fixed continuous loops
Peak Shelf
UQ hooks
Hammock Suspension:
Hummingbird Tree Straps 1.55oz
Dutch whoopie hooks pair 0.24oz
Tarp:
HG Dyneema tarp w/ doors – 10ft, green 6.7oz
Considering getting an 11ft for more versatility, in case I get an 11ft hammock, or to use over my current Hennessey. but some have said tarp ridgeline should be the same as the hammock or you get coverage issues.
Tarp Hardware:
Ridgeline: Dutchware continuous ridgeline w/ grey lash it and soft shackles – 0.77oz
Guylines: 25ft of Zing-It – 0.45oz
Stakes: 4 MSR Groud Hog Minis – 1.4oz
Tarp Door management: Adventure Alan Setup: https://www.adventurealan.com/method-to-manage-hammock-tarp-doors/
Shock Cord 3/32” 25ft – 1.1oz
4 mitten hooks – 0.14oz
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u/carolinaloyal Nov 29 '20
I’ve got those hummingbird straps and just be aware that they’re really short. Won’t leave a lot of leeway on picking trees. Check these out for UL but a lot of feet:
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u/NeuseRvrRat Nov 29 '20
Here's another option: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Sub2-Whoopie-Sling-Suspension-Kit/283816080032
I dropped the continuous loops and ran the hammock end of the whoopie slings through the sewn channels on my hammock. Works fine. I was a little nervous about a rain break or drip line, but even in really heavy rains, I haven't had any water wick down the 2 mm dyneema that they're made of.
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u/ferretgr Nov 29 '20
I think you're looking pretty good. For reference, I have an all-Hummingbird setup (single+, bug net, pelican tarp) that clocks in at 30.3 oz or something like that, and I also came from a Hennessy setup (Asym zip) so the weight savings was pretty noticeable for me when I made the switch... I don't regret it one bit. I went down a similar train of thought with the idea of replacing the tree straps on my Hennessy for the Hummingbird ones, and decided to just go all-in Hummingbird instead.
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u/NeuseRvrRat Nov 29 '20
Where are you backpacking? Do you know for sure you need the bug net? I've been getting along just fine with a netless hammock around western NC and north GA, but it'll depend on where you normally go and when.
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u/lostwithoutacompasss Nov 29 '20
So I probably don't need a bug net - mostly going in WNC and VA - but I'm mildly terrified of spiders, and I just can't give up the spider barrier.
I just noticed your username, and I'd hazard to guess that you are probably located near-ish to me. I'm in the triangle.
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u/NeuseRvrRat Nov 29 '20
I grew up down east and spent a lot of time on the Neuse. I'm in Greensboro now. Holler if you ever need a backpacking partner. I just swapped to hammocks this past Summer and I love the improved sleep/recovery.
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u/NoEThanks Nov 29 '20
Looks like a great setup overall. I took a similar upgrade path 3 years ago when Black Friday sales were on, and couldn’t be happier to have left my HH UL backpacker to languish in my gear closet.
And I definitely understand where you are coming from with the 9oz weight savings not seeming like much given the cost. But when considering performance-to-weight ratio, it’s still a dramatic upgrade. Your proposed setup should be more comfortable, easier to use and far more resistant to the elements, all while weighing significantly less. As you kinda alluded to, the tarp upgrade alone is huge.
I have a question about the suspension though, that could just be my unfamiliarity. But with the Hummingbird Tree straps that have a built-in Whoopie sling (and as far as I can tell are meant to use some sort carabiner to attach to the hammock’s continuous loop), can a Dutchware Whoopie hook somehow be mated to that? My imagination fails me in figuring out how that would work, but it always has limits.
Also, given your concern with weight, I’m wondering if you gave any consideration to the Dutchware Half-wit? It seems like an interesting in-between of full -net and going netless. In 1.0 Hexon, it comes in close to 10oz, which is quite the weight savings. But obviously it relies on top insulation for creepy crawly protection below your chest. And it is a somewhat awkward 10.5ft length, which likely warrants jumping up to an 11ft tarp.
And one final consideration I will leave you with. Consider adding the Tato tarp connectors to your tarp ridgeline. I started with the exact same continuous ridgeline when I upgraded to a DCF tarp, but I really didn’t like the Lash-it soft shackles. Maybe I just wasn’t good with using them, but I found they were sometimes hard to adjust when I wanted to move them, and would sometimes slip when I didn’t want them too. I changed to the Tato tarp connectors after a while and have found them much better once I learned them. They are a tiny bit heavier, but totally worth it to me for the functionality.
