Where does your gear go? also, Porch Mode?

**BER** · 06-09-2011, 21:50

I like Mac's Gear Box as well.

**Tobus** · 06-10-2011, 07:49

For porch mode I use my trekking poles. I turn them upside down (handles to the ground) and stick the pointed end of the pole inside the D-Ring and pull my line tie-out from the D-Ring down to the ground stake. The downward tension of the tie-out line keeps the pole in place. This makes for an extremely quick and easy set-up. I can switch between porch modes and regular tarp pitching in seconds this way.

This is exactly what I do too.

Pics being worth a thousand words and all...

I have found, though, that a decent gust of wind will lift the tarp enough to allow the poles to get out of place, and the whole thing falls over. My solution for this will probably be to carry a couple of small stakes so I can pin down the wrist straps of my trekking poles to the ground.

My pack usually gets hung from a nearby tree, if there's a branch stump handy. (This picture was taken before my introduction to hammocks, so pardon the tent):

This is one of the reasons I like external-frame packs. The top bar is handy for hanging the pack. But even if it's raining and I'm in a hammock, I can always stand my pack up on the ground under my tarp, propped in an upright position with one of my trekking poles. The only part touching the ground will be the bottom 'legs' of the frame.

**Jazilla** · 06-10-2011, 07:55

No the one I currently use but its exactly the same.
100_3034.jpg 100_3035.jpg

**KerMegan** · 06-10-2011, 07:58

Originally Posted by MuseJr

Here are a couple pics from earlier this week. I had my tarp pitched in porch mode and my gear box h

Hope this helps...

I hereby nominate MuseJr to be the photographer for a Hammock calender!
KM(who is wondering which mountains those are..)

**exup** · 06-10-2011, 08:07

I was always going through some weird anxiety about having everything stuffed in my pack or laying around. Not knowing where everything was got to me. I ordered a gear organize from 2qzq and it is my favorite piece of luxery. It has 4 good size pockets, and I go pretty minimal so I can't even fill it out with my summer kit. Cook kit in one, spare clothes and jacket in another, random stuff, med kit etc. In another, and that's pretty much everything besides my hammock, tarp, and quilts. Backpack could get rolled up and water bottle in the last one if need be. It gets wrapped loosly around a tree, if raining I'd hang it on tarp ridge line, hammock ridge line, suspension to pull on blackbird or on the ground if I didn't have those those things. Worth every last bit of $25.

I put my shoes under my tarp or upside down on sticks.

**G.L.P.** · 06-10-2011, 08:13

all my gear goes on the ground or in the shelf in my WBBB .... my site looks like there was a party there the night befor LOL

**exup** · 06-10-2011, 08:34

GLP, haha, that gives me some sort of anxiety. Maybe cause I'm noobish. You'd expect me to be the same at home, but nope, haha. I make my house look like your site, girlfriend hates it, but my camp site looks like my grandmas house, very neat and tidy to impress the critters.

**Shug** · 06-10-2011, 08:38

I love porch mode and use it most all the time. Even when it rains....unless it is a real big nasty blowing rain. Fun to lay there and see the woods get wet,,,,to see the woods is why I am there.
My pack sits on my small square of plastic that I have had for 16 years.....
Shug

**eflat7** · 06-10-2011, 09:07

I usually lay my pack flat under the hammock. Sometimes on a piece of plastic. I am just barely above it when I lay in the hammock. Easy access and a good dry spot.