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I have a hammock, but I've always found it too cold in anything other than mid-summer. It is great then though - super comfortable.
Other times, I just use a MacPac waterproof sleeping bag. Cost a lot (I got my two for £150 and £180, one in a half price sale and the other at a very big (30%ish) discount). The summer one I have is about 500g, and that is all you need to take for an overnight camp. The winter one is closer to 800g, and if it is really cold, you need a camping mat. Whichever way, at 500g for summer, 800g for autumn, and about 1200 for proper winter, it is by far the lightest full sleeping solution, if nowhere near as comfy as a fancy hammock will be.
Oh yeah, and it is tiny, in summer I can ride and camp out with just a 20l camelbak bag (I have one of the walking/climbing ones), and nothing strapped to the bike. Makes the riding more fun.
Only problem is MacPac have stopped making their waterproof sleeping bags, so I don't know who makes them any more. Probably adventure race types would know - that is who they were originally designed for.
Joe
Someone must of been out last weekend the weather was spot on, Who went and show us ya pics
I was out - here's a photo. It was forecast dry so I didn't bother with the tarp.
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Someone must of been out last weekend the weather was spot on, Who went and show us ya pics
I did, but the weather was not spot on for several hours in the night, it pi$$ed down. I put the kids in a tent whilst I slept out in my cheap Rab Pertex bivi bag with just a silk liner and a fleece sleeping bag liner. I stayed warm and dry though 🙂
We've got a biking bivi up on Dartmoor planned for Friday and we're expecting it to be more than a little damp if the weather forecast's correct 😕
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Well done chaps, looks like a great adventure with the Kids, I did try and get both my girls out in the tent (7&8) but all I got was unless we go in a motorhome we're not coming, And was the wife...!! SHOCKING
Paradise double hammock which allows sideways and stomach sleeping - 650g
Tapes to tie - 150g
DD Tarp 3m x 3m (plenty of room for bike and bag under it)- 650g
Ridgeline - 200g
Midge net - 300g
= 1950g
That weighs as much as a tent though
but much more comfortable than a tent!
I saw an article where a bloke used bubble wrap instead of a mat as it's free ,very light,can be wrapped around stuff to waterproof it and easy to replace when worn out.He had his entire camping kit down to 8kg for world touring in a saddle bag and bar bag.
excuse the water filled lense pic...
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had a great nights sleep in my hennessy hammock last week after riding through torrential rain for a few hours...
the post is a few pages down but heres a link to the full story and just how good a hammock is for conditions like this, i use a hammock, bivvy and small tent, all great,but all in different places,hammock is great in wet,midge infested woods,
scroll down the post for section on [url= http://coastkid.blogspot.com/2010/07/biking-kintyre-way.html ]Hennessy Hammock camping,[/url]
I notice a glass bottle for the whisky in the pics.
You can use listerene bottle or other mouthwash of your choice,washed thoroughly(dishwaher) and rinsed rinsed with crap whisky to transport it. Much lighter bottle and holds 600ml of whisky! 😀
I've done the tarp and bivi bag thing but not the hammock. I tend to camp high where there wouldn't be anything to hang the hammock from, however I can see the attraction if you usually camp in the trees.
I prefer a lightweight tent though - not much heavier than the tarp/bivi combination but a whole lot more comfortable.
my tarp, bivvy bag and midge netting are about 100g heavier than my laser comp and my Hennessey Hammock is about 800g heavier than my laser comp but the hammock gives me a far better nights sleep than a tent.
i still use them all, just depends what the weather and the terrain is like where i'm going.
Edric 64 - yes, I said it weighed as much as a tent in my original post. There are lots of lighter weight hammock options though.
Some advantages:
More comfortable (for me ymmv)
Shelter for bike
Shelter for cooking
Forms a comfortable seat
Still feel very much like you're 'sleeping out'. I find a tent feels like I'm cutting myself off from the outdoors (which I understand some people like and I might prefer it if the weather was really really foul.
Off the ground - can be really nice to get off the ground in wet conditions.
In extreme conditions you can heat the area under the tarp by fire.
Some disadvantages:
Need trees
Needs more knowledge to set up successfully in different conditions
Doesn't create a dry floor (although I can't really think of anything which absolutely requires one ymmv).
Not very useful if you want to mix sleeping wild with campsites.