By Douglas Durham March 2003
This report is primarily for
two season hikers who rarely experience temperatures below 25F and who find
their low temperatures at or above 35F most of the time. It is geared toward
those who are thinking about buying a hammock and who already have or who would
consider buying a Big Agnes sleeping bag. It does address briefly where to
learn about other options for those who do not wish to purchase a Big Agnes
product.
It provides my experience
with a Speer 8.0A Hammock, the Big Agnes Zirkel bag and three Big Agnes pads
for these temperature limits:
It also includes testing the
Cascade Designs Ridge Rest closed cell foam pad down to 30F.
The 1 1/2 inch Big Agnes REM
pad was toasty warm down to 25F, which is as low as I tested (It would probably
be warm enough for me down to 20F.) The one-inch REM was warm down to 30 and a
bit chilly at 25. The Air Core pad was warm down to 40F, barely warm enough (a
bit chilly) at 35F and uncomfortable below 35F. The Ridge Rest was warm down to
35F and just warm enough to 30F.
I am neither a cold nor a
warm sleeper, but an average/moderate sleeper. I wore liner socks with thick
wool socks, mid-weight long johns, a pair of warm hiking pants, a lined wind
shirt, a lightweight (1 lb.) jacket with Primaloft, and a warm hat for all the
tests.
See below for a discussion of
these products and for approaches to sleeping below 25 degrees and where to
learn how to use a hammock if you do not wish to own a Big Agnes sleeping bag.
The key reasons were a desire
for greater comfort and deeper enjoyment in the woods.
Before moving to a Speer
hammock, I had been using a bivy sack, tarp, and Big Agnes Zirkel combination.
While the combination of the bivy sack and the Big Agnes Zirkel on the ground
is reasonably comfortable, after a few days of camping on the ground my back
would be a little sore. In addition, I cannot say that I enjoyed the experience
of occasionally being caught in an extremely heavy rain with the ground all
around me completely soaked. While this was a moderate discomfort for me, I
have heard tent campers say that heavy rain can sometimes be quite a problem.
Sleeping in a hammock is
extremely comfortable; for me, it is as comfortable as sleeping in my bed.
Because you are off the ground, rainwater running underneath you is simply not
a problem. The result is a much better night's sleep than sleeping on the
ground. Additionally, you do not have to deal with small animals crawling into
your sleeping bag.
The bivy sack and Big Agnes
Zirkel together allowed me to camp in an additional number of places where I
could not tent camp. However, there were still many places that I would like to
have camped that I could not. For example, a rocky ridge which would have given
a great view of a sunrise or a sunset. Another issue was that sometimes I would
have to camp at an established campsite because that was the only thing
available. I prefer to camp away from such places to avoid the animals which
are attracted to the food and smells left by previous campers. Lastly there was
the issue that occasionally I would pick a spot to camp well before the day was
done because I was uncertain about where the next camping spot would be up
ahead.
To my mind, the primary
virtue of a hammock is that it allows you to camp anywhere that there are two
trees. (You can set up the Speer hammock combination on the ground with two
hiking poles, if you cannot find two trees.) You can hook up on a rocky ridge
and have a delightful sunrise or sunset. You can hike as long as you wish to
avoid established campsites. The result is greater freedom of choice and greater
enjoyment.
While I now prefer hammocks,
I found that when I first started looking at them I had an initial set of
reservations. The first reservation was about warmth. I had heard that hammock
camping was colder than sleeping on the ground, but I had not seen any clear
guidelines as to how much colder it was. My second reservation was simply the
fact that hammock camping was totally unknown territory: how big should a
hammock be; how do you hang them up; how much space do they take up in your
pack; what do they weigh; how do you stay dry and so forth.
I wanted to have reasonable
answers to these questions before trying out or buying a hammock. I got those
answers by buying and reading the book Hammock Camping by Ed
Speer. Ed has a long history of hiking, including two thru hikes on the
Appalachian Trail. His book covers almost all of the questions that you could
ask about the advantages or disadvantages of hammock camping. I was impressed
particularly with the fact that he had, as a result of much trial and error and
field experience, gone through several approaches to hammock camping, before
finally settling on the one that he currently uses and manufactures.
