A hammock pod system is one of the best innovations of our time. Hiking, backpacking and camping has never been more fun than it is with this gear.
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Where you would traditionally have to carry a hammock of your choice, a backpacking sleeping bag, or a tent for camping, it is much easier for you now. You just need this sleeping system.
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Hammock pod system set
For a complete camping experience, you have buy this item, the hammock and a rain tarp. These are sold as a set, but you can buy one of what you need, or buy all of the three together.
Depending on the brand name that you are buying, you may also find a sleeping bag as part of the sleeping system package.
When you are out there doing wilderness camping, the last thing that you want is to miss your beauty sleep.
With this sleeping system, you can see just how far hammock camping has come. From a rudimentary hang-between-trees apparatus such as seen in pirate movies to a modern, cozy sleeping system, there has been a lot of improvement.
If you value quality sleep after a day of hiking, kayaking, climbing or trekking, this sleeping system will give you that and more.
Chill Gorilla 30°F Down UNDERQUILT, Sleeping Bag, POD System for Hammock
The main parts of a hammock sleep system
The lightweight system is designed in such a way that you can weave the hammock through it. This means that by the time you are done setting everything up, you will have a hammock and a pod system combined into one sleeping gear.
There is a special compartment in the sleeping pod, where the hammock is weaved through. It goes through the hood area and comes out through the foot box area. With drawstrings, you can tighten the hammock pod on the hammock.
The hammock will be made of a rip-stop fabric, weight-rated for any amount of weight. You can buy one that will handle your weight without breaking. The hammock will also come with the suspension system to hang it on trees.
There is need for a rain tarp mostly because the pod and the hammock are not rainproof. When you go to sleep, just set the rain tarp above you, by tying it to trees or posts that you can set up beforehand. If it rains, you will keep dry because thee tarps drain the rain water away from the hammock system.
With the hammock pod system being a combination of the three aforementioned parts, you still have the option of purchasing all three of them separately, or even just purchase a single item. It all depends on your needs.
Discard quilts, tent poles and sleeping pads
You do not need to carry a tent, poles, stakes/pegs and certainly no sleeping pad. This means you can keep your backpacking weight to a bare minimum.
As the hammie sleeping systems are rated for different weights, you can always order one that will carry your weight comfortably. Similarly, different pod systems are rated for different temperatures.
What you choose will depend on where you are going camping. Usually, the temperature rating starts at -1° C (30° F), but it is also possible to find others that have been rated for -18° C.
Just like regular sleeping bags and hammocks, the pod system will be made of ripstop fabric. It will get through the wilderness camping adventure without showing abrasions. With a rain tarp, this sleeping system keeps you protected from the weather. The material used is not only durable, but it is also easy to clean, dry and maintain.
How the hammock sleep system works
The most popular of all hammock sleeping systems is the Outdoor Vitals MummyPod Sleep System.See the video below:
Firstly, as you will see, this gear comes in a compact design. Note that the zipper of the pod is positioned in the center, which makes it easy to get in and out easily.
Basically and in as few words as possible, the hammock will be fed through the hood area in the sleeping pod and out through the foot box hole. The two (Pod and hammock) will then be mated together with high quality zips that prevent sagging.
Designed in a mummy shape, the sleeping pod does not come with a hood. This was left out deliberately. You will see that as we explain it further. However, it has a drawstring, which you can pull to tighten it around your head or neck. That should keep the cold out.
For better insulation, the pod system is made with the special STORMLIGHT insulation. This one is as light as down fill. When you travel with your sleeping system, you are assured that you have everything that you need to sleep warmly and comfortably. When designers say this is an all-in-one sleeping system for outdoor adventurers, they mean it.
Please note that STORMLIGHT insulation is for the Outdoor Vitals Sleeping Pod. Others can come in synthetic or down fill.
