Multi-Use: Tarp shelter/ UL Kill Kit ground sheet/hammock .... possible?

[Hunt'nFish]

Ok, so here is the thought process.......
1. a hammock is nice for mid afternoon naps on the ridge while animals are bedded.
2. Packing a hammock just for a nap is nuts and violates the ounce/use rule.
3. I don't have or use a ground sheet in my kill kit & might be handy.
4. I should be able to design the hammock to double as a tarp shelter.

So that is the thought process..... in short I'm trying to justify a luxury item that I don't need by upping it's multi-purpose ounce/use rating.
What say you? Thoughts on materials?
Originally I was just planning to make an UL hammock that pulled double duty as a ground sheet. So it didn't need to be a waterproof material. But when you toss tarp shelter in the mix, well I think that dictates a silnylon material. Right?
Or do you think a basic rip-stop nylon w/ DWR treatment would suffice?

What would be a good size that would meet all needs?
Hunt'nFish

 

[Manosteel]

If you use the hammock as an tarp i.e. emergency shelter, cover for gear, shade, hanging food bag, hanging meat bag etc..
the weight will be worth it.
Here are some ideas from a tarp, rain cover I made
http://www.rokslide.com/forums/showthread.php?9158-DIY-Pack-rain-cover-tarp

Use coated silnylon so its water proof.

 

[ndbwhunter]

Silnylon for the tarp, and DWR ripstop for the hammock. These two could be combined into one, but I would keep the ground sheet separate. A small piece of tyvek will weigh less than the silnylon or ripstop, and will make a great ground sheet.

Combining the hammock and tarp into one piece could be tough, and personally, I'd rather keep them separate. Make the tarp just big enough to cover the hammock, and use as little fabric as possible to make the hammock. By keeping them separate you'll have a tarp for protection from the daytime storms, the hammock can be used for the mid-afternoon naps, and they can both be used at night in camp.

 

[_Nick_]

Ok, so here is the thought process.......
1. a hammock is nice for mid afternoon naps on the ridge while animals are bedded.
2. Packing a hammock just for a nap is nuts and violates the ounce/use rule.
3. I don't have or use a ground sheet in my kill kit & might be handy.
4. I should be able to design the hammock to double as a tarp shelter.

So that is the thought process..... in short I'm trying to justify a luxury item that I don't need by upping it's multi-purpose ounce/use rating.
What say you? Thoughts on materials?
Originally I was just planning to make an UL hammock that pulled double duty as a ground sheet. So it didn't need to be a waterproof material. But when you toss tarp shelter in the mix, well I think that dictates a silnylon material. Right?
Or do you think a basic rip-stop nylon w/ DWR treatment would suffice?

What would be a good size that would meet all needs?
Hunt'nFish

Add a hood and make it into a poncho/tarp/hammock/groundsheet. Love my poncho tarp. Just install snaps or velcro to take up the excess length for walking around with the poncho on. Use one of the guylines as a waist belt for it.

 

[colonel00]

I made up a tarp based on Manosteel's concept but added a few more points along the sides to access the cordage. It won't work as a hammock but it will do just about everything else you need.

As a bonus, it also functions well as a splash cover for rafting

 

[fillthefreezer]

choice is simple. cuben.

 

[Justin Crossley]

choice is simple. cuben.

Agreed.

 

[ndbwhunter]

Agreed.

As long as cost isn't a factor.

 

[Justin Crossley]

It isn't cheap, that's for sure!

 

[_Nick_]

Agreed.

X3, if you can swing it financially. You'll just have to make sure that it's free of grit when you fold it over for a hammock (if you plan to fold it over). Cuben doesn't do very well with long-term exposure to abrasion.

 

[Hunt'nFish]

Given the utility intentions for this item, cuben sounds a bit fragile.
As crazy as it sounds, I'm thinking about re-working my tyvek ground sheet by adding hammock features. Consider it a Gen1 version.
Hunt'nFish

 

[unm1136]

Later today I will go over to hammockforums and find you the link to ultralight diy hammock. I would do it now but my tablet does not allow me to copy and paste URLs. My PC will have it done in just a few minutes.

pat

 

[unm1136]

I have considered (been obsessed with) for the last couple of hours. At first I thought that pointing out that an extra pound or two wouldin't kill you and point out to several tutorials on making sub one pound hammock systems from someone who has put a lot of thought into it...

