New Handicapped Hanger Wannabe

[RockingRay]

Hi Folks from Rockford IL.

I peeked in this forum starting in Jan. 2011 and really enjoy the good people here. in March I had a fairly severe stroke and today I am walkking with a cane and have little use of my right hand and arm. I have limited use of my right leg.

Are there some stroke survivors or other handicapped hangers in here? I really want to give hanging a try. I am looking for facility of ease and comfort. Since (for now) I only have the use of one arm I am wondering if I can do this at all. I drive ok and will start out with car camping. Any tips, pointers, and suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I am serious about this but only if it is reasonably doable. Thanks for considering this.

Ray

[Holger]

Ray I think you can do it!
I am not a stroke survivor but a paramedic of 13 years and truly believe you can do it. Some things like hanging the tree straps up might be more difficult for you, but should be doable. Maybe take somebody the first time until you learned your ways around. Should be easier than a tent (no ground work involved ).
Maybe you can borrow a hammock from somebody here, or somebody is willing to help you out the first time. Mate, if you want to you can find a way!

[raiffnuke]

Welcome to HF from Mass.

[TZBrown]

Ray
Hanging a hammock, is easier than pitching a tent for sure

Welcome to the forum from Michigan

[Turtle Creek]

Ray,
Awesome! I agree with Holger. Having some help to get your hammock/tarp/suspension set up at first may be pretty important. Hopefully you'll have some friends or family ready to hang with you. Once camp is set up I think getting in, out, & positioning yourself in the hammock is very do-able with limited use of one arm. As with anything you take on, the more you do it, the more comfortable you will be. Keep us posted.

[Bannerstone]

RockingRay,

I don't have any ideas at the moment but you're certainly talking to a great bunch of problem solvers in this group. I'm subscribing to this thread so I can follow it and keep noodling about the various tasks you will be adapting to.

I wish you luck trailblazing on this one,

David

[Acer]

Ray,,hang the hammock about as high off the ground as you can,,experiment alittle with the height off the ground as the higher up is easier to get in and out of..the lower to the ground is more effort I find, getting in and out. Alittle more than chair height maybe 6 inches or so,,you can do it. Wecome to the hammock forum and just ask anything and everything as there is someone here to answer your questions and help you out.

[Ramblinrev]

I am mobility impaired and have found that I have difficulty getting _out_ of a hammock. For that reason I use the bottom entry Hennessey. I can just sit out of the slit and stand up. Hang it high to eliminate extra strain on your leg. You will want to swap out the suspension on most any hammock you buy off the shelf. I'm not fully familiar with all the cottage industry models... so oyou may be able to buy one that has a disabled friendly suspension system.

There are a bunch of us gimps on the forums and we manage to get along pretty well.

Make sure you use trekking poles for hiking. Even one is helpful for balance, if you can manage two that would be great therapy as well but I hiked with one for years and got benefit of a third leg. You'll need the oomph in making climbs over rocks and stuff.

You do what you can and don't fret what you can't. You'll find your limits and figure out how to push them when needed. Will you be able to keep up with the 25 yr old speed demons? Probably not. But it's not a race so who cares.

[gargoyle]

Ray,
Come to the MI Hang in Ludington.
It'll be a drive in and set up (with optional backwoods hiking if your able)
Lots of hammocks and it would be a great opportunity to see and test different systems.

Welcome to the forum and with a little diligence, I'm sure we can find a solution for your special needs.

[Home Run]

Hi Ray!
Welcome from Cincinnati. You've certainly come to the right place. I'm pretty new to this myself, and I've enjoyed so much help from everyone. You might try using the forum to find a "hang" near you. (like Gargoyle said) See what everyone is doing, get in and out of a few hammocks, check out all their gear.
And by the way Ray, I love your spirit. There's no doubt in my mind you'll be hanging like a pro before summer even gets here. I'll be following your story, so be sure to keep us updated.

Good luck!

Home Run