Hammock Camping Info

After a lousy night's sleep in a tent a few years ago I decided to check out hammocks for backpacking and camping.  I bought an inexpensive nylon hammock from Walmart and have never looked back.  Since that time I've "upgraded" to other manufacturers - including Grand Trunk, Trek Light, ENO, and Hennessy - but for ease of use, sleeping comfort, compact size, and light weight the hammock is hard to beat in my estimation.  A quick list of what to pick up for hammock camping is not really a simple task.  There are several considerations: will there be biting insects?  If so then a bug net is helpful.  What will the temperature be like?  If it's very cold at all I will need some sort of under insulation to keep from having "cold butt syndrome."  Is rain a possibility?  If so then I'll want a rain fly.



Few hammocks in the background.

One quick option that I've purchased is the Hennessy Hammock (click here). 

The Hennessy includes everything (excluding the insulation) that you need for basic backpacking or camping as far as your hammock goes - hammock, bug net, rain fly, tree straps, and suspension system.  There are other manufacturers that offer similar setups.  I've modified my Hennessy by changing out the suspension system and tree straps for the Marlin Spike Whoopie Kit from Arrowhead Equipment.  I can't say enough good about the whoopie sling setup.  They are so easy to attach and adjust.  it is a definite inconvenience to try to adjust your hammock left or right with many other systems (including the one that comes with the Hennessy). 

I also modified my Hennessy's entry system.  I bought the Expedition Asym Classic which has a bottom velcro entrance/exit.  It's pretty cool but ultimately not very comfortable to use and is very limiting when you want to easily grab something outside of your hammock.  I had 2QZQ Hammock Specialties install a side zipper for me and it's incredible.  I should have spent the original $20 difference and ordered my Hennessy with a zipper.

Hennessy zipper modification.

Hennessy suspension ropes attached to their tree straps.

If you don't go the all-inclusive route then you can customize your setup in a number of different ways but here's a quick list of items to get and things to consider:

Hammock: lots of options out there - Grand Trunk, Trek Light, ENO to just name a few.

Hammock, whoopie slings, and tree straps all in the attached bag.

Tarp: you can DIY like a buddy of mine or buy one premade - mine are all premade.  You'll want to include some way to run a ridge line to hang the tarp or buy one that is ready to hang already like the ProFly Rain Tarp from ENO.  You can sort of see mine in this cropped pic from a backpacking trip in 2013.

Insulation: you'll need some way to keep from getting cold because of convection.  The cheap route is a simple camping pad, like what you would use in a tent - this is what I currently use.  Other options are underquilts (like those at Arrowhead Equipment) or the "Super Shelter" from Hennessy.  I would love an underquilt but haven't yet spent the $$$ on one.

Bug net: depending on where you go and the time of year you will probably want some way to keep mosquitos from biting you while you sleep.  You can make a bug net, buy one that encloses your entire hammock, or buy one that is integrated like the Hennessy.

Tree straps: you need something to attach to trees while camping.  Most systems are some sort of strap rather than rope.  Ropes will much more easily cut into the tree causing damage.  There are several options out there but I still prefer the system I mentioned earlier from Arrowhead.

Tree straps from Arrowhead Equipment.

Suspension: you need a way to attach the hammock to the tree straps.  Many hammocks only come with the hammock, you'll have to buy suspension lines separately.  I am a strong advocate for whoopie slings.  They are super lightweight, and incredibly easy to attach and adjust - well worth the money.

Here's the Marlin Spike setup from Arrowhead.

Whoopie slings suspension.

Stakes: don't forget enough stakes to stake out your rainfly.

Second hammock: one last thing that I've found extremely helpful is having a second hammock to hang under my main hammock to use for gear storage.  This is especially helpful when its raining but is great any other time as well.

There is so much more that could be written but hopefully this is helpful.  For more hammock information check out the book The Ultimate Hang as well as the Ultimate Hang website.  Tons of helpful tips.

Get out there!

~Rhyno

Knot Class (#4) - BushClass USA

For my first BushClass challenge I started with class #4 - "Knots."  This was one that I knew I could knock out pretty quickly.  As a rock climber I enjoy knots but I'm not all that knowledgeable of "bushcraft" knots.  The four knots were pretty simple.  The BushClass USA page stated that I would learn later the various applications for the knots.  The four knots were: the figure 8 on a bight (one I use all the time for climbing), the sheet-bend, two half hitches, and the tautline hitch.

Figure 8 on a Bight

Sheet-Bend

Two Half Hitches

Tautline Hitch

I'm looking forward to learning some bushcraft applications for these as well as continuing this journey.

Get out there!