Here
https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/showthread.php?20614-Full-hammock-Setup-for-13-oz-and-360

Here
https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/showthread.php?20115-Sub-1-Pound-Hammock-Rig

And here
https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/showthread.php?43521-Ghost-Hammock-DIY-ultralight-hammock

I have a 2 pound custom hammock that can easily with a couple of knots double as a bug bivy in my Megatarp. When I bought this hammock it was before the maker hit his stride and came out with lighter, just as capable hammocks. My current hammock with some options that he now offers would weigh about 22oz, and he has several that go down to 12 oz. The super light weight hammocks with a bug sock could do double duty indeed.

But then re-reading some of your concepts, I have a couple of different ideas.

Since everything above violates you initial premise, a different direction is necessary.

I don't know how DWR and Cuben fair getting blood all over them, and then being cleaned. Every solution presented above will also cost you into the hundreds of dollars for a potential multitasker that will do hammocking pretty well, and everything else so so. I started thinking the other way. Light weigh, disposable, and does a few things well.

Choose your material. Ripstop (do some reasearch on the light backpacking groups. Depending on your size you may have to pick a specific weight) is the go to, but thinking outside the box tyvek and cuben might be possible. If you are on the small side they may work. There are reports on line of guys 150-170 using cuben and tyvek for a hammock. Tyvek is much cheaper, and still 1.6 oz/sq yard. When either fail they fail big. Maybe a few strips of tape on the outside of either to help distribute the load. There are mentions of cuben hammocks, but the guy developing them decided not to sell them commercially because of how delicate they ended up being. I am almost willing to try tyvek.

Make one of these:

https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/showthread.php?15205-Instruction-Gathered-End-Hammock

When you get an animal down, cut the whipping off the end, remove the ridgeline and the whoopies, and lay it out and you have a ground cloth, or windblock/sunshade, depending on how you feel about putting meat on your hammock material.

I just had a brainstorm and went to my closet and got a M1966 jungle hammock that a friend had given me. The suspension was inelegent, and confusing, so I stripped it out. It weighs 13.5 ounces without the suspension. It is 32x95 inches. It can be had online for about $20 bucks. It could serve as a pattern, and judging by how the suspension is attached you would only need tree straps (about 2oz) and 2 whoopie slings that could be quickly removed would only add 42g. For what you suggested, I would use it as is, or use it as a pattern for lighter weight nylon or tyvek.

The drawbacks and advantages of the materials available to use may just want you to buy a 7 ounce Nano 7, and a couple three ounces for a mylar space blanet for a gound cloth and remind yourself that you are out there for your enjoyment, and 3/4 pound for this setup, as something that you want shouldn't be a deal breaker. Your back, your gear, justify what you want. There is a huge difference between being disciplined in you packing to save weight and taking along an extra pound or so in a comfort item you desire.

pat

 

[Hunt'nFish]

Thanks Pat. Yeah the gathered end hammock design was the one I planned to use.
I think the majority of the weight of this will be in the rigging & that can get out of hand pretty fast. So in an effort to combat that, I figured I would come up to speed on some of these fancy hammock knots and attempt to make the 50' of paracord I already carry pull double duty. I suspect I'll have to swap the paracord out for some of this newer, stronger, no-stretch dyneema cordage and even that will probably get doubled over for 2x strength. But hey, it's in the pack already.

Once completed, my std 9'x9' tyvek tarp/ground sheet will get folded in half to produce a 9'x4.5' hammock that is double thickness. This should help displace body weight loading when in hammock mode. Keep in mind I'm not a light guy... 260+. Unfortunately this doubles the weight from ~6oz to a full 1 pound. But it preserves it's tarp & emergency shelter functions. And I suppose it also maintains it's rain water catching abilities as well, not that it's a big deal for me where I hunt but it might for others that do struggle w/ water availability issues that want to catch & use rain water.

The big question still lingering in my mind is IF I want to pack around another pound in my pack while hunting just to be able to take a nap in a hammock. Currently I don't pack a ground sheet for breaking animals down. Normally we have no issues going right from animal to meat bags and only in a couple instances was it truly needed. But that isn't to say that if it could be used for several uses that I couldn't justify the weight particularly for a good shady nap on a ridge w/ a nice breeze. I don't know. Will try it out and see if it gets used. If not, it'll stay in camp.

And if I find I fall in love with it, maybe a cuben version is in order.
Only time will tell. Let the sewing begin.
Hunt'nFish

 

[300WSM]

I also copied Manosteels design and it is one of the most useful items in my pack. Meat bag ,pack cover, emergency shelter, ground sheet. If you made it more rectangle shaped I bet it will work fine as a hammock