Outdoor Vitals StormLoft 15 Degrees Down MummyPod Sleeping Pod
Setting up the hammock sleep system
How hard can this be? Actually, you will wonder at how simple it can all be. Here are just a few things to take care of:
Identify your trees and get everything out
When you are all set to camp and you identify your two trees, unbuckle the compressed sack to get your hammock and pod system out. Unzip the foot box and tuck it into the available pocket that is on the pod. Now, what you have is a pod system with two open ends.
Weave the hammock into the sleeping bag
You will run the hammock through the sleeping back. Yes, that is right, just unzip the pod system (remember we said that the pod system has the zip on top?)
It was designed this way for just that reason, to allow you to unzip it fully to run the hammock through it easily, but there is a compartment through which the hammock runs. This means that you can have the pod unzipped open and the hammock will still be intact.
Tighten things up
When the hammock is intact inside the pod, tighten the drawstrings around it, on both ends. This will help keep the heat sealed inside all the time.
Hang it up
You are almost done now. All that you need to do is tie the sleeping system to your select trees. Both the hammock and the sleeping bag have suspension systems that you will attach to the trees.
The two suspension systems are quite strong. You can be sure of your security when sleeping suspended between two trees.
Securing the sleeping bag and hammock
At the beginning, you may worry that the pod will not stay intact on the hammie. This is a justified worry indeed. However, as you will see, the suspension system takes care of just such worries.
The sleeping bag stays intact on, or should we say around the hammock, locked securely in place? It does not even sag. This leaves no risk of forming air gaps between the hammie and the pod. Such can leave you suffering with a freezing behind throughout the night.
Time to set up
Even if you are a total newbie to hammock camping, setting up this sleeping system shall not take you more than 5 minutes. Ok, scrap that… maybe a little more than 5 minutes as you familiarize yourself with everything.
However, for the experienced hand, he/she will have this system unrolled out of the compression sack, installed between two trees and ready to sleep.
Why use a hammock sleeping system for camping?
In this outdoor vitals mummy pod review, you will see the things that you can look forward to when you buy the sleeping system.
Light enough for backpacking
One of the benefits of bringing a hammock sleep system is that it is lightweight, everything fits in the compression sack. The overall weight for the entire package is around 2 kg. However, note that this will depend on what brand of hammock sleep system you buy.
Depending on the season rating, some can be heavier, or lighter. However, they have all been designed with the outdoor enthusiast in mind, so even the heaviest one is still very portable.
Sleep elevated
A hammock pod system is a good way to sleep elevated above the ground. If you are a senior, have a bad back or you are just an outdoor enthusiast that likes to sleep in style, you want a good night’s rest. This sleeping system will give you more than that.
Avoid the hard cold ground and cold butt syndrome!
When the weather is cold, you could easily catch pneumonia when you sleep on a thin insulation between you and the hard cold ground. There is no need to carry your bulky foam or self-inflatable sleeping pad for backpacking when you can just have an all-in-one hammock system.
One of every hammock camping enthusiast’s nightmares is bad weather. Unfortunately, the weather changes with little to no notice at all. This item for camping meets all weather needs very well. The sleeping bag traps air inside to keep you toasty warm throughout the cold fall nights.
A few years ago, many hammock camping enthusiasts developed the cold butt syndrome (which means suffering a cold butt at night when using a hammock). However, the coming of the sleeping system has solved that challenge. The new sleeping system keeps the whole of your body warm, uniformly.
It is also a ground sleeping system
As well as being a hanger, you can also use this sleeping system on the ground. The system is as usable on the ground as it is on the hammock. Remember, the fill is microfiber, for insulation. This is much better than standard insulation at keeping you warm.
This kind of versatility is not present in the regular hammies or sleeping bags. When packing this sleeping system, you will find that it packs compactly and snugly, smaller than a regular sleeping bag.
Mummy design sleeping bag
Because of the inbuilt quilt, you can also take the sleep system out and use it on the ground, as a regular bag. The only difference here is that while the guy with the regular sleeping bag would have to bring a sleeping pad or a quilt separately, you don’t need to.
This hammock pod system keeps the users warm on their hammie or on the ground.
