Swamp of the Dead, Minnesota

Who remembers the forest that was filled with werewolves in the movie "Underworld"? Ya, well that is the one and only thing I could think about as I started my hike into the pitch black darkness last night.

Recently, all of my backpacking trips have been short overnighters into random places that I find near the cities using Google's topographic and satellite images. Sometimes the areas I find are wonderful and other times not-so-much.

I started my journey into what looked like a forest on google but ended up being a thick swamp filled with dead trees and creepiness. As many of you know I started hammocking so that I could tree climb and sleep in the canopy (http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ad.php?t=39585) and last night I wanted to take it easy and see how much I enjoyed sleeping near the ground like most of you guys do. However, after I bushwacked about 1/2 mile into the swamp I turned into a sissy little girl (I think I even screamed at one point when I thought something was stalking me). I ended up setting my hammock up about 15 feet in the air which was relatively low but high enough to make me feel safe from lycans. Temperatures got down to 15 degrees according to my thermometer but I slept warm. Here are some pictures that I snapped the next morning:

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...g/DSC05681.jpg

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...g/DSC05709.jpg

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...g/DSC05703.jpg

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...g/DSC05719.jpg

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And here is a picture of the crap that I bushwacked through in pure darkness last night. I honestly thought I was going to get eaten.

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...g/DSC05724.jpg

I hope you guys enjoyed my story!

Nice pics. I think I'd be too scared to camp out there, but I can be a big baby!

looks a little creepy.... especially in the first pic!

You are a brave brave man..
Very cool...

That place looks really creepy!

How do we really know that you avoided the lycans? How do we know they didn't really get you, and you are just lurking amongst us now waiting for your opportunity to strike at the rest of us?

If you did, would that make me a were-buffalo? Now there's a scrary thought. I mean, imagine how strong a hammock I would have to make to support my weight....

Off of Larpenteur?
If so....I know that swamp well.
Shug

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Originally Posted by Shug

Off of Larpenteur?
If so....I know that swamp well.
Shug

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if it is off of larpenteur you probably have more real things to be afraid of than werewolves! :scared: well I guess depending on where on larpenteur.... the parts I know are very shady!

^Shug, nope, this swamp was out in the country next to the Vermillion River.

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Originally Posted by Buffalo Skipper

How do we really know that you avoided the lycans?

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:lol:

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Originally Posted by hikingdad

if it is off of larpenteur you probably have more real things to be afraid of than werewolves! :scared: well I guess depending on where on larpenteur.... the parts I know are very shady!

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When I said "close to the cities" I meant within a 50 mile distance from my house :mellow:. Haha. I go backpacking to get away from the cities! If I were to camp where I could hear police sirens and cars all night my backpacking adventures would be tainted for life.

Nice work on getting up in the tree. Is that a safety harness you made around your midsection?
I've tried hanging higher in trees as well, but I'm always a little freaked out that my hammock will fall.

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Originally Posted by dbjerknes

Nice work on getting up in the tree. Is that a safety harness you made around your midsection?
I've tried hanging higher in trees as well, but I'm always a little freaked out that my hammock will fall.

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PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don't treetop hammock without a climbing spec safety harness. I am trying my hardest to find a friend to bivy up in the canopy with me; so if you live in the area I will show you the ropes (ha, litterally). Seriously man, it takes one branch to snap and send you to your death and it is totally not worth it. I mathematically measured the probability of falling 15 feet vs getting eaten alive by racoons and decided that it was much safer to risk falling 15 feet but I would never sleep higher than that without my harness and climbing ropes. Visit a tree climbing forum or check out the link I added to my original post if you want more information on sleeping at height.

The white paracord in the middle of the hammock has nothing to do with safety. I use closed cell foam pads (because I'm too poor to afford an underquilt) for insulation and I used that string to compress the pad into a clamshell shape around my body so that it wouldn't shift when I moved around at night.

By no means was I ever 15 feet in the air, just higher than a typical hang. Each time I would just bring it down to a normal level. Nice set up you have there.

I find it hilarious that you are brave enough to hang that high in a tree when you hammock but you get freaked out in the woods at night. Haha
We will for sure hit the trail some day. I think that's so cool that you are getting out there and trying something new. Great job!

Fronkey

Lycan? What's a lycan? Isn't that the spongy fungusy stuff that grows on the trees or on the ground? :cool:

Looks fun! I'm more afraid of falling than any raccoons getting me.

HY

Years ago I had the idea of climbing trees for recreation but never pursued the idea. I find hanging hammocks high in trees interesting. If I were younger I would give it a try.

Watch out, those Lycans can climb trees.

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Originally Posted by dbjerknes

By no means was I ever 15 feet in the air, just higher than a typical hang. Each time I would just bring it down to a normal level. Nice set up you have there.

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Thanks man. I was quite impressed with the warmth level considering I didn't use a wind barrier. I had 1 fullsize mat and an extra half mat under my torso as well as my puffy jacket over my torso. My legs were cold all night, I had to rub them together like firesticks on multiple occasions.

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Originally Posted by Fronkey

I find it hilarious that you are brave enough to hang that high in a tree when you hammock but you get freaked out in the woods at night. Haha
We will for sure hit the trail some day. I think that's so cool that you are getting out there and trying something new. Great job!

Fronkey

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Honestly, I think I am terrified of everything (including wild animals AND heights). I enjoy the rush I receive when I face my fears. By simply going on solo backpacking trips I am facing my fear of wild animals and by treetop hammocking I am facing my fear of heights. Either way I end up being scared just one I have more control over. Haha, but ya, thanks man. We will indeed meet someday.

I've been a member of Hammock Forums for a month so far and honestly I thought I saw everything. Something tells me this won't be the last time I see something way out of the box in here. Very cool way to hang. My buddy the tree trimmer would get a kick out of this...

I hate that bears can climb trees!!!!

Very cool! I'm so afraid of heights, I'd rather fend off wolves, grizzlies, racoons, and all their other pals, than get more than about 3 feet off the ground. I worked in construction for a while and was on rooftops about 40 feet off the ground. The pucker factor was so bad, years later now and I still don't poop right. I'll take my chances with the werewolves. That forrest looks like it's full of em!