Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 15
  1. #1
    Member Dain Bramage's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Ardmore, Ok.
    Hammock
    Warbonnet Blackbird
    Tarp
    Bad MahambaJamba
    Insulation
    Grizzly bag pad
    Suspension
    Webbing straps
    Posts
    58

    Cool First Over-Nighter Complete!

    Now, Tuesday, just brimming with self confidence, I set out for my first official over night hang at a local state park. And boy was I not prepared. The first thing that happened, was I completely forgot how to tie any knots. Couldn't even do a basic prussic! My mind just went blank. But the major mistake came when I got into my hammock and soon woke up in a ball in the footbox. Now I am sure I must have had the foot end too low. And the ridge line wasn't taut either.

    So I suffered through with it until the last frost of the year rolled in around 2am. My backside was warm and comfy, but apparently my concern with underquilting left my top to freeze. And when I determined I could wait nolonger for natures call, I attempted a graceful exit. Which resulted in a severely pulled calf muscle and a twisted ankle.

    After sliding down, my point of exit was nolonger over my ground cloth at my point of entrance. And being a fat body, I find it very difficult to just bend over out of the hammock and straighten right up into a standing position. No...it is quite a struggle to bend over out of the hammock at all. It is easiest to stay horizontal, and just roll out and take my lumps. But I endeavored to persevere, stepped onto a sharp stick, grimmacing my reaction caused me to pull a calf muscle, and when I thought "just eject! Emergency eject!" I landed into what appeared to be a large safe pile of leaves...with one footsized hole at the bottom. And you know I was going to find that hole. I screamed so loud the coyotes started howling back. And I'm pretty sure I wet myself a little too. ( I must have looked incredible getting to my feet and hobbling bent over, with leaves in my hair, my war face blazing in pain, holding my crotch to keep from exploding any more, and groaning and cussing to the nearest unoccupied tree to relieve myself. Thank God I was the only one in the park).

    I wound up leaving my campsite at around 0700, since I had been up the rest of the night anyway. Any suggestions (besides smart alik remarks about losing weight) that I might employ on my next hang? This last one was a humdinger!
    "Are you gonna eat that?"

    ________________________

    Dain Bramage videos at

    http://www.youtube.com/user/FatDaddy4Fun?feature=mhum

  2. #2
    gunner76's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Murphy NC
    Hammock
    Blackbird 1.7 double
    Tarp
    HG Cuben
    Insulation
    UGQs ZEPPELIN
    Suspension
    Dutch Clips
    Posts
    10,860
    Images
    39
    Try a practice camp out in your back yard if you have one. At least you had a practical lesson on what can go wrong will go wrong and lived to tell about it.

    As as they say here, pictures or it didn't happen.

    I thnik I manage to screw up something everytime I hang and have go back and correct it.
    I am still 18 but with 52 years of experience !

  3. #3
    Senior Member Raul Perez's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Long Island, NY
    Hammock
    1.1 Blackbird or Traveler SL
    Tarp
    OES Deluxe Cuben
    Insulation
    Yeti - all seasons
    Suspension
    Dynaglide Whoopies
    Posts
    2,277
    Images
    49
    Its cool bro experience and failures are our best teachers.

    Pics or it didnt happen.

    Raul
    "If you give a monkey a gun and he shoots someone, you dont blame the monkey"

    The end of the world is not coming in December, it is happening now in my living room. - TFC Rick

    http://watermonkey.net/

    Youtube Channel:

    http://www.youtube.com/user/RaulPerez1?feature=mhee

  4. #4
    New Member jwillyg's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Savannah, Ga
    Hammock
    ENO Singlenest
    Tarp
    ENO DryFly
    Suspension
    Webbing & Rings
    Posts
    17
    Congrats of your first hang! Sounds like a memorable one.....hope your calf and ankle heal soon. I myself just started hanging in the last couple of months and there is a LARGE learning curve in the basic setup and experience. Not like the old days when you would just crawl out of your tent at 2am to use the head. First time I made an overnight trip in the hammock I just rolled over to get up in the middle of the night and wound up on my face!

    As far as sliding down into the footbox, I would suggest playing with your suspension to get a flatter hang so you don't slide down in the middle of the night. I'm a fat body too and when you don't have that flat hang, Sir Issac Newton's rules apply!

    Keep at it and you will learn how to get that perfect hang in no time. Best thing to do is just to go back out and do it again!

