I'm not a hammock camper full time, because I toss and turn side to side and that's not good in a hammock.

BUT, I have spent more than a few nights in my Byers Mosquito hammock when I had to get off the water and that meant the first place I could land my canoe.

Plenty of full time "hangers" here, but before you invest a considerable amount of money in a real camping hammock, why not get this, or something similar and give it a try a few nights in the backyard with the bugs out, and see IF that set-up is really for you?

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IF you like it, then you just have a better version of the hammock you have now, because it has mosquito netting.

Even if you go to real camp hammock, I'm sure you or one of your boys would find a use for another hammock with big protection.

Another thing to consider is that unless you’re an acrobat,( or a real hanger has another solution) you’re not going to be able to use a P-Bottle IF that's an option you might want down the road sometime.

i ordered the blue sky one from amazon after reading this thread. i had been interested in a covered hammock for a while and even started acquiring materials to make one. however, the fabric for the bottom, nylon ripstop, was more than this entire thing!

It's top-of-the-line and, therefore, "pricey" but, for my bucks, it's the best product on the market:  (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)

Recommend spending a few extra bucks to get the XL overhead tarp; great for cooking under, etc.

Have extolled its many virtues on many similar QJ threads so I won't bothered reciting that litany yet again.  If interested, try the "Search" function and look for "Clark Jungle Hammock."  OR, simply contact me. 

That company should make me a paid spokesperson!

Jimbo   

Jimbo wrote on Jun 24^th, 2015 at 8:44pm:


As the jungle hammock spokesperson, a shoot of that commercial would have sold millions.

Sturgeon_7 wrote on Jan 24^th, 2016 at 12:47am:


I just looked at the speck on one of those tree tents and it was 19 pounds.  That would be before adding under insulation and a sleeping bag. 

I agree with KevinL's comments.  In recent years, I have used the very same shelter solutions... hanging (when alone or in an odd-numbered group) & a CCS Lean 3 shelter for a larger party. 

My answer to the "insulation" challenge has been my Clark Jungle Hammock (see: (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links) ).  It's pricey but I have gotten more than my money's worth with various iterations of this product over the years.  Among its many fine features are the six huge pockets on the underside.  I fill these pockets with my wool socks & other clothing.  Even when I woke up in a nasty snow squall last May I was quite warm and comfortable... as long as I remained in my hammock!

Other hammock models have their advantages, too, but, during cool nights in the summer and the "shoulder seasons", I find that the Clark Jungle Hammock solution (stuffing the underside pockets with my extra clothing) works plenty well and I don't have to carry any extra insulating blankets. On REALLY cold nights I have gone the additional step of stuffing my life preserver underneath my sleeping bag AND hopping into a CoolMax liner (adds an additional 10 degrees) while inside my 20 degree sleeping bag.

Positioning the hammock in an area that is well-protected from the likely night-time wind direction can also save you from substantial thermal loss.

Re: "angles" & "spacing", my words-to-the-wise are: watch those videos that KevinL mentions AND practice, practice, practice.  I've strung my hammocks for years, now, and I'm STILL practicing.  When the angle isn't right, it can be a frustrating experience; you can't always find trees exactly where you want them.  "Skill" eventually grows as you play around with your hammock in varying environments and conditions.  It's seldom the same set-up twice.

Anyhow, when done right, it can be some of the most comfortable sleep you will ever experience in the wilderness.

Jimbo