~Rhyno

BushClass USA

I've been looking at getting more into bushcraft for at least the past couple of years. Basically bushcraft is the idea of having and employing wilderness skills. Wikipedia says this,

Bushcraft is about thriving in the natural environment, and the acquisition of the skills and knowledge to do so.  Bushcraft skills include firecraft, tracking, hunting, fishing, shelter-building, the use of tools such as knives and axes, foraging, hand-carving wood, container construction from natural materials, and rope and twine-making, among others.

I found some online "classes" at www.bushcraftusa.com that they call bushclass. I'm hoping to work my way through the three levels of training, if for no other reason than to have some goals to push me to get outside. 

I'll also be posting up my experiences of and progress through the various classes. As I've looked over the curriculum I think it's definitely possible. So anyway here it goes. 

Get out there!

~Rhyno

One Knife to Rule Them All!?! - The Perfect Knife

I've been on the lookout for quite some time for my perfect knife. I'm not talking about an every day carry (EDC) pocket knife, like my Kershaw Skyline, but my perfect outdoor fixed-blade knife. The one knife that does it all - fine carving, batoning, chopping, food preparation, striking a fire-steel, etc - one that's comfortable to use, not too heavy, holds a good edge, and able to take a beating and still come out on top.  I want all this without breaking the bank. If possible, I would like to stay under $100. Maybe that's asking too much. Can any one knife fit that bill?

 

A few knives I've played with thus far are:

Ka-Bar Becker BK7

I really like the overall size of this one - big enough for some light chopping and plenty tough to baton. I took it backpacking last summer to New Mexico and it served me well. 

My two gripes about it though are that its heavy (I'm hoping to move to lighter weight backpacking) and its a bit big for finer carving tasks. 

Ontario RAT 3

I've not really used this one out in the field much but I've kept it by my wood burning stove and used it to baton wood to kindle my fire. I actually broke my first one doing this but Ontario replaced it. 

It's a bit short for much serious baton use and it's fat belly doesn't seem like it's helpful in finer carving projects. 

Mora Companion

I really like the Mora knives. They are wicked sharp, easy to sharpen, inexpensive, comfortable to hold, and great carvers. 

Some of the negatives are that they are not full tang (maybe more like 3/4) making me nervous for batoning, their spines are not well finished making them poor for striking a fire steel, and they are so light weight that they are pretty much worthless for chopping. 

Mora Heavy Duty Companion

This is my most recent purchase. It has the same basic info from the standard Companion, just a substantially thicker blade. I'll be keeping this by the stove to see how it handles batoning and will bring it camping next month. 

Ontario Spec Plus Marine Raider Bowie

This knife is a beast! It is absolutely huge, placing it at the top for chopping and batoning. It is comfortable in the hand, has a super sharp tip, and seems to hold an edge well. 

Negatively, because it is so large it is practically worthless for finer work, and definitely more weight than I want to carry on a backpacking trip. 

Ka-Bar Fighting/Utility

I really like this knife. If I had it to do over again I'd go without the partially serrated edge. 

Again it's a bit heavy for backpacking and probably a tad large for finer work. I also don't like the rat-tail tang. Because the tang is so much thinner I bent it a bit with some heavy batoning. 

Well that's my journey thus far. I think I'm concluding that there really can't be one end-all-be-all knife. If I want a good batoner/chopper it'll take a big, heavy, full-tang blade. If I want a fine detail carver and food prep cutter it'll mean a smaller overall knife. In the end I can probably make the smaller knives, like the Moras, fill most backpacking/camping/bushcraft roles. 

Get out there!

~Rhyno 

New Knife - Ka-Bar Becker BK7

I just got this little beauty last week. I was able to take it out the other day and put it through a little bit of wood splitting using the baton method. It performed wonderfully. 

The seven inches of steel with the full tang through the handle plowed well through several logs making some nice kindling for the fire. I was wanting a knife that fit between my smaller blades (I.e. The Ontario RAT 3 and Remoras) and the beefy nine inch Ontario Spec Plus Marine Raider Bowie. I have a Kabar Fighting Utility Knife that is also a seven inch blade that I loved for backpacking but the rat-tail through the handle simply won't allow it to handle batoning through wood.  It's a great all around knife but now has a slight bend in it :(

 

I was trying to decide between the BK7 and the Ontario RAT7.  It finally came down to price.  The BK7 was around $68 on Amazon and the RAT7 was around $95.  Looking today the RAT7 has jumped to $106 and the BK7 is about $70.  In the reviews I scoured I couldn't find one that seemed decisively better than the other.  On the BladeForum in the Kabar section they, of course, raved of the BK over the RAT.

