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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Original Post - Oct 17, 2007 - 06:29pm PT
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I recently re-acquired a B.A.T. hammock, which I first bought in Yosemite in 1976. It's going to go to the Yosemite Climbing Museum, assuming Ken wants it, but I'm curious as to what it's worth. It's in fairly good shape - probably used only once or twice when I bought it. I may never have used it, though I did put in some reinforcing stitching and a few patches, and in the early 1990s sold it to a friend, who never used it, and who just sold it back to me.
It's orange ripstop, with yellow straps. Laid out, it forms a rectangle, with four straps on each side. Those at the head end are adjustable. There's no label on it that I can see, so I can't say for sure if it is a B.A.T. hammock, or a copy - the sewing seems fairly well done, though.
Of course, those who have actually "slept" in one may pay to have as little to do with it as possible... But I was curious what they're worth, if anything.
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WBraun
climber
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Oct 17, 2007 - 07:01pm PT
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I've slept in that POS and you wake up in the morning with no feeling in your shoulders.
I threw mine away years ago.
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the Fet
Knackered climber
A bivy sack in the secret campground
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Oct 17, 2007 - 07:05pm PT
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A guys been trying to sell one on craigslist for a while at $250 with no takers.
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Raydog
Trad climber
Boulder Colorado
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Oct 17, 2007 - 09:01pm PT
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the worth may have something to do with it's scarcity, in other words, how many of them were made. it might be interesting to find out who did the actual construction as well, IMO.
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graham
Social climber
Ventura, California
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Oct 17, 2007 - 09:06pm PT
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Anders the bat tent was a solid enclosed triangle. Mostly red some may have had a blue band in the middle as a reinforcement.
Slept in on once… it was a bad night
Mike
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Chicken Skinner
Trad climber
Yosemite
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Oct 17, 2007 - 09:34pm PT
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The Bat Tent was sewn by Denali Expeditions of Fresno. Roger Derryberry used to sew for them. I can't wait to see it. Mike Graham is right about it being an orange triangle with blue webbing. I have one but would like another for traveling displays.
Ken
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 17, 2007 - 09:50pm PT
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Perhaps my memory has failed me, and it's something else. What could it be?
It's not a B.A.T. tent - there's no fly or cover. Simply a single-point suspension hammock. It's reasonably well made, judging from the design and sewing, which suggests it was done commercially. Given the date I got it, it was probably new in 1974 or 1975. It was more or less the same type as the other hammocks around at the time, and may have been a copy of something else.
Any thoughts? Who else made hammocks then?
If I have a chance, I'll hang it up and take a picture and post it.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Oct 17, 2007 - 09:56pm PT
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Sounds like a Forrest.
(Is it moth eaten BTW?)
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graham
Social climber
Ventura, California
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Oct 17, 2007 - 09:58pm PT
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IT could be an early Bill Forrest product. Jello may know better on that.
Rodger Derryberry was the name I was looking for, thanks Ken.
It was a very little shop in Fresno, don’t think it lasted a year. My guess is there was not much of a market for wall climbing gear back then. Batso was directly involved but B.A.T. stood for something like “Basically Absurd Technology”. I bet they didn’t make but 50 of those in total.
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Raydog
Trad climber
Boulder Colorado
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Oct 17, 2007 - 10:01pm PT
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50 sounds like a good number...something like that
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 17, 2007 - 10:33pm PT
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So here's some pictures of the thing. The first is stretched out on the rug. The yellow + black straps are adjustable, and so probably at the head end.
And one hanging up. (I had to tie a knot in the straps, to get it to hang.) Loki wasn't interested in curling up inside it, so I used some sleeping bags.
Ron edit: No moths were damaged in the taking of these pictures.
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Chicken Skinner
Trad climber
Yosemite
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Oct 17, 2007 - 10:46pm PT
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I think the Forrest hammock came out for the masses(all twenty of us in 1976 or 1977). I remember a Climbing cover of one with a purple background around that time with a Shield article. Sold me, I bought one right away and after use, modified it with a Speedy Stitcher and added double spreader bars purchased from the local hardware store.
Here I am fixing it up indoors after the first use.
And in use during my second El Cap route in 1977.
It sure was fun back then when you could dream and work on improving your equipment for the next go around. That part of climbing is lost to some extent because of all the wonderful equipment designers that abound these days. They think of things that I never did and sometimes never would.
Ken
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WBraun
climber
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Oct 17, 2007 - 10:48pm PT
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Now if you could only get your hands on a one of a kind that Bev Johnson made for Charlie Porter. It had a built in sleeping bag.
It probably is a classic museum piece if someone can find it.
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Chicken Skinner
Trad climber
Yosemite
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Oct 17, 2007 - 10:50pm PT
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Anders, I am pretty sure that is a BAT Hammock but not a BAT Tent. That is a predecessor to the BAT Tent and I might have one, will have to look. Very cool Anders!
Ken
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Chicken Skinner
Trad climber
Yosemite
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Oct 17, 2007 - 10:51pm PT
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Werner did you ever try that one out?
Ken
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Oct 17, 2007 - 10:55pm PT
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I used a Forrest hammock on the Diamond in July '74, so they must have come out earlier.
But this was an early model (pre-spreader bar).
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 17, 2007 - 10:56pm PT
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Yes, I remember spreader bars. The best were PVC tubing, cut to the right length, with slots in the ends. Easy to drop.
B.A.T. = Basically Absurd Technology (from Downward Bound).
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WBraun
climber
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Oct 17, 2007 - 11:09pm PT
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Ken
I never tried Porters custom hammock. You should email Charlie and ask him if he's still got it for your museum.
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Chicken Skinner
Trad climber
Yosemite
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Oct 17, 2007 - 11:11pm PT
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Anders, I had these nice little rubber caps that would fit over the ends and never dropped one. I also sewed an Ensolite into the bottom and a nylon cover to hold my feet in and keep my feet slipping out and to keep me from being too clumsy and dropping anything. Also had a nylon cover to keep my make-shift pillow from dropping as well. I also sewed loops above to hang water, food, shoes, and other necessities. Piton Ron, you could be right about the date as to when the Forrest's came on the market. I trust you still have your BAT Tent.
Ken
Werner, I have been trying to get a hold of him, to no avail. Have you heard from him recently?
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bhilden
Trad climber
Mountain View, CA
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Oct 17, 2007 - 11:25pm PT
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Anders,
that is definitely a B.A.T. hammock. I have one as well.
Bruce
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