i didi it!

[mountainhanger]

Hey There, just wanted to thank everyone for their support. Yes i do believe i am really gonna appreciate a hammock now Now my job is to find one and the choices, the decisions, the joy! It was a great expereince and now I am really hooked, so needless to say i have been checking and rechecking different hammocks so soon very sooon
pics to follow asap

[Hawk-eye]

Well feller ... big thumbs up to ya for your first adventure in the woods! Yeah you need to work on that load and the more trips you get under your belt the more fun you'll have for sure!

Enjoyed the video ... and yeah you're going to love a hammock!

[GT]

EXCELLENT! This is what life is all about, man. Very nice scenery and great vid. Beats the heck out of a street full of yellow taxi cabs and neon signs, don't it?

[bluejeans]

Congrats! You now have some experience to learn from and that experience will help you appreciate and understand why the good folks here count ounces/grams. It does make all the difference. Learning to hike with less is all part of the fun and HF has some of the best folks to learn from as I have discovered since joining, and I was an experienced hiker before but now know how little I really knew.
Again congrats and keep moving forward and outward.

[Doofus]

Forty plus pounds and seven and one-half miles on your first time out? Ooh-rah buddy,outstanding! The more you lighten that load, the more you'll dig the hike.

[Shotgunred]

Nice trip report, 7-1/2 miles is pretty good for a 1st timer with that much weight! Your mileage will be no problem if you can lighten that pack, sounds like you could start by dropping that Tent and anything you took with you and didn't use. Looks like you had a lot of fun despite the pain though. There is a group hang where you can check out some different hammocks and meet some fellow Hoosiers this coming weekend (April 13-15). Location info here http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ad.php?t=50430
And more info here
http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ad.php?t=44860

[Rolloff]

Well done!

To think that I carried a too heavy pack for years, and you figured it out after one trip.

I'm just glad they were grading on a curve back then!

Great Video. Hang out in HF for a while and the next time you hit the trail, you won't recognize that pack

[FLScouthanger]

Congrats! Just think how much easier and enjoyable it will be after unloading the 5 lbs. boat anchor (aka, the tent)!

As some other HF member says, "Backpacking is the art of knowing what NOT to take"

[Owl]

WTG...really enjoyed the trip report. And you look like a man "seasoned" enough to know that we don't learn anything when all goes well...it's when we work for it and struggle that we learn the real lessons.

You did a good hike with a good bit of gear...and STILL managed to enjoy yourself. Good on you, friend!

I STILL carry more gear than pretty much anyone else I know...so don't feel bad!

I've got my pack down to about 24lbs without food/water. The hammock and a newer synthetic sleeping bag went a long ways towards dropping my weight down. Can't afford down just yet, but we'll see where it goes.

Hope to see you on the trail someday!

[Shug]

Whooooo Buddy!
You can get a lighter pack for sure and still have all you will need!
Carry Forth.
Shug