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  1. #1
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    My first "hang" as you call it.

    So today I had my first official hang!

    I shall recall the journey in prose for your enjoyment.

    So I decided that even with respect to the cold conditions today (22dF), I would brave the elements and head out with my brand spanking new Clark. I got it in the mail last wednesday and decided it was time to put it to use. I had already taken it out and strung it up rather haphazardly in the bedroom between door handles to see what she looked like in some semblance in person and to inspect for damages. (I got the nx-150 if your curiosity is so inclined to know)

    After my initial inspection I packed it up inside my backpack. With the wind from yesterday died down, and the balmy mercury reading 22 I decided it was time to test out the hammock in a real life situation. I packed up my sleeping bag into the backpack, the wal-mart special sleeping mat I got. and a paperback book I have been trying to get through. The trek today was going to be not only arduous, but trecherous. I put on my asics, slung the pack across my back and called my trusty dog Sasha. She's my precious little baby. And by little baby I mean 135 pounds of the sweetest and most precious Akita you've ever met.

    We head out the back door into the surprisingly bright sun, I shade my eyes and tell the doggy "let's go camping" he tail was wagging even though she had no idea what I was saying. We set off down the treacherously ice covered stairs of the porch which have no hand rail. My baby goes running across the yard to get her favorite rope toy which was encrusted with ice. I take off my backpack and prop it up against the center post for the deck.

    I begin to string up the hammock trying to figure out the correct spacing between posts and how much slack to give here or there. The dog keeps chasing me around the hammock trying to figure out what I'm mumbling to myself about. Finally I figure there's nothing else I can do to try and possibly get it any higher off the ground.

    Carefully I bunch up the hammock behind me as I cautiously begin to lower my portly self into it. The dog in her almighty wisdom declares "You are being to cautious! Throw caution to the wind and just jump on in." At least I imagine that is what she was thinking when she practically pushed me backwardsfalling into my brand new toy.

    I manage to ackwardly arrange myself my backside occasionally scraping the pile of snow beneath me. I pull out the book from my pack and begin to zip up the 'weather shield' so see the available "mood lighting"

    I call out to my doggy "sasha save me! help me sasha!" which prompts her to start whimpering and poking her nose into the hammock to try and find me.



    I LOVE IT!

  2. #2
    Senior Member
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    Nice story! I'll bet your trip reports are a lot of fun to read. <g>

  3. #3
    Senior Member gargoyle's Avatar
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    any pics?








    of sasha? She sounds like a great hiking partner.
    Ambulo tua ambulo.

  4. #4
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    This is my baby.

    I have never really gone hiking before with her. But I'm sure she would love it.
    Attached Images Attached Images

  5. #5
    Senior Member gargoyle's Avatar
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    nice looking pooch, thanks
    Ambulo tua ambulo.

  6. #6
    Senior Member lonetracker's Avatar
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    dogs love doing everything outside.you made some nice reading thanks.
    i have the clark na.if the zippers are hard to work it means you strung it to tight .

  7. #7
    Senior Member KerMegan's Avatar
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    Please try to teach Sasha not to paw at the hammock when you are calling her; those claws can do some damage...But I bet she will make a great lap warmer! (If you both are below the weight rating, that is!)
    have a great time!KM

  8. #8
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    So I spent about 4 hours last night sleeping outside in my hammock! woohooo! Was awesome!

    Sasha slept right underneath me and on occasion when she moved or a breeze hit just the right way we would "bounce". At first she was all confused about me being outside in the dark. But once she realized everything was ok she loved being right next to me! I liked being able to reach right down and scratch her head

    @Lonetracker thanks for the tip!

    @KerMegan. My little baby is very well trained one of the first things I taught her was to not 'paw' anything that wasn't hers. So there's no danger there. she kept poking me with her nose trying to smell me and see if i was ok. And I doubt she'll be spending any time in the hammock with me. I doubt I could handle 130 pounds of dog on my lap! LOL

  9. #9
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    Unlike the previous night where I had to cut it short because of the temperature I managed to stay out all night!

    I dug out my other sleeping bag I've had for quite a few years and took that out with my nice brand new one.

    My new bag is my Mountain Hardwear 0dF synthetic. It was "warm enough the night before but my backside got cold. I gave up and came in early. I had the idea of pulling out my second bag but didn't feel like doing it in the middle ofhte night.

    The second bag is just one I got from kmart a few years back for camping in spring with my buddies. It's a synthetic, not at all something you could use for hiking (it weighs more than my new hammock probably!)

    So when I was ready for bed I threw on my fleece pajama pants and top. put on my booties and grabbed my gear.I stuffed my good bag inside the old one and climbed in. managed to get myself all arranged, zipped everything up and laid there enjoying my new toy.

    It was already dark out so I grabbed my flashlight, dug out some carpenter plumb line I stole from dad and tied up a rig on the flashlight handle so I could hang it from the little loop right over my head. Spent about 30 minutes tying knots and loops and doo-dads to get the flashlight hanging just right to read a book. Once i got it just perfect I tore it apart and re-fashioned it so that it was adjustable by how far it hangs down and the angle And while it really in the grand scheme of things seems so trivial I was quite happy with my little engineering marvel made out of string LOL

    I pulled out my book "A walk in the woods" by Bryson and read a chapter with my newly fashioned light. Content with my achievements i turned in for the night. I didn't sleep solidly but i did stay nice and toasty warm. I did however curse myself under my breath when I woke up and had to ... go like a racehorse. I was extremely warm and comfortable. I dug out my cell phone and called Time&Temp. The mechanical voice informed me it was 2am and 15 degrees. With no bottle I begrudgingly climbed out, banged my head real hard on the porch, woke my dog up and went in to grab a snack and relieve myself.

    When I went to get back in I couldn't help but giggle when I turned on the flashlight still dangling there. I got resituated and lay there just listening to the distant cars on the main street. I heard something scurrying around under the porch with me, it was far to little to be my dog. I unhooked my flashlight and slowly undid a portion of the zipper. I looked out and saw a possum looking back at me LOL. I closed up, laid down and before I knew it my cell phone was chirping its alarm at 8:30am.

    it was GREAT!!

    i love my hammock hee hee

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