My homemade hammock(quick and cheap)

[jimtanker]

Now let me preface this with the fact that I really hate mosquitoes and I attract them like I attract fat chicks when I go out drinking. No offence fat chicks, I like you too. I just don’t like mosquitoes. Hate them! I know that they have a very valuable part in the ecosystem pollinating more plants than all the bees do. I still hate them. So making this hammock I planned on making sure that I didn’t get stuck though the bottom. Keep that in mind.

This is what I made my hammock out of:


2 cheap sleeping pads ($5 ea.) $10
7 yards of nylon $40
mosquito netting $10
2 aluminum carabiners ($5.50 ea.) $11
4 aluminum tent stakes (just lying around) $3
bootlace (free)
550 cord (also lying around) $4
2 pc 7mm cord (my climbing gear) $1.60
2 climbing runners (my climbing gear) $5
Total: $84.60

I had most of the stuff. All I had to buy was the sleeping pads and the nylon. So I really made my hammock for $50.

One thing that I dont have listed here is one of those blue tarps from Wallyworld. I have it I just didn't put it in the picture.

First thing I did was to take the whole 7 yards of fabric and fold it over in half so that I had a double layer that was 3 1/2 yards long.


Then I whipped the ends ala Jeffs page: http://www.tothewoods.net/HammockWhipping.html



I took two of those cheap blue CCF pads from Wallyworld and cut 4 evenly spaced slits 1/3 the width of the pad:


Then I just alternated the little flaps and connected the pads together:


Then put these two pads on the inside of my hammock:


These will do a variety of things for me. One, they will keep the mosquitoes from getting me through the nylon. Two, I dont think I will need an underquilt for winter time. Mucho inulation there. Three, they keep the hammock spread out so there is plenty of room in there for me.
Picture to follow.(Its raining out and I cant get a pic now)

To hang it, I took the 7mm cord and used a prussik knot:


And used the runners and caribeener to hang it up:


The knot I use is a Tautline Hitch. Works for me.

Now this whole setup may seem kind of wierd to some but it fits into a bigger plan too. Just wait till I'm complete with my whole system.

I haven't finished of course because I haven't put up a ridgeline and hung my mosquitoe netting over it.
Then comes the tarp. I will eventually replace the tarp with a nice highspeed diamond tarp in the near future. Remember this is the quick and cheap hammock!