The BK7 seems to be a nice compromise for size and weight constraints.  My plans for this blade are backpacking and general outdoor use. Here's what their website says about it...

 

"The ultimate BK&T all-purpose utility knife was designed specifically for soldiers and adventurers requiring a sturdy but lightweight combat knife that can stand up to hard use.
Made in the USA."

I'll probably put some type of lanyard on it so that I can choke down on the handle for a bit of extra length for chopping.  It doesn't have the heft of the bowie but it definitely holds its own in the chopping department.  The blade stood up well but of course the coating began wearing off pretty quickly - which it to be expected.  I want this for a hard use knife not a show piece for display (although I think it only looks cooler with the wear and tear).  Hopefully I can get out in the woods soon for some more fun.  I'll let you know how it handles.

 

~Rhyno

Firebox Nano Stove - First Impressions

I just received the Firebox Nano in the mail today. 

(Pictured above - Firebox Nano, Trangia, Ontario Rat 3, Olicamp Cup, Light My Fire fire steel)

I had been looking at these for the past couple of months and finally pulled the trigger. I wanted to get a wood burning stove for backpacking and general outdoor use. What finally pushed me over the edge was that I received a Trangia alcohol stove for Christmas...

The Firebox stoves are designed with the Trangia in mind, in fact you can order a Trangia with the stove from the Firebox website. The Trangia uses HEET that is easily found at Walmart or most automotive stores. I need to test how long a bottle of fuel will last and how quickly I can expect a boil. I picked up this bottle for $1.77 at Wally World. 

The Firebox folds up extremely well and there is no assembly required, it simply unfolds into position. 

It's a great size and seems solidly built. I fired it up today with both the Trangia and some wood. I ran out of time to fully test it but am impressed so far. 

It breathes well and the loading holes work well for feeding in the wood. I'll have to post more after I get a chance to actually use it in a camping scenario. I can definitely tell there will be a bit of a learning curve with this stove. 

Get out there!

~Rhyno

Backpacking Check List

I recently returned from a weekend backpacking trip in the Ozark National Forest in Arkansas.  It was absolutely beautiful and very relaxing.  For this trip we decided to shorten our hike and stay in the same spot for two nights.  We backpacked from the highway to Quail Valley - only about 1.7 miles or so.  Because of the short hike I was not very weight conscious and therefore pretty much loaded down my pack.  I had originally thought to use my smaller pack but, darn it, I can't seem to be able to leave any gear behind.  I am hoping to head back there this summer and try an ultra-light trip of 12 miles of the Butterfield Hiking Trail.  Here's my packing list from this last trip...

ü  Bible, journal, pen
ü  Headlamp & flashlight and extra batteries
ü  Tent & ground cloth
ü  (Or) Hammock w/fly
ü  Clothing:

• T-shirt (2)
• Light & heavy poly shirt
• Light/mid poly pants
• Under wear
• Nylon pants
• Wind top
• Rain gear/poncho
• Gloves
• Socks
• Hiking boots
• Camp shoes!
• Warm hat or hoodie
• Brimmed and/or rain hat
• Bandana

ü  Bedding: Sleeping bag, pillow, sleeping pad
ü  1^st Aid Kit
ü  Toiletries: glasses, medications, toothbrush, d.o., sunscreen, bug spray, etc.
ü  Baby wipes (great for cleaning your hands or whatever)
ü  Camp chair*
ü  Meals:

• Food: plan & pack for your individual desires
• Stove
• Fuel
• Spatula, spoons, forks, etc…
• Pots/pan
• Plastic bowl
• Snacks

ü  Drink:

• Thermal mug/cup
• 2 liters of H2O
• Water purification – filter/iodine/Potable Aqua
• Hot cocoa/coffee/cider

ü  Knife (large & small)/multi-tool/machete/axe
ü  Sharpener*
ü  WD-40*
ü  Map & compass (and/or GPS)
ü  Fire starter – i.e. matches, lighter, tinder
ü  Toilet paper & wet wipes
ü  Shovel/trowel*
ü  Nylon cord
ü  Camera*
ü  $$ for road trip*
ü  Game to play* (card, board, Frisbee, football)
ü   Ear plugs (sleeping/shooting)*
ü   Trekking pole(s)*
ü   Firearm & ammo*
ü   Knee pads*
ü   Leather work gloves (a must for around the fire)
ü   Cell phone & car charger
ü   Blaze orange (esp. during hunting season)
ü   Small hiking pack/Ribz
ü  Safety whistle
ü  Walkie talkies & batteries*
ü   Field guides/star identifier
ü  Change of clothes to leave in car
*optional items

Get out there and enjoy God and His creation.

~Rhyno