    Happy Hanging!

  5. #5
    Senior Member Veto 65's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Cohoes, New York
    Hammock
    WBBB 1.7 DL
    Tarp
    Chinook 9.6x9.6
    Insulation
    AH New River UQ
    Suspension
    Came with the BB
    Posts
    704
    Images
    6
    I read your title and was going to congratulate you...well I guess I could say congratulations on surviving, but best of all learning.

    The next time you hang will get better, you can bank on it.
    I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority. - E. B. White (1899 - 1985)

  6. #6
    Senior Member inspectorguy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    North Ga Mountains
    Posts
    519
    We shall endeavor to persevere... One of my favorite movie lines, along with failure to communicate

  7. #7
    Senior Member Lepmeister's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Sydney, NSW , Australia
    Hammock
    Blackbird 1.0 DL
    Tarp
    Superfly
    Suspension
    Whoopies
    Posts
    555
    Images
    1
    Backyard hangs are great for tuning the skills.... I'm 3/1 backyard hangs to woods overnighters and feel that I'm learning something new or another way to do stuff every time.

    Give yourself loads of time to set-up and don’t let the excitement get the better of you. It is all too easy to rush in and mistakes.... even easier to make the mistake and then not get up and fix it.

    Set-up, lay down for 2 mins and the adjust... repeat, repeat until there is nothing to tweak.

  8. #8
    Member Dain Bramage's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Ardmore, Ok.
    Hammock
    Warbonnet Blackbird
    Tarp
    Bad MahambaJamba
    Insulation
    Grizzly bag pad
    Suspension
    Webbing straps
    Posts
    58
    Quote Originally Posted by gunner76 View Post
    Try a practice camp out in your back yard if you have one. At least you had a practical lesson on what can go wrong will go wrong and lived to tell about it.

    As as they say here, pictures or it didn't happen.

    I thnik I manage to screw up something everytime I hang and have go back and correct it.
    Oh I have an upcoming video pretty soon, lol.
    "Are you gonna eat that?"

    ________________________

    Dain Bramage videos at

    http://www.youtube.com/user/FatDaddy4Fun?feature=mhum

  9. #9
    Member Dain Bramage's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Ardmore, Ok.
    Hammock
    Warbonnet Blackbird
    Tarp
    Bad MahambaJamba
    Insulation
    Grizzly bag pad
    Suspension
    Webbing straps
    Posts
    58
    Oh I'm not wasting a second. I'm limping right back out this morning and setting up at another park. And I'm gonna do just what ya said. I'm gonna keep laying down until I'm comfy and the ridgeline is right.
    "Are you gonna eat that?"

    ________________________

    Dain Bramage videos at

    http://www.youtube.com/user/FatDaddy4Fun?feature=mhum

  10. #10
    Senior Member Big Joe's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Manchester NH
    Hammock
    WBBB 1.7 dbl
    Tarp
    Superfly
    Insulation
    WL down uq
    Suspension
    adjustable webbing
    Posts
    144
    As a big guy myself at first getting out of my hammock meant rolling out and falling to the ground kinda like you described. For me I picked up this http://www.walmart.com/ip/T-Core-for...i_sku=15162031 Now after a few weeks I'm getting out of the hammock with no problems. So you may want to try working your abs a little it worked for me hope this helps
    Backpacking: An extended form of hiking in which people carry double the amount of gear they need for half the distance they planned to go in twice the time it should take. ~Author Unknown
    Big Joe

  • + New Posts
  • Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

    Similar Threads

    1. Good One Nighter in NE FL
      By louisfb in forum Southeast
      Replies: 9
      Last Post: 09-23-2013, 20:15
    2. July 1st one nighter.
      By Jungle Jay in forum Trip Reports
      Replies: 4
      Last Post: 07-08-2013, 06:08
    3. Just a one nighter with my new Mamajamba
      By islandman8302 in forum Trip Reports
      Replies: 5
      Last Post: 08-28-2012, 08:47
    4. just another one nighter
      By joker in forum General Hammock Talk
      Replies: 4
      Last Post: 02-04-2012, 23:50
    5. First All Nighter in a HH Del. Asym
      By dan stark in forum Trip Reports
      Replies: 10
      Last Post: 12-25-2010, 18:46

    Tags for this Thread

    Bookmarks

    Posting Permissions

    • You may not post new threads
    • You may not post replies
    • You may not post attachments
    • You may not edit your posts
    •