Bushwalk Australia

Hey There!
I was just wondering if a hammock setup would be suitable along this trail?
I have moved to my hammock setup and would prefer it over a tent setup any day, however conditions permitting it may not be suitable and I might have to go to ground.
Any feedback would be appreciated.

Thanks Heaps,

Cam

It depends on your exact route and where you plan to camp, but there are sections where its use may be problematic. I think the biggest issue is that it's not as practical as an emergency shelter in the more exposed areas.

north-north-west wrote:It depends on your exact route and where you plan to camp, but there are sections where its use may be problematic. I think the biggest issue is that it's not as practical as an emergency shelter in the more exposed areas.

Yeah that was my major concern. I guess you cant go wrong with a tent. I will just have to find a lightweight mat that is comfortable enough to actually sleep on! hahaha.
thanks,

Cam2337 wrote:

north-north-west wrote:It depends on your exact route and where you plan to camp, but there are sections where its use may be problematic. I think the biggest issue is that it's not as practical as an emergency shelter in the more exposed areas.

Yeah that was my major concern. I guess you cant go wrong with a tent. I will just have to find a lightweight mat that is comfortable enough to actually sleep on! hahaha.
thanks,

The Exped Synmats or the Neoairs are worth a look - comfortable, light and warm.

Thanks, I have been looking at the Nemo Tensor range aswell? I am a side sleeper and i have tried the sea to summit ultralight before but it was horrible for me! hahaha

I have the Nemo Tensor 20R insulated mummy. I'm a side sleeper and find this mat excellent - the best I've ever had. It is relatively warm (good insulation), quiet compared to others (silky feel to surface), light at 398g and provides very good support. I find the mummy shape is also wide enough for me, no need to for the extra weight of the large width or rectangle shape.

Dreamer wrote:I have the Nemo Tensor 20R insulated mummy. I'm a side sleeper and find this mat excellent - the best I've ever had. It is relatively warm (good insulation), quiet compared to others (silky feel to surface), light at 398g and provides very good support. I find the mummy shape is also wide enough for me, no need to for the extra weight of the large width or rectangle shape.

Awesome! Do you find the 20inch width too narrow? I am 6ft 3 but fairly lean at 80kg.

No, I'm 6ft and 79kg and I don't find it too narrow, although that's probably personal preference. The 20R is also plenty long enough for me. A narrower mat is lighter and the 20R only takes me (less than) 10 full breathes to fully inflate. The valve is quite simple, not as sophisticated as some (like S2S) but that does not really worry me. I stress that this mat is a very comfortable light (even ultralight) weight option, it's not an extreme thick, wide luxury option.

Dreamer wrote:No, I'm 6ft and 79kg and I don't find it too narrow, although that's probably personal preference. The 20R is also plenty long enough for me. A narrower mat is lighter and the 20R only takes me (less than) 10 full breathes to fully inflate. The valve is quite simple, not as sophisticated as some (like S2S) but that does not really worry me. I stress that this mat is a very comfortable light (even ultralight) weight option, it's not an extreme thick, wide luxury option.

Thanks Heaps. I really appreciate the info.

Cam2337 wrote:Hey There!
I was just wondering if a hammock setup would be suitable along this trail?
I have moved to my hammock setup and would prefer it over a tent setup any day, however conditions permitting it may not be suitable and I might have to go to ground.
Any feedback would be appreciated.

Thanks Heaps,

Cam

Hi Cam,

I was thinking the same thing. The possibility of getting stuck up the top in crappy weather has always been the number one concern. Shelter is not a luxury up there.

Did you end up trying it? I have only started checking out some AAWT sections. (I'm new to the Australia/Victoria scene.)

I'm actually going to make a special Hammock tarp that works well as a single pole free standing bombshelter of a tent just to allow me to spend more time high up while using my hammock (as a normal hammock as much as possible) with minimal extra weight.

The only thing that would stop me using my hammock is if there were significant stretches above the tree line.
With the right setup you can handle just about any weather conditions.
You may need to be a bit more selective in where you hang but as long as you know what you’re doing then you’d be fine.

There are lots of examples of people hammocking at -40C (and F).

A decent tent can offer you shelter that could save your life in truly foul mountain weather. I do not think a hammock can do that.

The right hammock and tarp can be just as effective in foul weather but needs more attention to site selection and setup.

A tent is a lot more forgiving but what a pity that they’re not nearly as comfortable!

I sleep very well inside my tent on an inflatable insulated mat coupled with a very warm sleeping bag .Both are made by EXPED.