Do you guys ever worry about snakes, and other critters?

[Rain Man]

shake the boots in the morning to make sure the spiders and other critters didn't take up a hotel suite for the night. I do have a dream every now and then about bears running underneath and spinning me around like a pinata.

Now when I used to sleep on the ground with just a tarp over me, that was another story

LOL... my wife calls my hammock a "bear pinata!" But then, she has an ENO herself, with no bug net so far.

If the weather is nice, I often sleep on the ground under the stars ("cowboy camp"). Hollywood would make scared-cats out of all us, but I've only heard of one person I actually, personally know, who was bitten by a snake. And he wasn't camping, he was cleaning up some debris around an old building. Snakes are no real danger to campers, not nearly the danger of driving to the trailhead.

My daughter and I saw bear each and every day of the week we "thru-hiked" the Shenandoah National Park. Similar to snakes, they all ran away from us. Pretty much, the rule of thumb is, the larger the critter, the less the danger, the smaller the critter, the greater the danger. It's the mosquitoes and ticks that you need to watch out for, not the snakes and bears.

One trick with shoes and boots. Pull your socks over the top of them each night. Keeps the little creatures out.

Rain Man

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[Popsmoke63B]

Thanks for the replies guys, the eno is what'll i will go with for starters. I may go with one of the warbonnet tarps in the future.

[Detail Man]

The Eno will do you well. You might also consider Warbonnet's bugnet which is really nice. It should do well with an Eno.

I don't worry about snakes in a hammock. One time I did have a caterpillar make his way down the suspension and onto my arm. Woke up real fast.

[Raul Perez]

I'm new to hammock camping, and i'm on the verge of buying my first; the only thing hampering my decision on which to get is the fact that some are open (Eno, wildernss logics, etc...), and some close off (Warbonnet, Hennessey, etc...).

Price plays a role also. I have to buy 3 hammocks in all for myself, my wife, and my son. I tried an Eno, and loved it, but I'm in the south (TN) and spring and summer will soon be here, and so will the snakes!

You'll be fine.

just don't violate rule # 22.... never go to bed in your hammock after fishing and filleting all day and not wash that smell off your hands and shirt. Cause you'll have raccoons sniffing the bottom of your hammock all night.

Don't ask me how I know that rule....

[Met77]

I do mostly late fall/winter camping so that isn't something I deal with (snakes and bugs that is)

[wizardofhaws]

So far in my limited outings I have been more worried about the feral hogs in the area running into me in the night. No bug net yet for me since it is cold enough but that will be needed soon and should keep the creepy crawlies out that may want to investigate.

[The RidgeRunner]

I was in my warbonnet blackbird on its maiden voyage here in PA. The second night on the trail I woke up to a wet nose. Kind of disturbing knowing the bugnet was zippered shut. So I clenched the gluteus maximus and opened one eye to see the husky from 2 campsites down the trail. A little flick on the snout and I was back to slumber land.

[tncamper]

I've been camping on and off for years and never had a problem with Mr. sneaky snake. I wouldn't worry about it. Most of what we have here in TN to worry about are the water kind anyway. And, welcome from west TN.

[Red Wing]

I DO keep a WATCHFUL eye around dead trees that still have their leaves as those are like juvi rattler oasis' and it's the small ones that get you, aside from the generally few and far between and how off the trail they usually are, it's not really hard to avoid. Like others have said, make noise

[Holger]

Just be careful where you stepping at night and be careful collecting wood.
Otherwise respect them and leave them alone. In Australia you get used to them. Got brown snakes in the backyard (second most poisonous snake) and had a redbelly black snacke under my therm a rest two years ago...so what.. u get used to them and adapt your behaviour.
Don't worry to much!
one thing- I always carry is a snake bite kit to be able to do a preassure immobilization bandage if I hike in the woods...