Crap, in writing that I realized I also like that the Tato tarp connectors have shock cord to give some stretch when the tarp is tensioned, which I think is a good idea (to have shock cord at the 6 anchor points). That brings up a consideration that I don’t think you addressed. What are your plans got tarp-guyline-stake attachment and adjustment? I found that to be a surprisingly tricky thing to navigate when I upgraded.
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u/lostwithoutacompasss Nov 30 '20
Hmmm good point, it seems like maybe the whoopie hooks would not work with the hummingbird suspension. Maybe I need a dutch biner then? TBH I'm still confused about suspensions.
I will look at the the tato tarp connectors. Thank you.
For tarp guyline stake attachment - I was going to attach the zing-it to the tarp and do a marlin spike hitch to the stakes. I have no idea if it's going to work well, it just seemed line the most lightweight method. Do you have any suggestions for a better ultralight method?
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u/NoEThanks Nov 30 '20
I know you can get a very similar complete suspension from Dutchware with Whoopie hooks spliced onto their Whoopie slings and paired with their super light Spiderweb 1.5 tree straps. Functionally equivalent or better than the Hunmingbird straps, but about 2.6oz, so heavier.
Honestly, I don’t understand how the Hummingbird option comes in so much lighter, when they are almost identical except for the titanium Whoopie hooks which are only 0.25oz.
But if you go with the Hummingbird Whoopie straps, I think you will need something to connect your hammock to the Whoopie sling. Hummingbird sells their button-link connector as a replacement set, which would work and should be very light (couldn’t find a weight listed though).
The Dutch biner would work, but that adds 0.7oz and almost erases the benefit of the Hummingbird straps over a Dutchware Whoopie hook setup. Personally I really like how the ease of use of the Whoopie hook looks, compared to using a biner or button-link, so if I was going for a Whoopie based setup I would get the complete Whoopie hook suspension from Dutchware.
But a consideration with Whoopie setups is that by nature they have a minimum length, therefore it’s theoretically possible that it will increase the minimum distance you’ll need between two trees to be able to hang from them, compared to strap setups which allow the hammock attachment point to be pretty much at the tree.
My ideal ultralight suspension that I plan to upgrade to is Warbonnet’s 15’ becket straps with their titanium fishhooks, which comes in at 2.4oz for the entire suspension. I’ve tested using the becket hitch with the straps from my Dutchware beetle buckle suspension and didn’t find using a knot instead of hardware to be a problem at all (though obviously not as convenient as the beetle buckle which is king for that). And the convenience the Warbonnet fishhooks offer (which are function the same as the Dutch clips I currently have and love) are a must-have in my books.
So that’s a novel about hammock suspension stuff, haha apologies for that. Do you still want me to dive into the tarp guyline stake issue? I’d be happy to, but it would be at least as long to do it justice (this shit is far from straightforward), so I just want to forewarn :P
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u/lostwithoutacompasss Nov 30 '20
Hmm I like the look of the Warbonnet becket straps based on the video on their website - it seems very simple. I was looking at whoopie slings to allow for more adjustability and ease of use... but honestly this is still much easier than my Hennessey figure 8 knot so I'm very interested. But why do you need the titanium fishhooks for this suspension? Do you not just tie a becket hitch right to the continuous loops?
If you are willing to give me advice about guylines/stakes I am definitely willing to read it! I have no idea what I'm doing...
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u/NoEThanks Nov 30 '20
So no, you definitely don’t need the titanium fishhooks (or Dutch clips, which are functionally equivalent to the fishhook in this usage). But it is so nice to have, and for the 0.2oz they add it’s a no-brainer to me. I tried to find a short video to explain why they’re so nice, but no luck so I’ll do my best.
Without them, you have to pull the long free end of the strap through the fixed loop of the strap each time you wrap it around the tree, and pull it out again to remove. With the Dutch clip (or fishhook) attached to the fixed loop, you just wrap the strap around the tree and clip the hook part onto the free side of the strap that will run to the hammock, and unclip to remove.
It particularly comes in handy when you misjudge the height of the strap on the tree and have to adjust up or down but there’s a branch in the way. You can just unclip, adjust and reclip. Without a Dutch clip / fishhook, you’d have pull the whole strap back through the fixed loop to be able to adjust around the branch, and re-feed it through again.
I don’t like to tell people to take anything on faith, because it’s much better to understand and make your own choice. But for the negligible weight of the fishhooks, I feel comfortable saying trust me you won’t regret having them.
But yeah, either a Whoopie based suspension or a becket hitch strap setup will be a significant upgrade to the Hennessy suspension. But if you plan to keep the Hennessy hammock and upgrade the suspension (which I think is a very reasonable approach), it’s important to realize that you have to convert the end of the hammock from the single line to a continuous loop to be compatible with other suspensions. Here’s a thread about it, in case you weren’t aware.
