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[CowtownCarlton]

We hello ladies and gentlemen, I stumbled across hammock camping three months ago try to determine how to get my kids into backpack camping. We have do a few car camping trips in a tent. And not the most comfortable nights sleep. I am looking to improve there experience and get them into this like I was as a kid. They have done lots of day hikes and love to get out in the woods. We happened across a Jeffs site and that lead me down the journey of hammock camping. Then I found Shug doing some google searches and now for some reason I am addicted to the idea. He is who lead me to the foroum. So most of the concept is not new to us. We continue to try to determine the most cost effective way to start, we are a rather large family. We have five girls ranging in age from 16 to 2, most of them will be able to carry some of there own load but the majority of the load will be my burden. So weight and there for cost is obviously a concern.

We look at how to build a lot of our own equipment so we hope that reduce the investment to get started. We just not sure where to get started, there comfort is the most important. Is it better to have a inexpensive mass produced hammock or build a small DIY hammock. We no we are going to need to have bug nets, under quilts and tarps. We live in the south and have lots of bugs and it cools off in the evenings where we camp. We have to be able hang it in trees and amoung the rocks, we have Piney woods with swamps, canyons with little to know trees, creek and river bottoms, mountains and valleys. We have lots various places to go hiking and enjoy the outdoors. We just want them to get outside and forget the modern world. So we look forward to learning more.

[chickenwing]

Well Howdy! While not from Texas, I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. j/k I lived in Dallas, Richardson, Austin, San Marcos, and Universal City over the span of about 8 years. Welcome to the forum. You will definitely learn A LOT. I know I have.

[slowhike]

Welcome aboard. There are DIY ways to take care of your hammock needs & a lot of them pretty easy & inexpensive.
Lets see who can find links to budget DIY hammock supplies first.

[chickenwing]

Welcome aboard. There are DIY ways to take care of your hammock needs & a lot of them pretty easy & inexpensive.
Lets see who can find links to budget DIY hammock supplies first.

http://www.tothewoods.net/HomemadeHammock.html
or
http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ad.php?t=15205

[krugd]

Be sure to check out Shug's videos for an introduction to the ways of hammock campers - both informative and entertaining.

[Poppabear]

I second the nod on Shug's videos. many pearls of wisdom can be gleaned from them.

[CowtownCarlton]

Yes the Shug videos got me started down this path.

[tight-wad]

So you are looking for 7 hammocks, bug nets, tarps, etc. etc. etc.?!?!?!

#1 buy a thread injector (sewing machine)
#2 view the Rev's video series "we don't sew, we make gear..."
#3 find a Wally's World in your area ( for your list it would be well worth a 50 mile one-way trip) that still has a fabric section, and buy any ripstop you see in the $1 bin (actually it was up to $1.5 before they shut them down in my area.) Don't even think about picking the color you want. Buy what, all, that you can. ( You would not believe the green and purple paisley pattern stuff I bought before they shut it down in my area.) 1.1 oz/sq yd. Thin stuff, probably a couple of steps beyond "1st" and "2nd" but it will work.
#4 Bugs: JoAnn's fabric in my area has "tulle" for $2/yd. This isn't "no-see-um" small, but it has kept all the bugs in Alabama out of my space, and it is light weight. It is a bear to work with, so be patient, but it works.
#5 Blue cell foam pads from Wally's World for bottom insulation for now.
#6 Start in the summer and use the cheapest sleeping bags you can find for top insulation. Open them up and use them like a blanket. Heck, buy some cheap blankets, or bring some from home.
#7 Suspension... This is where you will have the most weight, and costs to reduce the weight, and options to improve the setup time. Simplest and cheapest: long POLYPRO straps, lark's headed to the hammock, and wrapped around the tree. I have found cheap poly straps at auto supply stores, used for cycle tie down's etc. This is hit or miss. Cut off and toss any metal ratchets, etc. Look for 12+ foot lengths. Ed Speer probably has the least cost straps (15 ft each) that you can buy direct without shopping hard for bargains.
#8 Tarp. You need seven ?!?!?!?! You ain't gonna get there cheap, and light! This may be the weak link in your chain. You could buy a couple of cheap, big waterproof tarps at Wally's World and try to cram as many under it as you can, but the trees may not cooperate with that plan. There is a thread is this forum about making your own waterproof syl out of ripstop nylon. That's your ticket for making a bunch, but it will take time, and assumes that you have found a good source (#3) for ripstop.

Good Luck!

[WV]

The transition from tents to hammocks doesn't need to be abrupt. When my family car-camped, my parents had one tent, my sisters had a smaller one, and I had a surplus jungle hammock. See what your kids want. Some may be comfortable with equipment you already own. Some may want the comfort of someone sleeping with them. See who's interested in hammocking, then DIY or shop.

[CowtownCarlton]

Well we figured we would be doing a lot of DIY. Great information! Since we have cloth hammocks (Mayan) they are use to laying in them properly. We considered two day trip in S Texas and considered letting the two sleep together do to there size. The youngest will like sleep with either of the older two if given the option or the worse case mom or myself. The sheer number always makes it interesting.

Appriciate the information. Learning a lot already.