7 nights and I wish it was 8

**jmdavis** · 06-08-2010, 13:17

One of the things that I do (besides work and bees and hunting) is teach marksmanship for the Appleseed (Appleseedinfo.org) program. To be 100% honest, that was what got me into looking at hammocks and realizing that maybe backpacking wasn't impossible.

Twenty years ago, I hurt my back. Though I haven't had surgery, I have learned to live with pain. The worst of that pain is getting up in the morning. When I started teaching with Appleseed, I found myself camping regularly. While a tent and an airbed works ok, I wanted to find a better (and cooler in the Summers in NC, VA, AL, etc) way to sleep. That desire and Shug's videos brought me here.

Two weeks ago I spent 7 nights in my WBBB. This was the second experience with it (the first being a 30f night back in April). It worked great. I used a pad for some insulation since I thought it too hot for the Ptarmigian from Stormcrow. It was also the maiden voyage for my JRB 11x10 cat tarp. It was a voyage with thunderstorms, winds and heavy rain. But the tarp and storm shield kept me dry.

For those 7 nights I slept better than I have in years. Also, for the first time in years, I awoke in the morning without back pain. Not without much back pain, not without some back pain, but without any back pain. That's not even true in my bed. It's particularly not true after spending 10 hours a day standing, teaching, demoing rifle positions and coaching shooters on a concrete pad.

So, now I'm figuring out how to hang at home. I spoke with Ed Speer last week and he was kind enough to take the time to explain the pipe hammock stand that he uses. I think that one will soon take the place of my bed here at the house. If it works, I will be a full time hammocker. Can I get a "whoooo buddy" from the choir?

About the title. I bailed from the hammock for one night after the Rifleman's Bootcamp was over and headed to the Day's Inn in Siler City, NC. While the AC and the 30 minute shower were nice, and the king size bed looked great with 5 pillows, I awoke the next morning and it took me 30 minutes to reach an upright position. That's why I wish it had been 8 nights.

I still haven't decided on a house hammock. I'm leaning toward either the dbl traveler or a Speer. I really like the lay of the Blackbird and that is pushing me toward the Traveler. But I have also heard that the Speer is really good when you find the sweet spot. Any advice from the forum would be appreciated.

**TDFbound** · 06-08-2010, 13:33

wow, so awesome to hear that you are enjoying it! relief from pain is worth so much more than i can really say, so i know you are happy! hope you find a good home solution, and glad to hear the good news!

**gargoyle** · 06-08-2010, 13:56

Priceless!

**Salty** · 06-08-2010, 14:45

That's great, JM. I'm glad the hammock is working for you.

If it's lower back pain, there is a yoga move that worked like a miracle for me and has helped most others I've told about it. I hurt my back lifting a heavy console TV that started pitching over, and I made a grab for it. For years, if I moved or pulled a certain way, my back would "go out" and leave me on the floor where I could barely move. I was home for lunch one day, and all I had back then was broadcast TV, so nothing but soaps were on. I happened to turn the channel to this soft-spoken guy doing yoga exercises on a PBS station. He was talking about how this particular exercise helped many people with lower back pain. It was called The Frog. It was incredibly hard stretching out at first, but I kept at it until I could lie completely flat in that position. I haven't had to do the exercise in years, and my back is still good to go. It may not work for you, but it may be worth a shot. I always recommend it to anyone with lower lumbar back pain. Most have great results after a few days.

The position he taught does not look like some of the poses I see on the internet. If you look at the second picture in this link, that is the starting position he taught. You then slowly lower yourself gradually over the course of hours/days until your waist, stomach, and shoulders touch the floor with your thighs perpendicular to your torso and your calves in line with your torso. If you look at the fourth picture on that link, that's half of it. Both legs are out to the side in the full position he taught. It literally feels like you're ripping, but if you go slow, amazingly, muscles will loosen and before you know it, you're flat...or close to it. Whatever you do, don't get up fast from that position after slowly sinking into it. Rise as slowly as you go down or the muscles will cramp. At first, you likely can't do it. Your thighs will want to come in toward the body. That's OK at first.

BTW, I used to live in Siler City. I trick-or-treated at Aunt Bees house.

Please consult a doctor before beginning any exercise program. This advice is not meant to be medical advice. I am not a physical therapist.

Salty the Miracle Worker

**Poppabear** · 06-08-2010, 16:28

Whoooo buddy! I really appreciate the timeliness of your post. I don't suffer from chronic back pain. However the nights I spend in a hammock are my most restfully by far. I've been trying to figure out a workable way to hang in the house. I had forgotten all about Ed Speers pipe hammock stand. That stand just may be the solution. Thanks for refreshing my mind.

**Cannibal** · 06-08-2010, 16:41

I sometimes forget what a painful back feels like these days. From age 14 to age 37, my back would completely go out at least once a year, usually twice. Knees, back, shoulders, you name it and it hurt in the mornings. Far too many adrenaline sports as a youngin has created a debt my body is unwilling to pay. Then I found hammocks. Ahhhhhh, hammocks.

Three nights was all it took me to toss my bed. Seriously, we don't have a bed in our house anymore. The dog has a futon all to herself, but that's it! Only time I feel pain in the mornings now is when I kick something with my bare toe, but that's my own fault.

For home sleepers, I'm a big advocate of the Latin American hammocks; Brazilian, Nicaraguan, & Mayan. They are built to be used nightly and the comfort level is supreme. The materials are much thicker than the camping hammock materials which means you usually don't need any insulation below you in a typical home, unless you like the A/C set low.

They are also generally much longer; most start where the camping hammocks drop off. They also tend to be wider, although there is a great variety of widths among them. The length is really the key IMO for a hammock. The longer the better. Course, this also causes some issues with available real estate in your bedroom.

Very much worth the money to step up to a 'home sleeper' style hammock if you ask me. Still, glad you found a way to deal with the pain other than just 'dealing' with it.

Oh yeah, WHOOOO BUDDY!

**Poppabear** · 06-08-2010, 19:07

Real estate in my bed room is a problem. I am going to have to do some serious measuring, ciphering and room rearranging. I got to find a way to make this work!

**MikeN** · 06-08-2010, 19:23

Real estate is my problem, too - it's a 10x15 room, so not enough space to put up a hammock like Cannibal describes.

Also like you, I'm going to have to do a fair amount of rearranging things to make even a camping hammock fit.

**TOB9595** · 06-08-2010, 20:39

Whoooo Buddy!

There are so MANY Of us that suffer from BACK PAIN...

Glad you found the way.
I have a HH and am pleased with that. At some hang in the future someone will let me sleep in a WBBB and that will be IT...I just know it.
Good for you!
Tom
Oh Yeah....There are a number of folk that have their home hammock pinned on the wall not in a frame...
Consider this , it'll save you space