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Why not set off on a bikepacking adventure with a hammock? Modern ultralight hammocks made of parachute silk weigh little, take up hardly any space and are quick to set up - two trees with a diameter of around 20 centimetres four to five metres apart are enough.
Sleeping in the cramped-looking cocoons goes surprisingly well. Thanks to the even weight distribution in the hammock, there are no pressure peaks and you don't even have to turn round! Uneven ground or a sharp stone? Who cares if you swing weightlessly 50 centimetres above the ground in the evening, while the sun finally leaves the sky to the stars and rustling leaves or shifting wildlife produce the only sounds?
The only disadvantage is that the hammock alone does not protect you from the sun (during the day), wind or rain. It also has nothing to offer against flying pests. The Amazonas accessories catalogue provides a professional remedy here.
Ultralight hammock Amazonas Adventure Hammock
183 grams, 59,95 Euro >> e.g. at Amazon or Mountain friends available.
A super bikepacking bed! The Amazonas hammock is made of wafer-thin parachute silk. This makes it smaller than a can of soda when packed and makes it seem fragile, but it can withstand up to 150 kilos. At just over 180 grams, the Amazonas Adventure Hammock is perhaps the lightest hammock in the world - with a lying surface of 275 x 140 centimetres according to the manufacturer. A true always-on hammock from the specialists at Amazonas, who seem to have a suitable hammock for every purpose: with and without a mosquito net, with and without an insulating mat compartment, in small, large, extra-large and brightly coloured or in camouflage.
+ Lightweight, compact, comfortable, extensive range of accessories
- No protection from the weather or insects (without accessories)
Hammock hanger Amazonas Adventure Rope
99 grams, 29,99 Euro >> e.g. at Tapir Store or Sport-Schuster available.
You can hardly hang a hammock securely on anything less. Thanks to an ingenious braiding technique, the adjustable suspension loops from Amazonas do not require any knots at all, take up just the space of a spare tube and still hold three hundredweight. You need to familiarise yourself briefly with how the loop size adjustment works, then it works like a charm.
A nice little detail: Small threads, the so-called drip cords, are already included in the scope of delivery. They are knotted to the suspension lines and prevent rainwater from running over the suspension into the hammock and flooding it.
+ Simple, ingenious, lightweight, tree-friendly, tiny pack size
-
Amazonas Adventure Tarp
407 grammes, 159.99 euros >> z. e.g. available from Fritz-berger.
The roof of the hanging tent replacement is simply called a tarp. And although you can also protect yourself against the rain with a €5 plastic sheet from the DIY store (at least in the short term), nothing beats a well-equipped and high-quality tarpaulin like the Amazonas Adventure Tarp.
The tarp, which is almost 3.4 metres long and a maximum of 2.8 metres wide, is made of tear-resistant but very light 20D ripstop nylon. A silicone coating makes it waterproof up to 2000 millimetres water column. The shape of the six-pointed ultralight tarp has been optimised to minimise flapping in the wind. A reinforced hem on all sides dissipates forces.
Small mesh pockets are sewn into the corners where the tensioning lines can be stored until needed. The tarp can be set up in no time at all using the quick and easy-to-use adjustable carabiners. Great: the adjustment elements for tensioning the tent lines are made of robust aluminium, as are the four pegs.
+ Small pack size and weight, high-quality workmanship, sensible complete equipment
- Relatively expensive, protected area
Hammock underquilt Amazonas Underquilt
982 grammes, 99 euros >> e.g. at Amazon available
The hammock was allegedly invented by the Maya in what is now Mexico. It is so warm there that people sleep in hammocks all year round because the fresh air from all sides ensures a minimum level of cooling. In temperate zones like ours, tropical nights are rare, which is why we need to protect ourselves from cooling down when sleeping - especially outdoors.
The insulating layer of a sleeping bag, for example, is compressed by the weight of the body when lying down and the insulating effect is greatly reduced. This can be remedied either by an insulating mat that lies protectively between you and the cold, whether on the floor or in a hammock. Or - and for winter camping - you can also warm yourself with an underquilt. This is a kind of outdoor blanket "for underneath", which encloses the hammock from the outside and therefore cannot be compressed.
The Amazonas Underquilt is simply attached to the hammock suspensions and the size is adjusted to the shape of the hammock with a circumferential elastic band. Please note that the underquilt must hang looser than the hammock so that its thin suspension cords do not break when you lay it down. Then you are quickly enveloped in cosy warmth, so that even winter bikepacking adventures down to -5 °C should be no problem.
+ good insulating effect for hammock overnight stays
- relatively high weight
Well packed, from small to large: hammock and accessories in size comparison
Sebastian Brust
Editor