If you are thinking about
buying a hammock, buy and read this book first to see if it is for you. Those
who do not have or do not want a Big Agnes bag will find in this book many ways
to use their current gear.
While there are a number of
excellent hammock manufacturers, I ultimately, after looking at a couple of the
others, chose a Speer hammock for three reasons:
Because I like to star gaze
at night and because I enjoy sunrises and sunsets, I do not like to use a bug
screen unless I have to, because the bug screen interferes with my view. The
other hammock that I was seriously considering did not have a detachable bug
screen. Taking off the bug screen of the Speer hammock can reduce the weight by
about 6 ounces for those who are concerned about ounces. For me it is primarily
the greater enjoyment of looking at the stars and the early morning and late
evening views without the filter of a bug screen when I do not need it.
I found the 8 by 10 foot tarp
preferable to the smaller tarps that I had seen on other hammocks. I liked the
additional comfort of being able to stand up and move around a bit under the
larger tarp, in the event that I was rained in/on.
I also appreciated the fact
that this is a system that has been field tested under many conditions and many
miles.
In my opinion, none: once you
go through the learning curve of discovering how to pick the right trees and
learn how to tie the straps/cords to get the hammock level. It took me about
five times to get it right. Your mileage may vary. Set up is 2-3 minutes when
you know how.
The
attraction for me of the Big Agnes system with a hammock is that the sleeping
pad slides in a sleeve so that you cannot slip off the pad onto the cool or
cold hammock. (Because you are hanging in the air, the hammock can be colder
than the ground sometimes.) It is simple and warm: key words for me--simple and
warm. Because I am old-55, I am looking for reasonable warmth. I want to wake
up feeling “toasty” warm having slept pleasantly through the night. I like a
good night’s rest to prepare for the next day’s hiking. I do not like waking up
at 2 AM chilly and then sleeping fitfully until dawn.
I like the simplicity of just
sliding the pad in the sleeve and getting in the bag knowing I will not wake up
because the pad slipped off and I am on a cold spot. I use a 20-degree bag
because it has a hood even though I rarely sleep below 30. At 30-35F, a 20 F
bag is great. I do not mind the extra ounces.
Disclaimer
I own the Big Agnes Zirkel
and two of the pads. The Speer hammock and the 1 ½ inch REM pad were provided
to me at no cost by the manufacturers for this test. This report is provided
solely for information about my experience with the gear. Readers assume all
risk (and reward) of using the gear discussed.
This testing was done under
ideal conditions. That is to say, I slept in my backyard. Thus I was warm and
had eaten a full meal before going to bed. I had not been hiking all day in the
cold and wet. I ate a snack at approximately 10 PM, because I was not worried
about bears smelling any food in my hammock.
Name: Douglas J. Durham
Age: 55
Gender: Male
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 175 lb.
I am primarily a two-season
hiker, meaning that most of the time I go out the expected lows are 30-35F or
higher. Throughout the Summer, the lows I normally experience are above 35F.
Occasionally I go out even if it might get down to 25F: hiking in October to
see Fall color would be an example. Infrequently, while the forecast might call
for lows of 30-35F, a sudden change can drop temperatures down 10 degrees.
However the bulk of my hiking is May to September when it is not cold: just
cool in the morning.
Zirkel Sleeping Bag----2 lb.
3oz.
1 1/5" mummy REM
self-inflating pad----2 lb.
1" mummy REM self-inflating
pad ----1 lb.11 oz.
Air
Core mummy Pad----1 lb. 3 oz.
Ridge
Rest 72" pad----14 oz.
Speer
Hammock w/ bug net & 8X10 rain canopy----2 lb.
The hammock has three parts:
an 8-by-10-foot silnylon tarp with tie cords; an 8-foot long nylon hammock with
tie cords; and a detachable bug net. See the Speer web link below for pictures
and information. Speer hammocks in different sizes and strengths are available
for those under six feet and under 250 lb. and those over six feet and over 250
lb. The hammocks retail for $199-$274. Mine is the $199 model.
