Hello,
I've been backpacking for about a decade now and was always a tent camper until this year (2016).
I more or less used the same set of gear for almost that whole time without questioning much of it. It just worked... with one small problem. I could never sleep consistently comfortably in a tent.
Finally, this past year, I've been getting into hammock camping and I don't see myself going back to a tent (except when I let my girlfriend use my hammock... maybe a second hammock purchase is in my future).
I've been on a number of backpacking trips ranging from KY to NH this year with my one and only hammock (Hennessy Expedition Asym Zip) and am now getting to the point where I am beginning to fine tune and customize my hammock gear since I have a much better idea of what I am looking for.
In addition to hammocks, I'm getting more and more into lightweight / ultralight ... but I am also something of a bushcrafter so I do add a bit of that element into my kit and mentality. I like lightweight, but I also like durable / long-lasting, and I like to carry a small number of tools so that I can simply use nature in some situations to provide certain items instead of carrying them with me. With that being said, I also wish to preserve the woods, therefore, unless I were to find myself in a true survival situation, the materials that I might take from the woods would mostly consist of dead or dead-standing wood.
I plan to hammock camp in all four seasons in temperatures from more or less 0 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
I've already learned some valuable information from these forums simply through search engines and as a guest and I look forward to learning quite a bit more now that I've taken a step toward membership. I will surely contribute what information I can as well, but make no mistake, I still certainly consider myself a hammock noob.
As of right now, my setup consists of:
Hennessy Expedition Asym Zip Hammock
Hennessy Monsoon Tarp
Hammock Gear Phoenix 20 Underquilt
Whoopie Slings
6' Dyneema Tree Straps (with two small aluminum rods to use as toggles for a Marlin Spike Hitch)
...I am currently using unzipped sleeping bags of varying temperature ranges or fleece blankets as top covers... but a quality top quilt is certainly something that I plan to purchase. I am leaning toward the Burrow 20 by Hammock Gear.
I also would love to get ahold of a Cuben Fiber Tarp, such as the Hammock Gear standard with doors.
Anyway... there's a lengthy intro.
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