 I fancy the idea of trying a bit of hammock camping but want to make my own hammock rather than lashing out a fortune on one only to find that it isn't for me. Has anyone got any experience of making a hammock and know a source for a good pattern.
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 Why make a hammock when they are so cheap to buy!?! Maybe even try it with a cheap one before you fork out hours of time making one. I've used one in this style quite a few times. In Scouts we got to a point where we did entire summer camps without a tent to sleep in. The problem we found was that when it rains, water runs down trees, along ropes and wets you from underneath. No amount of tarp seemed to keep us dry!
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 I felt the same way as you. I've made kit bags and tarps and even a couple of rucks, so why not a hammock?
For me, it all came down to cost - time and money. Hammocks are surprisingly fiddly to make and use up a lot of material.
Have you looked at ddhammocks? I've got one of their travel hammocks + tarp. The hammock is awesome - very comfortable and very well made. It's a little on the heavier side but at around 30 quid, I'm happy.
Yes the tarp is horrendously heavy but I use this setup for bushcraft and so only travel short distances (I use a poncho for hiking trips).
Sorry if I haven't answered you question : )
Oh and Ben, if you want to stop rain run off, tie a few strips of cord to the lines you attach to the trees (so they hang straight down between the ends of the hammock and the tree. The water hits the lines and drips down (they're called drip lines).
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| Edited: 08/04/08 11:05 |
Some good suggestions there. The Hennessy hammocks are certainly perfect for British weather, but as with all hammocks, take a decent camping mat for that pesky wind.
Equally OT is the excellent Zen stove site ( http://zenstoves.net/Stoves.htm )and also the very 'cool' penny stove site ( http://www.csun.edu/~mjurey/penny.html ). I only use a penny stove, I really don't need anything else.
Sorry, no idea how to add hyperlinks in here : (
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 Hi Mark, I would also support the DD Hammock as being best value for money. I compared it to HH and they are so much cheaper, more flexible, lighter and easier to use. If you have a look on our site you'll see the benefits as I see it. The biggest issue if have with a HH is everything falls out when you get in (or out). It is built for short heavy americans, not svelt lithsome Brits, and far too over engineered. The DD also has the advantage of being able to be used as a 'nest' under a tarp. Which no one seems to have spotted so far. I'll be doing a video clip on this shortly, so keep you eyes open.
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 Another vote here for DD Hammocks! A great make indeed! But even these days now you can get a good pocket hammock in various places for just a penny under a tenner, so go try one of those out maybe before lashing out the cash on a super-douper one perhaps!  NB The hammock accidents-ouch!-of the eighties with the pocket hammocks are now a thing very much consigned to the past; as a basic set of standards came into being for the hammock manufacturers, after all of those poor souls had those back damaging accidents with the first pocket hammocks; that had that big design fault with them, making them very prone to collapsing under the weight of a poor unknowing sleeper, very suddenly!
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| Edited: 08/04/08 12:11 |
Yes the DD nest! Loads of gear hanging just within reach. The "envious glare" factor you get from other, less well equipped hikers, is really appreciated : )
I love kit which inspires envy in others. Even better when your comfort is significantly improved over theirs. Ho ho!
"Why are you buying a hammock? What a waste of money!"
Followed by a 10 hour hike and then my comment ...
"Comfy on the ground are you? No? What a shame, I'll just climb into my hammock and allow this cool breeze to rock me gently to sleep."
BWAHAHAHAHAA!
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| Edited: 08/04/08 13:24 |
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| Edited: 08/04/08 13:29 |
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| Edited: 08/04/08 13:36 |
Thanks for the info guys. All useful stuff. i fancy having a go at making one for the fun of it - I might end up buying if that project fails.
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No problem. If you need them, here are a few links to suitable fabrics sites (I've used them all without any problems) :
http://www.profabrics.co.uk/
http://www.pennineoutdoor.co.uk/Pennine_Fabrics.asp?sid=4
http://www.shelby.fi/catalog/default.php
Good luck and send a pic when it's done!
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| Edited: 11/06/08 01:53 |
A friend of mine, who too is a member of the BCUK - Bushcraft UK website forum - tells me there is much on there, on good diy outdoors projects of this kind too these days. Great site that one!
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