The Zirkel is a mummy-shaped
down sleeping bag with three distinctive features: no down under the sleeper; a
sleeve into which to slide the ground pad; a built-in stow sack to create a
fixed pillow by inserting clothing. It is rated down to 20F for a moderate
sleeper. The one and one-half inch REM is rated to 0F. The one-inch REM is
rated down to 25F. The Air Core is rated to 32F. The retail prices are: $279
for the bag; $65 for the one-inch REM; $70 for the one and one-half inch REM;
and $54 for the Air Core. The Air Core is two and one-half inches thick when
inflated (you have to blow it up, which takes about two minutes). Its main
attraction, at least to me, is that it folds up into a stuff sack about the
size of a Nalgene bottle. I use it whenever the expected low is going to be
above 35F for ground sleeping and above 40F for hammock sleeping.
The exterior shell of the
Zirkel is 30-denier Pertex nylon microfiber ripstop with a fluorocarbon DWR
treatment for a wind proof & water resistant shell. The interior lining is
30 Denier Pertex nylon microfiber, soft and breathable. The bag bottom is 210T
nylon ripstop with a DWR treatment. The insulation is good quality 775 down
fill. This bag has a hood, useful in colder temperatures. The workmanship is
fine with no obvious gaps and well sewn. The shoulder girth is 67.5 inches for
a 72-inch long bag: plenty of room for side sleeping.
The manufacturer recommends
both REM pads for the Zirkel for ground sleeping. The manufacturer does not
recommend the Air Core for the Zirkel. Because the Air Core is 2 ½ inches thick
it is a bit difficult (but not impossible) with keeping the hood on your head
and zipping up that last few inches. However, if you are using it at 40F or
above, you might not need the hood or zipping up all the way.
The attraction of the Air
Core is that it folds up to fit in a sack the size of a 32 ounce Nalgene bottle:
much more compact than self-inflating or closed cell pads. I find that the
Air Core is fine for ground camping above 35F or hammock camping above 40F,
the bulk of what I do. You can also use the Air Core (or the REM pads) as
a frame in lightweight frameless backpacks.
An added plus is that if you
do have to sleep on the ground, the 2-½-inch Air Core is very comfortable. If
the temperature unexpectedly drops below 35F, I can sleep on the ground and use
dry leaves for extra insulation, if necessary.
The only drawback, in my
opinion, is their weight compared to closed cell foam. Those counting ounces
might want to consider using closed cell foam (see below for an example). The
closed cell foam pads can easily be cut to fit the Big Agnes sleeve. I have
used on the ground both a ¾ Z-Rest and a ¾ Ridge Rest down to 30-35F. I have
found the Ridge Rest warm to 35F and OK to 30F in a Speer hammock.
See this link for how to stay
warm in a hammock using a Zirkel at or below 20. The author uses Reflectix and
closed cell foam together.
http://hikinghq.net/forum/showthread.php?s=a7a6bda8865e249b8cf2a3d0c2a9ff0a&threadid=356
If that link is too long to
work, go to http://hikinghq.net/forum/ Click on hammock camping; then click on Big
Agnes Zirkel.
A picture of what the two
pads look like: http://171.64.169.61/.sp/misc/gearskin/Set_up_with_pads.JPG
The attraction of using a
Ridge Rest is that it provides a savings of 13 ounces over the 1 inch REM pad.
In addition, like all closed cell foam pads, it has the advantage over
self-inflating pads that it will always work. While many people have used
self-inflating pads for hikes of over 2000 miles with no problems, there is
always the possibility of some kind of puncture or failure, which cannot be
repaired.
The weight of my frameless
backpack, Zirkel sleeping bag, Ridge Rest closed-cell foam pad, and the Speer
shelter (hammock, bug net and 8X10 silnylon tarp) is about 6 ½ pounds: 6 pounds
without the bug screen-not exceptionally light weight, but light enough to
be seriously considered for my kind of backpacking.
