Sleep on a cloud - My hammock camping setup for Virginia in 2017
This is one of my all-time favorite kits. I've never gotten better sleep on trail than I have sleeping in the 11 foot hammock that this equipment list was built around.
If you haven't checked out Dutchware before, he's got some awesome stuff he makes.
Summer of 2017 was one of my happiest times on trail, and I made a heck of a lot of friends really quickly. We had an incredible hike through Virginia and I'm still close friends with the guy I hiked with the longest, 2 sticks.
I really like my Instagram feed starting from my first day on trail using this equipment loadout.
I ended up switching back to ground sleeping mainly just because I got lazy about having to set up a hammock and tarp every night and take it down every morning. It's not super hard or anything, and I was able to break down and set up about as quickly as my buddies, but I really like a simpler "go straight to bed setup" these days.
This load-out, however, is super plush and comfortable and I will use it again in the future when I re-hike sections of the AT and when I camp with my fiancee. If I put her in this hammock in camp she's 100% tricked into thinking that she's 'glamping' :).
So that's enough of the backstory, here's my most comfortable AT hiking kit to date.
It was while I was using this kit that I decided I'd buy a wearable sleeping quilt. At the beginning of the hike there were some chilly nights where my body hadn't fully adjusted to being outside all the time yet, and I learned that wrapping my top quilt around me wasn't as great as I thought it would be for keeping me warm.
A head slot, yes that's what I needed! Soon the nights got way warmer, and wrapping the quilt around me was okay but I still thought the poncho-quilt was an awesome idea. After getting to try one first hand, I have to say I was right.
I think that even though this kit makes use of a really nice and big tarp with doors it would be helpful to have something to sling underneath the hammock during the nastiest weather to keep rain from getting in under the tarp.
We were in Shenandoah National Park and a crazy storm came in that blew water under my tarp and dampened my underquilt. I had my tarp pitched low and everything! I was really very surprised and this has only happened once before.
Now that I've been using the poncho tarp for a while with such success, I've been thinking that I can use it as my rain gear with this kit. It would give me the ability to protect the underside of my sleep system with a waterproof splash guard.
Those small things having been mentioned, though, there's so much about this kit I love. I've been close to hanging the hammock inside at home but my fiancee put a stop to it pretty quickly lol.
Definitely check out Dutchware gear, especially if you are looking for some ways to make your hammock easier to set up or are in the market for a new hammock. The 11 foot netless has been so good to me.
Do you use a hammock when you camp?
If you haven't checked out Dutchware before, he's got some awesome stuff he makes.
Summer of 2017 was one of my happiest times on trail, and I made a heck of a lot of friends really quickly. We had an incredible hike through Virginia and I'm still close friends with the guy I hiked with the longest, 2 sticks.
I really like my Instagram feed starting from my first day on trail using this equipment loadout.
This load-out, however, is super plush and comfortable and I will use it again in the future when I re-hike sections of the AT and when I camp with my fiancee. If I put her in this hammock in camp she's 100% tricked into thinking that she's 'glamping' :).
So that's enough of the backstory, here's my most comfortable AT hiking kit to date.
Some thoughts about where this kit could have been improved:
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| Damn I'm hot. |
A head slot, yes that's what I needed! Soon the nights got way warmer, and wrapping the quilt around me was okay but I still thought the poncho-quilt was an awesome idea. After getting to try one first hand, I have to say I was right.
I think that even though this kit makes use of a really nice and big tarp with doors it would be helpful to have something to sling underneath the hammock during the nastiest weather to keep rain from getting in under the tarp.
We were in Shenandoah National Park and a crazy storm came in that blew water under my tarp and dampened my underquilt. I had my tarp pitched low and everything! I was really very surprised and this has only happened once before.
Now that I've been using the poncho tarp for a while with such success, I've been thinking that I can use it as my rain gear with this kit. It would give me the ability to protect the underside of my sleep system with a waterproof splash guard.
Those small things having been mentioned, though, there's so much about this kit I love. I've been close to hanging the hammock inside at home but my fiancee put a stop to it pretty quickly lol.
Definitely check out Dutchware gear, especially if you are looking for some ways to make your hammock easier to set up or are in the market for a new hammock. The 11 foot netless has been so good to me.
Do you use a hammock when you camp?
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