Shutout in Mass

**Ratdog** · 08-08-2016, 12:56

Was road tripping back home from Maine and was planning to hammock camp at Pearl Hill. Was told no camping in a "tent site" unless I actually have a tent on the site. The hammock and tarp would not cut it.

http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dcr...tate-park.html

Knowing that the NE group has gatherings and one recent gathering at Harold, apparently also governed by the DCR, I was puzzled and disappointed.

I had planned on a drive by at Harold on the way North, meet a couple folks, get some tips/coaching on my fly casting from Skypainter and then roll on to Maine. A last minute front brake job blew those plans out of the water but I did get North. Wasn't sweating accommodations for overnight when headed home because, well, the NE group has gatherings at State Parks. Needless to say, poor planning on my part.

Now the story does have a happy ending and it all comes down to the local authority, not showing up with a chip on your shoulder, catch more flies with honey than vinegar thing. I went with the "I don't have another option, here are the details of my setup" approach and in the end, the folks were accommodating, so long as I was just overnighting.

So, not a disaster but I was caught a little off guard. Sure I had other contingencies in place, hotels, friends, private campground, (maybe stealth camp) or just drive the extra 350 miles that night. But I figured it was worth a mention.

**Zilla** · 08-08-2016, 13:55

Sorry to hear about the hassle they gave you but atleast you went the - turn on the Ratdog charm route.
Sometimes you really can catch more flies with honey but who wants flies?

**DrPhun** · 08-08-2016, 15:54

That is interesting. So long as I set up a decoy tent I am good?

**Ratdog** · 08-08-2016, 17:05

Originally Posted by DrPhun

That is interesting. So long as I set up a decoy tent I am good?

Yep

And I'm thinking about getting one.

I have a couple of tents, an ancient Eureka Timberline and an 8 man setup but I'll be darned if I want to go through the hassle of setting those up.

Thinking more along the lines of one of those kids pop up tents with the frame made of circular spring steel. You just throw it into the air and poof, a tent.

They did not say how big the tent had to be, perhaps a new cottage industry, Micro Tents?

**LuvmyBonnet** · 08-08-2016, 17:42

Glad you were able to stay. Such stupid rules. This country is really turning into a dumbed down stupid bubble wrap country!

**durunner** · 08-08-2016, 18:11

Massholes!!!

**Ratdog** · 08-08-2016, 19:36

Originally Posted by LuvmyBonnet

Glad you were able to stay. Such stupid rules. This country is really turning into a dumbed down stupid bubble wrap country!

I have to agree...sigh

Still, it seems there are kind and generous folks out there who are willing to stick their necks out just a bit or stiffen their backs over some rules/regs, say like one person on staff at PHSP.

Originally Posted by durunner

Massholes!!!

I know you mean that in the nicest way possible.

And honestly this was nothing compared to the draconian rule experienced by a hammocking group at Round Valley Reservoir in NJ. You should hear the stories...

**The Tree Frog** · 08-08-2016, 20:08

Mr Ratdog, please present your papers. What? You don't have your papers. Take him away!

**KBr00ks** · 08-08-2016, 20:11

How about one of those sample size display tents for retail stores?

There must be some kind of memo circulating among parks bigwigs -- something along the lines of "Hammockers change their clothes out in the open! We must protect our park users against seeing naked butts!"

Or, some uninformed newbs are damaging trees.
A friend told me he and his wife are going kayak camping with a new ENO Doublenest, and the directions were less than helpful. He searched online and found some wisdom (possibly including this site). But why doesn't ENO tell people about the most important part -- the diagonal lay, and the 30% hangle? I've seen a bunch of people this summer with guitar-string-tight hammocks, sometimes 4-5 feet up in the air...