veganbikes

I am happy with my ENO set up aside from my hammock weight and size. I went with the Double Deluxe thinking I was going to be entertaining, after doing it once and only recently and enjoying being cozied up to someone I love but rather uncomfortable, I realize that getting something smaller like the Sub.7 or maybe a ProNest would make more sense. With two there is room for both but everyone kind of bunches together, with one it is way too much material.

As far as rainfly, I went with the profly and it seems to do just fine for the few times I have used it. Last time I needed it I was pretty low to the ground with ample tree cover and side coverage from the pic-a-nic table I was lashed to so I never felt I was going to get moist though it never gusted.

+1 on the Bug Net. I have a Guardian and that thing is great for the summer. Plus they now have one that is 13oz for the weight weenies or you can get an all in one hammock/bug net that is 27oz.

gpsblake

Like them in the summer and hate them any other time. Comfortable sleep but when you weigh all the stuff you have to take to make it useable in the fall/winter/cold spring night, a tent is lighter and much more likely to keep you dry.

KC8QVO

Here are some pictures of my hammock set up. The winter set is the most descriptive of how the hammock hangs and the underquilt. They will also give you an idea of the "room" in a low hang ready for battle with the elements. There is not much head room and you have to crawl in, but it works. The tarp is large so putting unused gear on the opposite side of the hammock as the entry keeps the space more open on the side with the entry. Note the trash bag ground cloth - this is a necessity in my book, on any ground. Bags work best because you can wrap your shoes/gear up in it if the weather goes to pot so wind blown rain won't soak them even still. It is just extra protection that is nice.

The small S biners on the triangular split rings are how the underquilt attach - one in front, one in back. Shock chord/bungee chord structure lines on the underquilt keep it snug against the hammock.

Hugh Morris

How much does your tent and cold weather sleep system weigh? 3-5lbs?

Some people have the ultralight hammocking pretty darn light. For example, this winter set up weighed around 3lbs.

I am not a weight weenie though, I'm using bigger gear than necessary and still my spring/fall sleep system weighs around 6 pounds total for a 20* full length UQ, poncho liner, tarp, hammock, and all the rigging. Which, for the level of comfort it provides me, doesn't seem like all that much weight at all. Unless I start aiming for an ultralight or super ultralight bike pack, I won't be changing my shelter & sleep system any time soon.

EDIT: Dry in hammock vs dry in tent depend greatly on the operator. I'd argue that hammocks are better in wet weather, allowing you and your gear to be suspended above the wet ground. You won't get wet if yoj have a big enough tarp pitched properly. I remember much mud and moisture making it into the tent when I used one in inclimate weather (Admittedly some operator error there, but really tough to navigate under the fly before entering the tent). Also, it's nice to set the tarp up in the rain then set everything else up dry underneath it. I haven't pitched a tent during a downpour in a good while but I imagine I'd end up with a silnylon kiddie pool til I got the routine down.

Hugh Morris

casual fyi- ENO stuff will never be for weight weenies, always for families and weekend warriors and the "i want to get out more" college student.

The giant fronkey bugnet I made for my hammock comes in at just under 8 oz; you can order that net from Dutch and at 10' it weighs 6.5oz.

Hammock/bugnet combos can weigh 13oz or even less nowadays, for any weight weenies keeping track.

Rob_E

Agreed. One of the things that dampened (heh) my enthusiasm for bike camping early on was a tent that only seemed to waterproof at the floor. Woke up soggy a few times. I realize that there are better, lighter tents now, but for me it seems much easier just to hang above the wet ground. A small tarp hung carefully can keep you dry, and a large tarp can give you lots of room. And if you happen to take in some moisture, it just drips out again. Not like those days I used to wake up in a puddle.

chefisaac

Thank you all.

I think I need to go play around with things a lot. My initial fear, with touring, is not being able to find a place to hang. My freestanding tent I like because it takes care of that issue but sometimes uneven ground can suck and to just chill out in the tent when it is hot out is not appealing to me. I have the Roo, the straps, and the bug net. I would like to try to sleep outside one night and just try it and see. We will see how it goes.

KC8QVO

The one time I was close to not being able to hang was a camp site (car camping, not hike in) somewhere on the southern half of the Smoky Mountains National Park. The site we got had a tent pad and the other guys I was with set up there (ground dwellers). I went to the back of the site where there were a couple trees. One wasn't on our "site" but I used it anyway. It was about 4ft in diameter. Long story short, I stretched the hammock as far as I could get it - way tighter than it should have been, but I made do.

I have that scenario covered now - I have Amsteel rope for utility stuff. It is very light and very strong. 7/32" rope is close to 2000lbs, 1/8" is closer to 2500lbs. For adding length to reach the right trees it will work. Though, webbing is better as its softer on the trees being flat/wide.

Before my switch to the hammock I camped in WV on a ridge that was clear cut. Only very small trees were around, and very few. In that scenario I would have been hosed, but it wasn't too far to get out of the clear cut area if I had to. I would have been about 1/2 mile from my group though.

If you find you can't hang, what ever the reason may be, you can pitch the tarp with sticks or what ever you can find for shelter. I woudn't recommend getting in your hammock on the ground. It won't do you any good on the ground and you'll likely damage it. The bug net, maybe, but you will likely wear holes in it also. Ground insulation would be good. A blue closed cell foam pad is cheap ($5 or so from Walmart) and light, just bulky. It would make a big difference, though, if you have the option of thinking ahead to bring. Therm A Rest makes some inflatable pads, as do others, that pack small. Theoretically, keeping your core off the ground is the most important. There are "short" pads that are available for less weight/bulk that may work too. I'm not a fan of them, just personal preference.

hilltowner

I'm a long time hammock user and had made my own tarp before there were many designs to copy. It has a diamond shape and it was the right size for a slightly smaller hammock than the one I now use, so it could be slightly larger but as far as needing any end doors, etc. I've never found it to be lacking in even the heaviest downpours. Pitch the tarp close enough to the hammock and any rain coming from the ends just blows underneath. The trees themselves keep most of it from reaching you.
The evolution of my hammock use also started before there were commercially available underquilts. When I started it was with a net hammock and for both insulation and comfort I just used a Thermarest 3/4 length pad. The net hammock caught the corners of the pad and locked into place. The hammock I replaced the net with was all nylon fabric and at first I would wake up with the pad beside me, rather than under me. One logical solution would be to get an underquilt but instead I started putting the pad inside the sleeping bag. It's not a mummy shaped bag so it worked pretty well. I never have trouble staying on top of the pad. The advantage to using the pad rather than the underquilt is that the pad works too when I have to sleep on the ground. It happens sometimes due to a variety of reasons, camping at or above treeline could only be one of them.
This is in the municipal park in Cap Chat, PQ and I had stopped to use a picnic pavillion and afterward it was just too dark to go in search of a better spot. I guess to each his own, but I like the flexibility of a one-item-serving-multiple-purposes.