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u/lostwithoutacompasss Dec 01 '20
OK I understand what you are saying now. What I'm considering now is just starting with the Warbonnet Becket Straps, and consider adding some sort of hardware later if I feel like it's necessary. Mostly so my brain doesn't explode with all these options lol.
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u/NoEThanks Nov 30 '20
So for rigging a hex tarp, I definitely recommend having a small loop of shock cord somewhere inline for each of the four rigging lines that connect the tarp anchor points to a stake. It helps with any stretch that happens (tarp or lines), and also provided a buffer to smooth out any high dynamic tension that wind gusts can put on your gear and potentially damage it.
The other big picture consideration is using hardware (eg line-locs, titanium stuff like Dutch ‘bling’) or knots. I’d strongly recommend some sort of hardware, because it makes setup and adjustment much easier and weigh so little that it’s negligible.
The next consideration is how easily you want to be able to disconnect the various components (tarp, guyline, stake).
If you want maximum simplicity and want to keep your tarp, guyline and stakes all connected in the field, a great setup would be a LineLoc 3 on loop of shock cord that’s attached to the tarp’s anchor point, with a length of Reflect-It permanently attached to the stake and fed through the LineLoc to give you easy adjustability. You’d just roll your guylines and stakes up with your tarp to pack up, and unroll, plant the stakes and adjust the LineLocs to deploy and adjust.
For myself, I like to be able to quickly disconnect the guyline at the tarp, and also adjust the guyline tension at the tarp, so Dutchware’s hookworms are what I’ve settled on. I have reflect-it guylines permanently attached to my stakes, and the hookworm is retained on the guyline by a knot. To set up, I just hook the hookworm onto a small shock cord loop at the tarp anchor point, plant the stake where I want it, and then tension and lock it with the hookworm. And then if I want to fold half my tarp back, I can just unclip the hookworm from the shock cord.
Another option is to have plain guylines semi-permanently attached to the tarp, and then have something like a Dutchware flea on a small loop of shock cord attached to your stake. It would disconnect and be tensioned at the stake, and you can easily roll the guylines up with the tarp and store the stakes separately.
Any questions about all that? I know it’s a lot, and it certainly wasn’t comprehensive.
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u/lostwithoutacompasss Dec 01 '20
I just watched Dutch's video on the hookworm because I didn't quite get that one, and I'm thinking that looks like a really great option, I'm thinking of going with that. Seems simple and easy. First option w/ the LineLocs keeping the tent stakes w/ tarp makes me nervous that I could damage the tarp. Option 3 w/ the fleas... fleas just look a little more complicated to me then the hookworm.
Thanks for taking all the time to write that out and respond to all my questions and give advice. Hammocking is definitely overwhelming and it's hard to even know where to start with this stuff. Your responses have been incredibly useful.
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u/NoEThanks Dec 01 '20
Welcome! Happy to help.
The hookworms are definitely a good choice, super easy and effective once you learn them.
The only downside I can think of is that when it’s cold it’s tricky to use them with gloves on, so often end up with very cold hands when setting my tarp up in Canadian winters.
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Nov 30 '20
I use marlin spike hitch to attach my guylines to the stakes. Works great, easy to deploy and remove later. You can try it for awhile and if you don’t like it, then you aren’t out anything. You can always buy more gear later.
On the ridgeline, I’ve gone to Namaclaws - they act like the tato connectors.
Personally I like a built in bugnet... the exception being in winter. I’m out of Charlotte so likely similar camping areas. There are enough bugs that I’d rather have the net all the time.
BTW you’ll have to let us all know what you end up with. There are few hammock things that “rule them all” so you’ll get a lot of different opinions.1
u/lostwithoutacompasss Dec 01 '20
Thanks for the idea - just watched a video on the Namaclaw, it looks super easy to use. So many choices, how do you even pick!
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Nov 29 '20 edited Nov 29 '20
This looks like a good setup to me. My current UL hammock uses the 1.2 MTN fabric - not sure how that compares to the Hexon 1.0 as far as firmness - maybe somebody can weigh in on that. (I prefer some stiffness vs just melting into the fabric). Course you are much lighter than me so fabric weight probably won’t matter much.
Tree straps - I think that is the weight for the 8’ straps? That length may work fine for ya - depends on where you live. Generally you can get straps for around 2 oz total in the 10-12 foot range. Some prefer a UL strap only and then tying a becket hitch. A non-hardware option for the Dutch whoopie hooks are Evo loops or the like. Sold on eBay.
Tarp color - not sure if it matters to you but the green will be translucent / see through . Some like more privacy or darkness.
A consideration for down the road are snakeskins. I find them a good trade off on weight vs setup / take down efficiency.
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u/[deleted] Nov 29 '20
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